Seulement à Bruxelles

This week I chose to stay in Brussels...mostly on account of the bad weather (it poured all day on Saturday) and the fact that I have mid-terms all next week. 


Thursday, ISA took us on a free self-guided tour of the Musée Magritte Museum. It opened in 2009 and is located at Place Royal. We each had our own head sets, so we pretty much explored the museum (which had 3 floors of artwork) on our own. However, I did have a chance to listen in on a French guided tour along the way!


Renée Magritte went through various stages of surrealism, impressionism, etc., but he is best known for his surrealist paintings. The museum holds the world's largest collection of Magritte's work (advertisements, paintings, films, letters, photographs, etc.). Pictured right is one of his more famous paintings, and one of my favorites in the museum.  


Friday night dinner was a little bit more special this week...my host mother and I were invited to have dinner with the other host family that also lives in Watermael-Boitsfort. It was nice to have dinner with a group of 8 instead of just 2 or 3. We spoke French almost the entire time (which made me feel bad for my friend Chris who barely knows any French and sat in silence for the entirety of the meal). Martine, the host mother, cooked lamb, chicken, couscous, and vegetables. A little different from the typical Belgian meal (as she pointed out), but nevertheless, an interesting one. I stayed away from the lamb meat and sausage, but the rest was fairly tasty. We finished off the meal with some homemade crème brulée (which I'm, unfortunately, not a big fan of) and then I headed off to a friend's house in Etterbeck. He invited a bunch of the ISA students over, where we had the chance to listen to some music, play cards, and mingle with the local Belgians. After walking for about an hour, looking for Madame Moustache (a night club), running into some Canadians, and taking pictures under Le Cinquantaire (an huge arch in the Schuman area), our chances of finding the place was looking slim to none. So, Chris and I shared a cab and went home. 


Saturday evening was a bit of a treat. Our ISA director, Sabine, took a group of us out to dinner at Chez Léon--a famous restaurant in downtown Brussels. It's located in the middle of seafood row and is famous for its mussels, but I ordered a traditional Belgian dish called "Waterzooi de volaille à la gantoise" (chicken in a creamy broth with some vegetables and potatoes)--but this was apparently the "Ghent-style." Then we were off to the movies to see 127 hours, which had both French and Dutch subtitles. I was amazed at how dissimilar the French subtitles were to what the actors were actually saying throughout the film. In fact, the French version was way more polite! Back to the movie, if you haven't seen it already, I strongly encourage you to. It's a little gruesome, but 100% worth it. I was extremely impressed with the acting skills and kept me on the edge of my seat right until the very end.


Sunday is catch-up day. I have a lot to study before my mid-terms begin this week, so don't expect to hear from me much. But, next Friday I'll be off to Paris for the week. Un jour à Bruxelles et le prochain à Paris. J'adore ma vie. 


À bientôt.
-Arielle

Antwerpen (Dutch for "Hand Throwing")

Sorry it's been such a long time, but I had a 10 page paper and a presentation due this week, so I had to put this off a little. At any rate, I hope you all had a Bonne Saint Valentin (Happy Valentine's Day)! 


Last Monday, myself, along with 10 other people, gathered in the ISA office for a little valentine's day celebration. We cooked dinner and spent the rest of the night chatting and hanging out.

Saturday was a looong day. It began with an excursion to Breendonk where we had a tour of a concentration camp. It was very touching and a little bit difficult to get through, but we had an excellent tour guide who did a magnificent job of relaying the hardships of the prisoners. Located in Antwerp, Belgium, the prison camp held both Jews and political prisoners, prior to their transfer to Germany. The first prisoners arrived in 1940 and, according to the tour guide, stayed anywhere from 3 to 18 months. No one ever knew how long they would stay and about 3500 prisoners passed through the camp until its evacuation in 1944. The Jewish prisoners were separated from the rest until 1942. Thereafter, the Jewish prisoners were sent to Aushwitz or Mechelin (a transit camp in Belgium). Originally designed as a military fort, once the Germans took over, the conditions in fort Breendonk became brutal. The prisoners were forced to do unnecessary labor, were poorly fed, and had horrid sleeping conditions. Many individuals were exterminated while there and only one person, out of pure luck, successfully escaped.


Following the 2-hour walking tour, ISA students boarded the bus to continue onto the Antwerp's city-center. Antwerp reminded me a lot of Brussels and, in fact, my friend Rachel nicknamed one of the areas "Little Brussels." During our lunch hour, my friends and I took advantage of this free time to explore and take some pictures in the Grote Mkt (main sqaure). Our first site visit was the "Cathedral of our Lady," which is home to several of Peter Paul Rubens' famous paintings. Next, we headed off to the Plantin-Moretus Museum, which contains the world's oldest printing presses, old maps of Antwerp, and even a copy of the Gutenberg Bible. 


Once again, we had some free time to explore the city. So, of course the girls wanted to check out the shopping area...but a few friends and I left there pretty quickly and went for a long walk. We saw the Antwerp train station (pictured left) and Het Steen (pictured below)--Antwerp's oldest building--near the harbour. 


From here, we met back up with the group. It was time for the event we'd been waiting for...a ghostwalk around Antwerp to get to know the dark corners of the city and learn about medieval life through folk tales. It rained on and off, which completed the mood. We heard a bunch of (99%) made-up stories, but got a really cool tour of the city, going through side streets and alleyways. This concluded our night (around 8:30pm), and we walked back towards the bus to drive home to Brussels. 


Oh, and I almost forgot. One of the major pluses of Antwerp over Brussels (for all you foodies): waffles on a stick. What a brilliant idea!

(click on the pic to zoom in)

Bon appetit!

Arielle

Ma Semaine à Revue ("My Week In Review")

        I finally had the chance to stay home for a weekend! However, this meant that I missed out on a fabulous weekend in Barcelona with some of my ISA friends. But, I've travelled three weekends in a row and I needed to get some rest before I embark on the next side trip. I actually got to explore and enjoy the city of Brussels, as I should since it's where I chose to reside for 4 months. 

http://www.ilotsacre.be/images/2004Toone.JPG

        This week I went to see "Les Trois Mousquetaires" at the Théâtre Toone. It was located at the end of an alleyway in a pub that dates back to 1696. The show was all in French and lasted a little over 2 hours, including a short intermission. The marionettes were handled on a small stage in the front of the theater with one gentleman hidden in the back (who was responsible for all of the, yes, male and female, voices). I understood most of what the man was saying, but some of the voices were mumbled. So luckily, Sabine was sitting next to me and could fill me in after each scene if I was confused. It was a one hundred percent cultural experience and I'm glad that I had the chance to take advantage of the opportunity. 
       Friday night I went to "Jungle Rhum," a bar that's only a few bus stops away, for another VSG (Vesalius Student Government) night out. It was pretty cool inside with all of the music and junglesque decorations and was conveniently located as well. A group of kids wanted to head downtown from there, but that would have been completely out of the way for me, so a few of my friends and I just stopped by another bustling bar, and from there I headed home. 
        Saturday I got to sleep in and get some work done (which I, regretfully, have been putting off for the last few weeks). I met my friend for dinner near Grand Place where there's rows and rows of seafood restaurants. We got hassled by a few of the maître d's who were standing outside trying to convince us that their restaurant is the best in the area and that we really should give it a try. We actually got escorted into one--the man repeatedly told us that the first drink would be on the house and that we could sit by a beautiful fire place AND, if we weren't happy the meal would be gratuit (free). So, we sat down, but we were only given the seafood menu at first, which was très, très cher (very, very expensive)...30-40 euros per plate. But the couple sitting next to us got a cheap pizza and pasta menu (only ~10 euros) as well. I knew there was a catch. Well, my friend (Natalie) and I weren't looking to break the bank that night and without touching the pink champagne that the waiter immediately placed on our table (for free) when we sat down, we left. That was the first time that I've ever walked out of a restaurant and I felt so guilty, but the maître d' seemed to be used to it and said it was no problem. Hmmm.. After having dinner at a much less expensive, but very nice Italian restaurant, Natalie and I headed back to Grand Place for some coffee and a few Indian sweets and pastries. It was delightful and so relaxing.
        Sunday morning I finally backed up all of my computer files on an external hard drive, since someone in a Mac Store last week told me my computer might crash soon and I needed to do this asap. The hard drive that I found at Media Markt (similar to a Best Buy) on Rue Neuve was half the price of the one at the Mac store, but supposedly the best one for my computer. After that was done I wanted to do some exploring on my own. I walked to the Beaulieu metro station (15-20min) and headed down to Gare Midi for the famous Gare Du Midi Sunday Market. Notable reviewers describe it as the biggest market in Europe and here you can find anything from movies to clothes, spices, cheeses, and meats. They even sold shampoo, perfume, and cookery. It was a wild combination of sorts, but nevertheless interesting. 

"Love Bug Parade"

        On my way back to the Beaulieu metro stop, I got off at Mérode. Not realizing that almost all of the shops would be closed (since it's a Sunday), I was stuck with a grumbling belly and nowhere to go. I walked back towards the "Cinquantenaire Arch" and along the way I found a nice little Lebanese restaurant. I got a felafel pita to go and walked through a nearby park, which led me directly to the arch. Unpredictably, I stumbled upon a large antique auto show. It was called the "Love Bug Parade," which Volkswagen holds annually on the day before Valentine's Day. Well over one hundred Beetle cars, in every color you could imagine, filled the space. And so, that's the end of my week in review. Not as exhilarating as the others, but nonetheless "magnifique."  

Cinquantenaire Arch

Bonne semaine, 
Arielle

Londre: Rendre Visite à Mon Amie, Allie

This was another very productive week. I was still alone in the house, since my host family went to Paris for the week...and although my host mother froze enough dinner meals to last me until she returned, another family that lives close by (~ a 3 min. walk) invited me over for dinner every night. The three boys that I've mentioned in previous posts live there as well, so I decided to join them on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. On Tuesday night the mother was raving about these crêpes that she was going to make for February 2nd. It's, apparently, a tradition in France and Belgium to serve crêpes on this particular day. According to Wikipedia, the day is called "avec Crêpe Day" (how creative)! I arrived at 6:45pm, as requested, only to find that the mother and father were nowhere to be found. The son and daughter were at the table prepping for the hefty meal. We had crêpes, crêpes, and more crêpes. They just kept coming...seriously. The daughter would pour the batter into mini-griddles, and even though there were only 5 of us at the dinner table, she used all 6 of the griddles. Each time we were expected to flip the crêpe with our handy dandy mini, plastic spatulas and serve ourselves. The crêpes could be either savory or sweet, according to our liking--there was sliced ham, chicken, cheese, nutella, some sort of crunchy chocolate spread, apricot jam, apples, and bananas placed all around on the table. I started out with slices of chicken and cheese, eventually moving onto the nutella and a chocolate crunchy spread with diced apples (which was by far the best combination). However, by the end of the night I thought I would never want to eat another crêpe again....I was utterly crêpe-d out.

Thursday night, I decided not to join the family for dinner because my friend Rachel invited me to "The New Arrivals 8 Contemporary Hungarian Artists" exhibition at the Palais des Beaux Arts. Although the Hungarian Ambassador's presence was expected at the event, we did not see him. The exhibition was put on to commemorate the 2011 Hungarian Presidency of the European Union (every 6 months the president of the EU rotates, by country). Our initial impression of the exhibition was that it was a bit creepy and unusual, but the second half was much more intriguing. There was a silent video as well as a multi-media presentation featuring footage from 1939, which showcased Germans and Hungarian Jews who are attempting to escape Nazi persecution as they journeyed across the river Danube. It was an interesting exhibition to say the least.

Saturday was a LONG day (especially because I gained an hour when I got to London). There's a lot to say about this trip, but I'll try to keep it as short as possible---but no promises. It was about a 2 hour train ride (thanks to the high speed train), which went by fairly quickly thanks to my French homework. When I arrived in London, I immediately parted ways with the 5 other girls from ISA, since I had made plans to stay with my friend Allie who is studying abroad in London for the semester. After exchanging some money to pounds (which was an awful exchange rate) and finding my way to the Piccadilly tube line, I made it to Gloucestor Road. She met me outside the tube and we walked about 2 1/2 blocks to her apartment building. And so, my London experience began...

Hyde Park

At Portobello Market

We decided to stay around the Kensington area for the day. She took me to Portobello Market for a few hours, which continued down Portobello Road for about a mile. There were hundreds of stands with individuals selling antiques and fresh food. After walking up and down the market looking for something that peaked our interest for lunch and finally munching on a tasty mozzarella and pesto sandwich, we decided we had had enough of the market for the day. Next stop was Hyde Park. We walked around for a little while, took some pictures by the pond, and headed over to the world renowned Harrods. This place was unlike anything that I had ever seen. It was terrifically fancy and if I got stuck in that store for a week, I would have plenty to do. The marketplace was incredible as was the pet store, toy store, and opera singing which kept us entertained as we went up and down the escalators. That night, I met up with my other friends for dinner at Trafalgar Square in Westminster. Since they were tired and wanted to make it an early night, I went back to Kensington, met some of Allie's London-based friends, and then went to a local pub just the two of us. We were pretty tired that night, so we went home fairly early so we could be well rested for the following day. 

Now the real fun began. I went to Westminster in the morning and got to see Big Ben, walked across the millennium bridge (which has been featured in Harry Potter), saw St. Paul's Cathedral, and went to the Tate Modern art museum where I saw a beautiful painting by Monet. We walked so far out of the way that we completely forgot to see Buckingham Palace, which was why we went to Westminster in the first place :( This just means that I have something to look forward to when I go back to London in the future!

Me in front of St. Paul's Cathedral

After a long self-guided walking tour, we headed over to Chinatown for the Chinese Nw Year. It was insanely packed and we nearly got separated about a hundred times. There were floats gliding all throughout the streets and music playing at every corner. At this point, it was way past lunchtime and all of the restaurants/buffets had huge lines. We finally found a Chinese restaurant (come on, I had to go. It was the Chinese New Year!), which didn't seem to have too long of a wait. Once we got in, I ordered fried rice with chicken (which I would never even order in the US). It was delicious and didn't even seem to be fried. After getting refueled, we took the tube to South Kensington where I was supposed to meet my cousin Josh (whose lived in London for the past 4 years). It was about time we caught up and it was a very typical British afternoon. Josh took me, again, through Hyde Park, but this time we made our way to the Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace. We stopped at the Palace for some tea and cake (if I didn't already eat such a huge lunch we would have tried the tea sandwiches & scones...next time I guess). This had been a picture-perfect day, and it wasn't even over.

Chinatown

Museum of Natural History, entry

Next came the museums. After I had left Josh I wandered around Kensington on my own. I stopped into the Science Museum and the Museum of Natural History. The latter museum was really cool from the inside-out. I decided to go in just to see what it looked like, and once I did there was no way I was leaving...until I went up the escalator (pictured above) that went through a globe. I felt like I was at Epcot in  Disney World. Thank goodness Allie lent me her map, so I could find my way home because at this point the sun was setting and it was starting to get dark out. As soon as I walked in her room and took a seat, I got a call from my friend Willie to come meet a couple of the ISA girls for dinner. And so I was off again. It was not such a lively area, but we finally found a traditional British pub where I had a delicious dinner (I must have walked 10 miles that day, at least I hope I did because there is no way that I should have gone out for another meal at this point). I, again, traveled back to Allie's on the tube and had a quiet night watching some American TV--Modern Family--and went to bed. 

Monday morning I woke up with a huge smile on my face because it had been such a great weekend. I finally got to catch up with Allie, see London, and spend some quality time with my cousin. The weekend was a great success and there was only a 10 minute delay for my train home to Brussels. Moreover, while we were hurrying back to campus we received a phone call that my one and only 4:30 Intro to the EU class had been cancelled! (Side Note: However, I received an email the following day that there was an administrative error and class should NOT have been cancelled...my professor was the only one who went). The  day really could not have gotten any better. Last, but not least, I decided to use the extra time to go to the Watermael-Boitsfort commune to pick up my official Belgian ID, but it had closed at 12:00. Instead, I took the long way home, by foot (which took about 40 minutes), so I could get hungry for the delicious dinner that my host mother would be making upon my return. Now I'm stuffed, tired, and almost ready for bed. 

To those of you back home, bonne journée!

-Arielle