Returning to the City of Light

Half a month later and I'm just getting to updates on our weekend in Paris. Things have been getting crazier and busier here in Leuven. I'm reaching my final weeks with only a month and a half left to go before I board a plane heading home to the States. I'm making it a goal to be all caught up on my posts this week, so be on the lookout for a couple more blogs from yours truly.

So - Paris. We came because we wanted to participate in the Paris Color Run - so we just made a weekend trip out of it. The megabus costed less than 25 euros to get us there and back, so it was an easy 4 hour drive from Brussels. Upon getting off at the bus stop in Paris, my heart skipped a beat. I have been blessed to experience and see so many new places during my travels this semester, but there's just something about this city that makes me want to pack my bags up and move here. It feels like a second home to me - I feel comfortable exploring and navigating my way around, and there's always something new for me to see and fall in love with. 

After we checked into our hotel, we explored the Notre Dame area a bit. I got a scoop of my favorite ice cream, Bertillion and we walked around for awhile, stumbling into Shakespeare and Company and eating dinner in a cute little restaurant for less than 10 euros. The sunset was stunning that evening - and I just couldn't stop smiling the entire time. 

Saturday we did so, SO much. We started our morning off at the Champs-Elysees and l'Arc de Triomphe (where I almost convinced myself I needed to spend 20 euros on macaroons from Laduree). I ended up buying a new jacket from the H&M there which was so fun. After snapping some pics, we made our way toward the Eiffel Tower. Call it touristy, call it cliche, but the Eiffel Tower is my favorite thing about Paris. It's what I dreamed about seeing for the longest time . . . so when I finally did back in high school, it only ignited my passion for traveling the world. Every time I get to see it again, I am immediately reminded of how much more I want to see and explore on our beautiful planet. 

Paid a visit to my pal Louis Vuitton

From Paris with Love. 

After grabbing a sandwich, we got caught in the rain making our way toward the Louvre. It literally downpoured for the entire walk there, so we got a little soaked. Once we arrived though, it was completely sunny again, so I couldn't complain too much. I was so happy because I ended up getting into the Louvre for free. Because we have Belgian residence cards, we're considered "members of the EU" so I didn't have to pay a dime to see the Mona Lisa! Of course we took the obligatory selfie and explored a bit more. 

From here, we spent the night sitting on the steps of the Sacre Coeur and watched the sunset over the city. It was magical. We were off to bed early as our last morning was spent waking up bright and early.

Okay. So if you ever get the chance to do to the Color Run in Paris or anywhere else amazing in Europe - do it! It was such an amazing experience (and not too expensive!) It works just like any other color run, except I was motivated to finish thanks to beautiful views along the Seine and the final celebration at the Trocadero in front of the Eiffel Tower. Words can't describe how awesome it was. It made me so thankful for these wonderful experiences I have had. 

After dancing and getting completely covered in powder, it was time to say goodbye to the City of Light. I'm already dreaming up my next adventure, and cannot wait to return to my favorite place in the world one day. 

There's Nothing Like a Sunday Stroll

Week 7 has come and gone. I am almost done with month 2 of study abroad and each day I am discovering little parts of Leuven I never knew existed before. I love my free days where I can just wander and explore the town. Today, I ventured out to Abdij Van Park (Dutch for "Parc Abbey"), just outside the city in the Belgian countryside. It was an easy and quick 20 minute walk from my house, and boy was I so thankful I decided to spend a Sunday stroll here.

The parc was built on the grounds of an abbey that was established in 1080. After doing some research on the area, I discovered that it went through many changes and developments - the church standing there today wasn't installed until the 18th century. Back home in Indiana, I love visiting Ritchey Woods - a little nature preserve about a 10 minute drive from my house. I think Abdij Van Park will definitely take it's place until I return in the summer. 

I had no destination set in stone, so I spent much of my time exploring different paths. Everyone was walking their dogs, spending time with family, riding bikes, or going on runs. It's days like today that make me so thankful I chose to study in Leuven. Sure it would've been great to study in the South of France or in the U.K. - somewhere where you always have the hustle and bustle of the city, but Leuven just makes this experience so much more authentic. 

I feel like I'm truly living life like a European. I can experience both the peaceful moments and crazy moments. I never have to take a metro to get anywhere and yet I can still explore all parts of the city. If I want to take part in the nightlife, I walk 10 minutes down the street. If I want to go for a run in the countryside, I turn right out my door and take the sidewalk out of the city. This place just feels like home. Knowing all of these special moments I've had with Leuven is going to make it that much harder to leave come June.  

Yesterday also included a visit to a market that we came across close to the town hall. It was so cute and full of fresh produce and flowers to purchase as well. This week I'm trying something new and making avocado chicken bombs for dinner, so I ended up buying 2 avocados as well as a fresh bouquet of tulips from a stand that brings in flowers from the Netherlands to brighten up the room.  

Besides this, classes are interesting. We made a trip to Antwerp on Friday because our art class was supposed to meet at the Rubenshuis for a field trip. We waited an hour for our professor to show up (which he never did) - so a few classmates and I ended up just exploring the museum ourselves. I'm really glad we did, lots of neat paintings and architecture to discover. 

Below I'm attaching a few random pictures from the week. This is our last week before our 2 week Easter Break. During our vacation, we are venturing to Spain and Ireland - so I will be sure to keep the blog updated with the new adventures that come!

J-House Hotel Party - The residence I'm living in does one of these each semester where each room prepares a snack/drink/game to play so everyone can see each others rooms and get to know one another.

Selfie Stick always coming in clutch.

Until next time.....! 

Dinant, You Didn't Disappoint

In my free time here, I've started to read lots of travel blogs to gain new insights and inspiration when it comes to exploring Europe. In doing so, I've come across multiple individuals who have put Belgium high up on their list of some of their favorite places they've visited. And now I can understand why.

If you ever have plans of traveling to Europe anytime soon, please put this little country on your list! While you've got to visit Brussels, Bruges, and Ghent, there are so many precious towns and cities to explore (and it isn't expensive to get to many places!) In working a little research magic, I came across the wonderful town of Dinant. An easy day trip from Leuven, we came for the gorgeous views and to climb the citadel that overlooks the town. 

Getting to your destination is just as much of an adventure as it is once you arrive. I've learned this very quickly. Upon arriving at the train station, I stopped by Panos for a Nutella croissant (something to indulge in when traveling) and got comfortable sitting on the train. I kicked back with my feet resting on the seat across from me. 10-15 minutes pass by, and the conductor comes through to check tickets. Once he arrived to me, I have never heard someone yell so much French. Lesson learned, but apparently you can get fined 25 euros for each FOOT you have rested on the chairs across from you. I pulled off the confused and scared little American card nicely, and thankfully didn't get fined. 

The farther south we traveled, the more French I was hearing. Dinant is located in the Southern half of Belgium -- and everyone speaks the language! I love it. 2 hours later, we pulled into town, with no plans set in stone.

After walking down the street, we turned a corner to this view.

Just stunning. See that huge rock behind the town with the wall? That was the citadel we climbed. Somehow I had this brilliant idea I should get back into running and ran 3 miles the day before. It's safe to say my legs were definitely not happy with my decision to take 300 something stairs up to the top.

But the view was so worth it. The original citadel (no longer intact) was originally built in 1051. The one we climbed today? Built in 1815. (Sorry mom for the following photos!!) but we stood up on the ledge to completely take in views of the city. Don't worry, it was extremely large, and we weren't the only ones doing it. Was it scary? A bit. But it was so exhilarating to just stand up on this wall, looking out over this tiny Belgian town and the beautiful countryside. One of those moments I will surely never forget. 

I'm on top of the world, HEY!

I even got to practice some French at a nearby restaurant where we grabbed some lunch. Dinant, you treated us so well. I can't wait to discover more hidden gems in Belgium while I still have time.

Youda Best, Budapest (Part One)

Another weekend has come and gone - saying I'm exhausted would be the understatement of the century. I just spent the most magical weekend in Budapest, Hungary and I can't wait to share it with you. While we were there from Saturday to Tuesday morning, we did so much in such a short amount of time that I will be breaking up my trip into two posts.

Okay, so why Budapest for our first big excursion abroad? Normally most people want to travel to Paris or Barcelona or London when they think of traveling through Europe. While all of these cities are fabulous in their own unique ways, we chose Budapest because our Belgian friend, Annelien, was coming along with us. She actually spent a semester studying in the city 2 years ago, so she knew her way around extremely well - something Izzy and I were so thankful for. Plus, it's so much more fun to travel with friends! I had no plans of visiting Hungary anytime soon after college, so now was the time to go!

DAY ONE:

Our flight ended up leaving very early Saturday morning, so Annelien's boyfriend drove us to the airport in the southern part of Belgium so we could make it in time. Pain au chocolats in hand, we were off on a new adventure.

It's always so surreal stepping foot in a new country. For me, I was venturing into uncharted territory, and I couldn't have been more pumped! This was the first country I visited where the language was not Latin-based. For my English/French mind, Hungarian is an odd language. It looks and sounds so different, but it's fascinating to hear people speak and to read billboards, signs, etc. Upon stepping off the plane, we had to take a bus, to the metro, where we would then walk another 10 minutes to reach our hostel. Annelien knew exactly what she was doing, and led the way which was comforting. At this point, I was still in awe of all the sites - this is the farthest East I have ever been before.

First things first, we got to our hostel to drop off our things. This place was the cutest. It had an adorable courtyard with dangling lights and places to sit all over. It almost felt like walking through Greece or a Mediterranean villa. We hiked up to the third floor for our room to find the hallways have all of these murals, paintings, and quotes (one of my favorites is shared below).

After running by the hostel - we stopped for lunch. I finally got to eat a cheeseburger (#helloAmericancravings) and then we were off to explore the city! Annelien showed us the city center, which surrounds the Danube River. Budapest originally used to be two towns, Buda and Pest, until they merged in 1873 to create what we visit today. Boy was it a site to see. It is located on the outskirts of the Transdanubian Mountains, so much of the "Buda" side spreads through these mini peaks and summits. There are no words to describe it. After snapping some pictures, Annelien took us down to the Parliament building, where more pictures were snapped.

Before grabbing dinner, we stopped by St. Joseph's Basilica (also, another beaut). I think the pictures speak for itself, but boy, was it just absolutely stunning. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it.

We ate dinner at this cute little Italian restaurant that Annelien loves as well (unfortunately, I can't remember the name.) Pictures are below though. Their was a terrace area inside that overlooked the entire restaurant that we sat at which was so lovely. I also ate probably one of the best pizzas I've ever had . . . when in Hungary.

Cultural differences I noticed: it's polite to walk in and truly greet the host at a restaurant - instead of saying "we will have 3 people" or "table for 3", it's proper to say good evening/how are you/etc first. We had this happen on multiple occasions where the waiter would wait until we greeted them with the proper salutation before even seating us. Also - Hungarians come off as unfriendly for the most part - Annelien even said the same. They may not be unfriendly in actuality, but they definitely don't radiate the charm and pleasantness you find in the Midwest. But that's okay, and it's neat to see how society works in different parts of the world.

All in all, day one was a success. Stay tuned for Part Two of my weekend in Hungary!

Exploring with Mal: Kasteel van Arenberg

Today brought the most wonderful adventure that I believed deserved its own post. I decided when I woke up this morning that I was going to visit Kasteel van Arenberg, this beautiful chateau located just outside Leuven that reminded me much of Downton Abbey. How did I find this gem, you may be asking? Instagram.

There's a moat, too!

Before arriving in Leuven, I looked up the city's "geotag" on the social media site to discover that this place existed. How neat is that? I found a girl who is actually studying abroad here and started scrolling through her pictures to discover the castle was within walking distance of my residence. After googling "Kasteel van Arenberg" I learned that this place has tons of history, and I mean tons. Since the 12th century, this has been the chateau of the lords of the Heverlee until the 15th century when it was passed from family to family during the Renaissance period.

You can find pretty little things everywhere you look.

Just before the first World War, the duke at the time was trying to sell the chateau to the University of Leuven. Unfortunately, it was seized by the Germans and Austrians once WWI rolled around. It wasn't until 1921 that the University of Leuven gained ownership of the building. Today, it acts as the engineering campus for our university. I can't imagine getting to go to class in a chateau everyday...how dreamy!

Belgium's very own Downton Abbey

The first signs of spring - the tulips are starting to pop up too!

The walk there was so beautiful. Leuven is surrounded by one big loop/highway that acts as the entrance/exit for the city. In order to get to Kasteel van Arenberg, you must cross this highway and then continue onward down this beautiful path lined with old homes and vine-covered fences and gates. If you're from Indianapolis - think Meridian Street, but 10x's more European. It was so romantic. I'm thinking this will be the perfect place to run once it gets a bit warmer out. Upon finally arriving to the castle, you can walk on the grounds and explore.

Another building just next to the castle with the neatest watermills. 

We even got to pet a few doggies being walked along the way! An afternoon well spent - but tomorrow it's back to class!