Thursday May 14th 2015
I woke up and started to get my things together and was keeping an eye on the clock. All of the sudden, I heard the familiar thunder of suitcases rolling down the street. But, this time, the thunder was accompanied by the giggling and chatting of my family. I ran downstairs to greet them with big hugs and hellos! I hadn't seen any of them for almost 5 months! It was so nice to see them and welcome them into my little home. We went up to my room, which was incredibly crowded with all six of us in there. Yes, six because Becky was still there and awoken by them testing out my very loud doorbell. After some more hugs, I gaveout the gifts that I had collected for each of them throughout my travels. I think they all really liked and appreciated the gifts that they got. I then gave them the tour of Leuven! We saw the Library, the grote markt, the oude market, some statues, the botanical garden and the tunnel under the ring. We took an unfortunately long way home, but I forget how long it takes to get places when walking and not on a bike. They also very quickly learned their first lesson of European travel. If you want food on a Sunday or holiday, you have to plan ahead and not expect instantly to be able to find an open place. This quickly became an issue seeing as we were stuck near my kot with no food and a lot of closed shops. After finding some sandwiches, we piled into the car, which was quite a squeeze for the four in the back row, and headed out of Leuven. Our first stop on our 11 day trip was at Brouwerij de Vlier. It is a tiny brewery ran out of Marc's, the brewer, home. He welcomed us in and gave us an aperitif. It was a bubbly fruity beer that was absolutely delicious. He then brought us into his cellar where he makes the beer. He showed us the different grains and malts that he uses as well as explained the whole brewing process. It was nice to see everything in a comprehendible scale. It also showed how much effort went into each batch. He also can do some interesting things because of the small brewery, like test new beers or run a batch of someone’s personal recipe. We then went upstairs for tasting. His beers were absolutely delicious. Especially the amber beer. We were all chatting and enjoying the beers, and they just kept coming! The family was falling asleep because they had just flown over from Philadelphia and not slept, so a few of them were going in and out of consciousness. Marc then brought out an incredibly fancy gin and jenevar so I could try them both and taste the differences. I have been quite confused because when people translate jenevar, which is the Belgian liquor, they say it is gin. But, all of the jenevar I had seen was flavored, and gin is certainly not flavored. This time they were not flavored and I could taste the resemblance and the differences. We took a picture all together with Marc before climbing back into our clown car.
I think we all agreed that that tour was fantastic. Everyone had a great time although they were falling asleep and the beer was truly fantastic. It made for a very interesting in the car ride. My mother, who wasn't too drunk to drive but was also quite tired, was behind the wheel because my dad was in no shape to drive. Eric was in the back, head against the front headrest snoring incredibly loudly. Dad was exhausted in the front seat yet trying to keep my mom on the road. Becky was in the back seat quite terrified by the whole situation. Michelle was also asleep in the back and I was doing my best to help us navigate there from my squished backseat. All I can say is we made it to our Airbnb safely with no lasting marks but our memories.
As soon as we checked in everyone went to their rooms and passed out. After a few hours of sleeping and watching our childhood neighbor’s ridiculous cooking show that only airs in Europe, Becky, Mom and I raided the fridge and pantry to figure out what we could throw together to feed everyone. We decided on pasta carbonara, which actually turned out quite well. We set the table for a nice meet and all enjoyed a nice meal together for the first time in quite a while. It was so wonderful to have the whole family together. After not too long we were asleep again in our rooms. |
Friday May 15th 2015
Today was our first big tour day and we were going to see Maastrict. In the morning, I took them into town to see a market. The market covered the entire grote market area. There were clothes and purses and fruits and vegetables. Mom was shocked by the size of the asparagus. I found some new streatchy pants! We then piled into the car to tour a fort and caves. Both tours were really good. The fort was quite informative and I don' think many of my family members had experienced anything like it before. The history was good and going into the dark underground parts as great. The cannons were quite cool to see. We then took a tour of the caves, which are the result of mining. But they also played a role in the wars since people tried to live down there. There were tons of artwork on the walls of the caves that showed history and maps. It was quite cool.
We emerged from the underground and made our way during the beautiful day back to the center of town. I brought everyone to my favorite fries place, which yes was in the Netherlands, to try some delicious sauces and fries. The rest of the day was spent touring the city. We saw the blood red church and the church turned bookstore. We then climbed into the car and made a last minute decision to make our way to Valsberg.
Unlike the first time I was there, we drove up the mountainside, and it wasn’t even raining! We reached the top and headed to the three country point. We were where the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium meet. We each jumped between the countries and stood so we were in all three at once. My dad's favorite picture is the one with all three of us in different countries. It was a very worthwhile stop. After taking our last pictures, we casually drove into Germany for dinner. I think we were all entertained by the idea of driving into a country for dinner. Other than me, none of my family had been to Germany. Although they only had dinner in the country, I think everyone enjoyed the stop. We had a nice traditional German dinner, of course trying some German beers. Food was good, but it was certainly heavy German meat and potatoes food. We then climbed into the car and drove south to our bed and breakfast for the next few nights. Driving has actually gone well. I'm able to stay awake and help navigate the driver as everyone else slept in the backseat.
Saturday May 16th 2015
After a very nice family breakfast, this morning started off in Luxembourg! This would be our fourth country in less than 24 hours! Since we toured Maastricht, had dinner in Germany, slept in Belgium and now on the way to a castle in Luxembourg.
I think the whole family enjoyed the castle. As we pulled around the corner and the castle came into sight, everyone was in awe. It was like their fairytales coming true. The castle was perched on the mountainside and looked very impressive. Everyone enjoyed the fact that it was just a large castle. We had a little audio guide that we all listened to as we wandered through the rooms. The chapel was very cool as well as the octagonal shape of a part of the building. There were some funny comics that were about GMOs and good food and crops.
We then headed directly to Bastogne, a very historical place in Belgium. Bastogne was where the Battle of the Buldge happened from World War Two. We went to the Bastogne War Museum to spend the afternoon. It was an incredible museum, showing the war from the views of an American soldier, a German soldier a kid from Bastogne and a teacher and resister from Bastogne. The text and audio guide was excellent. The videos that went with it were fantastic. We spent about three hours in the museum and didn't even get to it all. It was a fantastic museum and we were all very happy with it, although Michelle is probably still mad at me for not getting to see the last video.
We headed into the town for dinner and had some traditional Belgian food before going back to the hotel and crashing for the night.
Sunday May 17th 2015
When we finally arrived in Dinant after a gas scare (thankfully even though the gas stations are closed, you can pump gas on a Sunday with a credit card!), we made stops at multiple bakeries to enjoy the delicious pastries. We were all incredibly happy with our delicious breakfast.
We then made our way to the citadel. It looked over the city so amazingly. It was a great sight to see. Dad, Eric and I climbed the stairs all the way up as Michelle and Mom enjoyed a gondola ride. Eric and I stopped to take pictures at the level right before the top. Dad caught up as we were there and took our pictures. Then Dad ran up to the next level and did his victory cheer, claiming that he reachd the top first. The actual fort was alright. They used a light simulation to show you what it was like to be in the middle of the action. We then took a tour, which although was quite good happened to be in three languages, which made it pretty slow. We got some good history and an amazing view over the city. The best part was a simulation they had at the end that showed what it is like to be in a shelter a bomb hit. There was a bunker simulation, then you went down a flight of steps and everything was tilted. Eric, who I ran out to bring into the area, came downstairs and went flying into the wall because he didn't expect it. The whole experience was hilarious. Just the five of us were in there and we were laughing at the experience and each other as no one could keep their balance. |
We then went back into town and explored, seeing the Maison Leffe (which for the record was closed, but Eric snuck in after a cleaning person to get a look at it) and the saxophone bridge. We then went to Namur and wandered the streets. Mom loved the windy curvy alleyways. We then found a citadel there as well and of course climbed up. We followed the path till we were instructed to follow a trail that lead us through tunnels and some military history. We were in a tunnel and found a staircase that was pitch black. We decided to climb up the stairs, avoiding using flashlights to increase the suspense. Michelle and Dad turned around and continued on the trail as we turned the corner and headed towards the light. We ended up at a gate that had just enough space for us to for through. So we squeezed through and went exploring up into the field. It wasn't terribly exciting, but it gave us a new view of the excavation they were doing as well as the city. We slide back through the gate, but on our way down we found an open cave. Eric crawled into it and called us in. The cave just kept going. He snake crawled further and could see the cave open up. I took my turn and crawled in. Which explains the picture of my butt on Facebook. It was very cool to see and a great adventure. We made or way down. Looking through the city a bit more before returning to Leuven.
After checking my parents into their place, which was literally a door down from mine, we went to Domus, a tiny brewery in Leuven for dinner. The food was really delicious and was nice with the beer. It was a great family night out. Afterwards the kids meet up with a few of Michelle’s sorority sisters who happened to be coming to Leuven for a few weeks. It was really nice to go out to a bar with my siblings, something we generally can't do.
Monday May 18th 2015
After a whirlwind of errands in the morning, we all climbed into the car to make our way to Brugges. Upon arrival, we wandered around the magical town. I think everyone loved the old buildings and the churches. The architecture and look of the city is so unique. We also all enjoyed delicious Belgian Waffles. Yum! Michelle and Dad went off to take a boat tour and then visit the Historium while Mom, Eric and I wandered a bit more. We found beautiful flowers in a park and wandered over bridges. We then made our way in and out of chocolate shops before Mom and I got a bit distracted by some beautiful earrings. Eric finally found the chocolate he'd been searching for so we went souvenir shopping. We found the beer museum, which is really just a shop with so many Belgian beers and glasses. Mom loved watching them make chocolate in the chocolate shop so much that we left her there for a bit as we kept shopping. It was really special for me to spend this time with my Mom and brother. We don't really wander around cities together too often and we were really enjoying each other's company. When Michelle and Dad were done with their museum, we met up and made our way back to Leuven.
When we arrived in Leuven, we met up with Rik and had a nice family dinner. It was really fun having Rik join us for dinner, he was such a great friend during the semester that it was nice for my family to meet him. We also brought him a box of Ritz crackers, his favorite from America, that was Costco sized. I have no doubt that they are long gone by now. We then, as a family (!?!) went out to a bar in Leuven. I wanted to show my parents the Oude Markt and take advantage of the fact that we could all sit down and have a beer together. Mom was complaining and saying she didn't want to go and wanted to go to sleep, and all I could tell her is that if her kids want her to come out with them, then she should come! After my parents went home we went out for a bit, showing my siblings the Giraffe and a few other bars, but it was sadly quiet because it was reading period for finals. It was a fun night nonetheless!
Tuesday May 19th 2015
I think I wore my sister out, because she only came out of the house to have breakfast with us...and that was only to the picnic table right out side the door where we delivered her her pastries. It was actually very sweet to have a family breakfast outside on the deck. Everyone needed a day off. My mom and I (with some help from my brother and dad) did as best as we could to pack up my room (how sad L ). When we were sufficiently happy, Mom, Dad, Eric and I met up with Dom and Duncan to go see the library. It was nice to introduce Dom and Duncan to my family, because they were really great friends of mine throughout the trip and were also study abroad students. Also, Australia is so far and foreign to us, that it was quite cool to develop the friendship (although we really didn't differ that much because of our countries). We saw an exhibit with lots of old bones and skulls that was quite creepy and really cool before heading up the stairs. I think my whole family really liked the climb. The history behind the library was really interesting and pretty devastating. They destroyed the library twice! Burning all the books! When we finally reached the top, the sky cleared enough for us to have a good lookout over the city and see Leuven. It was a nice moment for me to look back at all of the amazing things that I have done and seen here in this city. Just before it was 3:00, we all crowded into the top of the bell tower to watch the bells go off. We all covered our ears and watched the huge hammer knock into the bell and make the sound that is heard all throughout Leuven.
After making our way back down, we walked around town for a bit, eating a delicious waffle, and said bye to Dom and Duncan. I had to return my bike to the shop, but instead of going straight there, I decided to give my mom a tour of my campus. I wouldn't say I was able to give her the most comfortable ride, seeing as she was seated on the back of my bike, on the rack, but I think she really enjoyed the tour, and the biking was quite the bonding experience. I showed her the castle, my classrooms, the campus, the sports fields and the gym. She biked a bit as well, making our way to the bike shop. I went into the bike shop to return the bike, and handed him the chain shield and the back light, which had both fallen off in the past few days. I think my bike was telling me it was time to move on. Dad picked us up and brought us back to the center, where Eric joined us for a fruitur dinner (Belgian food isn't really the healthiest but yum!) of fries and chicken drumsticks, and of course the accompanying sauces. When it was time, dad brought Eric and I to Frisbee. It was bittersweet, because it was the last practice of the year, but also quite fun. After warming up we split into teams, but then it instantly started pouring and maybe hailing. There was one umbrella that I think 30 of us were crowded and ducking behind, to get any cover we possibly could. It was a very strong team bonding experience. When the storm passed, we rejoined our teams for a tournament! Eric was playing on Rik's team, which happens to be the team I was playing first. It was fun to play against them. I am really appreciative of frisbee. I have made really great friendships on the team and met some amazing people. It has been a great opportunity to talk to lots of different people and play a sport we all love. After the practice, the whole team, including my brother and coach!, went to a student bar. It was a really fun time, especially since we don't go out as a team ever. I got to see a lot of the people that I knew only from the field in a social environment. I had a really fun time, and it seemed like Eric did too. Whenever I looked over, he was chatting with a bunch of the people on the team. Shows how welcoming everyone is (remember they are speaking English just for us!). Since finals was almost here, the student bar was giving the beer out at crazy cheap prices. And this was nice beer! And the more you bought, the cheaper it was, so people were just buying tons of beer and handing it around. The only downside of the night was that the bar was really far from my house. Like a very long walk. But, as long as you are drunk it doesn't feel so bad! I got home just in time for about an hour of shut eye before it was time for our family's next adventure.