TRAVEL | ghent

For this trip I've learned to take it easy and let spontaneity take over from time to time. Ghent in Belgium wasn't a destination I had planned for this trip, but after a chat about travel plans over some beers with my roomies from Antwerp, a few of us ended up organising a excursion to the little Medieval city.

While my friends were on the free walking tour of the city I went off on my own to explore the city. I Came across a waffle stand and thought hey, when in Rome so I ordered a massive Belgium waffle with chocolates and fresh strawberries. It was delicious, however I felt like the portion size was clearly catering to the American tourists. I was only able to eat about 1/3 of it before the sweetness overwhelmed me. Reminder for the future: always share!!! 

After their tour, Natalie, Laura, Casey and I went out in search for the world renowned Belgium fries with fresh house-made mayonnaise. Personally I've never been the biggest fan of potatoes so I never really understood what the fuss with Belgium fries was all about. But sitting by the canals with new friends while munching on those artery-clogging morsels was a glorious way end to our day.

TRAVEL | antwerpen

I had so much fun visiting Antwerp. Coming straight from Amsterdam, I had expected to be underwhelmed by the little city. I didn't have the best first impression of the city. Turns out my { hostel } was a bit further away from the center than I would have liked, but I booked it because it had good reviews online. In the end it was one of the best decisions I've made on this trip, and I had the best time. I met so many people at AB, many of whom I still keep in contact with today--I even met up with a few of them in Vienna this past week!

In fact, I enjoyed Antwerp so much I extended my four day stay to six days total. Eventually, I was known as the veteran AB hostel as most people usually only spend two, three days at best in the city. Most of the hostel staff were travellers themselves, but just picked up the job at random while passing through. I realised later on that more than half of them arrived the same afternoon I did! We spent the whole week getting to know each other, trading stories over beers, and welcoming new travellers into our little family.  

One of my hostel friends and I decided to take a day and do some sightseeing together. There was a street a few blocks from our neighborhood that is known for their extensive graffiti. I'm still amazed at what a positive attitude Europeans have towards street art culture. They don't do it because it's trendy and hipster, but they do it for the love of it. And its so refreshing to see the city embrace/respect the artists as well.

I originally had more photos to post from Antwerp's { Middelheim Open Air Sculpture Museum } but my camera fogged up because of the cold and the rain. :(

TRAVEL | bruges photo diary

 

 

 

Wow. I'm getting seriously behind in uploading my photos. I'm already moving on to my fifth city after Bruges. But back to the point, Bruges is a fantastic little Flemish town in northwest of Belgium. It was quite a change from the hustle and bustle of London and Paris--there weren't cars everywhere trying to run me over and there weren't people shoving me out of the way because they thought I walked too slowly. All in all, I welcomed the more laid-back atmosphere of a small town.

I stayed in Bruges a grand total of 2 nights. I arrived in the afternoon on the first day but had to spend the latter half of the day doing laundry (hey, a traveling girl's got priorities). The next day, however, was more constructive: I rented a bike for a measly 9 euro and set off on a full day of exploring. While it may not be as photogenic as my last city (Paris), Bruges has a whole different charm of its own. The thing about Bruges is that it still has a lot of its medieval architecture intact, so I felt like stepping into a whole different world when walking through the streets. 

Though after Bruges I've kind of developed a sort of love-hate relationship with cobblestone streets. Have you ever tried biking on cobblestone before? Because, let me tell you, it is not easy and a very uncomfortable experience--I was nursing a sore bottom for a week--but damn you can't deny it adds an whole lotta of charm to a city. 

One last thing: Chocolate. Belgian chocolate is the best chocolate. The streets of Bruges are literally lined with chocolateries--which is great because whenever you walk by them it just smells divine. Some places manufacture their chocolates in-store so I was able to take a peek a the process when it wasn't too busy and filled with chocolate crazed tourists. However, I heard from a local that the secret is that the best places to find chocolates are actually at the local supermarkets. The quality and flavor is just as good as the ones found in specialty stores and only a fraction of the price. I still have some left from my trip but haven't the heart to open them yet. They're special, so therefore should be saved for a rainy day.

So bring it on rainy days, I'm ready for you!