Belgium!

Just a quick note: I won't be able to upload any pictures/videos until I get to Italy. We don't have much internet time on the ship, and uploading any files basically cuts your time in half...sorry!

July 16

So, Belgium! I had a lovely stay in this country and wish I had more time to explore. I have no idea whether or not I'll have the chance to return but I would highly recommend Belgium to others as a tourist destination. The people were so very helpful, there's a great deal of diversity, and the food is AMAZING. Here's some info about Belgium before I get started. Most people don't know that Belgium has two main languages: French in the south, or Wallonia, and Flemish Dutch in the north, or Flanders. Luckily, I was able to experience both areas. Historically, there has always been a great rift between the north and the south, one established based off of religious, linguistic, economic, and ethnic differences. In the past, there was an enormous gap in the wealth between the north and the south....Wallonia had the higher ground with its large coal deposits and modernized quite early. The north remained predominately agricultural. But in the past 40 some years, there has been a complete reversal in the relationship between Flanders and Wallonia. Now, the north has overtaken the south in prosperity and growrth rates. One thing I should have known...Antwerp (or it's Dutch name: Antwerpen, the French name: Anvers) is the diamond capital of the world! Really cool.....needless to say, many shops selling diamonds and jewelry all around the city. Here's some more interesting information: Belgium has ten provinces, each with its own administrative governing functions, but the real authoritative power lies in the regions: the Flemish region, the capital of Brussels (which is similar to the DC) and the Walloon region. Each has its own parliament. There are also four executive bodies! Clearly, they have a very complex system of government, which tends to be very costly. As a result, they have the largest public debt in western Europe.

Belgium is a small country, about the size of New Hampshire but is one of the most densely populated in the world. The two major cities, of course, are Antwerp and Brussels (Brussels is home to the European Union and NATO). If I didn't travel to Amsterdam, I would have gone to Bruges and Ghent, other popular destinations. I loved Belgium. I only have the best things to say. The people were so, so kind! Yesterday we explored Brussles (Bruxelles) and had a great time. The first thing I went to see was the Atonium, basically a model of a giant atom (335 feet tall), about 165 billion times the size of an actual atom. It was made in 1958 for a universal exposition. We took the metro to get there...it was kind of on the outskirts of the city but worth the trip. Especially since we didn't have to pay anything to see it...unless you wanted to go inside. From the top of the atom, there were tourists gliding down on a line to the ground...a friend told me it was like 25 euros to do this....it was tempting.....

Mini Europe was right next to the Atonium but we decided to skip it. Instead, we took the metro back to Central Station and walked to the Grand Place, a really great, large open square with fantastic architecture. The buildings are in the Flemish Renaissance style, from the 16th and early 17th century. Supposedly, they were all rebuilt after French troops destroyed them in the late 1600s? Not quite sure about that one...check me on it...regardless, the guildhouses are not orginial...but so beautiful! There was the Hotel de Ville, the old town hall, the Maison du Roi which is now the Musee de la Ville de Bruxelles, which is something of a history of the city museum. My favorite part of the Grand Place was Le Cornet, the guildhouse of the boatmen. Unfortunately, the past two days were pretty rainy/gray so we didn't get to see everything in its grand splendor. I wish I had come in August...the Grand Place is taken over by the Tapis de Fleurs, where the whole center is covered with flowers. Still, seeing the Grand Place was great...the architecture is unlike anything we see in the states...

After walking around the Grand Place, we were starving and anxious to try frites. French fries are actually incorrectly named...they should be called Belgian fries, but here they are simply known as frites. Everyone had told me to expect heaven, and in truth, they were great. Here they serve them with mayonnaise and when we first heard this, our reaction wasn't the best. But then we learned that there is a wide selection of different types of mayo...the kind I got was pretty spicy...definitely not the mayo I'm used to. After eating, we went in search of Mannekin-Pis, a statue of a tiny boy peeing. I don't know, the Belgians love it. Supposedly, they even make costumes for the boy...more than 500 have been made. So we had to see it...and we were surprised at how small he is!!! There were security cameras and so on...I kind of appreciate how much they love this statue...its nice :)

On the same street, we found waffles. OH MY GOD. I don't think I'll ever have another culinary experience like this one. For about 4 euros, I bought a waffle filled with strawberries, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. It was orgasmic. Honestly. I had another today in Antwerp. Just bloody fantastic. Wow. Really, I didn't think they would be different from the Belgian waffles in the States. But they belong in an entirely different category. But I don't get it! Why can't we figure out the secret and make these in the US??? And what about the chocolate???????? The chocolate is just .......oh god, for a chocolate lover, Belgium was just the best. I bought a lot of chocolate and will be very happy for the next few days until we get to Italy. I bought chocolate for family and friends, but honestly, I don't think they'll last with me in the same vicinity. Sorry! Ah, Belgium. Only good thoughts.

After my five minute trip to heaven, I headed to the Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts. It took awhile for me to find the place...I think I was still in la la land. It cost less than five euros for me to get into the Royal Museums of the Fine Arts, and it was worth it. Unfortunately, I only had time to spend in the Musee d'Art Ancien, which housed artwork from the 15th through the 18th centuries. The two most famous pieces I saw were Pieter Brueghel the Elder's "The Fall of Icarus" as well as "The Death of Marat" by Jacques Louis David. I really do wish I could have spent more time there, but I only had a bit of an hour. I didn't do much sightseeing in Amsterdam, Brussels, or Antwerp...most of the time was spent simply walking and observing. In Brussels, I passed SO many churches...the Cathedrale des Saints Michel et Gudule, the Eglise Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg, and so on. Also, I walked past the Palais Royal and Les Musee Belvue and the Palais de Charles de Lorraine. Sometimes I prefer walking to see a city...in Amsterdam we walked all over the place, and it was refreshing. By the time the late afternoon rolled around, I was pretty exhuasted (big surprise) and decided to go back to Gare Centrale to get back to Antwerp.

The only discomforting moments I had in Belgium were related to the trains. I had bought a round ticket in Antwerp so I didn't have to worry about buying another ticket (as I have done with all my other journeys) but if I hadn't, I have no idea how I would have gotten a ticket back. The train station was pretty difficult for my friends and I to navigate around, but I didn't think I would have much of a problem returning. Ha. So, I found the track where the trains depart to Antwerpen but there were so many trains coming and going, it was very difficult to tell which one was which! The monitors didn't help the confusion....at one point I asked the lady next to me if the train in front of us was going to Antwerp and she answered back in french, I don't know. She left and I shrugged my shoulders. Another woman asked me in french questions about the trains....there was nothing I could really do or say, but even the locals were confused. At one point, another train approached and the woman I had previously asked came over to me and pointed to the train. "Antwerp? Anvers?" I asked. She nodded. I repeated myself. She did the same. So I got on. And almost immediately, I realized I made a mistake. Luckily, we were heading in the same direction, which I could tell when we got to Mechelen, which is between Antwerp and Brussels. But there was no english and I was too embarassed to ask the man next to me, who I think noticed my confusion. When the woman came to collect tickets, she stopped, looked at mine, and started speaking in French and then Flemish. "English?" she asked me. I nodded eagerly. I immediately started to explain. "Someone told me this was going to Antwerp!" The woman chuckled a bit, I was clearly distressed....but she calmed me down. "It happens every day. You will get off at the next station, in Lier, and then get on the next train, which is going to Antwerp. I will give you a slip that will tell the next conducter you are a lost passenger." I started laughing. That's kind of romantic, isn't it? Lost passenger...the thought definitely helped a bit with the embarassment. As we approached Lier, I got up and waited alongside the door. The person who was sitting next to me, a man with a kind face who was in his late 30s I would guess, also got up. I had wondered if he knew English and had heard all that had gone on. He saw me fidgeting with my things and said "I think the train to Antwerp is on track 2. Well, that is what it is in the morning. When you get off, I will show you where you can go to check." Pointing, he directed me to the building where I could double check the track. "Thank you so much! I really appreciate it... I thought the woman was correct, but I wasn't totally sure." He shrugged his shoulders. "Today was an odd day. There were track changes. The train before this one and directly after were going to Antwerp, and luckily, you are not far, so it's okay." It was nice to be reassured that I wasn't a complete idiot. He was right, the train was on track 2 and I got back to Antwerp in less than 20 minutes. No big deal. His kindness was not unusual here. So many people helped me out, in big ways and smaller ones. I would never have to ask anyone...if they heard or saw I was confused, they said something themselves. It was wonderful, really.

I got back to the ship in time for dinner (yay! save money!) and relaxed a bit before going out to celebrate a friend's 21st birthday. I had my chance to try flavored Lambic beer, called Kriek. I had cherry last night, and rasberry today around lunchtime. It was amazing! Thank goodness its not readily available in the states because I would be an alcoholic. Lambic is one of the most well known types of beer in Belgium. This is how one of my guidebooks described it:

in the valley of the Senne, there is a natural borne yeast called Brettanomcyes. For centuries, brewers have simply left their warm wheat beer wort uncovered during the winter months, and allowed air to deliver the yeast into it. The fermenting beer is then left to mature in wooden cases for a year or more.

So, does not sound very appetizing. But oh wow-so good!!!! I didn't get to try the Trappist ales, which are interestingly enough, made in abbeys. The only brewing monasteries in the world are located in Belgium and there are about six of them. The word "Trappist" comes from the silent order of Cistercian monks who made them. Unlike the other ports we've been in, beer was incredibly cheap here.

I got in relatively early last night but wasn't able to get all the sleep I wanted.

July 17

Today was the day to explore Antwerp, our port city. I had walked through and seen much of it already, but it was nice to be more leisurely about it. The only thing I paid to do was to enter the Antwerp Cathedral (2 euros for students), a truly spectacular sight, which is also known as Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal. It's visible from almost anywhere in Antwerp....and was fantastic to see inside. From what I heard, it took over 100 years to build and is the largest gothic church in the Benelux region. The cathedral was probably the biggest I've ever been in....and had a four Ruben masterpieces, including:

-The Raising of the Cross (1610)
-The Descent from the Cross (1614)
-The Resurrection of Christ (1612)
-The Ascension of the Virgin (1626)

Earlier in the morning, I had passed several interesting places including the Nationaal Scheepvaartmuseum, which looks like an old castle from the outside. We also passed Vleeshuis, which was the guildhouse of the butchers in the 16th century. Now, it has been made into a music museum. The architecture was really insane...and the red color made it truly look like a meat house!! Nearby is the Grote Markt, the main square of Antwerp, very similar to the Grand Place in Brussels. Guildhouses and all. I actually like this better than the Grand Place...it was a lot more intimate. Supposedly Antwerp was named after a Roman soldier defeating a giant who then threw the hand of the giant into the Schelde river...I guess the latin word for throwing the hand is hand-werpen, so Antwerpen came from that....anyhow, in the middle of the Grote Markt, there is a statue honoring the Roman Brabo, who saved the city.

Recently, Antwerp has been gaining popularity as a fashion mecca. The Mier, which is the main pedestrian shopping street, is amazing. So many stores! All of these European cities have pedestrian shopping streets, it's fantastic. Oh, one of the things we've been noticing is there are SO many H&M's all over the place...there were three on the Mier....we saw about four in Amsterdam all in the same vicinity....there were two on the Stroget in Copenhagen about 2 minutes walking distance apart....really interesting...I thought it was an American store, but we're thinking maybe not because its so popular. Even Bergen had an H&M. I'll do some research.......

The first day we arrived in Antwerp we walked along the Mier to get to the train station. As we passed the stores, we noticed very odd displays in the window. Really strange mannequins....the only time I had seen these were in halloween stores...we just thought, maybe that's the way they do it. It was just extremely eccentric and slightly humorous but I was still perplexed at the meaning. Today I found out there's been a contest between the stores...I don't know what the prompt was: the scariest display?

Its 8:30pm right now and I'm about to go to bed. Maybe I'll watch a movie..I need to write some field reports but I don't have the energy, I'm just so tired. Writing these blogs takes quite a while in itself. I started working on these when I got in around 4ish? But of course, there's been numerous interruptions. Dinner, safety drill, etc.

My favorite moment in Belgium was at the end of my port experience, when I entered a Nepalese craft store that had been recommended. In the middle of our square on the ship, we have a graffiti board put up for each port. On it, students can write what place they liked or disliked, what they recommend, etc. I had read about this particular store and it had great reviews: nice service, free tea upon entry (who doesnt love that?) and great, well priced jewelry. When I was on my way back to the ship, I saw a sign for it and decided to go in. It was a lovely store...fantastic energy. There were singing bowls (YES!!), scarfs, and lots of jewelry, all what I expected. And when the woman behind the counter, (about 30 I would say, from Nepal,...she had told me she had been in Europe for about 6 years) saw me come in, she brought me over a cup of tea and it was delicious. There were two others in the store at the time, making purchases. The energy was just so amazing, I just had to buy something. I wear a long necklace every day with two crosses on it and various other pendants. People can always hear me coming from far away, I jingle! So I decided to buy a carnelian stone to put on the necklace but I wanted to make sure it fit first. She helped me out immediately, and we easily fell into conversation. I told her other students on my ship enjoyed her store so much they recommended it to the whole shipboard community. Before I knew it, the woman was so overwhelmed with joy, we were hugging about the wonder of life, tears were coming to her eyes...I didn't know the name of this woman but it was such an incredible moment....she was so happy to hear that people liked her store...it was too much for her. We had this great human bond...I knew her heart just by seeing her face. She made me remember all my blessings and I left her store probably the happiest I've been this whole trip. Definitely the most grateful I've been. And then when I passed through security to get on the ship, I made it a point to tell the older Belgian man that he has a lovely city and a beautiful country. He had a similar reaction to the woman, without the tears and hugging, of course. Just very happy. I loved it.

Oh, one more thing about the metro in Brussels. They never checked our tickets, there was no way to monitor people using the metro. It's all based on the expectation that one will follow the rules. It's hard to know how many people take advantage of the situation, and clearly if one is caught without a ticket, they have to pay huge fines. But I got the sense that no one takes that chance and voluntarly follows the rules. I would like to think that would work in a US city, but that would be naive. And yet, why? Are people's lives that harder that they would feel the need to cheat the system? Where do the differences lie? Why does it work here and not in the US? Will it ever work there?

The more I see of the world, the more questions I have about my own country.