#and my trip would take around 7 or so hours to belgium

[fctedivided]

“Vacation is almost over. It went quite fast.”

[hejscandinavia]

This was probably the earliest day we had to wake up. We had to leave the hotel at 7:45 am so didn’t get much sleep. I was so ready for the continental breakfast, and then…I forgot I was in Norway lol. The classic American hotel breakfast with eggs, bacon, and pancakes was not there. Instead, the hotel had bread, small donuts, smoked salmon, salad, yogurt, and fruit. It was still VERY good. Basically every morning I would get the bread, spread butter, put some cheese on top, with lettuce, smoked salmon, and cucumber. I feel like after Europe I will definitely be eating Smorebord a lot for lunches. Also, homemade butter with homemade bread. The bread, butter, and sometimes cheese combo has changed me lol.

Afterward, we met outside the hotel to meet our guides, Joffery (from France) and Jenka (from Belgium). Our guides throughout my entire trip were AMAZING! They were so funny, engaging, and helpful. We then drove to the docks so go on an hour long boat ride. The waters in Svalbard as so beautiful. As said before, they are this brilliant blue with hints of emerald green. The mountains surrounding us just made it better. We mostly sat outside on the dock taking photos of the nature and of the other group. Coolest thing we saw, A WALRUS! On our right, a walrus was coming up for air for around thirty seconds. It was SO COOL! It took a few ducks, snorted, and went back down. Ah to only be able to scuba dive and see what lies beneath!

Afterward, we arrived on shore with an old lighthouse and radio tower. We then started walking. Well this was one hike. In total, 15 MILES. Bruh I’ve never walked that much (okay maybe but that was Disney and I have zero comprehension of steps in that place). 

The landscape was pretty diverse. As some points, it was completely rocky (so many kinds, especially shards, from black, brown, red, orange, and a lot of quartz). At others, it was a flat and dirt. Then it was holes and bumps with moss covering it. We saw various reindeer on the hike. We even saw a fox for a few seconds! I only saw a glimpse of it because it was blending in so well to the landscape. We took several stops, either to ford the rivers, look at the plants, examine a carcass, and my personal favorite, old whale bones! We didn’t know how old they were. They could either be from the whaling period from 1600-1800 or even older when most of Svalbard was under water several thousand years ago! You can’t tell in the arctic a lot because decomposition is a very slow process. Are we got closer to shore, the beaches were grey with some having ice on top. It was pretty rocky and lots of orange kelp.

We finally got to our main destination, the walrus colony. Sadly, there were no walruses. We had lunch at 2 pm from backpacking kits. I had a dehydrated chicken curry which was okay and the berry tea. Man I LOVE the berry tea. I need to figure out if one of the European stores in Madison has it! The view was still really nice. We had a great look over the sea on these old cliffs. 

Well as we were eating, the guides spotted walruses! We had passed them on our way there. So we packed up quickly and were speeding to go see them.

Before getting close, the guides told us we had to be quiet, not super close, and had to be in the direction the wind was going so the animals can’t smell us. As we crept over the hill, we had a huge scent of animal. And there they were. Thirty or so walruses were lying on the beach in two groups. They were so lazy, sleeping on the shoreline.  Two of them were moving. One was very slowly moving to the water. He was sit up, think, then roll, stand up for ten seconds, then roll again. Time was not apart of their agenda. 

Sadly, we did have to leave to get back to camp. After our boat ride, we had to get dinner. Mirren, Alex, Lulu, Cielo, Caitlin, Ava, and Abby went to Svalbar. I got an Irish coffee. Not my favorite drink as I have explored in alcohol. For food, I had a nutty pasta. It was pretty okay. For desert, I got an Antarctic breakfast! It was from an expedition with lignonberry, ice cream, pancakes, bacon, and syrup. Now that was pretty darn good. Favorite part of the whole evening: my DND joke. For the past couple of months, I have grown an obsession the rudeness of seagulls. Because of this, I would love to play DND as an annoying seagull. With this, I got an idea at the restaurant. “So imagine you’re in DND, and you play as a seagull. Your name is Sval and you’re a bard. Cause ‘Svalbard’. And ALSO! You’re are bartender cause “Svalbar.” Throughout the rest of class, “imagine you’re in DND,” has become a running joke. I’m loving it. 

[uswntxfootball]

all smiles here (jackie groenen x photographer!reader)

focusing on your new job turns out to be a hundred times harder after seeing the smiley dutch midfielder..

word count: 2343 ish

——

today was the day.

here you were, 22, fresh out of college and about to step foot onto the dutch training pitch for the first time and start your new job.

last night you had spent hours fretting over tiny details, making sure your cameras were charged and ready, your lenses were wiped clean, and that everything was nice and tidy.

you had planned to wake up extra early, making sure you had time to get everything situated and set before practice began.

that was the plan.

that’s.. unfortunately not what happened.

in your excitement, you had forgotten to set an alarm, which led to your current predicament, biking as fast as you can, racing through the dutch streets.

you glance down at your watch, narrowly missing a parked car as you do so.

you arrive at 7:58, just in the nick of time.

seeing that the team was already out stretching, you throw your bike down with a crash and run onto the field.

the crash of your bike hitting the pavement caused a few heads to turn your way, with a certain number 14 taking particular interest in your entrance.

blind to the commotion you caused, you laid your camera bag gently down along the side of the field (amongst the other photographers), then bend over unceremoniously, trying hard to catch your breath.

considering you had biked 5 miles in 10 minutes, you were spent, forgetting all your excitement in the process.

when your heart rate had somewhat slowed, you began setting up your equipment, and quickly the nerves and excitement arose once again.

you picked up your camera and took a photo of the closest player to test lighting (that player being sari van veenendaal), all the while internally screaming that that was the fifa 2019 best goalkeeper while doing so.

disregarding how much of a mess your morning was, the next hour went splendidly.

you managed to get a few shots of miedema with gorgeous lighting, photos that your manager undoubtedly would want to publish later on.

few photos were “unusable” (you were pretty damn good at your craft), and your camera roll was soon flooded with a wide variety of individual and group pictures.

at this point you had almost gotten all the players individually, your task being to get each of them by the end of practice, which was coming up shortly.

you snapped a few pictures of wilms, grinning widely when you see how well they turned out.

scanning quickly through the list of players, you sigh with relief when you realize you only have one more player to take photos of, #14.

you scan the field with your camera quickly and your breath promptly catches in your throat.

jackie was laughing at something daan was saying, her smile gorgeously on display.

you couldn’t help but stare, your hand lowering the camera as you forget the task at hand.

but how could anyone blame you?

she was, without a doubt one of the most gorgeous people you had ever seen.

her gaze meets yours suddenly, you let out a squeak of surprise in response and fumble your camera, breaking eye contact as you lunge forward to catch it.

you let out a sigh of relief when you grasp it, cheeks blood red at your actions, the older photographer next to you letting out a chuckle as he shook his head.

“kid you gotta be more careful.”

you nodded and smiled at him kindly, before shaking your head quickly and resuming to the task at hand.

with the ten minutes before the end of practice, you took, in total, one photo of jackie.

this was a disaster.

you just kept getting lost staring at her, this time through the lens of your camera, so starstruck that you forgot to actually take pictures.

you let out a sigh as you began thinking of an excuse for your boss later.

~~

walking into the locker room, jackie rolled her eyes at jill’s words.

“but did you see her jacks? that new camera girl is..” jill letting out a low whistle to finish her statement.

“i mean i’m taken but i have to agree she is pretty cute” daan said, popping into the conversation.

soon whole the locker room began chatting about this “new camera girl”, and jackie couldn’t help but blush.

she had to agree with everyone, you were absolutely adorable, and watching you almost drop your camera upon seeing her only solidified that.

jackie was brought out of her thoughts by jill who, very loudly, pointed at her and said:

“oh. my. god. you like her.”

jackie swatted jill’s hand away.

“shut up no i don’t.”

“oh my god she’s blushing she totally does,” daan squealed.

the locker room was soon buzzing with excitement over jackie’s new crush, filling the air with:

a lot of “omg jackie!”

and

even more “ask her out!!”

with jackie of course very adamantly denying such a proposition.

even through all of the teasing, jackie couldn’t help but hope that she would see you again tomorrow.

~~

you arrived earlier the following day, much much earlier, so much so that no other photographers had arrived yet.

you set your bike nicely against the rack this time, taking your time to admire the nice day as you lay your bag along the edge of the field.

you take a quick look at your watch, 7:17, and upon seeing that no one was around, picked up a soccer ball you found in the corner of the field.

having played a little bit of high school and college soccer, you juggled the ball around a little bit and then attempted to score from midfield.

you hit the ball right into the corner of the net on your second try, jumping up in excitement, when you hear someone speak behind you.

“for a sports photographer, that wasn’t all that bad.”

you turn around abruptly and let out a small squeak of surprise when you’re greeted by the very girl who had enchanted you the day before.

she lets out a dazzling grin before putting out her hand and saying:

“hi i’m jackie.”

“i- uhm y/n” you mumble, eliciting a giggle from the dutch girl before you.

you wipe your palms against your jeans quickly and take her hand, trying to desperately ignore the sparks that shot up your arm from the contact.

an awkward silence followed for the next few seconds, until jackie spoke.

“so, y/n, do you want to kick a ball around with me before people get here?”

“i’m, uh i’m not that good i mean i played a little in high school and college but like just for rec teams and i mean you’re on the national level so like i’m i don’t know i should probably just stick to photography i hope i didn’t offend you i’m just not that great and i yeah.”

you stop your rambling and blush, hoping she can decipher your message through your jumble of words.

jackie just lets out a laugh and your heart melts a little at the sound.

“i can take a few pictures of you though if you’d like?” you offer, hoping to spend a little bit more time with the midfielder.

“i would love that.” jackie says, letting out an even larger smile if possible.

for the next fifteen minutes you took dozens of photos of jackie, all the while learning about her life in manchester and belgium, how she broke a bike on the way to practice once, her dogs, and other snippets of her life.

you honestly couldn’t believe that this girl, this incredibly attractive and funny and just stupidly gorgeous girl was talking to you.

it was 7:50 when the other players arrived, jill letting out a whistle and yell when she saw who was already on the pitch.

“get it jackie!”

the other players cheered as well, letting out wolf whistles when they saw the two of you.

jackie got up but before she left she turned and gave you a hug then saying:

“sorry about them. they’re quite an obnoxious bunch.”

you let out a laugh and the two of you parted ways as practice was about to begin, your heart beating so fast you were afraid it would burst.

~~

“y/n.”

your boss let out a sigh as he took his glasses off.

“why are there 864 photos of jackie groenen in your camera roll?”

“i- i dont know” you stammer.

“this isn’t what i meant when i said you took too little of her yesterday.”

you flushed a deeper shade of red in utter embarrassment.

if your conversation with your boss was any indicator, practice was a disaster.

it wasn’t the players or practice itself.

it was you. your gay mess of a self.

but you just couldn’t help but trail the midfielder for the entire practice, your lens (and eyes) never leaving her.

it was only at the end of practice when you looked through your camera roll when you’d truly realized just how many photos you had taken of her.

each and every page filled with pictures of the number 14, her smile as bright as the day.

in your defense, you had taken quite a few fantastic photos of her, though there was one that was your favorite in particular, with the sun shining at the midfielder at just the right angle, illuminating her eyes and leaving her smile with its signature glow.

and of course that was the photo that caught your boss’s eye, despite his disappointment of today’s “turnout”.

and of course he wanted to publish it immediately.

and of course jackie saw it. and posted it. and tagged you in it.

where did she even get your handle from?

~~

it was sort of an unspoken agreement between the two of you, with both arriving early each practice to spend time with one another.

each time there’s jackie, always smiling and always gorgeous, and each time there’s you, always bumbling and always blushing and always tripping over your words.

and occasionally your feet.

but jackie only saw it as endearing, and continued to talk to you even when you were making a fool out of yourself.

eventually came the time for the netherland’s first matchup against a team, that team being estonia for the euro qualifiers.

you were brimming with the excitement at attending your first match as a photographer, and you arrived extra early match day to set up and get a good spot on the field.

“well if it isn’t my favorite photographer.”

you spun around quickly to spot jackie in her full kit, a blush promptly forming on your cheeks and your heart skipping a beat upon seeing her.

somehow you managed to reply:

“well if it isn’t my favorite player.”

this was your first time saying something that remotely resembled flirting with her, clearly catching the midfielder in surprise, as her face flushed a bright red a second later.

“i’m offended. i thought i was your favorite player.” daan said, appearing behind jackie, who stood frozen.  

you rolled your eyes.

“hate to break up the love fest though, but we’ve got a game to play.” daan said, tugging on the arm of an even redder jackie groenen.

after they left, you continued setting up your equipment, checking lighting and just making sure everything was all set and ready for the game to start.

and boy was it a game. 

in short,

the netherlands absolutely destroyed estonia.

in a huge 7-0 victory for the netherlands, there were an abundance of great photo opportunities, and you got them all.

goal scoring shots and celebration shots, everything.

you however, did let out two very loud cheers when jackie scored, once in the 26th minute and again when she completed her brace.

you had forgotten how empty the stadium was in your excitement.

each time you shouted the dutch girl, blushed, met your eyes and grinned before being pulled away by a teammate, who said something that sounded a lot like:

“your girlfriend’s here cheering for you.”

but in general,

you had expected the dutch to win.

you had expected daan, jackie, sherida, aniek, and katja to score as much and as well as they did.

you had even expected that you would embarrass yourself in some way during the match.

what you didn’t expect however, was for jackie groenen to come running at you after the match.

you were packing up your equipment when you saw the dutch girl approaching, and you opened your mouth to congratulate her on the brace and win.

but before you could get a word out,

she pulled you in by the camera straps around your neck and kissed you.

you stood, frozen, as if you couldn’t believe what was happening (because you really couldn’t).

jackie had started to realize you weren’t reciprocating and began to pull back when you came to your senses.

you kissed her back, hands moving to her waist to steady the two of you.

it was everything you wanted a first kiss to be, passion fueled and full of sparks, her hands moving from your chest to cup your cheek.

jackie was the one who pulled away first, a smile plastered on her face much like the one that had drawn you to her that very first day at practice.

you pulled her in to kiss her again, forgetting that your camera was still looped in front of your chest, only noticing it when it was in the way of getting her closer to you.

you pull back with an annoyed huff and gently take the camera off, turning to drop it on the bench behind you.

“go out with me sometime” you say when you turn around again.

jackie’s face just splits into a sparkling smile.

“i thought you’d never ask.”

[sirsapling]

MORE TAGGED POSTS

I got tagged in a bunch more things I didn't respond to fast enough, so UNDER THE CUT THEY GO. 

I have too many things to respond to, so I won't be tagging, but consider yourself tagged if you want to do any.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

Tagged by the wonderful @bardingbeedle​

Pass the happy!🌻🌿 When you receive this, list 5 things that make you happy and send this to 10 of the last people in your notifications!

Lying in warm blankets in an cold room. Bonus points for snow outside.

A fresh Buzz cut

Talking to @bardingbeedle​

Having long, passionate rambles about the Marvel Ultimates

Hashbrowns, bacon, maple syrup, maybe a pancake, and a sausage too.

Tagged by the chaotic @s-hylor​

top 3 cities you want to visit: Toronto, again. Colorado (I know its a state not a city I just want to visit ashes AND GET SNOW). And I would like to go back to Italy again. (I also want to visit, just, all of my fandom friends but I don't want to drop all their locations lol)

favorite marvel character: Ults!Steve Rogers and then Ults!Tony Stark. Not counting stony, Anthony the brain tumor, and not counting clones, Gregory Stark.

white chocolate - yay or nay?: Love it, love it, love it.

favourite board game: God Save The Queens- A board game about Bees I invented with 3 other people at University last year for a project.

how many countries have you been to: 10, I have been very luckily graced with the ability to travel to Europe with school a lot.

(Wales, France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, America [Florida, Boston, New York], Spain, Portugal, Italy, and finally Canada.)

favorite thing to do on a rainy day: Anything indoors I might usually feel guilty about doing when its sunny. Tv or games particularly

favorite holiday: Christmas. I am a Christmas slut, call me festive sapling I LOVE Christmas.

pen or pencil: Pen. I once bought 7 in lisbon at the same time bc they were perfect and I didn't want to run out.

favourite kind of soup: Cupasoup Chicken noodle, I don't really like soups tbh, I like broths, and gravy type things I make too much of and eat like a soup (like golden Currys or korma sauces)

your typical order at a cafe or coffee shop: Caramel Frappucino or an iced Mocha. If I'm gonna pay a fuck tonne for coffee I'm gonna get a drinkable dessert.

favorite ride at an amusement park: Any slow rides that show you shit, like spaceship earth at EPCOT. I’m not really a speed dude.

the color of your sneakers: RED, red shoes are the shit folks, a good pair of red converse goes with everything.

favorite pbs show (or little kids show if you didn’t have pbs):  Uh I used to watch pokemon then winnie the pooh every single night. But little little kids show I used to watch a show called 64 zoo lane with my grandma so I have fond memories

Rules: name your favorite female characters from 10 different fandoms, then tag 10 people.

Tagged by the wonderful @ashes0909​

Natasha Romanov - Marvel Cinematic Universe

Carol Danvers - Marvel 616

Janet Van Dyne - Marvel Ultimates

Izumi Curtis - Full Metal Alchemist

Martha Jones - Doctor Who

Garnet - Steven Universe (if she doesn't count bc, space rock, Connie)

Rosa Diaz - Brooklyn 99

Ann Perkins  - Parks and Rec

Princess Caroline - Bojack Horseman

Pam Poovey - Archer

LOOK I know there was a lot of cheating here, but I don't have non marvel fandoms really, and I have a hard time remembering a lot of the TV I enjoyed.

Rules: Share your top 10 AO3 additional tags. Tagged by the mysterious @nigmuff​

look I don't know if I have enough tags to make this a justified representation, but the ones shown are v much on brand.

Fanfic trope meme

I was tagged by the delightful @capnstars​ and @crownofstardustandbone​

slowburn or love at first sight // fake dating or !!!secret dating!!! // enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers // oh no there’s only one bed or long-distance correspondence // hurt/comfort or amnesia // fantasy au or modern au // mutual pining or domestic bliss // smut AND fluff // canon-compliant or fix-it  // reincarnation or character death // one-shot or multi-chapter // kid fic or road trip fic // arranged marriage or accidental marriage // high school romance or !!!!middle-aged romance!!! // time travel or isolated together // neighbours or roommates  // sci-fi or magic au // body swap or genderbend  // angst or crack // apocalyptic or mundane

Look guys, I’m boring. I like domestic 30-40 year olds in secret relationships. We knew this.

And now buckle the fuck down folks because I'm about to answer 50 questions about me no one is gonna stick around and read.

tagged by @bardingbeedle​ the only person who would put up with reading this much about me.

What is the colour of your hairbrush?

I have a buzz cut, I don't have a hair brush anymore.

Are you typically too warm or too cold?

Too warm. I have been warmer than most people my whole life, and I often need to sleep with a fan on.

What were you doing 45 minutes ago?

Working on a sketch for an MTH fill (update from the end of this: I have spent an hour doing this fuckin thing)

What is your favourite candy bar?

Bounty. My favourite candy is Reese’s Pieces but I like a bounty. Or like, and chocolate without fruit in it tbh.

Have you ever been to a professional sports event?

Yes, one of my parents referees Championship Football here in the UK. I have been to a few of his games. I also went to the London 2012 Paralympic closing ceremony, if that counts.

What is the last thing you said out loud?

‘Oh, this will last me a few days’ I was talking to my mother about 1/2 a can of pringles, I was lying.

What is your favourite ice cream?

Vanilla. I am boring. But the best ice cream i’ve had was a cream/milk flavoured gelato in Florence, that shit slapped. I also like cheap strawberry ice cream when no one is trying to put strawberry bits in it.

What was the last thing you had to drink?

Dinner. A spinach, banana, summer fruits and coconut yoghurt smoothie (with extra raspberries). Its my nightly dinner to cheat more veg into my body.

Do you like your wallet?

Very much. It’s about 7-8 years old, it is faded to hell but it has spiderman and a pony ride stony pin

What was the last thing you ate?

See above smoothie comment, but if that doesn't count, a sugar free mint polo.

Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

Nope. I don't buy as many clothes as I want to, bc mens clothes in larger sizes are hard to find or expensive here.

The last sporting event you watched?

F1, I don't keep up but I watch a little with my dad every now and then.

What is your favourite flavour of popcorn?

BUTTER. They don't really have it here, and I don't go to movies much when in the states. But @festiveferret​ introduced me to it when we saw Ant-man and the Wasp, and much like poutine and Tim Hortons, I still crave it.

Who is the last person you sent a text message to?

My dad. 

Ever go camping?

Yes, I was a Scout. I have done enough camping to not want to do more, it was fun when I wasn't organising it.

Do you take vitamins?

Yes, but not as often as I should, and as much as my mother bothers me too.

Do you go to church every Sunday?

Nope, not even when I considered myself christian. I go only go to church for other peoples events, and I’m an agnostic now.

Do you have a tan?

I cannot tan. I just can't, I burn lobster red in 5 minutes outside without literal sun cream for BABIES

Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza?

Chinese food, It was easily what taught me to like more foods also, I don't eat tomato so I can't have most pizza. I love a good garlic base/bechamel, but you can't really get that here easily (yes yes I could make my own but that ruins half the point of pizza)

Do you drink your soda with a straw?

I don't drink carbonated drinks, because its like drinking pain. The fuck is wrong with all of you.

What colour socks do you usually wear?

Various colours, but I consider red on the left, blue on the right, my lucky socks. No I don't know why, but I take all exams and interviews wearing them. It’s just a thing.

Do you ever drive above the speed limit?

I don't drive, but if I did, No. Theres a lot of questionable laws out there but Traffic laws aren't one of them.

What terrifies you?

Pfft, most things from spiders to rollercoasters. But more seriously, Being shouted at. Shout at me and I start hyperventilating, its a thing. Also not knowing if someone is mad at me. I’m not good at reading people,

Look to your left, what do you see?

The wallet shown earlier, and the sugar free polos mentioned after that.

What chore do you hate?

Vacuuming. It makes everything in my body hurt. I would rather clean toilets.

What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent?

@s-hylor​

What’s your favourite soda?

See above. I do not like your pain liquid. Apple juice for life.

Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive-thrus?

Either delivery or kiosk, I don't like talking to people where possible, I often need tweaks I don't want to have to remember to repeat.

Who’s the last person you talked to?

@downeyhills​

Favourite cut of beef?

I don't generally eat beef, lamb, or most red meats. I love crispy chilly beef, but as anyone can point out its bc your generally don't feel the texture of the beef.

Last song you listened to?

Everybody Wants to Rule the World | Tears for Fears | Pomplamoose

I’m on a Pomplamoose kick, and I also just love this song anyway.

Last book you read?

Understanding Comics (The invisible Art) - Scott McCloud

Favourite day of the week?

Friday nights. The weekend is ahead and @loraneldin​ and I take to wrangling our beloved usual suspects through another week of Ults Book Club.

Can you say the alphabet backwards?

I can barely say it forwards.

How do you like your coffee?

With milk and sugar, or ultimately, in a Caramel Frappuccino bc I'm a bitch like that.

Favourite pair of shoes?

I have walking boots that don't make my flat ass feet feel like they’re dying. OR my black and green crocs (Fight me, they’re useful).

The time you normally go to sleep?

9-10 is what I'm working on, but I fluctuate depending on if I'm working on something or not.

The time you normally get up?

5-6 If I have a choice in the matter, but often 7-8 if I didn't get to bed at the right time. I’m more about getting the right hours in for my diet than time specifically.

What do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets?

Sunset is the prettiest, but I like to be awake to see the sun rise.

How many blankets on your bed?

One big thick comforter, because that's the uk standard, and I get too hot otherwise.

Describe your kitchen plates

Two types, big wide white ones with a navy blue rim. They are so large I never use them, and little Navy saucer plates I use a lot.

Do you have a favourite alcoholic beverage?

I don't drink, so no. I drink apple juice or Shirley temples when I'm in pubs/bars

Do you play cards?

Sometimes, I like to teach people to play Old Maid. It’s the monopoly of card games.

What colour is your car?

Again, I do not drive. 

Can you change a tire?

I am aware I just said I don't have a car, but I do know how to change a tire. Everyone should go learn its pretty simple.

Favourite job you’ve ever had?

I have only had one job really and two job experience jobs. I did experience in a school library for a week and that was v fun and chill. I did all the jobs they had prepared for me in 2 days so I alphabetically reorganised their fiction section for the rest of the week. I LIKE ORDERING.

How did you get your biggest scar?

I no longer have a gallbladder, so I have 3 scars across my torso from that, the biggest right in the middle of my ribs. Non surgical wise I have matching scars on my knees from ripping holes in them when tripping. I have weak ankles and also I got both of those at different times.

What did you do today that made someone else happy?

I gave my spare animal crossing Iguanodon skull to a wicked artist I follow on twitter so he could complete his dino park. 

[geneseoabroad]

Berlin, Germany- Alberta Eshenour

1) Why did you decide to Study Abroad? Specifically, what made you choose to go to  Berlin, Germany?

As an International Relations major with a minor in German, the decision to study abroad in Germany was an easy one. In high school, I lived in Leipzig, Germany for 11 months as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student, and have studied German and wanted to go back to Germany ever since. I chose to go to Berlin because I felt I could learn the most there. As Germany’s capital, Berlin has a lot to offer someone studying International Relations who is particularly interested in the politics of the EU. However, even more than that, Berlin is a cultural phenomenon. Berlin’s role in both world wars and the Cold War have given the city a lot of history and character. It is one of the fastest growing in Europe and is very diverse.

2) What was your favorite part about Berlin?

I love Berlin because it’s so culturally diverse. Along with being the biggest city in Germany, Berlin is the fifth largest Turkish city in the world. Additionally, the city’s refugee population is growing every day. I see Berlin as a beacon of hope for the world. During the Second World War, Berlin was a capital of the world’s hatred and racism. Today, Berlin is a safe haven for and those seeking a better life.

3) Describe a day in the life of a student in Berlin?

Classes at my university in Berlin ran Monday-Thursday. Intensive language classes were in the morning from 9am to noon, and subject courses taught in English were in the afternoon on a once per week basis. This schedule took some adjustment for me, because it meant that all of my classes were at least two and a half hours long, but I ended up really appreciating this schedule because it allowed me to travel more easily. Students take public transit or bike to campus, and eat lunch in the dining hall. On most Fridays, the program offered optional cultural excursions. I made an effort to attend every one I possibly could because it was a great opportunity to familiarize myself with the city, meet other students, and learn German history. Through these field trips, I was able to visit the German Chancellor’s office, Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and Hohenschönhausen, a former Soviet Stasi prison, as well as other historical sites. Additionally, my German language class had a field trip every two weeks, and my subject courses had one to two field trips throughout the semester.

4) What were your accommodations like?

My study abroad program offered multiple housing options, students could find their own independent housing, live in an apartment complex with other students, or stay with a host family. I opted to live with a host family because I wanted to be completely immersed in the German language. I am really happy with my choice to do this because it really helped my German.

5) Did you do any traveling while abroad in Berlin? Where?

While I was in Berlin I travelled to five other countries. Our program took us on a week-long excursion to Copenhagen, Denmark, and I also travelled on my own to Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece, and Italy.

6) What is one thing you wish you could have done differently?

If I could go back, I would have ridden my bike more. I was nervous to ride my bike in the city at first because of all the traffic. However, once I got used to biking in Berlin, I really enjoyed it as a way to discover different parts of the city and get some exercise.  

7) What did you enjoy doing in your free time?

In my free time I volunteered at a community center teaching English to refugees. I also enjoyed picnicking with friends when the weather was nice. My favorite park in Berlin is an abandoned airport called Tempelhof, right in the middle of the city. The airport itself is closed off for tours, but the airfield is a public park. It’s a great place to hang out when the weather is nice and people-watch or ride bikes with friends -- you’ll always find lots of interesting characters there.

8) What is one thing that anyone interested in going to Berlin that they should know?

Although most Germans speak English fairly well, I think it’s really important that American students prepare themselves by practicing some German before going to Berlin. You don’t have to be fluent, but people in Berlin are so appreciative of tourists who genuinely want to learn the German language and culture. That being said, be prepared to hear a lot of different accents and dialects of German! I could not believe how distinctly different German dialects can be. To this day I still can’t understand much Bavarian German!

9) What was something you didn’t expect to experience while abroad in Berlin?

I didn’t expect to be shocked by the size of the city, but I definitely felt a little overwhelmed in the beginning. I’m from a town of 5,000 people, so going to a city of 3.5 million was a bit of an adjustment. On top of that, Berlin is geographically very big. To get from one side of the city to another with public transportation can take up to two hours, so I had to get used to building extra time into my schedule for transportation.

10) How has studying abroad impacted your life?

Studying abroad has been the cornerstone of my academic career thus far. After being a Rotary Youth Exchange Student in Germany in high school, I knew I wanted to study International Relations and German, and that I wanted to go back to Germany. After fulfilling these goals, going back to Berlin showed me that I want to continue to travel and develop relationships with other countries like I have with Germany.

11) Would you recommend that other students study abroad in Berlin? Why?

I would 100% recommend studying abroad in Berlin. Cost of living in Berlin is very cheap in comparison with other major European cities, and for those who don’t speak German, it’s very easy to get around with English. There’s always something new to discover in Berlin, and its central location makes it a great ‘home base’ for traveling throughout the semester. I think Americans have a lot to learn from German culture, especially the importance of enjoying a good work-life balance and using Sundays as a day to relax and spend time with loved ones.

[fredenglish]

Hello, #FeatureFriday friends! It’s been a while, but we’re back for an interview with Iclal Vanwesenbeeck: English professor, translator, and world traveler! We talked to her about her time with the department, how her experiences around the world have affected her, and the study abroad program to Iceland that she’s gearing up for. (Admissions are still open!)

1) What do you think the most rewarding part of your time as a professor at SUNY Fredonia has been?

My students. I’ve gotten to know so many beautiful minds. I’ve had the privilege of mentoring students. That’s been the most rewarding part of my life teaching here or anywhere. And I think they have helped me as much as I’ve helped them! 

I have a sense of what I want to teach that semester but it just so happens that the minute you step foot in the classroom, and you see in front of you people with emotions and thoughts and hopes and ideas,  you have to be open-minded and compassionate. And I think in some ways I find my teaching rewarding because I never compromise that. I was always someone who took an interest in students’ wellbeing, who was curious about what they thought, and never tyrannical about “Oh, I’m going to teach you this!” And now, ten years, twelve years later, I still have students who contact me, drive up to have coffee with me, invite me to their weddings. I’m happy!

2) Which of the courses that you have taught do you think students connected the most with? Which do you think you connect the most with?

My favorite subjects to teach are war and love. And I have to say, even though I sometimes hesitate teaching it, love and war in the context of Middle Eastern literature has been an intriguing experience for me as much as it has been for the students. I’ve done some interesting work where, for example, I had US veterans, US veteran writers visit my class. And we read about the Iraq War from the perspective of Iraqis, refugees. And I have to say, in the classes I teach, I have students that have those eureka moments, but never so much as in Middle Eastern lit. Because it’s a generational thing, they’ve grown up with an image of the Middle East. They’ve heard about the Iraq War, they have family members who have fought or  deployed. And it’s been a part of their lives. But for some reason I think, for more than half of my students, that hadn’t been rendered visible. Just how much the Middle East has been a part of their lives, in the post-Cold War era.

So, to render that, to make that appear to students and to ask them to echo an ongoing discourse, and invite them to be a part of the dialogue? That has been intriguing for me. And I applied some of what I do in love, romance literature, and taught exclusively love stories from Middle Eastern lit in order to de-center this idea that Middle Eastern people don’t love, don’t laugh.

That’s a very wordy way of saying: war and love. War stories and love stories.

3) What advice do you have for prospective and/or current English students?

Let’s see… [Pause] I’m not good at giving advice! But I would say to be open minded. Everyone already has something they want to study and yet I see college as an opportunity to also reach out to distant shores. So maybe learn a new language, maybe they want to study literature at Oxford for a year. Aim high, and be idealistic.

4) A big potion of your work as an academic revolves around the translation of historical works. What do you think brought you to have such an interest in translation?

Oh, thank you for that question! Um, personal reasons. And curiosity. And also, my belief in peace, and peacemaking. The reason why I translate the works of some of the American veteran writers, for example, is because I want them to be read in other languages, I want their stories to be told in other languages. Because we need that polyphony to understand war. And it is, I believe, only possible through translation otherwise you have that barrier, since you can’t be face-to-face all the time with everybody who has experienced war. Those stories have to migrate. And I don’t think there’s any other way besides translation.

As I migrate between languages and I travel, sometimes I feel homesick for my native tongue. And that makes me want to sit down and translate, to use that vocabulary. Sometimes I just spend an hour looking through a dictionary, just to see if I will catch a word that I would like to remember. That is important in life, and… [Pause] it helps me. 

5) You’ve travelled quite a bit throughout your life. How do you think your experience of travel has affected you as both a person and as an academic?

I was born in Turkey, and I was raised in Turkey. And I came to the US for my graduate degree program. And I stayed here. And in the meantime, yes, I travel often. And it so happens that my life is an intersection of three cultures and three countries and three languages: Belgium, Turkey, and the United States.

So being in Belgium, or in Ghana, or in Russia or in Iceland… I don’t see those countries as entities with borders that then determine how I should act or interact with people. When I travel, I like connecting with people and landscapes. That’s what I’m interested in the most when I travel.

But I also want to refer back to a Renaissance philosopher that I adore, Montaigne. Something he wrote, has always stuck with me: “The very act of rubbing your head against the head of others.” That you become wise as you travel. I’ve seen in the past that that is not true for all people; in fact, a critical mass of people that I see when I travel are only interested in living somebody else’s Instagram page. They want the same pictures, the same selfies, the same food. 

But for me? It has almost become a lifestyle. And I don’t see how I could give it up.

6) You’re the faculty leader of the Iceland study program. What is it about Iceland that you think makes it such a good location to study abroad?

Iceland is a sub-arctic island. It is quite remote from many locations. It is a country of 350,000 people, most people live around the capital city, so the island is not homogeneously populated. To me, it is a country that brings together modernity and tradition. In terms of landscape, it brings together  extreme urban architecture and beautiful pastoral scenery. On one hand, it has these most progressive laws towards the LGBT+ community and pay equality. On the other hand, it has a committee for baby names. Certain names aren’t allowed for babies. It’s a country that doesn’t have, from what I can say from my own research, a single stolen item in their museums. Not a single item that’s been questionably curated or smuggled. And in terms of problem-solving, and democracy, and lifestyles, it is a country that can help students do comparative analyses. 

In terms of environmental issues, in terms of equality, we have, I think, a subset of global issues that we face. If you go to Bangladesh, you will see them dealing with water pollution. In Flint, Michigan, they deal with water pollution. So we have a subset of global issues anyway. But everybody seems to find different solutions to these problems. And it seems to me that Iceland, maybe because they are a small country, maybe because of the way that their democracy and politics work, maybe because of the culture, their decision making and their problem-solving may help students analyze their own. It’s for that reason that I think that Iceland is a near-perfect place for the students to go to tackle the issues that they have studied in the classroom, and heard about for all of their young adult lives.

One example: my generation did not read about glaciers in the newspaper every two days. Your generation, almost every week there is news about glaciers. They’ve become a part of our political and environmental issues. And we have a glacier hike on the Iceland trip for students — with very responsible behavior [towards environmental impact] — to see the glacier, and understand their life cycle, and what they mean for the planet, and understand that when glaciers melt in the Arctic, we feel it in the Mediterranean. Our world, as Jacques Cousteau said: “Everything is connected.” To get these insights, you have to travel. You have to develop perspective.

For aesthetic reasons, too, Iceland is a special place to study. It’s a breathtaking country. Arresting scenery. Captivating. If you have a poet or a painter in you, it comes out in Iceland. You cannot be indifferent to the Icelandic landscape. And every time we go, from the moment we get on the airport bus, to the second we depart, students are captivated.

7) Finally: what would you say is the most important lesson that literature can teach us?

[Long pause] It hasn’t taught me any lessons. Because, then we have to see literature as almost being didactic all the time. I had questions. And literature has helped me understand my own questions and listen to how others have asked similar questions. You may not feel like you need to read in your twenties, but I bet in your fifties you will feel that urge to read. For anybody who wants to understand existence, it’s there for you.  It takes away your loneliness. It hears your questions, and it gives you more questions. For anybody who wants to understand existence, it’s there for you.

[This interview has been edited and condensed for length, with input from the subject]

[thearrangment-phff]

XLII. Dunkirk

July 2017

The honeymoon was spent at Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl, Upper Austria with the permission of both Archduke Markus of Austria and Princess Charlotte of Murat. Harry had hoped it would just be Isabella and him, but they were lucky to be alone half the time. Isabella's four ladies-in-waiting had tagged along on their honeymoon which shouldn't have annoyed Harry as much as it did.

But it didn't matter anyhow because the honeymoon was cut short when Isabella and Harry were asked to go to Canada for their 150th anniversary. It was the perfect trip to introduce the rest of the world to Isabella. When William and Kate married their first engagement was one in North America. Princess Christine and Princess Charlotte saw the Canadian engagement as a perfect one.

The press in North American had gone crazy noticing how Isabella had just gotten married and she was already representing the British Royal Family. It was the short visit but just enough to get the world talking about Isabella. The horrible articles written about Isabella in the past were now replaced with loving articles about her royal presence. The thing everyone loved beside the innocent personality, blonde hair, and the sweet smile was her accent.  

To the press, Isabella really was another Diana. The blonde hair and shy smile had sealed the deal with them. Of course, no one, not even Harry, knew that Isabella was told to practice the same smile Diana had. But the accent, that was different, and had Isabella spoke with an English accent they would have called her another English rose. But the mixture of a French and German accent made her unique.  

The accent is what made everyone have to listen closely. Harry could understand her but with the press and other people, it was like Isabella made her accent thicker so they couldn't understand her. Shortly after the visit to Canada Isabella had officially moved in with Harry, but with separate rooms. Nottingham Cottage was not something Princess Christine and Princess Charlotte would have accepted for Isabella. They would’ve wanted Buckingham Palace, maybe even Kensington Palace.

Several days after returning from Canada, Harry and Isabella had been asked to be a part of the Spanish State Visit to the United Kingdom. Harry was told since Isabella knew Spanish fluently and was well acquainted with the Spanish Royal Family since birth their involvement would be needed. It would the first State Visit Harry would take part in. 

The people behind the scenes viewed Isabella as a tool they could use with other European Royal Families. They weren't wrong with that mindset because Isabella spoke Spanish to the Spanish King and Queen whenever she was around. Both the press and everyone else at the dinner loved that. Isabella had been respectful and known her place around both Queens. The other thing the press loved more was the tiara Isabella had chosen to wear for the State Dinner.

Queen Fabiola's Spanish Wedding Tiara. It had been known by several names, but Isabella simply had known is Queen Fabiola's Tiara. She had worn the tiara in the original form with aquamarine gems that looked as if they were diamonds. The tiara hadn't been seen in over a decade so it was a shock to most. Later on, Harry and Isabella received Commander by Number of the Order of Isabella the Catholic. King Felipe had even made a joke about Isabella receiving the Order of her ancestor and namesake Queen Isabella I of Castile.  

Isabella had been named after Queen Isabella of Castile because Isabella had been born on November 1, All Saints' Day which stems from a belief that there is a powerful spiritual bond between those in heaven and the living. More importantly, Isabella had been born on the day King Charles II of Spain had died and Habsburg rule over Spain had died with him. Her grandfather Archduke Carl Christian saw it as a sign that Habsburgs would somehow rule again.

The Order of Isabella the Catholic was a first for Harry as he never had an order. For Isabella, that had been her second as her uncle Henri, The Grand Duke of Luxembourg had given her the Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau on her wedding day. Coincidently, Adolphe was another one of Isabella's ancestors through her grandfather Jean. Isabella's highest honor was still the Luxembourg one seeing how that one was a Grand Cross and the Spanish one was a Commander by Number.

When it came time to go to Westminster Abbey, Harry and Isabella were given the task of escorting the Spanish King and Queen. During that time Isabella spoke mostly Spanish to the King and Queen which left Harry a bit humiliated. At Westminster Abbey, when walking around, it finally clicked in Isabella's mind that some of her ancestors were buried here. King George II of Great Britain; Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia; Queen Mary of Scots, James I of England, and a high majority of Plantagenet Kings.

Later that night Isabella and Harry hosted a reception for Dunkirk veterans ahead of the “Dunkirk” World Premiere at Kensington Palace before attending the world premiere. Amongst the chaos Isabella and Harry had helped Jean, the former Grand Duke of Luxembourg get out of the car. Isabella had suggested they invite him and Harry didn't hesitate to say yes.  

Jean had been a complete surprise to the press and everyone attending. Isabella grandfather had worn his 1939-1945 Star awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth for service in World War II. The 1939-1945 War Medal was awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth who had served full-time in the Armed Forces. The third was the France and Germany Star given to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Germany during World War II. The last was The Defence Medal awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth for both non-operational military and certain types of civilian service during World War II.

The elder man had taken pride to being invited to Kensington Palace to talk with other World War Two veterans just a couple of hours earlier. Then to be invited to the premiere of Dunkirk was another gesture Jean would never forget. Harry found joy in hearing more stories about World War Two from Isabella's grandfather.

At the end of the night, once the chaos had died down Isabella and her grandfather had finally been able to sit down and talk, "Grandpapa, I love you and I love that you are here, but you cannot be flying at your age."

"I'm not dead yet Belle! I still have a few good years left in me before I drop dead. Besides, I haven't left London since your wedding," laughed Jean.

"You've been here 3 weeks? Why?"  

"You aren't my only grandchild in London."

"Oh, right Louis. Sometimes I forget he's here too and that’s because he was kind enough to let me live with him," smiled Isabella.

"Gabriel is my first great-grandchild and it's been nice to spend some time with them. Since Tessy and Louis split things have been rough for them."

"It's been over 7 months. How much more times does he need? After the lies, she and her friends told about Louis' mother I lost most of my respect for that woman. The only respect I have for her is that fact that she's Gabriel and Noah mother," said Isabella in slight anger.

"I understand you are protective of your aunt, but you have to also understand Tessy and Louis were never meant for each other."

"Because it wasn't an arrange marriage like your marriage or mine?" Asked Isabella.

"I became happy and so will you. Louis was always brash but Maria Laura might balance him out."

"Maria Laura? Of Belgium? Did you set them up?" Jean had let out a small laugh and continued to ignore her granddaughter. Isabella asked several more questions only to be ignored which had caused Harry to laugh, "Don't laugh at me your red baboon! Did you know anything about this?"

"How am I supposed to know anything about your cousin? I swear this is the first time I'm hearing about this."

"I swear if I hear more of this arranged stuff it will send me to an early grave," said Isabella.

"Drop me off with Louis," interrupted Jean.

Once the night came to a close Harry watched as Isabella went into the second bedroom of Nottingham Cottage. Every night since their wedding night they had slept in separate rooms. For the following days, Harry had charity polo matches to attend and Isabella was expected to be with him, but she would have her own engagements to go to. Since Isabella's first engagement at the 150th anniversary of Canada Isabella had spent her days meeting with her team and finding charities for Isabella to be a patron of. Even when Harry had nothing planned, Isabella did so he barely saw her. It was like that for the rest of July.

[esthersnippe]

In Brussels? Here are my top picks on what to do, see, drink, and eat

I am not going to claim to be an expert, but this winter I will be celebrating my 7th year in Europe’s Captial City—and I adore this city. 

I have gone to hundreds of cities, I believe there is nothing quite like Brussels. 

But it took me years to get here, and many tourists don’t immediately find it charming. And that’s ok. Because Brussels is small and too many tourists is not super good...and I am only partially joking. 

It is a secret city. Non-obvious and full of delights.

Over the years, I have learned one or two things about Brussels, and today I present you with my list of top things to do, see, drink and eat. You can do all of this in 24hours. 

My 10 favourite things to do in Brussels

Here we go! 

1. Eat a waffle in the Grand Place. 

It is best to see the Grand Place at night first, then in the day after.

For my vegan friends: Go to The Sister’s Cafe for vegan waffles WITH vegan ice cream.

For my non-vegan friends: Go to Maison Dandoy—they are simply the best waffles in the city. There are two kinds Brussels (light and airy) and Leige (thick and cakey) so if you are with someone else, get one of each, and if you are alone, choose wisely! 

Once, Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Miserables, lived in an apartment in the place. He said it is “a dazzling fantasy dreamed up by a poet, and realized by an architect.”.  There is so much history I would love to share with you about it, but I’ll save that for another time. Just go an enjoy it. It is truly spectacular. 

2. Walk from Park Royal to Park Cinquantenaire. The whole walk takes about 35 minutes, and you will see three beautiful parks: Park Royal, Park Leopold, and Park Cinquantenaire, as well as the Royal Palace, the European Parliament, and the Triumphal Arch.

Its a much better way to spend your time than going to the Atomium—which will take 2-3 hours minimum and is ok, but really rather touristy. 

3. Go and see the Palace of Justice at sunset Or any time, but it is the best at sunset. You can go to the grocery store and buy some drinks and snacks and sit up there to watch the sunset, it is chill and has a great view of the city skyline.

4. Eat chocolate at the Grand Sablon: My top picks are

Frederic Blondeel

Wittamer

Pierre Marcolini

How it works: you buy the chocolate by weight, so choose 2-3 different pieces from each place. 3-4 chocolates should cost between €4-€7.  Usually, the people behind the counter are not very helpful, but I still ask for personal favourites and recommendations anyway. Either way, you should always try the “Grand Cru”, this is the best the chocolatier thinks they can do. Yum is usually the result. Plant-based buddies: most of the dark chocolate is vegan! But make sure you double check, because some of the other ingredients might not be, like caramel being made with butter, etc.

5. Go to the European History Museum in Park Leopold 

It is free. And amazing. One of the best and most interactive museums I have been to: it has great tech, tons of ways to get involved with the exhibits, and tells a fascinating story. 

6. Go see our national monument, the Manneken Pis Also... the Manneken Pis Museum. It is just up the street and guaranteed a right giggle.

7. Sit at the top of Mont des Art. Best in the early evening. then walk through the garden. There is always a lot of animation and things going on, but it is also very relaxed. 

Make sure you check out the architecture on Rue Montagne de la Cour, like the Musical Instruments Museum and the Old English Pharmacy. 

8. Do some unique shopping/browsing. I am not personally big on buying loads of stuff, but these little streets are jammed packed with the unique and wonderful. Here are my top picks:

Rue de Rollerbeek

Rue du Haute

the Royal Galleries (Actually, I have never bought anything here, but the buildings are amazing.)  

9. Eat some fries.

I might be plant-based but I make an exception for the occasional frites treats, because they are the best in the world. There is no contest.

For the sauce: you can go:

Traditional with a dollop of Mayonnaise

Spicy with the Pili-pili (less spicy) or my favourite Samurai (more spicy).

Not spicy, but with a burst of flavour go with the Andalouse (which is kind of mayonnaise with tomato and basil) or Curry Ketchup (which is exactly what it sounds like.) 

Aioli is another very popular sauce, but I find it too garlicky (but if you are into garlic, try it out. Just don’t try and kiss me after.)

Vegans + vegetarians: the frites definitely contain animal fat.

My top picks

Fritland right by the Grand Place

Friterie Saint-Josse

Frit Flagey

Which brings me to number 10! They are related. 

In Brussels, there is a local phrase which goes “faire du gras” which translates to something like “lay down the fat” and means “eat something heavy”—and is good advice before you start drinking in Brussels. 2 strong beers on an empty stomach is almost a guarantee you will end up tripping on one of our many uneven, cobblestone roads. 

10. Drink beer. 

Also—the best in the world (Yes Germany, I have tried your beers, and I am sticking to what I said.) God, this needs a whole other post. But you are only here for a short time, so let’s get into it.

First: where to drink.

These are my favourite watering holes and their locations.

Le Coq in front of Beurs: Classic Belgian pub, and very fairly priced. (ie. cheap) 

Zebra in St.Gery: This old island is the best spot to drink and people watch after work and on the weekend. 

Bar Llanes or Café Charbon on Marche du Charbon in front of the Notre-Dame de Bon Secours. They are beside each other. 

Monks in Saint Catharine: a bit overpriced, but great selection and cool ambience. 

The Brussels Beer Project Brewery by the canal: They are constantly creating new brews, and you can test out the new flavours, then vote on them, which is fun. 

Le Barboteur Bierothèque in St.Josse: Amazing selection and very unpretentious. (But only good if you are in the neighbourhood, because it is pretty far from the city centre.)

Le Verschueren in St.Gilles: Sit with the cool, Belgian artists. Great people and good prices, but also only good if you are in the neighbourhood.) 

Café Belga and L'Amère à Boire in Place Flagey: Really different atmospheres, but both are fun, although a little hipstery. Don’t make a special trip out to see them, but if you are in Flagey, they are great. 

If you want to see some breathtaking architecture from the turn of the century and drink some rather overpriced beer, visit:

Le Cirio

Cafe Metropole

Mort Subite

There are 1150 Belgian beers, which is an overwhelming number. Even if I had drank a new beer every other day since arriving, I still wouldn’t have tried them all. So don’t feel bad if you don’t know where to start. Here is a quick and dirty guide to some of my favourites. For something heavy that will get you drunk almost immediately, try the Trappist beers. There are only 6 breweries in the world, and the beer is brewed in the traditional style by monks! (Note: Proceed with caution) 

Rochefort 10: Hold on to your hats, you are heading to drunk town on a smooth chocolate river.

Westmalle Tripel: This is a very good, bitter, mega strong beer.

Chimay Bleu: A sweet, dark, internationally-known bestseller! Stop at one though, it gives a vicious hangover after you’ve had 3. 

For something unique only to Belgium, and is stupidly delicious, like a refreshing beer-lemonade, try the gueuze:

Gueuze Boon: This is my all time favourite drink in Belgium. Possibly the world.

Oud Beersel: Also a hella delicious gueuze, but brewed in the old style, without wheat. 

Mort Subite Kriek: a gueuze sweetened with cherries. I can only have one of these at a time because they are intense, but a good occasional treat.

If you are not even sure you like beer, but are in Brussels so what the hell:

Faro Lambic: light and sweet and way too drinkable. Like juice.

Tripel Karmeliet: a delicious, well-balanced crowd pleaser

Chouffe: very light tasting, but watch out! Strong in effect. 

Saison Dupont: a very popular, classic Belgian beer. 

You are not a fan of stong or heavy beers, and really want a pils (once again Germans, I am looking at you.) we have three very popular pilsner brands that you’ll be able to get just about anywhere. 

Jupiler: mildly sweet, and the most popular beer in Belgium (especially with sports fans). 

Maes: a little closer to a lager than a pils, but if I am going to drink a pils, I choose this one. 

Stella Artois: This is Belgian, not Italian beer! It is a pretty easy drinking beer and also available just about everywhere....including the country you are coming from.

Like Stella Artois, I have a tendency to tell guests to avoid Duvel and Leffe—while they are fine beer brands, they are available around the world, and you will probably be able to find them in your home country, although perhaps for a much higher price. 

There is a lot more I could say about Brussels, but I hope this is enough to get you started! See you soon. 

Want to read stuff I’ve written about Belgium? 

Here are a few other posts about life in Europe’s Capital. 

21 Reasons to love Belgium

20 Canadian/British Habits I Lost When I Moved To Brussels

An Adult Tour of the Beaux Art Museum Part 1: The history of Belgium Part 2: Because art is awesome

I am safe: A post about what it felt like to be in Brussels after the Brussels Attacks. 

[kendalls-korean-studies]

About Me Tag

Thank you so much for tagging me @fluentlee​! It honestly made my day.

A B O U T  M E: name: Kendall nickname(s): Kendall, I guess that’s really it? gender/pronouns: She/her zodiac: Taurus c: height: 5′5′’ I think hair color: Dark brown eye color: Green sexuality: Straight languages: Native English speaker, one year of Mandarin, and technically a few years of self taught Korean but I took quite a break so it created a huge setback for me. dream trip: Everywhere honestly. I would love to eventually go to Japan, China, Finland, Canada, Belgium, Germany, France, Sweden, etc. I do want to live in Korea one day as well. dream job: Something in the music industry. I would love to produce my own music, I want to learn how to dance and sing but I have no idea where to start. 

F A V O R I T E S: season: Spring! color: Black, Blue, Peach, etc. animal: Owls, Bunnies, Chipmunks. artists: Metric, NCT, One OK Rock, TWICE, etc. food: Chocolate (Does that count?) songs: Mighty Long Fall - One OK Rock, Pierce - One OK Rock, DDU-DU-DDU-DU - Blackpink, Wake Me Up - TWICE, I can keep on going honestly. fictional characters: Ritchie Tozier - IT, Mare - Red Queen, Peter Parker, Todoroki - Bnha, + More. books: Red Queen, IT, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, City of Bones,  dogs or cats: Cats! I like both but cats ultimately win for me.  coffee or tea: Both? 

A B O U T  M Y  B L O G: created: December 2016 I think? why did i choose my username: My name plus my target language and then studies.  following: 400... Oof, I know quite a few dont post much anymore though unfortunately.  followers: 570, omg thank you so much how tho. <3 why i made this account: As an attempt to motivate myself to dedicate myself to my studies more and to try and make more friends with similar interests and goals.  other blogs: My Overwatch League Blog,  and My Fashion Blog. I really just reblog things on both of those.  did you ever think of deactivating: Not Really. No reason to, this community is amazing. 

L A S T  T H I N G  I: watched: Youtube - A GoodGuyFitz video, Twitch - OWL Playoffs, Show - My Hero Academia. googled: ‘Tri Tom Sheet Music’ texted: “R u awake” to my sister ate: ... Hot Dogs played: Overwatch

O T H E R: average hours of sleep: Oof my sleep schedule is so so bad rn. I take super long naps in the day bc of lack of sleep at night and it just makes it worse. At night I’d say 3-4 hours but in a total 24 hours about 7-8. songs that get stuck in my head: The Twist - Metric, Bedroom Warfare - One OK Rock songs that make me boogie: Chain - NCT 127, Chase me - Dreamcatcher lucky number: 7 and/or 13 what i’m wearing now: Pajamas  play any instruments: Recently moved up to Tri Toms in Marching band, Very Stressful, I would like to pick up piano, I played for maybe a year around 4th grade. 

R A N D O M  F A C T S:

Makeup and Fashion are very interesting to me but I’m too lazy to make the effort myself unfortunately. 

I’m very interested in the histories and cultures around the world. 

Recently moved from playing Cymbals to Tri Toms in marching band and It’s such a big jump it’s very confusing and stressful but as I’m entering my senior year it’s really my only option if I want the experience. 

I admire so many people on here but I’m too shy to start a conversation and become friends which is a bit frustrating for me. 

F I R S T  P I C T U R E  I N  Y O U R  C A M E R A  R O L L:

Context: My friend Shaiann balanced a lil mini fan on the side of her snare drum and it’s genius. 

So I don’t really have friends on here unfortunately so If you don’t want to do this that’s fine but I would like to tag : @dailydoseofkorea, @sabrinstudies, and @koreanwithme. You’re all wonderful and I hope everyone has had a great day!

[allmykindsofthings]

It's me, an asshole, 1 to 30 please

…… I hate you…….YOU BETTER READ IT ALL!!!

1.favourite place in your country? Pairi Daiza, a zoological and botanical park.Most beautiful thing ever! Nothing to do with a freaking zoo I swear

2. do youprefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad? I actually haveno preference. But I like to meet new cultures, which I definitely do not dooften because well that cost money, so this July will be the first realvacation far away I’ve book since 2005. I’ve been to Holland and France butthey’re like neighbors… it’s pretty but it still feels like staying in Belgiumsomehow. It’s not different enough I guess.

3. doesyour country have access to sea? Yes we do! Though another language is spokenthere. And sometimes it feels like I’m supposed to be able to speak it to enjoythe place? I don’t, not really… I’m not a beach person anyway, I get boredreally easy if you try to make me spend hours just playing rotisserie chickenon a sunbathing mat…

4.favourite dish specific for your country? Maybe the Boulet Liégeois (s’ily a des liégois-e-s qui lisent ceci, chez moi ça a toujours été boulettesliégeoises, corrigez moi je sais que c’est pas bon)… or just waffles, eitherfrom Brussels or Liège. Alsowell chocolate obviously

5.favourite song in your native language? FYI my native language is French. Myfavorite song… mmh… I don’t really have one… I like Coeur de Pirate, her songsare really beautiful. Maybe the one song that comes to mind in a split secondis Que je t’aime (I hate saying that because I actually hate the artist). Ialso like a few songs of Jacques Brel if the question was aimed for nativeFrench artists singing in French, I’d say that’s the guy. I haven’t listened toFrench songs in a long while though.

6. mosthated song in your native language? Any dumb summer songs or soccer songs thatjust stay in your head for a freaking long time with meaningless lyrics. I’drather not think further about any by fear of repercussions.

7. threewords from your native language that you like the most? Une touyette (a tiny spoon),une guindaille (a party) and une baraque à frites (literally a fries house – it’susually a type of food truck that sells fries along side the highways or onmarket places)

8. do youget confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom? I’ve beenasked if I was from Danemark once… because of my English accent I think. Otherthan that maybe French from France?

9. which ofyour neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best? Visit most:Holland because I know it least. Know best: France because (real Parisians withstanding)the people are really great and the scenery is stunning.

10. mostenjoyable swear word in your native language? PUTAIN FAIT CHIER BORDELDE CUL!

11.favourite native writer/poet? I don’t know any but if song writer is all thesame, Jacques Brel. His texts are beautiful.

12. what doyou think about English translations of your favourite native prose/poem? I don’treally read prose or poems from my country specifically. If I happen to, and it’spretty I’ll like it. But I suck at remembering stuff like that.

13. doesyour country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions thatmight seem strange to outsiders? My mom has that weird thing where you can’treplant parsley, like if you have it in a pot, you can’t just take the pot offand plant it again or someone will die apparently. Also there’s that thingabout never being 13 around a table, or one person will also die… okay theremight be a recurring theme…

14. do youenjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV? Not really though I know we have qualitystuff it’s mostly not in my language and I don’t want to make the effort ofreading the subtitles at the moment.

15. asaying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get? Jevous sonne et je vous dis quoi. Meaning literally: I call you and I tell you that.It’s a bit hard for the French people to understand this because there isnothing after the “that”. It’s just common knowledge here that there is nothingafter. It just means that I’ll call you to tell you that this or that went wellor bad. It’s silly but I like it

16. whichstereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhatagree with? I hate the stereotype saying that my side of the country issupposed to be lazy af and just living off of the government. I agree with theone saying that we eat a lot of fries. They are not FRENCH fries okay, they’reBelgian. Just live with it, French people! :P

17. are youinterested in your country’s history? A bit. I guess the grass is always more interestingin the neighbor’s garden :P

18. do youspeak with a dialect of your native language? Not as much as my parents wouldlike me to. I sometimes understand it. It’s called Wallon and it’s really funnyto hear.

19. do youlike your country’s flag and/or emblem? what about the national anthem? We havethat? Yeah probably… I couldn’t sing it to save my life except for the lastline: le roi, la loi, la liberté (the king, the law, and liberty).

20. whichsport is The Sport in your country? Soccer, probably. I’m not interested insports.

21. if youcould send two things from your country into space, what would they be? A tinystatue of the Manneken Pis and a waffle from Liège.

22. whatmakes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed? Proud: must I be? We won the Eurovision once, does that count? Ashamed: the politics.

23. whichalcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country? I don’t know which isthe favoured one of all but the official one on my side is Peket (a type ofgenever, well that’s what Flemish people like to think but Peket is Peket). It’sglorious and comes in many many tastes! My favorite is the cuberdon one whichis a type of candy. It’s delicious!

24. whatother nation is joked about most often in your country? France probably.

25. wouldyou like to come from another place, be born in another country? No… I don’treally care about where I was born. I grew up in another country, I have noattachment to this one, this is how I was raised. Without wanting to offendanyone, I’d more describe myself as citizen of Earth, inhabitant of Europe,born in Belgium.

26. doesyour nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you thinkabout the portrayal? OMG yes. Belgium is mentioned SO many times in movies andshows it’s actually ridiculous! I have no idea why…

27.favourite national celebrity? Yes we probably have that too… I have no clue

28. doesyour country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? do you have favourites? Wehave a lot of rivers. We don’t have mountains like the Alpes but my side of thecountry is far from flat so we have quite a lot of valleys and ups and downs.Big forests. Probably many lakes as well. A favorite? uhm not really nature oriented though I don’t mind it… I live in the city and I don’t have a car, me going in the country is quite a trip that I never really do…

29. doesyour region/city have a beef with another place in your country? I think we’repretty chill… I have never heard of Namur being angry against any other place…now the Flemish side of the country is mad at us because they say we’re lazy.Well they’re arrogant so we don’t care :P

30. do youhave people of different nationalities in your family? YES! I have a Greekcousin in law! Other than her, unfortunately no… I find that really sad, I’malso the only LGBT member of my family… not much diversity in my family I’mafraid…

[asydneysiderstudyer]

30 Questions Tag

@geneplans, @delstudiess and @qjstudies tagged me (in 3 very similar ones so I’ll just do them together) - thank you!! :D 

Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag some other blogs to get to know them better

Nickname: I get Gen a lot, but my friend started calling me Vivi this year and I think it’s pretty cute :) 

Gender: Female

Star Sign: Sagittarius

Height: 163cm

Time: 8:45AM

Birthday: 1 December 

Favourite Bands: Owl City, 

Favourite Solo Artists: Ariana Grande, Adam Young

Song Stuck In My Head: Madness by muse

Last Movie Watched: The King’s Speech, it was on TV the other night. Excellent movie. Would recommend 100%. 

Last Show Watched: Doctor Who (Season 2, Episode 14: Doomsday)

When did I create my blog: December 2015

What do I post: Study content. I post more original content during semester but more recently it’s been mostly reblogs of other’s notes, bujos, motivational quotes, study masterposts and anything else study related. 

Last Thing I Googled: “work your hardest dream your biggest be your greatest”. I was looking for that quote - it’s my phone background! 

Do you have any other blogs: I have a private blog where I gather posts that I’d like to look back on (e.g. quotes that inspire me, bujo ideas that I’d like to try, note taking ideas, pretty notes etc.) 

Do you get asks: Sometimes, but I’d definitely love more! 

Why did you choose your url: I did high school in Sydney and I created this blog as a studyblr - hence @asydneysiderstudyer .

Following Blogs: 3,866 (I know, wow? I never thought it’d be so much but they’re mainly other studyblrs to give me heaps of different types of study inspo!) 

Followers: 413

Favourite Colours: turquoise and aqua 

Average hours of sleep: 9-10, sometimes more... (I’m a light sleeper who gets woken up or even roused-but-still-asleep easily so I need a lot of sleep)

Lucky Number: hmmm don’t really have one... maybe 4? 7? 17? 

Instruments: Violin, piano (but I’m not very good! Yet :) )

What am I wearing: a light blue and brown t-shirt and navy shorts - it’s summer in Australia and has been quite hot recently.

How many blankets do I sleep with: Just a doona... so I guess one. (But it usually ends up on the floor during summer!) 

Dream Job: doctor and medical researcher - in something like neurology, genetics, haematology.... not quite sure yet

Dream Trip: All around Europe - including Iceland, Scotland, England, France, Belgium, Hungary and many many more places! :D 

Favourite Food: Hmm I have a few but right now, I had warm toast with blueberry jam the other day and it is amazing. 

Nationality: Australian 

Favourite Song now: Probably some of the Murray Gold compositions for Doctor Who - e.g. Song of Captivity and Freedom, Vale Decem, I am the Doctor and the theme from Doomsday. Shoutout to @violinistbaka for making some awesome violin covers that I hope to be able to play one day! 

I tag @littlestudyblr @lakeblue1 @kay-lets-do-this @studywithkal @species-medstudent @mochiblue @motivateyourselfeachandeveryday @dermatologyaspirations @lemonade-studies @studycutea @nerdyign and anyone else who wants to do it! 

[tjene-ocr]

Gladitoren Run, Vossem 2019

Once again a new run - once again a new format. The Gladiator Run is a run in Vossem, Belgium near Brussels. We didn't know it before, didn't know if it was a single run or series of events.

At the trip we were a bit nervous because we didn't know if it will be a good event. How strong are the obstacles? It takes a lot of experience to organize such an event well. There are many more aspects than only the obstacles and some running events fail already with the rudimentary details like toilets or check in.

But we were satisfied and more than that! It becomes a very great event! Well-prepared and organized, well done running course and great obstacles!

It was November and it was cold outside. But for there was a heated tent - wonderful! Not at least for waiting before the race. It was more important to get warm again after the race and not cooling down in the wet clothes. Well done!

As so often I was laughed at the start by my colleagues! But after 5 minutes (as so often too) they knew I was better prepared than they.

In the cold months I always have way too big clothes to wear over my running clothes. I try to wear them until 2 seconds before the start. This time I wore the pullover yet for the first kilometer to run! To prevent any injury it's really important to be warm. You have to have warm muscles and tendons. So this time I started with a green and withe pullover which I threw away during the run.

It started as usual with a wall to climb over but the intensity of the obstacles increased very well! After around 7 kilometers we got back to the start and it seems we had to do the same round 3 times. That's not my favorite, but anyway, we would do it.

So it was more than unexpected and a nice surprise as we find out that it wasn't 3 times the same round.

The second round was almost complete like the first. In the end, however, we turned off differently and the last 7 kilometers were completely different to the first round. Well done again!

All in all a very good event, good obstacles and a good running course! I finished after 2:15 hours at the 15th place and was more than satisfied.

[hi-whatsup-blog]

Those who still had the courage were trying to feel like humans.

Paul Sobol

Paul Sobol is a warrior. He’s a fighter. And for me personally, he’s a legend. This man survived Auschwitz as a Jew, lost his parents and his little brother to the Nazis and married the love of his life. He started a company as agent of publicity and expanded from Belgium to the Red Sea.

This is me trying to channel the emotions when I visited Auschwitz after Paul told me and my friends his story.

(It’s a lot to read, but it is so worth it.)

He has 91 years currently and was born in 1926 into an unorthodox but jewish family.

“We didn’t go to the synagoge, nor did we practice our religion. All we knew is that we had a jewish background and were Jews.”

I was there when he told us his story. He spoke in french but I’ll just translate it.

He lived in France for the first 2 years of his life, then went to Brussel with his family and lived there until he was deported. When the Germans invaded Belgium, him and his family changed their name. He lived under the name of Robert Sax and went to school normally. He was young and did a lot of sports. He was goodlooking and muscular and he had a lot of friends. But in the group of his closest friends was this girl called Nelly Vandepaer and after a few months they fell for each other and got into a relationship. He never told her who he really was and never brought her home with him.

“You know, I loved this girl, but I never brought her home in those two years, for security reasons or because it was so small and ugly, I don’t know.”

When he was arrested by the Gestapo the 13th June 1944 after someone denounced him to them, he couldn’t say goodbye to her. In the first train he was in, he worte a little note saying that he will be back and that she should not worry. He put it through the wooded planks and hoped she would get it. One day, he got a little box with only a picture of her inside it. She got his letter. This was before he went to Auschwitz. He had this picture with him until he was back home.

He arrived in Auschwitz Birkenau with the 26th convoy, the last one to ever arrive at the camp. Anne Frank was in the 25th. He was selected for working and had to walk three kilometers to Auschwitz 1.

“When we arrived, everything went so fast. Imagine yourself, because I was in your age, at 17 being in a train with hundred other people, then when the door opens only seeing bright light in darkest night, not knowing where you are and not understanding anything. Then having to go in seperate rows. I went left with my father and my 14 year old brother, while my mother and my 16 year old sister went right. Then there was a selection. I didn’t understand what they were doing.”

“The selection had one goal. Death. Either by Gaz or by Work.”

“After the selection we had to take off all our clothes and got checked by a doctor, then they cut off all our hair and got a number tatooed on the left arm. Mine was B3635. I didn’t understand why I got a number when they had just written down my name. And all this while holding the picture of Nelly in my right fist.”

He lived in block 41 in Auschwitz 1 and worked really hard with the smallest portions to eat.

In the morning: 0.5 Liters of tea

Lunch: 1 Liter of watery soup

Dinner: 300 grams of Bread and a little piece of margarine

Calories count: 1500-1700 per day. He lost all his muscles and his body fat.

One day, the prisoners were asked to register themselves if they had had a job that could be helpful to the Nazis. Paul registered himself as carpenter, hoping that it wouldn’t be noticed that he had absolutely no skill in carpentry.

“To survive, you had to take risks. I took the risk and said that I was a carpenter. I thought I could do this, in elementary school we worked a little bit with wood. Little did I know that carpentry is so much different. But I took the risk and it was too late to back out.”

He asked the other carpenter working in the “Sonderkommando” (A group of prisoners working for the germans, for example for their personal needs or burning the gazed jews and corpses) in broken german about his story. They were not allowed to talk and Paul learned that the hard way through a stick. Now obviously Paul had to improvise because he could not do those little boxes that asked for professional carpentry-knowledge.

“I couldn’t make these boxes. But I could paint. So I took another risk. I asked the other carpenter, the real one, to get me some paint and I started painting little things on the boxes, strawberries for example. The real carpenter thought I was sabotaging his work so he went to the capo and told him what I was doing whom came straight to me and already had his stick risen to break my skull. He stopped when he saw what I had drawn on the box. He then put his hand on my shoulder and said “Weitermachen.” [Keep going.] You see, taking a second risk could have cost me my life. But it saved it. The Nazis made good money out of decorated boxes, so I went from Block 41 to Block 7 and I got a little bit more and better food.”

The 18th January 1945 he survived the death march from Auschwitz to Gross-Rosen. The Nazis were forced to leave the camp after the offensive of the Soviets. The SS-officers had the strict order to let no living witness behind, so they shot everyone to weak to walk in the snow or that only dared to stop. When they arrived in Gross-Rosen, he worked to days in an annexed camp only to then travel in a train to Dachau.

“Now this train trip took 3 days and we had no idea where we were going and for how long we would be going. I won’t tell you what happens on this trip bacause it was too terrible. 110 persons entered alive and 25 left alive.”

Actually, I know what happened, because I saw a documentary of two Jews explaining what happened in those three days. People were panicking or going mad because of the coldness, the lack of water and food, the missing space and the duration.They were beating and killing each other. It was a massacre.

When they arrived in Dachau, he stayed ther only few days. After a bombardement he was able to escape and to be refuged with french warprisoners. After their liberation he was able to enter Belgium again and get home. 8 days after him his siter came home. He never saw his parents or little brother again. He went to see Nelly who was more then happy to see him but also surprised. Until that day, he never let go of the photo of her.

1947 he went back to Auschwitz for the first time.Same year he also married Nelly.

Sadly, Nelly died in 2012, but Paul knows she is still with him everywhere he goes, just like she was when he was in Auschwitz.

Okay I understand this was long. But it wasn’t everything. This 91-old man told us his life from the beginning until the day he stood in front of us for 2 hours without sitting down for a minute. This man build up a life out of scratch, hope and love. Do you know the fast-food chain Quick? It’s particularly known in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, but who do you think promoted it with his own publicity company? Excactly.

Now after hearing the story of this man we visited Auschwitz 1. I was prepared for nearly everything  we weould be seeing. The blocks and the rooms to small for the number of people that slept there. The pictures of cruel people, pictures of numerous kids and women and men that were murdered. I was prepared for the room full of shoes, the room full of kids shoes, the room full of human’s hair, the room full of cutlery and the container with brushes. I even was prepared for the list of women gazed after the selection of the 21th August 1943.

I was prepared for the views from the window, that only showed the fence that was under electricity.

(It looks a little crooked because of the glass of the window.)

I was prepared for the death wall, where the Nazis shot dead numerous of warprisoners that were mostly from polnish nationality, hundreds a day. No jews died here, but it is used as a general memorial site for all the deaths of Auschwitz.

I was prepared for the citations that were written on black metal and that were hangin around everything.

On these black plates were written general informations as well, but they contained a lot of citations.

Now comes the part I was not prepared for. You know, I thought the Nazis blew up all the crematories and gazchambers. The one in Auschwitz 1 wasn’t blown up. In one of the blocks were the cans that contained the pills made out of Zyklon B. Heck, they even had some pills there.

And then came the moment we entered this gazchamber. I saw it from outside and I thought ‘Oh it’s okay that we can’t enter because it’s destroyed, I don’t think I would be ready.’ Isn’t that ironic. We entered. And the first thing I noticed was the scratched on the wall.

I took more pictures, but I started shaking and the pictures aren’t really perfect.

We walked to the ovens and then went out of the crematory. I thought to myself, still shaking ‘This is a way so many people havn’t made.’. I looked at a boy that was with us. He was devastated. We didn’t smile one minute the whole length of being on the campus. Once we were in the bus we started to talk about what we just saw. We were all devastated.

I started scratching my wrist out of pure stress. It was stressing me out that I made the way out of a crematory and so many people didn’t. It was so hard. I just couldn’t cope with this reality. I wasn’t the only one who had had this thought.

I slept bad that night. I had a really bad and big wound on my wrist that was swollen and red and it hurt so so much when I moved my hand. I didn’t care. You see, my mind is so done with everything that I sometimes hurt myself to cope with reality. It’s kinda depressing and I’m not too proud of that but I still do it.

I would’ve cried mylsef that night if there hadn’t been 4 other people in the room with me. So I just buried my nails in my wrist and the pain made the tears go away.

The next day we went to Auschwitz Birkenau. The weather was so bad that the camp was closed, but you could stlll visit the old and the new “Judenrampe”, where the selections were made. The new one only existed in the years from 1944 on. The old one is a little bit far away from the camp, but there are 2 deportationwaggons. We had a commemoration ceremony where everybody put a rose on the waggon.

When we went to the new one, in Auschwitz Birkenau and I took a picture from the trainrail to the entry. From inside. I was standing on the rail, next to the Judenrampe.

Don’t let the good weather trouble your mind, 2 minutes later it started pouring terribly again. The light way left next to the rails is where this picture was taken on.

I was standing right there. On the right trail.

I slept better that night. Still not perfect, but at least I didn’t feel the urge to cry.

It was a different story why I had to cry the next night, but that is another story.

To finish this, I will add a picture of the numbers of murdered Jews from everywhere.

I really want you to visit the camps. Please. I know, so many people have dark humour and heck, me too. But after the visits, I couldn’t laugh about jewish or holocaust memes or jokes. Because I was there. I saw it.

May all the murdered Jews, civilians, politicians, soldiers, kids, babys, women and men rest in peace and be commemorated forever. May all these crimes not be repeated.

- L.

[geneseoabroad]

Quito, Ecuador- Cade Reed

1. Why did you decide to Study Abroad? Specifically, what made you choose to go to Ecuador? 

I decided to study abroad because my majors are Political Science and International Relations. In the International Relations major one of the requirements for the major is to study abroad. Since I want to graduate a year early, I decided to go abroad in my freshman year. I chose Ecuador primarily because I wanted to better my Spanish. Since Spanish is my minor I thought that if I jump-started the minor early on then I would be able to graduate early without taking too many credits my Senior year or worrying if I will graduate on time or not. 

2. What was your favorite part of Ecuador? 

To be completely transparent, my favorite part of Ecuador was the amazing sights that I was able to see throughout my 12 weeks in Ecuador. I was exposed to many different massive structures such as volcanos, mountains, and lagoons. My favorite part of the week was knowing that if I just got to Friday then Saturday/Sunday I would be able to go hiking or exploring with my friends in Ecuador. 

3. Describe a day in the life of a student in Ecuador. 

A typical day in the life of a student in Ecuador is not far off from a day in the life of a student in the United States. I went to class for 4 hours every day Mon-Fri. I learned 4 different subjects in those classes. I started out with basic Spanish. I proceeded to get to more difficult topics such as Advanced Grammar and Advanced Writing. Which then led me to perfect my Spanish. Which opened up the possibility to take upper-level courses such as Indigenous Cultures. I ended my classes with Business and Commerce in Ecuador which was an extremely difficult class. After class, I would eat some lunch with my friends and then head over to my volunteer. 

4. What were your accommodations like? 

The school, Academia Latinoamericana de Español provided me with so much accommodation. I was given a very loving host family as well as unlimited access to the school. My host family consisted of a mother, daughter, and a little chihuahua. Throughout my 12 weeks emerged in Ecuador, I had 3 different roommates, two from the United States and one from Belgium. They were really fun and we all made so many memories together. Every morning I was provided with a full breakfast. During the night, I was provided with a 5-course meal of dinner. Lunch was my responsibility to purchase and obtain. It was that way because I was at school from 8:30 AM until 1:00 PM. As I progressed through the program, I could tell a severe change in my Spanish-speaking abilities. I could start having actual conversations with my host mother (who only spoke Spanish). Instead of just saying, “Sí”. Which was a drastic improvement from my point of view.

5. What is one thing you wish you could have done differently? 

If I could have done one thing differently I believe that I would have gone to Peru for a few weeks instead of Ecuador for the full 12 weeks. There was so much to see in Ecuador, but I felt like towards the end, I saw it all. And Peru looked so fun with all their mountains, volcanos, and ruins. But, do not get me wrong, Ecuador was the best decision by far. 

6. What did you enjoy doing in your free time? 

During my free time, I enjoyed hanging out with my friends and exploring. We would all go so many different places. And every time a person that we lived with or knew at the school left, we would always throw a party and go to discotechas in order to celebrate. But, most of the time, we went on school-run field trips to different places surrounding Quito. Such as Quilotowa, Baños, La Basilica, Cotopaxi, Bosque Nublado, Cotacachi, Otavalo, Mindo, Teleférico, and Pims to name a few. 

7. What is one thing that anyone interested in going to Ecuador should know? 

If any students are interested in studying abroad in Ecuador, do it! Ecuador was one of the best choices I think I could have ever made. I learned SO much Spanish and I do not regret much. I believe that if you are interested, you should visit the latinoschools website and look at course offerings in order to get an idea of what you would be studying in Ecuador/Peru/Bolivia. Since Academia Latinoamericana de Español has 3 locations, you can go to any location and still get the same education but different experiences. Of course, I have the biggest bias towards Ecuador, but the school in Ecuador is the biggest out of three. 

8. What was something you didn't expect to experience while abroad in Ecuador? 

During my time abroad I always had my eyes set on volunteering in a museum as a tour guide in order to learn more about the history of art, etc. in Ecuador. Yet, I was offered an opportunity to teach Ecuadorian children English at a local church from 3-5pm every day. I was a little hesitant to take on such a responsibility. Especially since I was a Political Science & International Relations major and had no aspiration to teach especially to kids who do not speak the same language as me. But, I took the opportunity and actually fell in love with these kids. Their ages ranged from 6-14 and it was like that because they were all at the same level of English. Especially in Ecuador, the school systems work differently compared to the United States. The kids are ranked and placed in classes with other kids of the same level and not by age. Nevertheless, I loved the kids and I saw them every day for 6 weeks in my first months in Ecuador. After the 6 weeks expired and the summer program ended. The coordinator offered me another position to work alongside her in a different city around Quito, Ecuador. Again, I was hesitant but I took the position because I gained a liking to helping the kids learn English. I spent the next 2 weeks teaching kids in a city called, Cumbaya. Cumbaya was rich compared to the surrounding cities, so I was super excited to embark on this new opportunity. Yet, these kids were mostly German. So now I had to teach them Spanish and English. Making my job even harder since Spanish was not my first language. But, I made the most of it and shared some of my English “wisdom” with all the kids I came across.

9. How has studying abroad impacted your life? 

Studying abroad has only provided positive impacts on my life. I am astonished by how my first time out of the country would be the best. I am so blessed to have been able to afford and pursue this study abroad experience. I met so many people and I cherish all the time that I got to spend with them in Ecuador and now in New York. I am now pretty decent at Spanish and I try to speak Spanish with my friends, but they are not as persistent as I am with sticking to only speaking Spanish. Something else that I have noticed since returning to the United States, is how I now think in Spanish. Which never used to happen before I went to Ecuador. 

10. Would you recommend that other students study abroad in Ecuador? Why? 

I would absolutely recommend that other students travel to Ecuador. I believe that Ecuador was a huge eye-opener for me. I saw so many things that I am not used to, little things such as, public buses, volcanos, dogs in the street, poverty and the food. I miss Ecuador already and it has been nearly 3 weeks since I left. I plan on returning to Ecuador after I graduate Law School in order to intern at a law firm. Regardless, I believe that the students unsure of where to study abroad, if you all have any liking of Spanish, then travel to ECUADOR! It is worth the money, time, and patience. You never know what the world has in store for you until you study abroad. 

[ahntravels]

Des Petits Trous...Toujours Des Petits Trous...

Sorry I have been absent from the blog. Blogging takes a lot of time, and Nic and I were trying to make the most of it before we had to fly away.

Okay, so last blog of France...

Epernay. We caught the late bus (3:00 PM) to arrive in Paris around 6 PM. I rented a place through Booking.com. What is the difference between Airbnb and Booking.com?

I’m going to go on a rant about Airbnb. 

I am writing this post at 10PM on Sunday, 9/29 in Paris. I’m going to jump around a bit in time, but I am need to address Airbnb upfront.

So, when Nic and I first arrived in France on 9/15, we stayed ONE night in Paris before driving to Saint-Malo and doing the road trip. Because we just needed ONE night to stay in Paris, I rented a ROOM via Airbnb. The photos of the apartment looked nice, and the apartment was in a really nice location.

Before we arrived, I received a BUNCH of messages from the host. Literally 4 messages. I’m going to post them here because I want a record of this (btw, homeboy needs to update his photo because he does NOT look like this, but that is besides the point):

Okay, looks innocuous enough, right? Then I received a SECOND message:

RED FLAG: #2: More than 30 minutes? #4, really? And then he says he looks forward to seeing us? 

Anyway, I was like, okay...I get it. He wants to make sure we can get in and etc. For the sake of completeness, here is message #3 (nice details, to be honest):

Message #3:

Message #4 (notice the timetable of letting him know about our arrival has become even more tight...it was 30 minutes earlier, and now it’s 20 minutes?):

Also, he said in the advertisement we could get into the apartment after 12:30, now it’s 12:45 PM. 

All that being said, we did our stay on September 15th. We left less than 24 hours later (see my blog post about our first stay in Paris) and moved on. The way Airbnb works is that you leave reviews for the host and they leave reviews about you as a guest. Let’s check my previous reviews:

Nic and I literally arrived at this guy’s apartment, didn’t cook, didn’t use the kitchen, drank 2 COFFEES using his Kurig machine/coffee pods, washed the 2 freaking cups we used,  and took 2 SHOWERS TOTAL. We arrived at 2PM and left before 10AM. 

Why did we arrive at 2PM? Because when I contacted homeboy when we arrived in Paris, he was out RUNNING, missed my call, and then was grocery shopping and said we couldn’t come to his place before 12:30. 

What review did he leave me?

Nope. I don’t play these games. Nic and I came to the apartment at 2 PM, I took a shower, and we took a nap. No lights were on. We LEFT, got dinner, and came back around 9 PM. We went to sleep, woke up at 8 AM, packed, drank 2 COFFEES, and LEFT. What lights? What electricity? And WHY AM I PAYING YOU?

My response:

Conclusion: FUCK. YOU. Sorry, that is harsh, but seriously? I am not sure if he can respond to my response, but if he can, good luck. I have said all I needed to say on this issue so that’s it. 

Nic had the issue with Airbnb in Arles (read that entry) so I will say: Booking.com your apartments/hotels if you can. It’s more professional, people purely rent their spaces to guests so understand what to expect, and don’t act like entitled assholes. Airbnb at your own risk. 

Okay, so I woke up to this bad review, so I just had to address it. But backtrack to Friday after we got off the train and entered our Paris apartment (which, btw is gorgeous; through Booking.com):

I have been in contact with the host the whole time. We have the whole apartment, and the host has been amazing in terms of being in contact with me. Our arrival time changed, and no issues. The kitchen is stocked with supplies, the sheets and bathrooms immaculate, and a complete 180 from asshole. 

Friday night, Nic and I just hit up a bar/art space and hung out:

We went walking through Paris, before returning to the apartment for some tapas dinner:

What is the name of the orange cheese? I’m testing you!

So, the plan was that we we were going to host a dinner party for Nic’s friends on Saturday. I planned a menu which went through some revisions due to the market availability, but I’ll address that. 

The original menu was:

Apertif: -Sausage (bought) -Sardine spread (homemade) -Nuts -Chips -Sparkling wine

Starter: -Red Cabbage and French Radish salad w/mustard vinagrette

Main: -Roast pork with an onion and grape sauce

Dessert: -Something bought

Cheese: -Up to Nic

Drinks: -Rouge

Saturday’s plan was to include antiquing (I wanted to buy some plates or glasses) and then to buy the food for the dinner party. Guests were to arrive at 6:30/7:00 (which meant 7:00 or 8:00 in French time). Guests were to include: Nic’s best friend (consultant), Nic’s brother (officer in French military) and Nic’s brother’s friend (historian). And me and Nic, of course.

So, now we are at Saturday.

We woke up and went antiquing! The oldest “flea” market in Paris is right outside the city. When you get off the train, you are greeted with a bunch of stalls selling fake Louis Vuitton and designer wares. Nic needed a belt, so he bought one:

Once you walk through the outdoor market, you walk through these antique, rich stalls that are selling really expensive items. Like, people literally have magnifying glasses examining signatures, construction, and the quality of the glass on items. 

I wanted wine glasses, and bought 2 crystal Baccarat wine glasses for a good price (15 Euros each):

Plates and silverware were a wash since I couldn’t find matches or the plates weren’t hand painted. Anyway, when I have money I would love to come back and buy a complete set of glasses or silverware. 

Okay, after the day at the market it was time to get lunch and then go shopping for the dinner party. Nic used to live and go to university around the area, and knew of a really good vegetarian Indian restaurant (thank ____. I can’t wait to go back to being vegan!!!!)

Nic is probably literally gaining so much weight because of me. I eat half the food and he eats his portion and then finishes mine. On the menu was samosas (the triangles on the photo before) and then this meal was vegetarian biryani (rice), some yellow pea dal (to the left of rice), and then chickpea dish (far top left) and egglplant (far top right)  

After lunch, we went to a supermarket and bought all the food for the dinner party. Then I started cooking!

So, menu became revised because the store didn’t have any purple cabbage for the cabbage salad. Red cabbage salad became a Belgium endive, french radish, and fresh walnut salad (same dressing). Here is Nic cracking the walnuts for me:

I made a sardine spread a la David Lebovitz. We couldn’t find fresh sardines, so I had to buy canned sardines (just sardines, no oil). You have to remove the spines and bones, but that is fine. I just removed the spines and bones and baked them with a little bit of olive oil in the oven. Then follow the recipe. 

We served that with some Spanish chorizo (bought), pistachio nuts, mustard flavored potato chips, pretzels, and some baguette toasts along with sparking wine. 

Salad was the endive salad:

Belgium endive, sliced French radishes, some salad greens, fresh cracked walnuts, and a mustard vinaigrette. 

Main:

Roast pork with a pearl onion/grape sauce with roasted fingerling potatoes. How I did the pork:

-Melt some butter in a dutch oven -Sear pork on all sides that has been coarse salted and peppered (I did 1kg for 5 people, and we had leftovers) -Remove pork, add a cup of white wine to the drippings -Add 2 cups of chicken broth, peeled pearl onions, garlic, and thyme -Add pork back in -Cook on low on the stove for an hour -Remove pork; cover with foil -Raise heat and reduce the onion sauce for 40 minutes -Another pan, add some butter -Add 1 cup grapes whole (French grapes) -Grapes will burst and become its own sauce -When ready to serve, add pork back into reduced onion sauce -Cook for 20 minutes to heat pork and finish cooking -Remove pork, slice -Top with onion sauce -Top with grape sauce -Sprinkle with chives

For the potatoes: -Clean and cut potatoes in half -Sprinkle with garlic and some olive oil -Roast for 1 hour -Serve

Dinner was a success! Dessert was an apple tart we bought. Nic’s brother is the forward right; he had to take the 6AM train to be back in the morning. The person I am talking to is the historian who went to school with Nic’s brother, and we were talking about politics (of course) and the differences in curriculum between France and America. Nic’s best friend Julien is a consultant, so we talked about our needy clients. After dinner, they all went out to meet other friends, but I stayed back to clean and just go to sleep. I was tired!

Next morning (SUNDAY):

I loaded the dishwasher from the night before, but we needed to do another load of dishes. Nic graciously said he would clean from the night before, so he unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher. The plan was to visit Musee d’Orsay, so we cleaned (he cleaned) and we left!

On our way to the museum, we passed by Serge Gainsbourg’s old house. Remember the small holes song from Saint-Malo? It has followed me here!

Nic’s mom loves the song, and I promised I would learn it in French. 

Anyway, museum! 

After the museum, it was around 6:00PM. We went on a walk, and then went to the store to buy dinner and food for our flight tomorrow. We have to leave the apartment by 11:00 AM, and our flight is at 2:15 PM. 

Last dinner! Store bought pizza ($5) and leftover endive radish salad. And a quiche. 

I can’t can’t can’t wait to be vegan again. Tomorrow, the meat and cheese will be gone.  

I have lots of trinkets I have bought along the way: mustards, salts, a St. James wool sweater, soaps from Marseille, art from Caylus, crystal glasses from Paris, candies, and of course all the memories. 

On our walk home, this rainbow greeted us. I’ll miss France, but it is time to come home. 

[torontotravelblog]

18+ Unique Things to Do in Toronto

You’ve smashed the standard Toronto itinerary. You’ve climbed the CN Tower for the views, shopped ‘til you drop at the Eaton Centre and snapped a selfie with the 3D Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square. So what next? This guide will share the best unique things to in Toronto including food, places to see and tours to take.

I (Gemma) went on a girls’ trip to Toronto, to spend time with my friend who flew over from Scotland, leaving my partner (the other Scot, Craig) back in BC. Never one to settle for the TripAdvisor top ten, I sourced tips on the cool places to go in Toronto using my good Canadian friend, Maddie, for her local tips. So let’s get started. Expedia asked me to create a guide on Toronto, all opinions are my own as usual.

18 Unusual but Cool Things to do in Toronto

1. Kensington Market

Kensington Market is where the interesting kids (and their dogs) hang out. The area is awash with quaint print shops, vintage stores, art, tattooists and every type of world cuisine you could imagine.

Want burritos and churros from Mexico – no hay problema! Arepas from Colombia – chevre! Frites from Belgium – Oui! Patties from Jamaica – Irie!

You’ll need some organic beer or hot cider to wash that down.

A couple of streets over from Kensington Market you’ll find Chinatown. Naturally, you can get cheap dim sum but we actually had the nicest pizza slice (C’mon it’s North America) on Spadina and College (Europeans – this means the crossroads where the two streets meet!)

We made Kensington Market our base and didn’t regret it. You can check out accommodation options for Kensington Market and other areas in the city at Expedia who offer great hotel options in Toronto for everyone.

2. Bata Shoe Museum

These boots were made for walking so get them stomping down to the pretty extraordinary Bata Shoe Museum (BSM) in Toronto where over 4,500 years of history is told through feet!

That’s a lot of souls shared through soles under the roof of this award-winning building. If you are looking at what to do in Toronto on a rainy day, the BSM is worth a stroll.

Expect to see everything from Chinese bound-foot shoes to celebrity shoes.

There are often special exhibitions at the BSM such as Manolo Blahnik’s The Art Of Shoes (made famous by those Sex And The City chicks).

Address: 327 Bloor St W.

Price: $14 CAD per adult.

3. Annex

The Annex area of Toronto (Bloor and Bathurst) is home to many of the University of Toronto students so you can expect coffee shops, discount stores, bars and cafes.

Annex is also where you can rock out at Lee’s Palace, visit Canada’s largest museum, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and catch a film at Hot Doc’s Cinema.

4. Philosopher’s Walk

South from Bloor (Annex) you’ll find Philosopher’s Walk which is a lovely green space in the city if you want to walk off a coffee high, poutine or a hangover!

5. Madison Avenue Pub

What does one do with three Victorian mansions? You open a number of bars and connect them all of course! The Maddy has booths, games, outdoor seating and serves food.

Address: 14 Madison Ave.

6. Live Organic Food Bar

Reward your hungover body with plant-based, sugar-free food which is served up daily at the Live Organic Food Bar. The menu which includes kimchi pancakes and pulled burdock burrito is organic, gluten and wheat free too.

Address: 264 Dupont St.

7. Toronto’s Half House

Rarely do you hear of a city v resident demolishment story fall on the side of the homeowner but in this case, we have a winner! The Valkos family of 54 ½ St. Patrick Street. won the battle to remain in the 1970s so the developers sliced it in half like a birthday cake.

Toronto’s famous Cube House looks to have lost its plot to a scrapyard so check out the Half House before the other half disappears too.

Address: 54 ½ St. Patrick St (thanks for the picture Andrew Stapley!)

8. Graffiti Alley

Obviously cool equates to graffiti in any city! Toronto’s Queen Street West has its own colorful corridor of street art. Unfortunately, the word is out at the two blocks of graffiti get rammed with visitors so go early for those Instagram worthy shots!

Address: Rush Lane.

9. Trinity Bellwoods Park

Grab a few beers from Bellwoods Brewery and head to Trinity Bellwoods Park for a serious people-watching sesh!

Address: 790 Queen St W.

10. Hipster Queen + King

Move over Kensington, there’s a hipper kid in town. Queen West was crowned one of the world’s hippest neighborhoods by Vogue but with notoriety comes price increase.

From Bathurst and Gladstone, over a hundred stores are occupied by studios, shops, galleries and bars. It’s a great place for brunching too.

11. CN Tower Edgewalk

Sure, everyone that visits Toronto heads to the Entertainment District and takes the elevator to the viewing floor of the CN Tower but how many tourists walk the walk?

Leave the comfort of the secured windows and hang handsfree from the circumference of the roof with The Edge urban adventure experience (356m/1,168ft above the ground).

This is probably the most expensive activity going in Toronto but if you are a thrill seeker you might just want to take the plunge (well, hang not plunge).

Address: 301 Front St W.

12. Toronto Island

Unlike Vancouver Island’s proximity to Vancouver, Toronto Island is actually close to Toronto!

The island can be reached by boat and takes about 15 minutes to cross Lake Ontario.

There are three stops – Ward’s Island, Centre Island and Hanlan’s Point. We exited at Ward Island and slowly made our way to Centre Island; I biked, and Helen strolled.

So what’s on offer?

Toronto Island is like a beautiful big park. Ward Island is unique because it’s a small town with a small number of beautiful houses. These are very sought after.

Rather than paying top dollar to secure a property, hopeful buyers instead have to add their name to a capped list of 500 in the hope of moving their way up to the 100 mark. When a property is available the top 100 will be offered it at a fixed price.

The ethos is to ‘keep it simple.’ With these views of Toronto’s skyline (below), you can see the attraction.

The Island Cafe is a popular family-owned lunch spot. The resident and cafe owners aim to use fresh produce from local farmers and also sell home baking.

Centre Island has a pier, small farm, lighthouse, fairground, maze and a clothing-optional beach.

No one needs to see these fading white bits so I left the towel back on the mainland!

13. St Lawrence Market Events/Tours

With over 200 years of action, I know what you are thinking – how is St Lawrence Market a unique thing to do in Toronto?

Although one of the popular Toronto attractions, this food and antiques market is special and it is the merchants that make it that way. With over 120 stores selling everything from shrimp to shortbread, you can easily swallow up an hour or two at the market.

Craig would be happy to see ‘proper bacon’ rolls being served too.

If you are in town for a few days, check out the special events, talks and maybe even a food tour in Toronto?

Address: 93 Front St E.

Just four minutes from St Lawrence Market you will find the stunning and extremely photogenic French Gothic, Gooderham (Flatiron) Building. Well worth a snap if you are a keen photographer.

14. The Distillery District

The red-bricked Victorian-era buildings of the Distillery District now play home to 40 boutique shops including clothes, craft beer and candles.

There is also a variety of restaurants and cafes from ice cream shops to oyster bars. A food market runs every Sunday during summer too. During winter, the Christmas Market sets up here.

15. Red Heart / Parliament and Gristmill Lane

This red sculpture was created for the Toronto Christmas Market mistletoe to hang come December but stands all year round for lovers to walk through and have a smooch underneath!

16. Lovel Lock Sign

Forget Paris, Toronto has a designated sign which spells out ‘love’ for its locks and it makes a great picture for Instagram! We saw two engagement shoots in the area.

Take a picture and show me it, lovers! Send me your shots gemma@twoscotsabroad.com

Toronto Light Festival

If you happen to visit Toronto in January through to March, don’t miss the annual Light Festival which takes place to force residents outside during the -20 harsh winters. Expect installations, lights and even fire.

Address: Distillery District.

17. Ghost Walks in Toronto

90 minutes of gore, graveyards and ghosts sound appealing? You can take a Toronto haunted walk tour and stroll through the Financial District to the Old Town hearing stories of scary tales.

18. Nuit Blanche

During the first Saturday night in October, art opens up normally sleepy spots around the city to encourage locals and visitors to go outside and engage with the exhibitions.

Museums stay open late and public art runs throughout the whole night. Expect lots of crowds, I was really impressed with how many citizens were taking advantage of the well prepared annual event.

Nuit Blanche exhibitions include print, projections, light, film, DJs, political and social justice commentary. Some take place outside, others inside. I really liked the large elephants which came in lots of shades!

Toronto Essential Information

Shopping in Toronto

For brand names, the Eaton Centre is not to be missed but remember Toronto whacks a 13% HST (harmonised sales tax) on top of prices so shop with caution!

If vintage is your bag (like me), check out the shops in Kensington Market as well as those scattered along Queens Street and in Annex neighborhood.

You might want to check out our cheap accommodation guide cheap accommodation guide to Toronto too.

History

Toronto has lots of history, look out for the blue plaques on the side of buildings to find out what they used to be. We spotted the jail, the old post house and Gooderham Building (that thin one from Pinterest!)

Niagara Falls

No trip to Ontario would be complete without the ninety-minute journey to Niagara. We hopped aboard a group tour which stopped off at one of Niagara’s vineyards so we could taste the delicious ice wine from the Niagara region before getting wet at Niagara Falls.

Transport in Toronto

Toronto is a grid system and is really easy to navigate.

Full of beans, we pounded the streets for the first few days (walking from Kensington Market to the Old Town will take about an hour) but by midweek our feet were pleading with us so we used the streetcar and subway system.

You can purchase day tickets, which let you use any mode of transport to get around the city.

How to Get to Toronto From Pearson Airport

From Pearson Airport, the quickest but more expensive way to travel is by the Union Pearson Express (UPE). This train takes 25 minutes and costs just under $13 CAD one way to Downtown.

The more economical option takes longer, naturally. For $3 CAD, a 75-minute journey using the public transport system will get you to and from the airport. Take the Airport Rocket (bus 192) to Kipling (approx. 45 minutes) then the green line subway into the city, your stop will depend on where your accommodation is. You may then need a streetcar or the yellow subway line.

A taxi will cost approximately $60.

We did option two and I was a little hurried at the airport so leave ample time.

Toronto Packing List (Spring/Summer/Fall)

Nice dresses that can be layered with tops.

1 x jeans.

Sunglasses.

Skip the umbrella, invest in a sturdy but stylish waterproof like my Mountain Equipment Rupal.

1 x comfortable, good looking but waterproof boots (I recommend Salomon hiking boots).

1 x eco bottle such as TreeTribe – keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold.

Electrolytes for the damn hangovers.

Battery pack like our Anker packs for phone recharge on the go.

Camera, charger and SD card.

Toronto Packing List (Winter)

Merino wool base layers Icebreaker’s range.

Trousers.

Hats, gloves, scarf.

Sunglasses.

1 x Mountain Equipment Rupal.

1 x padded down jacket, I like North Face

1 x Salomon hiking boots.

Hand warmers if waiting around.

1 x  TreeTribe – keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold.

Electrolytes.

Anker packs.

Camera, charger and SD card.

My Final Tip for Toronto

The only thing you need a map for is to look lost.

As soon as you take it out, a local will approach you to ask if you need help! It’s a help magnet.

And don’t believe what other Canadians say about Canadian city folk not being friendly, if someone in Edinburgh (Scotland) saw you with a map, they’d cross over the street!

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Toronto Naturopathic Doctor - Dr. Amauri Caversan