Belgium

My visit to Belgium started south of Maastricht, in the town of Liége. Since the weather had been so bad in Maastricht, and was forecasted to continue being that way, I picked Liége because I had two nights to kill before meeting up with my friend Heleen in Ghent. There is a small town an hour or so from Liége called Spa, which is Europe's oldest health resort. As you can guess from the name, there are mineral-rich healing hot springs there, and I figured it seemed like a good idea to head to the spa there on a rainy day. When I got to Thermes de Spa, which is on the top of a hill and accessible by funicular or an elevator, I bought the four-hour pass and headed into the pool to get healed! After traveling for so long, what I really need is a massage, but I figured healing hot water couldn't hurt. Unfortunately, the water was not as hot as I had hoped it would be, which I guess makes sense since people spend all day sitting in the baths. There were a couple of jacuzzis as well, but they also weren't as hot as I would have liked. The main pool had a lot of massaging waterfalls for different body parts, so that was nice for my back and shoulders and feet. There was also an outdoor section, but the water out there felt really cold, so I stayed there for about ten seconds. Only when it was time for me to head back to the dressing room to change did I remember that there was a sauna as well! So I went up there for about ten minutes to get warm and dry, but I wish I would have remembered that earlier. After I left the spa, I tried to wander around town a bit to get some pictures, but it wouldn't stop raining. At one point, I ducked into a bakery and bought what turned out to be a delicious apple pastry that contained an entire baked apple inside with a candied cinnamon stick in the middle - so delicious! I also got my first taste of the famous Belgian fries there (Belgians claim that they invented them, and take offense to the name french fries!). I did wander around the city of Liége a bit, and took some pictures of cool buildings. I also walked up the Montagne de Bueren, which is a flight of 373 stairs that leads up to a monument and an excellent city panorama. When I was at the top, before I could even catch my breath, a German man on a bike started talking to me. First he just asked me where the long flight of stairs were, and then it developed into a very interesting conversation during which he enlightened me with "Europe's" impression of Americans. According to him, we are fat, lazy, and drive everywhere rather than walk; even if stores are nearby, we drive across the parking lot. Of course to a certain extent this is true, and I can see how this is a stereotypical opinion of us in general, and I can truthfully say that I have been guilty of doing that at times. He also said that we make a lot of movies about crazy women who need to go and see shrinks?! I really think that a lot of people's views of America and Americans are what they learn from movies, which is sad really. He also said that we are fake with our emotions, like nice on the outside but we don't want to show deep emotions. That one I don't understand. How or why would someone fake being nice?! He also talked about Obama and said the whole of Europe was so behind him getting elected, but now it seems like he hasn't done anything at all, that everything is still the same. He also disapproved of the way that Bin Laden was killed and how Americans celebrated. Overall, it was an interesting conversation albeit a bit strange for having just met someone.
I left Liége and headed for Ghent, where my friend Heleen (who I met in Vietnam) met me at the train station. Once again, it was great to see a friend, and to stay in an apartment and cook meals. Ghent is a really beautiful and historic city, with an awesome castle in the center. One day, I took a walking tour that was in a brochure at the tourist information center. It started at St. Bavo's Cathedral, which houses the most important work in the history of Flemish art: The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by the Van Eyck brothers. It was also free to go down into the crypts below the church, which was exciting because most churches charge to see them. There was a cool art exhibit down there by a local artist who does clay sculptures of everyday life. Definitely the best part of the city is the imposing Castle of the Counts, built in 1180. Nowhere else in the world will you find such a massive fortress in the center of a city. I went inside one day and saw their display of ancient intruments of torture, from thumbscrews to an authentic guillotine! The square near the castle is cool because it's streetlights are connected to the maternity hospitals of Ghent, so every time a baby is born, they slowly flash. Heleen and I took a boat tour of the city one day, which was fun. Ghent is a university city, and a young and fun vibe exists throughout it. When the weather was good, people were everywhere, especially along the waterfront. One night we biked to a free outdoor concert, but biking back in the rain at 3 a.m. wasn't too fun. Another chilly night, some of Heleen's friends met us at a cool hangout where there was music and beer and a bonfire to keep us warm, and pretty star lanterns hanging from the trees.
The day after I arrived, Heleen had a job interview in Brussels, so I accompanied her and saw some of the city while she was busy, and then she showed me around a bit more afterwards. Most impressive was the Grand Place, the central square, with it's antique frame of golden guildhalls. The Gothic-style Hotel de Ville was the only building to escape bombardment by the French in 1695, which is ironic considering that it was the target. Brussels is also known for it's Galeries, or indoor shopping streets. I made it a point to seek out the famous Manneken Pis fountain, which is a national symbol. It is a naked little boy peeing, and what is funny is that everything in the area then has replicas of him, such as a giant chocolate manneken pis ouside of the chocolate store. I tried my first Belgian waffle there, with strawberries and whipped cream, and can see why they are so famous - Belgian waffles in the states just do not compare.
Another day, Heleen's mom had to go to her hometown of Brugge to celebrate her mother's birthday, and she invited us along for the ride. Heleen and I walked around for several hours, and while the city has a reputation of being super touristy and a tad fake, I enjoyed it. We saw the begijnhof, which again was quaint and peaceful. I went into the Onze Lieve Vrouwkerk, or Church of Our Lady, and saw Michelangelo's Madonna and Child. The small marble statue (1504) was his only work of art to leave Italy in his lifetime. We also went into the Heilig-Bloedbasiliek (Basilica of the Holy Blood) where supposedly a few drops of Christ's blood are kept and cherished. We watched a few people go up to the guarded (and covered) container, lay their hands on it, kneel, and pray. The inside of the church was beautifully decorated in a Muslim style. Heleen and I enjoyed a beer on the riverfront at a bar that had all 780 Belgian beers along with their matching glasses displayed in a glass wall. After we left Brugge, since the weather had gotten warm, we drove to the coast, to a town called Knokke, and walked along the beach. It was awesome just to enjoy the sun and the feeling of sand and the sea beneath my feet, and to pick up some seashells for my niece and nephews. Then Heleen's mom treated us to some of those famous frites (fries) along with their special sauce.
I took a day trip to Antwerp one day as well, because I had heard I shouldn't miss it. I was rather unimpressed overall with the city though. It had a nice central square with the typical Belgian stepped facades and guildhalls. There were a few raised promenades along the wide and dirty river to walk along, as well as a small castle and some pretty buildings.
I can't talk about Belgium without talking about the food. There isn't much that is easy on the waist, that's for sure! I have already mentioned the waffles, fries, and beer, all of which were delicious. I definitely have new favorite beers after spending almost two weeks in Belgium! At the top of my list are Orval and Duvel. Both are wheat beers, which I prefer anyway, but they are super smooth and sweet. Belgians also make their beer really strong, usually between 5 and 9 percent. I must brag for a moment and say that the local Ghent boys were impressed that I could handle 2 or 3 of them (over several hours, of course) without falling on the floor! They said one of their favorite pastimes is to watch foreigners drink Belgian beers, not realizing how strong they are, and eventually end up on the floor. Of course, another famous specialty is chocolate. I only had a small sampling of different types from a store, and they melted in my bag as I had decided to buy them on one of the only hot days the whole time I was there! Even melted though, they were pretty tasty. On my last night in Belgium, Heleen took me to try something she had been telling me about the whole time. We sat outside on a nice patio, and had meat stew which is served with fries and salad. It did not disappoint, and was one of the food highlights of Belgium for me.
With this post, I am nearly caught up on the blog! I am hoping to be able to upload some photos soon as well, because I know that's what everyone really wants to see:) Ever the optimist, I hope I can continue to stay relatively up-to-date from now on. After Belgium, I only visited Luxembourg City for one night so that will be a short post, and then have been in Germany for almost a month now. I am excited to say that I am moving on to the last leg of my trip tomorrow, August 4th! I fly through Miami and Panama City, and then into Cartagena, Columbia! It is right on the Caribbean coast and is therefore a tropical climate. Looking at the weather forecast, I will certainly get my needed dose of hot weather, as the highs are predicted in the 90s, but it will feel like over 100 degrees! It looks like it will be raining at least part of every day as well. I am super excited to be heading to South America, as I have heard such great things about it! It will also be nice to be back in the same time zones as the U.S. I bought a copy of South America on a Shoestring the other day, so it has been fun reading about Columbia. I am a bit worried about the safety there, because I have heard a lot of stories. My reading so far has put my mind at ease though, and here's hoping that I make it through South America without difficulties just as I have thus far on my trip! My next post will hopefully be from Cartagena!