Sunday, February 24, 2008

Tip the Eiffel Tower with One Glance

Words cannot describe Paris. Despite this, I'm probably going to spend a decent amount of them in trying to convey how wonderful this weekend was.

Friday morning was a bit hectic, as I really thought we were going to miss our train--Amy and Kate were travelling on their own, but Eric had to stop by school. We boarded the Thalys with about 5 minutes to go. True to its name, Thalys is quite the high speed train; it might not seem like it the whole time, but going from Brussels to Paris in about 80 minutes is amazing. That's shorter than the trip from Fairfield to NYC. True, we certainly paid enough for it, but that's beside the point...

Anyway, finding the hostel was an adventure, but it was ultimately a good place. Right on the canal in a residential area, but very pretty. So new they were still doing construction--they installed two beds in our room while we were out! A nice bar in the downstairs. Eric and I spent the afternoon sightseeing and eating our way through some of the touristy areas. The Louvre is free for students on Friday nights (Europe does student discounts right!), so we spent a few hours there until is closed. We, along with Kate, saw all the "must sees," but maybe the best part was discovering the Louvre is built on a castle, there from as early as the 12th century. So we got to explore that a little bit. Then we trekked to the eiffel tower , which is much further from the Louvre than it looks on the map! We were exhausted, but I was so excited to see it in person--I had to do it my first night. Eventually met up with Amy at the hotel bar, after an encounter with some drunk America fans at a pizza place.

Saturday was a blur. All together, we went to the Arc de Triomphe, and climbed the 300ish stairs to the top, with an amazing view. After that, we wound up at the Pantheon, the "civic temple," which was gorgeous--see photo album. Its where a lot of important french folks are buried, like the Curie's, and Voltaire. Kate, Eric, and I did the tour of Montmarte, the artsy-red light district--Moulin Rouge, Van Goh's old haunts, and Sacre Couer, a breath taking church with gorgeous view. We ran in to two girls from Fairfield who Eric knew from class, and who were in Germany--small world! We did dinner and went out for wine and (for one) escargot. Since we were in the red light district, we did visit this really overwhelming sex shop (the sexodrome) and left upon it getting awkward. After they went home, Eric and I went back to Sacre Couer for wine and the view--the view was breathtaking. The wine was less worth celebrating. Still, an amazing way to see the city. When I watched the movie "Paris" this week (a French blockbuster of sorts), I was so excited to see places I knew, and had found memories of!

Sunday was a tough morning, what with the wine not letting me forget the night before, and the smell of...what, new furniture, permeating the room. After a breakfast of coco krispies at the bar (ah, hostels and their unique use of space), we stashed our luggage, and Eric, Kate, and I went down to Les Invalides. Despite a seemingly horrific name, the Invalids is a military hospital first built well before Napoleon, for French soldiers returning wounded. It's gorgeous, as the then king felt it should be used to honor veterans. So now it's still the hospital. And the French military museum. Oh, and Napoleon is entombed there. Admission was steep, so we didn't get to see his site, but otherwise, a really amazing place. It was maybe 10 minutes from the Eiffel Tower, so we returned for some touristy daytime pictures. Kate foiled a pickpocket, which was pretty much the highlight of her otherwise very odd weekend. We got pretty damn lost for a while, after visiting the OTHER Statue of Liberty--much smaller, and up(?) river from the Eiffel Tower. If you've seen National Treasure 2 (and I have..) you understand.

Upon recovering our bearings, we toured the Paris Sewer Museum, which involves actually walking on a grate path above a fast flowing river of sewage. An interesting visit, to be sure, but one that had to be cut short just because it was so unpleasant down there. After that, we went to a classy museum--Musee d'Orsay, which picks up where the Louvre left off. That means impressionism and onward, with some Van Gogh, some Monet, Manet, Gauguin. Really nice, and worth a visit, but we were a bit short on time. After recovering luggage, we got to the train station with 20 minutes to spare. This is, sadly, not enough time to run across the street and get one last Parisian crepe--I had to get my money back and leave, or else miss my train. So I chose the train.

In all, Paris was wonderful and was worth all the hype for me. I could have gone for another day there, to actually get to relax and have a cup of coffee somewhere overlooking the Siene, but the only thing I didn't actually get to see was the catacombs, because they're closed through March (a return visit, perhaps?).

More stories to tell from this weekend, but I'll do a separate post so this stays neat and organized (haha, yeah, really).

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Ghent--a city, and not an STD!

So Sunday found me in Ghent, the third largest city in Belgium. It feels much more like a small town, especially since so many businesses are closed on Sundays, but is really adorable despite that. This trip was especially ironic for me since I have lampooned this very town for so long. The Treaty of Ghent was signed there, ending the War of 1812 (yes, that warm existed. No, I'm not really sure what it was about. And yes, the treaty of this essentially British/American war was signed in what is now Belgium). And ever since learning about it, sophomore year history class, I've sworn that Ghent sounded more like an STD than a bastion of 19th century diplomacy. Turns out I was wrong!

Ghent is another Dutch speaking town (seen a few of those now...) and is only 30 minutes outside Brussels. The day was warm, so Eric, Kate, and I spent it exploring a 12th century castle, complete with torture museum!; walking along the canal, and eating more often than we probably should; and learning that this town has three catholic churchs, all of which can be seen from a single point in the town. Excessive? Yes. But also an impressive display of architecture and art from back in the day. Kate commented on how we're doing the cathedral tour lately, and it's true--the names and places are starting to blur a bit. This one did have a giant crypt downstairs for former bishops of that diocese, and this was coupled with some beautiful decorative pieces. I think as Catholics, Eric and I appreciate this stuff more than others do--we can explain the weird nuances (well, some of them) and understand that the people taking candles, instead of lighting them, are quite confused.

The castle was pretty amazing, and the best 1,20 euro I've ever spent. Also, Belgium has fantastic ice cream, a feature I was not alerted to earlier. I think all throughout Europe we'll find this gelato-esque treat, and I'm fine with that. In all, Ghent was a pleasant distraction from the work I have due soon and definetly worth the trip.

Today I had to wake up at 6 am, a time I have not seen since my summer job. How did I do this everyday for high school!? The moon was still out, and I don't mean that weird fadaway thing it does during sunrise; I was, in fact, done with the bus and tram and already at school for sunrise! (stupid northern atlantic country!). Anyway, we took a program trip to NATO headquarters, which is located in Brussels. Security was pretty hardcore, and our delicious NATO cafeteria meal was amazing. Oh, and the speakers in between were pretty sweet. I think we all felt really smart asking these people our foreign policy questions. Especially with Kosovo declaring independence this week, it was especially relevant. Oh, and Castro resigned today. One plus of being at NATO was the bevy of cable news; also, we found out at 9 am, which was 3 am at home, so it was existing to be on the cutting edge.

The rest of this week is taking care of work, so I can skip class and go to Paris on Friday!! I have no idea yet what I'm doing there--give me some suggestions!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Antwerp-ing

So this weekend was the grand foray into Antwerp. It was full of strange occurrences, odd transportation issues, and people appearing and disappearing at will. It felt kind of like Euro Trip, but in a much more PG sort of way.

We all met at Gare Centraal on Saturday morning to take a train at about 9:30. Except Sara, who thought it was only 8:30. And then realized she wouldn't be able to make it in time, and told us to go ahead, except I didn't see the message and thought we were supposed to wait. So we did. Until we tried to board our train, now with all group members (one more than expected), and the station was evacuated. Yeah...we saw a large number of cops and transit cops congregating, but they all seemed really chill. Plus, nothing happens in Belgium. So before we know it, we're shooed across the street, with no information, in an evacuation that should take about an hour. I still do not know what happened there, but I do know a friend of Sara's from school decided that since she couldn't get to Ghent, she'd just travel with us.

So after finagling and debating, we wind up at the North station and hope on a train. It's on a different track than we thought we needed, and things were running late, so when we saw 'antwerp' on the side, we thought we were set. Until we stopped at Antwerp something else. It sounded like the train stopped, but we're like, whatever, there's other people here. This will keep going....until the conductor walked the length of the train and got into the booth facing the other way, which we were sitting right next to. So Eric asks if this train is going to Antwerp Centraal--this guy looks at us seriously, says matter-of-factly "no," and turns around to start the train. So now eight of us are grabbing our bags and lunging for the door--one of our members gets stuck in the door and has to pry the apart. Kim and Eric are in there as the doors shut, and we're sure they're going to the station we just came from. Instead, the conductor hits a button, doors fly open, and we are free.

So, getting our bearings. I suggest taking the tram, but someone makes the point that our tickets cover the ride to Brussels Central, so lets just finish the ride there on another train.

(picking up where I left off...)

So we find the other train, and its departing, and a few of us stand a little too close for the conductor's comfort, so he yells to get out of the way. The rest of us don't know that two of our group has slipped on board, even though we have tickets, and are now off on their own. Ticketless, not knowing dutch, and with a pissed off conductor. We're also nervous on our own train, since our tickets are not completely legit for this train. Also, there's a unicorn painted on the wall of the car and a gender ambiguous conductor. Amazingly, all goes well, no one is imprisoned and we arrive at the station.

We set off for our hostel, whose directions are given in metres from intersections rather than with cross streets. We wander for a bit, the ten of us (only 6 staying the night!) through a neighborhood that gets dubbed Sarajevo, for its bombed out appearance. It's also a popular neighborhood for hassidic jews, a fact that actually makes me feel better. Despite the area, our hostel is fine, the lady is wonderful, and a poor Japanese stranger must spend the night with us. Hooray!

From here on, I'll be less detailed. We saw the Cathedral of Our Lady, which was amazing, as well as the Church of Carolus...something. Also gorgeous. We spent some time on the promenade over the canal, enjoying a beer and uncharacteristically gorgeous Belgian weather. We wandered quiet a bit and took in a city that mixes its history very well with its present. The next day we went to the sculpture garden, which was definetly an impressive experience. The whole town was so quaint, and the bars were good. We never go to drink beers from the year we were born, or go to the gin bar, but we did have a good time and I'm very glad we went for the weekend, not just a day.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Belgium-wide Adventures

It’s been a busy week, and it’s certainly far from over! Thursday night, we went out—first, to a foreign film, then to a cafĂ© with the group, and finally to Delirium, this crazy bar in the tourist area. It’s huge, and has a beer menu to match; I’d never been there before and didn’t know the selection, so I ordered something “dark and cheap.” It makes me pretty happy that a bartender could go with that alone! This was really one of my first “big nights” here—out till 4 am! Unfortunately, walking home in pouring, sideways rain was a downer, but we still knew a ton of people at the bar, and met foreign visitors of all sorts. Definitely a worthwhile night.

Friday was not much of anything (except getting to see Lost, so people can actually talk about it in front of me now!). Saturday we went to Bastogne (a town in the Belgian countryside which was the central site of the Battle of the Bulge). We saw a lot of sites associated with the Battle, and watched Band of Brothers to really kind of drive home the experience. We also dashed into the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (two foreign countries, and I’ve only been here a month!) to see the American Cemetery there, so those who died in battles in the area. We’ve been studying a lot of World War I here, so suddenly switching to the Second one was a bit odd; however, I know understand it better than I ever did before. The horrors of this war…it’s a wonder anyone made it out alive. Imagine how different everything would be without one, or both, of these wars. Actually seeing foxholes was crazy, and looking down on the village from the same view the soldiers had was a little bit surreal. A lot of people were amazingly immature and callous with the pictures they took, and it really upset me—millions of men died in these wars. In fact, some died exactly where we were standing. Also, considering a number of those in our group had family who fought in the war (and Battle of the Bulge, specifically), and that our guide was there for it and saw his own father die as a result—well, let’s say that I really appreciate the trip, and other did not. It’s certainly a trip I wouldn’t have made on my own, and I really enjoyed the experience as much as one can love something so tragic.

On another note, later that night, one of our group members fell 75 feet out a window and miraculously survived, mostly fine. I don’t have many details about it, and I was in no way involved, but it seemed like something worth mentioning.

Sunday was, of course, the Super Bowl. Even though kickoff was after midnight, the broadcast was in French, and we didn’t get the good commercials, a few of us went to Kate’s house and indulged in ill-deserved birthday cake and junk food. Totally worth coming home at 4:30 to see the Giants win. :-D

Fast forward through Monday—Tuesday is all the good stuff. After going to my first two classes, I got on the bus (or van, as the case may be) and set off to Binche. Binche is about an hour away from Brussels and hosts the largest Carnival/Mardi Gras in Belgium. It’s got all sorts of crazy traditions I had read about even before coming here—all the men and women born in the town get these crazy costumes and are in the parade; there are huge hats made of feathers; oranges are thrown at you, and they’re a sign of good luck. Suffice it to say, it was a good day—the weather clearing up later on certainly helped. Also, Belgium has no open container laws, so there was drunken debauchery everywhere. I was mocked by some Frenchmen for drinking my beer out of a 750 mL glass bottle, but hey! Mardi Gras! I was drunk by dinner (hence the “broken camera, lost the group!” crisis), sober afterwards, and making a valiant attempt for the fire dancers. Amy and I bought the worst premixed drink ever and eventually bequeathed it to someone else more desperate than us. The fire dancers did not dance with fire, but rather around flares—but the fireworks and conversation while waiting made up for that. I did get myself and orange, and also carried everyone’s with me. When we got in, Eric, Everett, Taylor, and myself went to deValera’s by my house to watch some Super Tuesday coverage. They closed early, so we didn’t see much, but its validating to know there are others who follow politics like a sport.

Today involved a trip to the Belgian Federal Parliament—like visiting our Congress. While it was tedious, it was another experience I wouldn’t have had on my own. The building was amazing, really old and beautiful, and it was interesting to learn about how their government manages to function despite all the road blocks. Considering I’ve never been to the US Congress, I especially enjoyed sitting in a Senator’s seat and pretending to vote on something. I then went to class and learned the time had been switched…again. Ridiculous. As I blog now, I’m eating a delicious macaroni/vegetable creation (boo Ash Wednesday!!) and looking down the barrel of a lot of homework.

However, only three more classes left this week, and a presentation. Then on to our adventures in Antwerp this weekend—more stories to follow!!