My Last Adventure - Amsterdam

My oh my how it's been quite some time. Like I referenced in my last post, finals are insane here. Insanely hard. The past month I've been here has been mostly spent studying. BUT, we did take a little break for a day trip to Amsterdam a couple weeks ago. Only a 2 1/2 hour bus ride away, we said why not? I wanted to make it up there even if it was at least for a day.

There was a worker's strike with the train system at the time we went, so Izzy and I had to wake up extremely early to catch a one hour bus ride from Leuven to Brussels just so we could catch our bus that would take us to Amsterdam. We had smooth travels up to the Netherlands, and got to Amsterdam around 10:45 am.

When shall I move in? 

Our first stop? The Pancake Bakery for brunch. This is one of the most famous restaurant/bakeries in Amsterdam, known for their dutch pancakes. I tried the dutch apple pancake and was extremely pleased with my choice. We did have to wait about a half hour to be seated because it's that popular, but I'm so happy we went.

After, I was determined to get a photo at the Fault In Our Stars Bench from the movie. After getting a bit misguided, I ended up finding it, only to find people wanting to do the same thing we were. The bench was so cool, with tons of people who had signed it and quotes from the book. How cool that must be for John Green?!

We then made our way toward the Rijiksmusem where we took some photos in front of the infamous "I Amsterdam" sign. But before hand, we sat along the canals for a bit which was so nice. When they say Amsterdam is truly a bike-friendly city, they mean it. It's almost a pain to get around there by car, because it's so accommodating for cyclers.

M for Mal! 

A bit tired, we took a break and grabbed a Starbucks and walked along the Floating Flower Market. Tons of vendors have stands that literally float on one of the canals -- although I was a bit disappointed as much of it was touristy. I was hoping to find some of those beautiful Dutch tulips!

Lastly, we made our way back to the train station, cutting through the Red Light District on the way. Can't say it's a place I need to go back to. Because the Netherlands legalized marijuana, it was definitely prevalent throughout the neighborhood. You could smell it all around you, and I was quick and ready to leave as soon as we entered.

How bittersweet I was that this was my last adventure to a new country. Be on the lookout for a recap post as I am heading home a week from TODAY! 3 finals and a little packing stands between me and my ride home to America. I've got lots to reflect on - and I can't wait to do so as I'm traveling home.

The Venice of the North: Brugge, Belgium

On Friday, I trekked north toward the coast of Belgium to the romantic city of Brugge for a day trip for my art class. The city is a must-see for most tourists visiting Belgium, and now I can understand why. It was dubbed the nickname "Venice of the North" due to the numerous canals, cobblestone pathways, and weeping willows that drape across every street - it's absolutely stunning.

We lucked out, as it was supposed to rain all day while we were there. Instead, we had sunny skies the entire time, making for a perfect day to explore the city. I immediately fell in love. Our professor walked us around for awhile - we visited Sint-Janshospitaal (a hospital from the 11th century that has been converted into a museum with Flemish artwork from artists including Hans Memling). After, we headed across the street to Sint-Salvator's Cathedral to check out the artwork and architecture there as well. Who knew, but apparently Michaelangelo sculpted the "Madonna of Bruges" which rests inside this church that I had the chance to see it. Pretty neat stuff.

After we finished up with our professor, Izzy and I decided to find some food for lunch. All week I've been craving a big juicy burger, and so we happened to cross "Ellis Gourment Burgers" which is a chain found in Belgium and the Netherlands that makes these delicious burgers to eat. Since it was Friday, I decided to treat myself, and chowed down. If you know me and my obsession with sweet/iced tea, then you can understand why I was so pumped about the one I ordered in the photo below (2 months too long).

From here Izzy and I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the city - enjoy some of my favorite moments below.

Remember when I said I came across that Beguinage in Leuven that housed the religious women? Well, turns out they're pretty common in Belgium, and Brugge had a beautiful one we came across. Our professor told us we came the best time of the year, as the neighborhood had a field full of daffodils that had just bloomed. So gorgeous!

Thank you Brugge for a perfect spring afternoon!

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.....! 

The Grand Béguinage // Groot Begijnhof van Leuven

Today was a dream ... in more ways than one. Not only was it 55 degrees and sunny (a rarity for Belgium), but I spent my afternoon exploring the most absolute beautiful place in Leuven. The Grand Béguinage is a completely restored historical neighborhood in the southern part of the city that is now owned by my university and houses students and professors alike. But the neat part about it all is the history about this place. The Beguinage was built in the 13th century - yes, you heard me. It's that old. And so romantic. And so peaceful. And so serene. I just want to spend all of my afternoons here.

Back in the day (900 years ago), this place was a community for unmarried, religious women. I caught myself saying multiple times, "Is this real? Am I actually walking through something as beautiful as this?" This is what I love about travel. Sure, you can go to the big cities like Paris, London, or Amsterdam and experience huge monuments, massive museums, and touristy places and have a good time. But how neat is it that this world is full of millions of little cities and towns full of hidden gems like Leuven?

Discovering this place was surreal as well. Leuven is a fairly big city full of busy streets, bike riders everywhere you look, plenty of apartments, restaurants, academic buildings. Soon after I turned a corner, things got quiet and the next thing I knew I was walking down a cobblestone path that led me to this quaint and quiet neighborhood. Barely any souls around, I could take in the sights and just completely lose myself in the moment.

I was immediately reminded of 2 movies: 1. The Holiday with Cameron Diaz. You remember when she goes on vacation and stays at that adorable cottage in the British countryside? This place was the Belgian equivalent. and 2. Harry Potter - Privet Drive. So many matching homes, it felt like I was in Surrey. Enjoy some of my favorite moments snapped below.

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!