I'm in New York and starting Graduate School... what? It's been an experience so far -- more on that later. First, bed.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
On my way home...
I'm sitting in the Dublin Airport after having gone through some intense security (United States Pre-Customs?!?? What IS that?!). Now I'm waiting to board my flight to Chicago, which will connect to Los Angeles. It's going to be a long travel day. I can't believe I'm heading home -- it's bittersweet. I'm happy to be going home, and not living out of a backpack and duffel anymore, but I'm a bit sad that my European adventure is over. The whole thing has been surreal and I feel so lucky that I've been able to do this. I'll have to write my last two posts on Edinburgh and Ireland while I'm on the flight. Edinburgh especially deserves a detailed post! What an experience. Oh man.
Onwards to the next adventure! I leave for Ashland with my family on Monday and then I move to New York City two weeks from today! On with this crazy summer! More updates to come =)
Onwards to the next adventure! I leave for Ashland with my family on Monday and then I move to New York City two weeks from today! On with this crazy summer! More updates to come =)
Friday, August 3, 2012
Bath, Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and York
Whew. We've been spending two nights in each place since London, which means moving every couple of days -- rather exhausting (but good -- two nights is absolutely enough time to see all these places). We're on our way to Edinburgh now, where we are staying for four nights. I am sooooo excited! Alright, now I'm going to attempt to summarize our adventures over the last eight days.... Ready? Okay.
Bath
Bath is a gorgeous Georgian town -- I definitely felt like I was in a Jane Austen novel. All of the buildings are made of this off-white "Bath stone," which gives the city a charming, elegant feel. Notable facts: It is the site of Roman Baths, and a gorgeous medieval Abbey. People believed the water from the baths to have healing powers and would come to the town to drink and bathe in the waters. We tried some of the water -- not as gross as I thought, but Jordan and I still didn't finish the glass between us. In Bath we spent a great deal of time wandering and laying in parks -- the Circus and the park in front of the Royal Crescent. We also went rowing, which was fun/hilarious. Turning around the boat was....an experience. I had an absolutely delicious latte from Boston Tea Party (notable, because it was awesome and didn't need any sugar). We went to a wonderful museum which was having an exhibition of these interactive pieces of art. I don't think I'll be able to describe them accurately, but they were made out of recycled materials (driftwood, old barbies etc) and they were mechanical. You would pull something or twist something and a bird would look like it was flying or a figure's eyes would move -- it was si cool. Jordan had his first cream tea experience and we took a free walking tour! Oh, and we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in a pub, which was quite fun. My favorite part was going to this bookshop called Topping and Company. Beautiful shop made more so, as they give you free coffee or tea when you browse -- a pot of tea with ceramic tea cups! In a bookshop!!! It was so much the best. Our airbnb hosts (website where you rent rooms) were also wonderful. We were in this lovely house with a delightful garden and view of the lush hills. Petra would make us coffee or tea in the afternoon and a full breakfast in the morning. She was incredibly fun to talk to, as she has had many adventures of her own! All in all, Bath was very pleasant and a much needed respite from the city.
Oxford
A few of our friends from UCLA are studying at the British Academny of Dramatic Arts at Oxford summer program, so we slept on their floor for two nights. Oxford was rather sleepy. We were tired, it rained a bit and skies were rather grey. However, the town itself is lovely and the colleges are gorgeous. They were dorming at Magdalen, which has a deer park. A deer park! Anyways, we had afternoon tea, went to Blackwells (a glorious bookshop), and laid in the (giant) park. The ducks in that park were the bravest ducks I have ever seen. They swarm you, looking for food! I also watched the many people punting along the river. Jordan and I have decided that punting looks a little terrifying and that we would probably fall into the water if we attempted such a thing. I did see a group of boys in light colored suits (and hats) punting and singing a loud chorus of "God Save the Queen." It was rather amusing. We saw an incredible production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Oxford's Shakespeare theatre. It was outside at one of the colleges and it was a small cast who played all the parts - to a hilarious effect. It was so fun, and Jordan and I laughed and laughed -- even though we both know the play well! It was so nice to see some good Shakespeare. Other than that, we spent time with Vika and Netta, got glorious cookies and shakes from "SHAKESpeare," and went to the first museum in Britain. It was fantastic to catch up with the girls, and see Oxford's greenery.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
In Stratford, we were greeted by our exuberant host, Johanna, who gave us a nice room with a view over the town. Everything was a red brick -- very picturesque against the gray, rainy sky. We had a kitchen, so we ate breakfast and dinner in, which was so nice. I am tired of eating in restaurants and also hungry for fruits and veggies! Plus, it's cheaper to eat in. Anyways! We spent a great deal of time at the Royal Shakespeare Theater. The World Shakespeare Festival is going on, so they had exhibitions throughout the building. We saw Shakespeare's grave, and took many walks along the river Avon. There are so many swans... So many huge swans. I also had the exciting task of getting a vaccine for grad school while I was there. It's a complicated situation, but basically I had to get a vaccine ASAP, so I could register for classes in August. After many "umm, may I ask why you are getting this here and now?" and many jabs at the US's healthcare system, I received the vaccine and was on my merry way. We saw two RSC plays while we were there -- at decent prices too! We saw "Much Ado About Nothing" from the stalls for 12 pounds (limited view seat, though I didn't notice) and "Twelfth Night" for 5 pound 16-25 year old tickets for the upper circle. We were very high up and on the side, but luckily the actors really do play to the balcony. Much Ado had the coolest ambience. They set it in present day New Dehli, and as you walked into the lobby, incense burned and a girl was selling samosas. The lobby itself was decked out and filled with sounds of a busy Indian city. It was awesome. The show itself was gorgeously designed and well acted, but I didn't think the point of setting it in new Dehli came off. Twelfth Night was phenomenal. The set -- which is being shared by the three plays of the "shipwreck trilogy" (tempest, comedy of errors and twelfth night) -- was incredible. The stage is a thrust, and looked like the deck of the ship, though it arched toward the back. Downstage right, the wood was torn away to reveal water - actual water - the shipwrecked characters made their entrances swimming out from under the stage. So. Cool. The world of the play didn't seem to have a particular time period, but it worked. The actors were great and the show was hilarious -- so well done! I loved it. Afterwards we went to the Dirty Duck, which seems to be the actor's bar. It had a nice, warm, pub feel with various actor's pictures on the wall. I had Pimms for my first time and it is my new favorite drink. YUM. Stratford was just nice -- full of high quality theatre and pleasant scenery.
York
York is old! Everything is old, and has a ton of character. It was nice to be back in a place with a city vibe (though everything closed by 7pm). We stayed in a "boutique hostel," which basically means it was pretty and very clean. We were in an 8 person dorm, which we basically had to ourselves. It was nice in terms of sleeping, but a bit disappointing, as we were looking forward to meeting fellow travelers. Anyways, York was rainy (surprise surprise), though we got some sun. We took a free walking tour, where we learned about the Roman and Viking roots of the city (and also how to tell the difference between Roman and Viking streets). Amusingly, streets are called "gates" there and gates are called "bars." we got caught in the rain, had good Indian food, went to the train museum (found the hogwarts express), wandered a bunch, and got really good coffee at this place called, "The Attic." If you are ever in York - go there. Smoothest Latte I've had in England. We found a beautiful modern art exhibition in a church. Hundreds of glass bells hanging from the ceiling, and a voiceover telling about the temple of a thousand bells - it was lovely. We split a delicious Yorkshire pudding (not actually pudding, but very good) and had our last English afternoon tea at Betty's. Quite good. We walked "new walk" for a while and strolled through the museum gardens. It was nice. York is a great place to wander, with its winding streets and tiny passageways. On our way out this morning, we had breakfast at "The Perky Peacock," which is this little cafe in a little tower next to the bridge (maybe a guard post?) -- delicious breakfast and atmosphere. If I were to go back to York, I would split my time between the attic and the perky peacock - delicious.
Other Exciting Things:
I only have one more week of traveling, which is so bizarre. I'm sad it's coming to an end, but it will be nice to be home.
I have an apartment in New York City! Thanks to my fantastic new roommate, Sarah, I have an apartment all secured for my move to New York! It is within walking distance of school and about a block away from Central Park. I am ecstatic and so thrilled to be moving to the city and into my next adventure!
We're heading to Edinburgh now, for the Fringe Festival. The Fringe Festival is the largest art festival in the world and basically, you can see theatre at any time of day. There seem to be about 50 things going on every hour! I have a feeling it is going to be absolute mayhem, but I'm excited to see lots of theatre and meet lots of new people!
Also, there is a group of men on our train who have been drinking since before 11am. They are actually snorting with laughter. I don't know whether I am amused or annoyed. Oh man.
I hope that was somewhat comprehensible! Summarizing events is not my strong point... More updates soon!
Bath
Bath is a gorgeous Georgian town -- I definitely felt like I was in a Jane Austen novel. All of the buildings are made of this off-white "Bath stone," which gives the city a charming, elegant feel. Notable facts: It is the site of Roman Baths, and a gorgeous medieval Abbey. People believed the water from the baths to have healing powers and would come to the town to drink and bathe in the waters. We tried some of the water -- not as gross as I thought, but Jordan and I still didn't finish the glass between us. In Bath we spent a great deal of time wandering and laying in parks -- the Circus and the park in front of the Royal Crescent. We also went rowing, which was fun/hilarious. Turning around the boat was....an experience. I had an absolutely delicious latte from Boston Tea Party (notable, because it was awesome and didn't need any sugar). We went to a wonderful museum which was having an exhibition of these interactive pieces of art. I don't think I'll be able to describe them accurately, but they were made out of recycled materials (driftwood, old barbies etc) and they were mechanical. You would pull something or twist something and a bird would look like it was flying or a figure's eyes would move -- it was si cool. Jordan had his first cream tea experience and we took a free walking tour! Oh, and we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in a pub, which was quite fun. My favorite part was going to this bookshop called Topping and Company. Beautiful shop made more so, as they give you free coffee or tea when you browse -- a pot of tea with ceramic tea cups! In a bookshop!!! It was so much the best. Our airbnb hosts (website where you rent rooms) were also wonderful. We were in this lovely house with a delightful garden and view of the lush hills. Petra would make us coffee or tea in the afternoon and a full breakfast in the morning. She was incredibly fun to talk to, as she has had many adventures of her own! All in all, Bath was very pleasant and a much needed respite from the city.
Oxford
A few of our friends from UCLA are studying at the British Academny of Dramatic Arts at Oxford summer program, so we slept on their floor for two nights. Oxford was rather sleepy. We were tired, it rained a bit and skies were rather grey. However, the town itself is lovely and the colleges are gorgeous. They were dorming at Magdalen, which has a deer park. A deer park! Anyways, we had afternoon tea, went to Blackwells (a glorious bookshop), and laid in the (giant) park. The ducks in that park were the bravest ducks I have ever seen. They swarm you, looking for food! I also watched the many people punting along the river. Jordan and I have decided that punting looks a little terrifying and that we would probably fall into the water if we attempted such a thing. I did see a group of boys in light colored suits (and hats) punting and singing a loud chorus of "God Save the Queen." It was rather amusing. We saw an incredible production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Oxford's Shakespeare theatre. It was outside at one of the colleges and it was a small cast who played all the parts - to a hilarious effect. It was so fun, and Jordan and I laughed and laughed -- even though we both know the play well! It was so nice to see some good Shakespeare. Other than that, we spent time with Vika and Netta, got glorious cookies and shakes from "SHAKESpeare," and went to the first museum in Britain. It was fantastic to catch up with the girls, and see Oxford's greenery.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
In Stratford, we were greeted by our exuberant host, Johanna, who gave us a nice room with a view over the town. Everything was a red brick -- very picturesque against the gray, rainy sky. We had a kitchen, so we ate breakfast and dinner in, which was so nice. I am tired of eating in restaurants and also hungry for fruits and veggies! Plus, it's cheaper to eat in. Anyways! We spent a great deal of time at the Royal Shakespeare Theater. The World Shakespeare Festival is going on, so they had exhibitions throughout the building. We saw Shakespeare's grave, and took many walks along the river Avon. There are so many swans... So many huge swans. I also had the exciting task of getting a vaccine for grad school while I was there. It's a complicated situation, but basically I had to get a vaccine ASAP, so I could register for classes in August. After many "umm, may I ask why you are getting this here and now?" and many jabs at the US's healthcare system, I received the vaccine and was on my merry way. We saw two RSC plays while we were there -- at decent prices too! We saw "Much Ado About Nothing" from the stalls for 12 pounds (limited view seat, though I didn't notice) and "Twelfth Night" for 5 pound 16-25 year old tickets for the upper circle. We were very high up and on the side, but luckily the actors really do play to the balcony. Much Ado had the coolest ambience. They set it in present day New Dehli, and as you walked into the lobby, incense burned and a girl was selling samosas. The lobby itself was decked out and filled with sounds of a busy Indian city. It was awesome. The show itself was gorgeously designed and well acted, but I didn't think the point of setting it in new Dehli came off. Twelfth Night was phenomenal. The set -- which is being shared by the three plays of the "shipwreck trilogy" (tempest, comedy of errors and twelfth night) -- was incredible. The stage is a thrust, and looked like the deck of the ship, though it arched toward the back. Downstage right, the wood was torn away to reveal water - actual water - the shipwrecked characters made their entrances swimming out from under the stage. So. Cool. The world of the play didn't seem to have a particular time period, but it worked. The actors were great and the show was hilarious -- so well done! I loved it. Afterwards we went to the Dirty Duck, which seems to be the actor's bar. It had a nice, warm, pub feel with various actor's pictures on the wall. I had Pimms for my first time and it is my new favorite drink. YUM. Stratford was just nice -- full of high quality theatre and pleasant scenery.
York
York is old! Everything is old, and has a ton of character. It was nice to be back in a place with a city vibe (though everything closed by 7pm). We stayed in a "boutique hostel," which basically means it was pretty and very clean. We were in an 8 person dorm, which we basically had to ourselves. It was nice in terms of sleeping, but a bit disappointing, as we were looking forward to meeting fellow travelers. Anyways, York was rainy (surprise surprise), though we got some sun. We took a free walking tour, where we learned about the Roman and Viking roots of the city (and also how to tell the difference between Roman and Viking streets). Amusingly, streets are called "gates" there and gates are called "bars." we got caught in the rain, had good Indian food, went to the train museum (found the hogwarts express), wandered a bunch, and got really good coffee at this place called, "The Attic." If you are ever in York - go there. Smoothest Latte I've had in England. We found a beautiful modern art exhibition in a church. Hundreds of glass bells hanging from the ceiling, and a voiceover telling about the temple of a thousand bells - it was lovely. We split a delicious Yorkshire pudding (not actually pudding, but very good) and had our last English afternoon tea at Betty's. Quite good. We walked "new walk" for a while and strolled through the museum gardens. It was nice. York is a great place to wander, with its winding streets and tiny passageways. On our way out this morning, we had breakfast at "The Perky Peacock," which is this little cafe in a little tower next to the bridge (maybe a guard post?) -- delicious breakfast and atmosphere. If I were to go back to York, I would split my time between the attic and the perky peacock - delicious.
Other Exciting Things:
I only have one more week of traveling, which is so bizarre. I'm sad it's coming to an end, but it will be nice to be home.
I have an apartment in New York City! Thanks to my fantastic new roommate, Sarah, I have an apartment all secured for my move to New York! It is within walking distance of school and about a block away from Central Park. I am ecstatic and so thrilled to be moving to the city and into my next adventure!
We're heading to Edinburgh now, for the Fringe Festival. The Fringe Festival is the largest art festival in the world and basically, you can see theatre at any time of day. There seem to be about 50 things going on every hour! I have a feeling it is going to be absolute mayhem, but I'm excited to see lots of theatre and meet lots of new people!
Also, there is a group of men on our train who have been drinking since before 11am. They are actually snorting with laughter. I don't know whether I am amused or annoyed. Oh man.
I hope that was somewhat comprehensible! Summarizing events is not my strong point... More updates soon!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Whirlwind London
Whew! I feel like we haven't had time to relax in days! Two days in London is SUCH a tease. I need to come back. . .and just live here for a summer. . .and work on some awesome theatre. Anyways, we arrived in London on Tuesday morning, and Jordan and I split from Kelly at the train station. We took the tube to meet our friend Joanna (from our theater class at ucla), who is currently performing in a show on the West End and has a lovely little flat outside the London center. She lives in this lovely area with lots of space and quiet houses. We set our things down, cleaned up a bit, and headed back into the center for some sight seeing. Jordan is going to be Tobias in Moonlight amphitheater's production of Sweeney Todd when we get back, so we started at St. Pauls and then headed to Fleet street (as in the demon barber of). We wandered and found the churchyard and building that was supposedly where Sweeney lived - and is the setting of the musical. Jordan was SO EXCITED and we took lots of pictures and ordered iced lattes from the coffee cart in the churchyard (which is apparently a thing here?). After that, we got pasties for lunch, and ate them in a little park, where everyone was gathered enjoying the sunshine. It was HOT! Over 80 degrees -- it feels like July again! Our pasties were delicious, and then we wandered through some lovely streets -- all decked out for the olympics -- and did some shopping. I got a theatre outfit, which I desperately needed, as I only have travel clothes at this point! Then Joanna headed to the theatre to get ready and Jordan and I met up with one of his friends from high school for a delicious fish and chips dinner. That night, we saw Joanna's show. She understudies the female lead of "Thriller Live," which is essentially a concert of Michael Jackson songs and dances. Although she's the understudy, she goes on at least a couple times a week and requested to go on the night we were there. She was absolutely phenomenal. It was surreal to watch one of my classmates perform in a professional production in London -- and she was so brilliant. The show itself was a ton of fun and an experience, as the theatre didn't have air conditioning, so it was sweltering hot. We definitely got ice cream at intermission. After the show, we grabbed ciders at the pub across from the stage door and headed back to Joanna's place to go to bed.
The next morning, we had a lovely breakfast with Joanna -- eggs on toast and English Breakfast tea for me. Then Jordan and I went into town to try to get five pound tickets for Matilda the Musical. They have a limited number of 5 pound youth tickets that go on sale at 10am, so we were determined! Unfortunately, we did not get there early enough (before ten, but not before others!) and did not get tickets. The entire show was sold out, so I suppose I will wait until it comes to New York. Undeterred, we headed to the Sweeney Todd box office and snagged cheap day of tickets for the front row. SO EXCITED! This production stars Michael Ball (original Marius in Les Miz) an Imelda Stanton (Professor Umbridge in the Harry Potter films) and we get to see them LIVE in the front row! Jordan was especially thrilled in anticipation of his own production. Pleased with our success, we split up so that Jordan could go to the Tat modern and I could go to the British Museum. It was nice walking through the city while it was morning and uncrowded. Everything is looking its best for the Olympics and it was just fun to soak up the feeling. Once I got to the British Museum, I stepped inside and was taken aback by how....majestic? it is. High ceilings, full of natural light.... Oh it was so cool. They are currently have a Shakespeare exhibition in collaboration with the World Shakespeare festival, so naturally that's what I went to go see. It was a well done exhibit on Shakespeare's world and the world/themes of the plays. I especially enjoyed the smartly placed high-def projections of actors performing monologues. Miraculously, I didn't buy anything from the museum store -- it took all my restraint. Jordan and I met up again to have a cheap, pasty lunch with his friend (We went to Greggs. Such good pasties). Then his friend went back to work and Kelly met us to do some sight seeing. We went over to parliament and took touristy phone booth pictures with big ben. It was SO HOT, so I got a delicious iced blended coffee and we wandered along the other side of the river for a while. Eventually, we made our way to Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes museum. We didn't go into the museum, but the shop was quite fun! The ambience was great AND the subway station had Sherlock Holmes outlines everywhere. It was great. After that, we walked down Regent Street and then Oxford street, looking at shops and trying to find some theatre clothes for Jordan and Kelly. We had a wonderfully ridiculous time going in stores. Including this unbelievable toy store, which had the most beautiful Harry Potter things we had ever seen. It had every wand -- even the Patil twins. Then we went to Top Shop (my friend, Julia's favorite) for the first time, which was a bit of an overwhelming experience. This store had a cupcake shop, restaurant and salon amongst its five stories of clothing and accessories. It was insane. After shopping we rushed over to Sweeney Todd and changed into our theatre clothes. The show was AMAZING. Absolutely phenomenal in every way.... And we saw it from the front row. We gushed all the way to the pub where we met Joanna -- and then some more once we got to this little Chinese place in China town (omg such good food). We said our goodbyes to Kelly (last time I'll see her in Europe) and headed back to Joanna's. The next morning, we had a nice breakfast and headed to Bath! Onwards with our U.K. adventure!
The next morning, we had a lovely breakfast with Joanna -- eggs on toast and English Breakfast tea for me. Then Jordan and I went into town to try to get five pound tickets for Matilda the Musical. They have a limited number of 5 pound youth tickets that go on sale at 10am, so we were determined! Unfortunately, we did not get there early enough (before ten, but not before others!) and did not get tickets. The entire show was sold out, so I suppose I will wait until it comes to New York. Undeterred, we headed to the Sweeney Todd box office and snagged cheap day of tickets for the front row. SO EXCITED! This production stars Michael Ball (original Marius in Les Miz) an Imelda Stanton (Professor Umbridge in the Harry Potter films) and we get to see them LIVE in the front row! Jordan was especially thrilled in anticipation of his own production. Pleased with our success, we split up so that Jordan could go to the Tat modern and I could go to the British Museum. It was nice walking through the city while it was morning and uncrowded. Everything is looking its best for the Olympics and it was just fun to soak up the feeling. Once I got to the British Museum, I stepped inside and was taken aback by how....majestic? it is. High ceilings, full of natural light.... Oh it was so cool. They are currently have a Shakespeare exhibition in collaboration with the World Shakespeare festival, so naturally that's what I went to go see. It was a well done exhibit on Shakespeare's world and the world/themes of the plays. I especially enjoyed the smartly placed high-def projections of actors performing monologues. Miraculously, I didn't buy anything from the museum store -- it took all my restraint. Jordan and I met up again to have a cheap, pasty lunch with his friend (We went to Greggs. Such good pasties). Then his friend went back to work and Kelly met us to do some sight seeing. We went over to parliament and took touristy phone booth pictures with big ben. It was SO HOT, so I got a delicious iced blended coffee and we wandered along the other side of the river for a while. Eventually, we made our way to Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes museum. We didn't go into the museum, but the shop was quite fun! The ambience was great AND the subway station had Sherlock Holmes outlines everywhere. It was great. After that, we walked down Regent Street and then Oxford street, looking at shops and trying to find some theatre clothes for Jordan and Kelly. We had a wonderfully ridiculous time going in stores. Including this unbelievable toy store, which had the most beautiful Harry Potter things we had ever seen. It had every wand -- even the Patil twins. Then we went to Top Shop (my friend, Julia's favorite) for the first time, which was a bit of an overwhelming experience. This store had a cupcake shop, restaurant and salon amongst its five stories of clothing and accessories. It was insane. After shopping we rushed over to Sweeney Todd and changed into our theatre clothes. The show was AMAZING. Absolutely phenomenal in every way.... And we saw it from the front row. We gushed all the way to the pub where we met Joanna -- and then some more once we got to this little Chinese place in China town (omg such good food). We said our goodbyes to Kelly (last time I'll see her in Europe) and headed back to Joanna's. The next morning, we had a nice breakfast and headed to Bath! Onwards with our U.K. adventure!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Three Americans in Paris
Currently I am flying through the French Countryside on the Eurostar to London (we haven't reached the English Channel yet). Kelly and I arrived in Paris the day before yesterday and found the apartment we were staying in without much trouble. We had rented a room from a young couple in Montmarte -- very nice people, and a lovely apartment. Kelly and I arrived around 5pm and weren't expecting Jordan for another three hours, so we wandered, found crepes and went to a grocery store to get some salami, cheese and bread for a picnic dinner. Then we went back up to the apartment to wait for Jordan and relax after our long travel day. I sat on the balcony and waited... but Jordan didn't come. 8pm, 9pm. . . 9:30. Did he get lost? If he got lost, he would have figured it out by now. . . What do we do? Luckily, Priscille and Marc came home around 10 or so and figured out how to track his flight. He was supposed to land at 6:30, but didn't end up landing until 10! Phew! Our worries assuaged, we at some more bread and cheese and kept a look out in the balcony. Finally, I saw him turn the corner...and go the wrong way. Kelly and I tried hailing him from the balcony, which only confused him, so Kelly ran down and got him. Reunited at last! Once he got up the five flights of stairs to the apartment, he explained that it had been a ROUGH travel day and proceeded to take off two sweaters and a pair of jeans to reveal a long sleeve shirt and ANOTHER pair of jeans underneath. Apparently, the airline only allowed one personal item and to check a bag would have cost 20 euro (if anyone is wondering, that's about 7 boxes of homemade chocolate from Belgium). In order to conserve space and smash his messenger bag into his backpack, he piled on clothing. On top of that, his flight was delayed, because it was too windy to take off in Florence, so his entire plane was BUSSED to Pisa, and naturally took off late. Happy to see each other again, we stayed up late swapping travel stories (Jordan has been working on a farm in Italy two weeks) and planning for our one day in Paris.
We woke up early the next mornig, so we could be at the Louvre when it opened. The morning was bright and sunny and Kelly and I were elated that it felt like summer again! FINALLY! We got off the metro a couple of stops before the Louvre and took a nice walk through a garden on our way. When we reached the palace, there was a HUGE line out the pyramid and it wasn't even 9am yet. Being savvy travelers, we went and got pain au chocolates and coffee and then munched before we entered from the subway entrance -- still a line, but a shorter one. We bought our tickets and saw all the greats: venus de milo, winged victory, the five leonardo da vinci paintings, Louis XIV's crown jewels, and more and more and more. The hoards of people were a sight unto themselves and sometimes I found myself just marveling over the waves of people instead of staring at the art. We finished our visit in the statue garden -- my personal favorite, as it is naturally lit, quiet and pretty -- and then headed out in search of a picnic. We went to Rue de Cler and purchased brie and a hard cheese at a formagerrie (omygod so many gorgeous cheeses), cherries and apricots at a produce store and a baguette and quiche from a bread place. Armed with the makings of a delicious French picnic, we claimed a place in the park in front of the Eiffel Tower and sat down on the grass to enjoy. It was an incredibly lovely picnic, amongst locals and tourists a like. Also, the food was incredible. The baguette was so soft and the cheese so creamy!!! After that, we walked down the river Seine all the way to Shakespeare and Co. -- a very famous English language bookstore opened for a lost generation of expats after WWI. It is stuffed to the brim with old books and new books, and there is a piano upstairs. It was so calming and wonderful. After browsing for a long while, and refilling our water bottles at their fountain, we crossed the bridge to stare at note dame for a little while (and I read fun facts about the church aloud). By this time, our feet were incredibly sore, so instead of doing the walking tour we'd planned, we walked among the old book and print merchants along the river and then ventured into Le Marais to people watch and find crepes. Eventually we found a small park to eat out crepes and rest our feet. As we watched the people around us, we realized it was very much a "canoodling" park, which was rather hilarious, and wonderful. Soon, we were off again to the arc de triumph and then a stroll down Champs-Elyses. We had planned to climb to the top of the arc, but the entrance fee was highway robbery! So, we got macarons from Laduree instead (I was thinking of you the whole time, Julia!) I got simple raspberry, chocolate and vanilla, but Kelly got a variety of interesting flavors: lime with basil, orange blossom, and a min one that tasted like real mint leaves. They were extraordinary! Then we headed to Sacre Cour to end our lovely little day in Paris. We went into the church, saw the view and then headed home. Kelly and Jordan went and got the fixings for a pasta dinner, while I went back to video chat with Sarah Ellis (my future roommate in NYC) who is finding us an apartment this week! We had a pleasant dinner, packed our things and went to bed.
This morning, we gathered our bags and headed to the train station. We had our last French pastries and boarded our train to London! I can hardly believe that we will be in a place where people speak English! I'm looking forward to the U.K., but I'm sad that I'll be saying goodbye to Kelly, as she is staying in London for a week and then going home, while Jordan and I only have two days here and then we're making our way through England. I can't believe it's time to say goodbye already -- it's been an adventure thus far =) Ah! Looks like we'll be in London in a few minutes. Until the next train ride!
We woke up early the next mornig, so we could be at the Louvre when it opened. The morning was bright and sunny and Kelly and I were elated that it felt like summer again! FINALLY! We got off the metro a couple of stops before the Louvre and took a nice walk through a garden on our way. When we reached the palace, there was a HUGE line out the pyramid and it wasn't even 9am yet. Being savvy travelers, we went and got pain au chocolates and coffee and then munched before we entered from the subway entrance -- still a line, but a shorter one. We bought our tickets and saw all the greats: venus de milo, winged victory, the five leonardo da vinci paintings, Louis XIV's crown jewels, and more and more and more. The hoards of people were a sight unto themselves and sometimes I found myself just marveling over the waves of people instead of staring at the art. We finished our visit in the statue garden -- my personal favorite, as it is naturally lit, quiet and pretty -- and then headed out in search of a picnic. We went to Rue de Cler and purchased brie and a hard cheese at a formagerrie (omygod so many gorgeous cheeses), cherries and apricots at a produce store and a baguette and quiche from a bread place. Armed with the makings of a delicious French picnic, we claimed a place in the park in front of the Eiffel Tower and sat down on the grass to enjoy. It was an incredibly lovely picnic, amongst locals and tourists a like. Also, the food was incredible. The baguette was so soft and the cheese so creamy!!! After that, we walked down the river Seine all the way to Shakespeare and Co. -- a very famous English language bookstore opened for a lost generation of expats after WWI. It is stuffed to the brim with old books and new books, and there is a piano upstairs. It was so calming and wonderful. After browsing for a long while, and refilling our water bottles at their fountain, we crossed the bridge to stare at note dame for a little while (and I read fun facts about the church aloud). By this time, our feet were incredibly sore, so instead of doing the walking tour we'd planned, we walked among the old book and print merchants along the river and then ventured into Le Marais to people watch and find crepes. Eventually we found a small park to eat out crepes and rest our feet. As we watched the people around us, we realized it was very much a "canoodling" park, which was rather hilarious, and wonderful. Soon, we were off again to the arc de triumph and then a stroll down Champs-Elyses. We had planned to climb to the top of the arc, but the entrance fee was highway robbery! So, we got macarons from Laduree instead (I was thinking of you the whole time, Julia!) I got simple raspberry, chocolate and vanilla, but Kelly got a variety of interesting flavors: lime with basil, orange blossom, and a min one that tasted like real mint leaves. They were extraordinary! Then we headed to Sacre Cour to end our lovely little day in Paris. We went into the church, saw the view and then headed home. Kelly and Jordan went and got the fixings for a pasta dinner, while I went back to video chat with Sarah Ellis (my future roommate in NYC) who is finding us an apartment this week! We had a pleasant dinner, packed our things and went to bed.
This morning, we gathered our bags and headed to the train station. We had our last French pastries and boarded our train to London! I can hardly believe that we will be in a place where people speak English! I'm looking forward to the U.K., but I'm sad that I'll be saying goodbye to Kelly, as she is staying in London for a week and then going home, while Jordan and I only have two days here and then we're making our way through England. I can't believe it's time to say goodbye already -- it's been an adventure thus far =) Ah! Looks like we'll be in London in a few minutes. Until the next train ride!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Chocolates, Beer and Bike Rides
After blogging on Friday night, we video chatted with Sharon (which was great fun) and then headed to dinner. We found L'Estaminet in the Rick Steves guide, and we immediately highlighted it, as he described the pub as "Tolkien chic." Naturally, we had to go and he was not wrong -- Tolkien chic is an apt description for this fantastic little pub. The inside was covered in Sherlock-esque wallpaper (the TV show....google it) and old pictures. Old lamps and candles lit the room, and there were hops hanging from the ceiling (I can identify hops now!). The bar was small, and next to it there were shelves of vinyl and they played awesome music all night. Our waiter was incredibly nice and all smiles. We ordered small spaghettis (finally, a reasonable proportion in our price range!)and I ordered a Frambozen (raspberry beer), and Kelly ordered a sweet, dark beer at the recommendation of our server. The spaghetti was baked over with cheese and delicious. Surprisingly, my beer was awesome as well! I usually hate beer, but this smelled like beer, and tasted like a sparkling raspberry drink. So delicious. I even tried another beer after that! Belgium is great! We thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of the pub -- and watched a group of friends pull together a bunch of bar stools and crowd around the small bar. It was possibly my favorite place we've eaten in terms of ambience. On our way home, we stopped at another small pub that was down a teeny tiny alley of a street and I got a beer that tasted like strawberry jam, and Kelly got the house beer that you can only get there. Bruges is gorgeous at night. The canals are lit up, and we watched swans swimming, and took pictures of the bell tower reflecting in the water. They were playing music in the markt again, and it was pretty ridiculous and fun.
The next morning, we had a lovely breakfast, as usual. Maggie made us delicious crepe-like pancakes and told us about her garden and two birds who live there and follow her around when she takes the dogs on a walk. Have I mentioned that Maggie is the greatest? The weather was still clearing up from raining all night, so Kelly and I did our shopping around town first. The boy from Dumon recognized us and helped us with our chocolate needs =). The family is so nice! And their chocolate is so gooooooood. We also took a long walk to the train station and an incredibly helpful ticket man helped is find a way to Paris on a Sunday without reservations. He was the nicest person we've encountered working at a train station. I love Bruges. After gathering postcards, chocolate and travel plans, we headed back to unload our burdens and then set out in search of bikes. We rented two nice bikes at the student rate-- Kelly was excited, because hers was actually her size -- and started to see Bruges like the locals (who all ride bikes). We rode through town and went to check out the four windmills at the edge -- so cool. The bike paths were delightful, and we just followed the tree-lined canal all the way to Damme, where we stopped and had sandwiches for lunch. The English menu had "tuny-fish salad" (which I got) with salad and eggs included (which means lettuce and other veggies were on the sandwich). We rode past Damme's working windmill and into the town to the sound of bells. Bells had been going off all day -- I think because it was Belgium's independence day. They don't really make as big of a deal about independence day as we do, but I think the bells were a part of it. Anyways, from there, we rode onto Holland, because we could. The canal led straight to Sluis, on the border, so we did! We took a small detour (turning left instead of going straight at one point), but we really didn't mind, because it was the most beautiful bike ride of our lives. The glassy canal was line with tall, lush trees, and after that it was just countryside and cows, horses and sheep. We even saw geese that actually looked like mother goose. We passed families fishing in the channel, and a couple people swimming! There were no cars, it was a lovely biking/walking path. We were passed up many a time by actual racing bikers, who were very intense. We worked off all the waffles and chocolates by pedaling against the wind and taking a couple detours. We got to Holland, rode a little further and then headed back to Bruges. It was a glorious, and delightful bike ride (saw more windmills too!) and we ended up riding over 20 miles total. As we were riding back into town, we heard the music in the Markt again -- earlier this time in celebration of Belgian Independence -- basically this guy was doing covers of 80s hair bands. It was hilarious. We went to watch for a while, and left right as he started on AC/DC. We went back to our room for a little bit, and Maggie gave Kelly a glass of wine and me a sparkling lemonade (so good) and then we went to dinner. We went to another one of Maggie's friend's places and ordered soup (can't afford a three course meal!) and waffles. We sat in the back room with a couple who had an adorable dog with them (sleeping under the table) and watched a 12 or 13 year old boy run back and forth from the kitchen, full of purpose (it was just him and the owner waiting on people). The soup was alright, but the waffles were perfect in every way. Perfect texture, taste and perfectly ripe strawberries. I also love that in Belgium, they actually melt chocolate as a topping instead of using a sauce. After that, we headed to our room with the intention of just taking a break until going out again, but Kelly totally passed out, so I packed and wrote postcards. I finally had to break out my duffel, so I could fit the chocolate that I bought. Oh well, it's a worthy cause and I've only used a backpack for more than half of my trip, so I'd say that's an accomplishment. And it's not even a backpacker's backpack! Anyways, I got ready for bed and fell asleep, but Kelly got up and went back to the Markt for music and beer. Apparently it was packed and they were playing ABBA this time -- go figure.
This morning, we got up and had our last breakfast with Maggie. I asked her how she ended up in Bruges (as she is clearly Scottish). She said that her mom encouraged her and her siblings to travel, so her brother was working in Bruges. She was 22 (my age) when she visited him and met her husband (a Bruggian) and now she's lived there over 30 years! "You never know what's going to happen!" she said, "look at you -- you think this is just a trip, but who knows!" (mom, dad, don't worry, I haven't fallen in love with any Belgian men). Apparently, her mom used to do antiques, so Maggie opened an antique shop at her house, and stopped only a few years ago. After breakfast, we played with the dogs and gave Maggie huge hugs, as we set off to the bus stop. Whenever I come back to Bruges, I am definitely staying with Maggie. Definitely my favorite place we've stayed. Now we're on one of our four trains to Paris. I'm looking forward to Crepes and meeting up with Jordan! Finally, our trips come together now! I will certainly miss Bruges, but I'll be back. Onwards to France and the U.K.!
The next morning, we had a lovely breakfast, as usual. Maggie made us delicious crepe-like pancakes and told us about her garden and two birds who live there and follow her around when she takes the dogs on a walk. Have I mentioned that Maggie is the greatest? The weather was still clearing up from raining all night, so Kelly and I did our shopping around town first. The boy from Dumon recognized us and helped us with our chocolate needs =). The family is so nice! And their chocolate is so gooooooood. We also took a long walk to the train station and an incredibly helpful ticket man helped is find a way to Paris on a Sunday without reservations. He was the nicest person we've encountered working at a train station. I love Bruges. After gathering postcards, chocolate and travel plans, we headed back to unload our burdens and then set out in search of bikes. We rented two nice bikes at the student rate-- Kelly was excited, because hers was actually her size -- and started to see Bruges like the locals (who all ride bikes). We rode through town and went to check out the four windmills at the edge -- so cool. The bike paths were delightful, and we just followed the tree-lined canal all the way to Damme, where we stopped and had sandwiches for lunch. The English menu had "tuny-fish salad" (which I got) with salad and eggs included (which means lettuce and other veggies were on the sandwich). We rode past Damme's working windmill and into the town to the sound of bells. Bells had been going off all day -- I think because it was Belgium's independence day. They don't really make as big of a deal about independence day as we do, but I think the bells were a part of it. Anyways, from there, we rode onto Holland, because we could. The canal led straight to Sluis, on the border, so we did! We took a small detour (turning left instead of going straight at one point), but we really didn't mind, because it was the most beautiful bike ride of our lives. The glassy canal was line with tall, lush trees, and after that it was just countryside and cows, horses and sheep. We even saw geese that actually looked like mother goose. We passed families fishing in the channel, and a couple people swimming! There were no cars, it was a lovely biking/walking path. We were passed up many a time by actual racing bikers, who were very intense. We worked off all the waffles and chocolates by pedaling against the wind and taking a couple detours. We got to Holland, rode a little further and then headed back to Bruges. It was a glorious, and delightful bike ride (saw more windmills too!) and we ended up riding over 20 miles total. As we were riding back into town, we heard the music in the Markt again -- earlier this time in celebration of Belgian Independence -- basically this guy was doing covers of 80s hair bands. It was hilarious. We went to watch for a while, and left right as he started on AC/DC. We went back to our room for a little bit, and Maggie gave Kelly a glass of wine and me a sparkling lemonade (so good) and then we went to dinner. We went to another one of Maggie's friend's places and ordered soup (can't afford a three course meal!) and waffles. We sat in the back room with a couple who had an adorable dog with them (sleeping under the table) and watched a 12 or 13 year old boy run back and forth from the kitchen, full of purpose (it was just him and the owner waiting on people). The soup was alright, but the waffles were perfect in every way. Perfect texture, taste and perfectly ripe strawberries. I also love that in Belgium, they actually melt chocolate as a topping instead of using a sauce. After that, we headed to our room with the intention of just taking a break until going out again, but Kelly totally passed out, so I packed and wrote postcards. I finally had to break out my duffel, so I could fit the chocolate that I bought. Oh well, it's a worthy cause and I've only used a backpack for more than half of my trip, so I'd say that's an accomplishment. And it's not even a backpacker's backpack! Anyways, I got ready for bed and fell asleep, but Kelly got up and went back to the Markt for music and beer. Apparently it was packed and they were playing ABBA this time -- go figure.
This morning, we got up and had our last breakfast with Maggie. I asked her how she ended up in Bruges (as she is clearly Scottish). She said that her mom encouraged her and her siblings to travel, so her brother was working in Bruges. She was 22 (my age) when she visited him and met her husband (a Bruggian) and now she's lived there over 30 years! "You never know what's going to happen!" she said, "look at you -- you think this is just a trip, but who knows!" (mom, dad, don't worry, I haven't fallen in love with any Belgian men). Apparently, her mom used to do antiques, so Maggie opened an antique shop at her house, and stopped only a few years ago. After breakfast, we played with the dogs and gave Maggie huge hugs, as we set off to the bus stop. Whenever I come back to Bruges, I am definitely staying with Maggie. Definitely my favorite place we've stayed. Now we're on one of our four trains to Paris. I'm looking forward to Crepes and meeting up with Jordan! Finally, our trips come together now! I will certainly miss Bruges, but I'll be back. Onwards to France and the U.K.!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
In Love with Bruges
I am in love with Bruges and here is why: everything is made out of brick - beautiful brick, with cobblestone streets. There is not a lot of cars, and biking seems to be the predominant mode of transportation. There is a trend among cafes/smaller restaurant to be "breakfast, lunch and tearoom." Delicious waffles are sold as snacks. There are handmade chocolates for cheap EVERYWHERE. There aren't a crazy amount of tourists, and everyone just seems calm. There are bunches of quirky stores and antique shops and most people speak English, Flemish and French (or a mix). I love it here. Did I also mention that there are picturesque canals with swans? Yeah, that too.
Bruges is an incredibly lovely, walkable, charming city. We got into the train station around 11am and took the bus to our b&b. Our host is named Maggie, who is Scottish and absolutely lovely in every way. "Now this place is a good full meal. I know how girls are on holiday, a little here, a little there, but here you'll get a good meal and it'll be good for ya." She led us up to our beautiful blue room with twin beds (I think for the first time for a while) and a shower in our room (first time since cinque terre). We immediately went and found sandwiches and then Kelly bustled off to do laundry. I wandered around Bruges by myself for a bit, which was quite nice. I went into some lovely coffee and tea stores (and had to remind myself that not only was that lime green espresso maker out of my price range, but I would never get it home). After a nice walk, I got a latte at a wonderful little tearoom that was softly playing, "night and day" in the background. I sipped my latte, and read another chapter of Lord of the Rings before meeting up with Kelly again. Naturally, we grabbed waffles -- chocolate and banana -- and they were phenomenal. We wandered along, enjoying our waffles and the fact that it was actually sunny. After putting laundry away, we started our traditional walking tour (amusingly enough, Maggie was like, "Do you have rick steves' book? Do his tour, it's brilliant" "yup. We do one in every town..." We walking toured for a couple hours -- with on and off sprinkling of rain. Highlights of walking tour: very old, dark, caverny church and a chapel with a relic that was said to have held Christ's blood (dried up by the 13th century). The Crown Plaza hotel is actually on the site of the oldet building in Bruges -- and in the basement you can see the walls and artifacts from 900AD. So that was pretty cool. We wandered across canals, and along pleasant streets. Ultimately we ended up at Minnewater, which is a park with a nice lake and huge swans....huge. We wandered some more and helped two sets of tourists find their way places (we're so good at this) and then found our way home before it started pouring. We also got our first handmade chocolates (SO GOOD AND SO CHEAP!) and savored their excellence. We took maggie's recommendation and went to a lovely dinner of soup, fish, a delicious salad, and naturally, fries.. We ran into other guests of Maggies -- three gregarious and friendly Scots, who gave me lots of advice about Edinburgh and were generally fun to talk to. We talked to the boy waiting on us for a while, seeking recommendations for pubs, but he was rather difficult to understand when he spoke Flemish. He was funny, though Bruges is not his favorite place, "i hate Bruges. Where I'm from, there are trees." Kelly and I just looked at each other. There are about 80 times more trees here than in LA. We ended up trekking across town in hopes of going to a bar with a large selection of beers, but it was closed (it's closed for the entire week we're here). When we headed back towards our place, we got caught in a downpour and were soaked. That was enough for me. I went to bed, but Kelly went to the oldest pub in Bruges (just down the street) and had a nice time.
This morning we had a lovely breakfast, chatting the the Scottish couple (their friend left early) and Maggie. We played with Maggie's dog, Jake and she gave us more restaurant recommendations and extra croissants for later (love her). Then, we headed out. First stop, Dumon chocolates: a family owned chocolate shop in a little brick building off the markt. "Where are you from?" "Los Angeles" "Oh! Do you know Rick Steves?" Anyways, we were served by the owner's nephew who explained each chocolate to us. He apparently eats a small box of chocolates every day, although he looks very fit. 100gram bags in hand, we walked over to the Half Moon brewery for our tour. The tour was quite enjoyable and we learned about how beer is made and why it is a necessary part of your diet =) We also got complementary beers at the end: the Bruges Zot (the crazy Bruges). It was full of spice and I could taste the barley. I drank about half an then passed the rest off to Kelly. Each beer in Belgium has its own special glass. Even our water at lunch had glasses to match -- it's rather fascinating. It was pouring rain when we left the brewery so we finally broke down and bought umbrellas -- Yellow ones with tulip handles -- and were immediately so much happier in the rain. We peeked into the church of our lady to see the only Michelangelo sculpture to ever leave Italy in his lifetime, but it had been sectioned off into the museum (read ticketed) part of the Church. We wandered more and then settled down at a random bar and had mussels for lunch. Incredibly delicious mussels. Omygoodness. Although, I must say, it is proving hard for us to find cheap eats here. There are three course meals for a fixed price, but Kelly and I can't afford that (and it's wayyy too much food). We're hoping that pubs will be more reasonable. Again, the mussels were amazing (cooked with veggies) and we both were shocked at how full we were. After a break, we headed to our second chocolate shop (which Maggie says is better and leas expensive than Dumon) of the day. De clerck was basically like a Wonka candy shop and we got 100 grans of handmade chocolate for under $2. Delicious. After a chocolate and some coffee (me) and tea (kelly), Kelly went back to rest and I wandered through town a bit more. Currently we're both relaxing until we find a pub for dinner (and beer, Kelly is so excited about beer). Tomorrow we're planning on bike riding to the windmills on the side of town and then maybe onto Holland, who knows! Let's hope the weather holds!
Bruges is an incredibly lovely, walkable, charming city. We got into the train station around 11am and took the bus to our b&b. Our host is named Maggie, who is Scottish and absolutely lovely in every way. "Now this place is a good full meal. I know how girls are on holiday, a little here, a little there, but here you'll get a good meal and it'll be good for ya." She led us up to our beautiful blue room with twin beds (I think for the first time for a while) and a shower in our room (first time since cinque terre). We immediately went and found sandwiches and then Kelly bustled off to do laundry. I wandered around Bruges by myself for a bit, which was quite nice. I went into some lovely coffee and tea stores (and had to remind myself that not only was that lime green espresso maker out of my price range, but I would never get it home). After a nice walk, I got a latte at a wonderful little tearoom that was softly playing, "night and day" in the background. I sipped my latte, and read another chapter of Lord of the Rings before meeting up with Kelly again. Naturally, we grabbed waffles -- chocolate and banana -- and they were phenomenal. We wandered along, enjoying our waffles and the fact that it was actually sunny. After putting laundry away, we started our traditional walking tour (amusingly enough, Maggie was like, "Do you have rick steves' book? Do his tour, it's brilliant" "yup. We do one in every town..." We walking toured for a couple hours -- with on and off sprinkling of rain. Highlights of walking tour: very old, dark, caverny church and a chapel with a relic that was said to have held Christ's blood (dried up by the 13th century). The Crown Plaza hotel is actually on the site of the oldet building in Bruges -- and in the basement you can see the walls and artifacts from 900AD. So that was pretty cool. We wandered across canals, and along pleasant streets. Ultimately we ended up at Minnewater, which is a park with a nice lake and huge swans....huge. We wandered some more and helped two sets of tourists find their way places (we're so good at this) and then found our way home before it started pouring. We also got our first handmade chocolates (SO GOOD AND SO CHEAP!) and savored their excellence. We took maggie's recommendation and went to a lovely dinner of soup, fish, a delicious salad, and naturally, fries.. We ran into other guests of Maggies -- three gregarious and friendly Scots, who gave me lots of advice about Edinburgh and were generally fun to talk to. We talked to the boy waiting on us for a while, seeking recommendations for pubs, but he was rather difficult to understand when he spoke Flemish. He was funny, though Bruges is not his favorite place, "i hate Bruges. Where I'm from, there are trees." Kelly and I just looked at each other. There are about 80 times more trees here than in LA. We ended up trekking across town in hopes of going to a bar with a large selection of beers, but it was closed (it's closed for the entire week we're here). When we headed back towards our place, we got caught in a downpour and were soaked. That was enough for me. I went to bed, but Kelly went to the oldest pub in Bruges (just down the street) and had a nice time.
This morning we had a lovely breakfast, chatting the the Scottish couple (their friend left early) and Maggie. We played with Maggie's dog, Jake and she gave us more restaurant recommendations and extra croissants for later (love her). Then, we headed out. First stop, Dumon chocolates: a family owned chocolate shop in a little brick building off the markt. "Where are you from?" "Los Angeles" "Oh! Do you know Rick Steves?" Anyways, we were served by the owner's nephew who explained each chocolate to us. He apparently eats a small box of chocolates every day, although he looks very fit. 100gram bags in hand, we walked over to the Half Moon brewery for our tour. The tour was quite enjoyable and we learned about how beer is made and why it is a necessary part of your diet =) We also got complementary beers at the end: the Bruges Zot (the crazy Bruges). It was full of spice and I could taste the barley. I drank about half an then passed the rest off to Kelly. Each beer in Belgium has its own special glass. Even our water at lunch had glasses to match -- it's rather fascinating. It was pouring rain when we left the brewery so we finally broke down and bought umbrellas -- Yellow ones with tulip handles -- and were immediately so much happier in the rain. We peeked into the church of our lady to see the only Michelangelo sculpture to ever leave Italy in his lifetime, but it had been sectioned off into the museum (read ticketed) part of the Church. We wandered more and then settled down at a random bar and had mussels for lunch. Incredibly delicious mussels. Omygoodness. Although, I must say, it is proving hard for us to find cheap eats here. There are three course meals for a fixed price, but Kelly and I can't afford that (and it's wayyy too much food). We're hoping that pubs will be more reasonable. Again, the mussels were amazing (cooked with veggies) and we both were shocked at how full we were. After a break, we headed to our second chocolate shop (which Maggie says is better and leas expensive than Dumon) of the day. De clerck was basically like a Wonka candy shop and we got 100 grans of handmade chocolate for under $2. Delicious. After a chocolate and some coffee (me) and tea (kelly), Kelly went back to rest and I wandered through town a bit more. Currently we're both relaxing until we find a pub for dinner (and beer, Kelly is so excited about beer). Tomorrow we're planning on bike riding to the windmills on the side of town and then maybe onto Holland, who knows! Let's hope the weather holds!
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