Belgium-Bruges, Atomium, Brussels, and Bullets
Once I managed getting in and settled in Wageningen (which, btw, is where the surrender of German General Johannes Blaskowitz to Canadian General Charles Foulkes on May 5, 1945, officially ended the WW2 in the Netherlands) I immediately signed up for a Wanderlost Student Travel Tour to Belgium. The tour consisted of going by bus from Utrecht (which would have been fine if I had realized how early we had to be there and the problems with Dutch rail not operating 24/7) to Bruges, then a quick stop off at the Atomium (15 minutes only because people took too long at Bruges), and then into Brussels. Honestly, we spent too long in Brussels. We ended up sitting on the sidewalk for over an hour waiting for the bus driver to let us onboard at around 10pm.
When I travel, I prefer to focus on history, religion, and nature. Kinda in that order. So museums, churches, and parks are on my to-do list. I also prefer not to spend a lot, but that is in deference to having a strict monthly budget and a 'mostly' supportive husband who is working to fund this crazy adventure. Wanderlost is cheap, this day trip was only 40E and got us across boarders and such without difficulty, but they have an age cut-off of 36, so this was my one and only trip with them.
The timing for this trip was a little off too. There had recently been a bombing in Belgium, so the military was out in force at major transit hubs. When we got into Brussels, everyone else stayed pretty close to the city center, but after a three-hour recharge of my phone and lunch/dinner at Starbucks (thank you #Starbucks and your free electrical outlets), I braved the metro to go out to the Erasmus House. Of course, I am directionally impared, even when staring at the building, and ended up lost in a small Armenian community, but that led me to a lovely church where the choir was practicing. When I explained that I was lost, the caretaker of the church actually walked me the two blocks to the museum! So nice!
I would have really liked to explore the Atomium more. As it was I only had a few minutes to take some pictures and buy a few souvenirs. I did spend more on this trip than most of the others I went on, but I bought stuff for my parents and hadn't learned about City cards yet. Next trip! Also, to be honest, I was super excited to be in Europe, so I was a little over exuberant in my purchases.
In Bruges, I recommend going to the Church of Our Lady. There's only the one major church so it's not hard to find. There is a museum inside the church, but you have to buy your ticket down the street at a different store. You'll see signs, not to worry. We didn't have time for a canal ride, but you can take photos from the iconic bridge and almost every store sells chocolate (which is marked down in price later in the day).
The Starbucks I went to is in the middle of the city center Palace square. You can sit outside and watch the people and take photos of the palace if you want. I use Starbucks like McDonalds. It's in pretty much every major city in Europe, you generally know the items and prices on the menu, and there is a bathroom code on the receipt if you need it. All good to know if you are in a strange land where you don't speak the language and are tired of paying 50c to pee.
When I travel, I prefer to focus on history, religion, and nature. Kinda in that order. So museums, churches, and parks are on my to-do list. I also prefer not to spend a lot, but that is in deference to having a strict monthly budget and a 'mostly' supportive husband who is working to fund this crazy adventure. Wanderlost is cheap, this day trip was only 40E and got us across boarders and such without difficulty, but they have an age cut-off of 36, so this was my one and only trip with them.
The timing for this trip was a little off too. There had recently been a bombing in Belgium, so the military was out in force at major transit hubs. When we got into Brussels, everyone else stayed pretty close to the city center, but after a three-hour recharge of my phone and lunch/dinner at Starbucks (thank you #Starbucks and your free electrical outlets), I braved the metro to go out to the Erasmus House. Of course, I am directionally impared, even when staring at the building, and ended up lost in a small Armenian community, but that led me to a lovely church where the choir was practicing. When I explained that I was lost, the caretaker of the church actually walked me the two blocks to the museum! So nice!
I would have really liked to explore the Atomium more. As it was I only had a few minutes to take some pictures and buy a few souvenirs. I did spend more on this trip than most of the others I went on, but I bought stuff for my parents and hadn't learned about City cards yet. Next trip! Also, to be honest, I was super excited to be in Europe, so I was a little over exuberant in my purchases.
In Bruges, I recommend going to the Church of Our Lady. There's only the one major church so it's not hard to find. There is a museum inside the church, but you have to buy your ticket down the street at a different store. You'll see signs, not to worry. We didn't have time for a canal ride, but you can take photos from the iconic bridge and almost every store sells chocolate (which is marked down in price later in the day).
The Starbucks I went to is in the middle of the city center Palace square. You can sit outside and watch the people and take photos of the palace if you want. I use Starbucks like McDonalds. It's in pretty much every major city in Europe, you generally know the items and prices on the menu, and there is a bathroom code on the receipt if you need it. All good to know if you are in a strange land where you don't speak the language and are tired of paying 50c to pee.
Bruges
Brussels
Erasmus House, a museum in Anderlecht, devoted to the Dutch humanist writer Erasmus of Rotterdam.
Atomium
Comments
Post a Comment