feliciatravelseurope-blog

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Final | July 26, 2018

Although not the last day of the trip, this is going to be the last journal entry. I just wanna first start off with how grateful I am to be able to come on this trip and experience Europe. Previously when I traveled to Europe, it was always for a week or two max. As for activities, it was always the tourist main attractions and we didn’t really get to interact with locals as much. This trip has really provided me with the opportunity to really learn about culture and life in the Low Countries. 

Let’s start off with the negatives that I have learned these past 4 weeks. People here are very racist and very feminist. Especially as an Asian female did I experience the most discrimination. had always experienced it in the past, but it was never as apparent since I was never fully exposed to local people. In Amsterdam, my friends and I would get cat-called almost every single day. The men here just don't respect women. I know it is a problem everywhere, but never in America was it this bad. It made it really uncomfortable to walk on the streets with so many eyes preying on us. Some would make racist remarks at my friends and I while also cat-calling us. In addition, a lot of the guides we had were extremely racist or just very racially unaware. I understand that it may be due to the small number of Asians living in the Low Countries, but that doesn't give anyone an excuse to be rude about another culture. It also doesn't give anyone an excuse to objectify women and make them uncomfortable on the streets. The Netherlands is always so proud of being tolerant, but I haven't seen that all. People are so rude here and it just doesn't make sense to me. There have just been too many incidents where we were basically being attacked. 

Aside from all the negative parts of being here, I was able to learn so much about the culture. It was so amazing being able to experience it in real life rather than just reading textbooks. I was never a fan of history, but this program has really made me enjoy learning about history. It was amazing being able to learn something during a lecture and seeing it in real life. We would learn about art and get to see the art in real life. We would learn about history and get to see those historical landmarks in real life. Yes, the heat made the walking unbearable, but it was nonetheless an amazing experience that everyone should have once in their lives. 

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top: view of Ghent

bottom: belfry of Ghent 

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Day 18 | July 25, 2018

Honestly, I am about to die. My mosquito bites are driving me crazy, my roommate makes noise starting at 7 AM so I’m sleep deprived, and my body is so physically exhausted from walking in the heat for so long. I have absolutely loved this program but I just cannot stay alive anymore. 

Today was our last travel day and we went to Ghent! We walked around the city and had a guide who was so terribly boring. He just kept talking and talking and no one was paying attention anymore. Despite being almost bored to death, the city itself was marvelous. It was a little dirty since there was a massive party this past weekend. There was trash everywhere. It's so sad how partygoers can ruin such a nice city by littering the streets. We walked by the middle of the old city in the square and I had my biggest question answered: why is the square of each city so big and doesn't that waste space? I was informed that it used to be a place for political gatherings and a marketplace that is still being put on currently. I also learned that the same square is where Mary of Burgundy had to witness her father's councilors being murdered. They killed them in front of her eyes despite her pleading!! I thought that was just mean. 

For lunch, a couple of us got Thai food. I love going to restaurants owned by immigrants. They are just so much nicer and they try a lot harder to make sure you are satisfied. The meal was delicious and I finally got to eat white rice again. It was a miracle. 

In the afternoon, we were able to see the Mystic Lamb with our own eyes. After this church, I never want to see a church again. NO MORE PLEASE. We also went to a torture museum. People were brutal back in the days, shoving water down people's throats and cutting their heads off. 

Today was the day we were hosted by a Belgian family. Honestly, I was very nervous since I was so exhausted from the week. My partner and I were picked up by a quiet and kind old man who drove us to see the Kasteel van Laarne in Wetteren where they were from. We were driven to the house where we were fed very delicious food and they had us try tons of local Belgian beers. I also learned to properly pour beer into a glass to prevent the foam on top from bubbling too much! It was so much fun and I really appreciate the family for hosting us. 

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top: Brussels City Hall

middle: shopping center in Brussels

bottom: European Parliament 

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Day 17 | July 24, 2018

MOSQUITO UPDATE: it’s getting worse. I’m getting more and more. There are about 20 additional bites everywhere on my arms, legs, feet, and even face. I got one right on my eyelid which has been extremely painful. I just want these bugs to stop bothering me. On a brighter note, I was finally able to get to a pharmacy before they closed to buy aloe vera for a burn! So no more burnt back for Felicia!

We went to Brussels today! I’ve been waiting to go to Brussels since we got to Belgium. It was bustling with tourists and people. The streets were lined with waffle and chocolate shops and it smelled so good. I was in heaven. It was cool seeing the city hall after learning that it was the same city hall Leuven tried to compete against. Both were beautiful, but the one in Brussels was surrounded by beautiful guild buildings. I’d have to give it to Brussels in this competition. We got to see my favorite statue, Mannekin Pis. All the tourists were snapping photos of it and I thought it was hilarious that so many tourists were taking pictures of a statue of a small boy peeing. There was also a lot of art around the area dedicated to the statue. I love how obsessed this city is with this small statue. 

I also learned a new term today: Brusselization. Our tour guide spoke of how Brussels is terrible at city planning and doesn't really think about things when developing new buildings. Apparently, they poorly plan the demolition of historically important buildings and replace them with unaesthetic buildings.  I feel like Europe just has this problem of not planning out their development and it just ends up in a mess. 

We got to see the Royal Palace and got to enjoy a peaceful lunch in the park before heading to the European Parliament. It was cool seeing the hemicycle in person. This is where so many important decisions are made!! It's also insane how there are 24 languages that are spoken and being translated into during session. Those interpreters must always be scrambling to translate. We were also able to visit the museum dedicated to the Parliament. The exhibits were really cool and very informative. One of them even allowed you to pretend to be a member of the parliament and help make a decision. 

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top: Leuven City Hall

middle: view of Leuven 

bottom: me with a Stella Artois!

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Day 16 | July 23, 2018

MOSQUITO UPDATE: THERE ARE MORE. MY ENTIRE BODY ITCHES. In addition to these pesky mosquitos, I got super sunburnt after going to the beach. So now every time my back touches something, it hurts. My poor body is going through so much pain right now. 

Today was a day in Leuven. When we got there, it was such a quiet town that I thought it would be dead like Mechelen. But when I learned that it was a student town, my hopes got back up. We walked around to kill some time before we had a lecture at the University of Leuven. It was cool being able to have a lecture at the oldest university in the low countries. While I appreciate the fact that this professor took his time out to teach us, I absolutely abhorred the lecture. He kept repeating himself over and over again and the lecture just dragged on for forever without us getting any new information. I completely blanked out and it just ruined the mood for the entire morning. It wasn’t just me since the majority of us were dying and were very annoyed at the professor rambling on. 

For lunch, we got burgers and were able to drink a Stella Artois in the home of Stella Artois. It’s cool how we are able to be in the places where all these famous beers are made. How many people can say they drank a Stella in the home of the Stella? 

We had a tour of the city and our tour guide was absolutely adorable. She was so informative and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned that the city hall was built multiple times since it was burned down during the war. It was so sad how so many buildings and landmarks of Leuven were burnt down during WWI. Such a sad time. It was also really interesting to learn a little more about Erasmus and how he was so bold to say that the Virgin Mary might not be a virgin after all. THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN THINKING TOO AFTER GOING TO SO MANY CHURCHES. I learned that students of the university find it fun and enjoyable to throw their bicycles into the river. People are so strange here. 

We ended the day by climbing the library clock tower. It was really amazing being able to see a performance live!

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top: a canal in Bruges

middle: Michelangelo’s statue in the Church of Our Lady 

bottom: Belfry of Bruges 

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Day 15 | July 20, 2018

MOSQUITO UPDATE: the mosquito bites have fully infected my legs. I also realized that I’m allergic to mosquito bites and that is the reason why my bites always blister up. One of the bites I have right now has a bubble the size of a nickel. I also got additional bites while walking around today. HELP I AM DYING.

Today was a day in Bruges! The first thing I noticed about the town was that it was a lot busier than Mechelen. There were so many tourists wandering in the train station and in the streets. The train station is also so much cleaner and nicer than the one in Mechelen. The first stop we went to St. John's Hospital. It was really cool seeing one of the oldest hospitals in Europe. The medieval architecture remained to this day and was even still used as a hospital until recently. That building is pretty old so I'm glad it is no longer used as a hospital. 

The second stop was the Church of Our Lady where we saw the graves of Mary of Burgundy and Maximilian of Austria. To this day, I still think it is creepy seeing dead people in a church but these coffins were beautiful. The church also had a sculpture by Michelangelo on display. I learned that it was actually the only sculpture of his to leave Italy during his life. I've been to Italy and have seen a lot of his works there but this is the first time seeing his art outside of Italy. 

We had Flemish food for lunch which was super interesting. I got meatballs cooked in cherry beer. It was extremely delicious! 10/10 would get again. 

Then we toured around the city of Bruges and got to see all the historical landmarks around town. We got to see the Belfry tower and the Basilica of the Holy Blood where they had people lining up to see a piece of cloth with blood on it?? I'm always really confused why you have to pay for everything in churches. In my friend's words, "God's love should be free". Also where is this blood from??? I'm honestly so confused.

Then went to the Groeningemuseum where we saw Flemish primitives It was a mix of old Flemish paintings and modern art. It was really interesting but I'm just really done seeing pictures of Jesus. Regardless, I really enjoyed walking around the city.  

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top: Museum Hof van Busleyden

bottom: St. Rumbold’s Church

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Day 14 | July 19, 2018

MOSQUITOS. They are so deadly here. I was attacked last night and now I have five massive red splotches on my right leg. My roommates face a crisis every day when we are in the room. It is either suffocate in the poorly ventilated room or suffer from a bazillion mosquito bites. We decided that after a long day in the heat, we needed to get some of the air flowing in so that means more mosquitos!!! 

Today we went to Mechelen. When we got there, the train station looked deserted. There was no one there, it was empty, and there were weeds growing everywhere. When walking to the museum, there were barely any human beings walking on the street. It was so quiet that it was unsettling. It got a lot better when we welcomed at the Museum Hof van Busleyden. Samuel’s introduction to the art was very informative and I thought it was interesting how Belgium’s Golden Age was a little before the Netherland’s. It’s interesting to see everything from the Netherlands and then comparing it to the things we are seeing in Belgium. The museum itself was really cool. Since it was recently renovated, the exhibits all had a modern feel to them. Every single room had a little box with an interactive activity. It really helped my brain stay focused. My favorite was this painting of a judge trying to determine how to solve a case between two mothers. These two mothers were fighting over custody of a child and the judge said that he would cut the child in half. He was then able to figure out who the real mother was since a real mother would not be able to see her child hurt. That is just morbid. 

We had lunch in the city center and went around the city. It was really interesting to see the Church of Our Lady-across-the-Dyle. I learned today that most of the graves in/around the churches are near the altar since people wanted to be buried near it. It was especially cool that we were able to see the wall painting that dated back to the 14th century. It is so amazing that people back then were able to produce such beautiful art. I also feel so lucky to be able to see it. We were also able to see the palace of Margaret of Austria and walk through her garden which was cool. She lived such a sad life, being married off so many times and having her heart broken so many times. 

The last thing we saw was the St. Rumbold’s Church. Climbing that tower was a workout but it was so cool seeing how they played music with the bells and seeing what the inside of a tower looked like. In addition, the view of Mechelen at the top was absolutely breathtaking. However, when we were going down the stairs, my brain was working much faster than my feet were so I was scared of falling during the 538 steps we had to take. 

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top and middle: Plantin-Moretus Museum

bottom: Museum aan de Stroom

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Day 13 | July 18, 2018

This morning, I had breakfast for the first time at this hostel. They had something I had never seen before: a Mediterranean pate. It was a mix of vegetables and to be completely honest, putting it on bread with some salami was so delicious. Today's lecture was about the European Union. I'm glad we had this lecture since I actually knew very little about the European Union but was always curious about it. I found it really funny how one of the reasons for the formation of the union was due to France's fear of American culture taking over their citizens. That just shows how influential American culture is for an entire country to be concerned about the problem. The French did not want their people dressing like Americans, walking American TV, and just remotely acting American. I thought it was hilarious how France feared so much of losing their culture. I also thought it was really funny how when France proposed the usage of the euro and proposed the requirements for joining eurozone but ended up fabricating their own numbers. France is quite the country. 

I just want to briefly first talk about Proxy Delhaize. This market has saved my life. It has provided me with the vegetables and fruits I have been needing in my diet on a budget. A couple of us have been getting our lunches there every day and it's been absolutely amazing. It is a nice change from the large amounts of bread we were eating every day in Amsterdam. 

The first museum we went to today was the Plantin-Moretus Museum. It was really cool being able to see how they printed books back in the days. Today, it is so easy to just print a book straight from a computer. In the past, they had to line up every single letter and press it onto the paper. That was amazing. It also amazed me how all the medical and botany books back in the day were so detailed. They were so detailed in their drawings. 

The second museum we went to was the Museum aan de Stroom. The architecture of the building was marvelous and the view from the top of the museum was stunning. The exhibits themselves sort of confused me. There was one exhibit about life and death where they had you walk in a maze of darkness for a good 5 minutes. I was scared to death but the exhibit was cool? They had an exhibit about house music which was cool since I always knew that Belgium was known or their house music, so it was interesting learning about the history. 

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top two photos: Cathedral of our Lady

bottom two: Rubenhuis

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Day 12 | July 17, 2018

Due to the rain last night, there were so many bugs inside the hostel. When I was brushing my teeth, a huge moth attacked me and I was SCARED. This morning, I woke up with a huge bite on my index finger and as much as I try to not itch it, I just can't help myself but scratch it. 

Today in lecture, we learned about the history of Belgium and a little about the art. It was so interesting learning about the history of Belgium and then connecting it to the start of the history of the Netherlands that we learned in the past two weeks. The story of how Juana the Mad was actually in love with her husband and was borderline insane after his death made me so sad. She carried her the coffin of her late husband around with her since she loved him so much. It was so uncommon to actually love your spouse in those days so I admire her for loving her husband so much. I also admire how her son, Charles V was able to a large empire at such a young age. He was able to control the empire and keep it in check. That is super impressive. 

The first place we visited was the Cathedral of our Lady in Antwerp. It was cool being able to see a Catholic church after seeing so many Protestant churches. We learned in lecture today that the southern part of the Netherlands was not afraid to flaunt their religion as compared to the conservative ideology of the northern parts. The churches we saw back in the Netherlands were very simple while the church we saw today was very decorated. There were depictions of Jesus Christ everywhere inside the church and everything was very elaborately designed. The altarpieces displayed inside the church were all very beautiful. I accidentally wandered into the crypt and I was so spooked out in there knowing that there used to be bodies buried in there. It also smelled absolutely terrible from the mold and from who knows what. 

Our next stop was the Rubenhuis. It was pretty cool being able to see the house and studio of such a famous Flemish painter. Being able to walk through his house and see so many of his paintings was such an honor. I learned in the museum that he didn't really like painting portraits, but was always willing to paint portraits for his family members. I thought that was really cute. 

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top: University of Antwerp 

middle and bottom: Jesuit Church

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Day 11 | July 16, 2018

Today was the first full day in Belgium! When we got here, I was honestly very surprised. It was so lively in Amsterdam with cars, bikes, trams, and buses bustling around. People were always walking around and there was always people at the terraces on the side of the street. The streets were so full of tourists and people bustling around even late at night. Here in Antwerp, everything is so quiet. Even the hostel is so quiet. When I walked into StayOkay two weeks ago, I already felt at home since the colors were super bright and there were people hanging out in the lounge and at the bar. When I walked into the hostel in Antwerp, everything was very monochrome and it looked like an office building. There was no one hanging out in the lounge area and the entire hostel was very quiet. It was such a drastic change. Despite that, the rooms are very nice and spacious. In addition, everything is very new and sleek. 

The city itself is also very drastically different from Amsterdam. It is so much quieter here. There was hardly anyone on the street and the pubs were all very empty. I honestly miss the bustle of Amsterdam but the quietness here means I can really enjoy the Belgium beer here and focus on homework. The biggest difference though is the fact that there are no more canals. I really missed sitting by the canals in Amsterdam with friends, just eating some fruit and drinking some juice. It was so relaxing. 

The tour we had today was very fun despite the intense heat outside. It was cool seeing how different the city was from all the cities we’ve been to in the Netherlands. The architecture in the Netherlands was typically very uniform, but here it is kind of all over the place. I learned that it was simply due to poor city planning. We got to visit the University and I loved how they maintained medieval architecture. Even the part that was built much later on and modeled after the old architecture looked genuine. It was especially interesting going into the Jesuit church today. So far we’ve only seen Protestant churches so it was cool seeing this church today and being able to spot the differences between the two. Today’s church was so much more decorated and elaborate. There were also actual depictions of Jesus.