En Bruges

Bruges is full of red roofs, crazy bikers, quaint streets, and it was perfect for a weekend day trip. We arrived early in the morning and started off the day with a walking tour which mostly talked about the gory history of Bruges, which was news to me, but I enjoyed simply taking in the charm of this small town. Bruges is completely different from Brussels even though it's only an hour by train, but this tiny Dutch-speaking town is definitely underrated. After our walking tour we took a quick break for lunch and headed off to a brewery tour inside a traditional Flemish building. Even though it was quite windy and cold yesterday, we were surprised with a carriage ride from our ISA group coordinators! So we bundled up and were able to see more of this charming place. I definitely want to come back and rent a bike to experience Bruges the way locals do. Other than our small trip, it's been a fantastic time so far in Brussels and I cannot believe it has only been two weeks! Off to another week of classes and enjoying the daily things Brussels has to offer, such as the much-needed coffee breaks below! 

Bisous bisous 

Kate 

A Taste of Belgium

                     

Waffles waffles waffles! Or rather les gaufres as they're called here, really are as fantastic as I expected them to be. I know I will be having plenty more over the course of the semester. Plus, who can avoid a cute food truck, right? Anyways, other than the waffles, it's strange how quickly Brussels is starting to feel like home (that's not to say I still don't get lost--the busses are hard to navigate here, okay?). After being here for ten days, I have started to develop a few favorite spots here in Brussels. One of my favorite places is a park in my neighborhood called Bois de la Cambre, which is the picture of the wooded path above. It's a fantastic place to run even though the weather here is pretty grey and dismal. Of course downtown has beautiful squares and plazas, but I need a little more time to explore them and not get lost. Needless to say, Brussels has definitely been the right choice for me. I'll keep you all updated on my weekend adventures! Off to Bruges on Saturday!

À bientôt!

Kate

Bienvenue à Bruxelles

Finally made it to Brussels! After a long first day here and not much sleep, I have had some time to explore my new city that I get to call home for the next five months. I cannot believe it when I say that I get to live in Belgium! It is no doubt a beautiful city, but it is definitely quirky. Many things in Belgium just don't make a lot of sense--there are gorgeous old buildings right next to odd futuristic-type structures, or graffitied walls for example. They did get a few things right though: beer, fries (with samurai sauce, aka spicy mayo), and chocolate of course. A street waffle is next on my list, I promise! Unfortunately it has been quite rainy the past few days, so I've mostly resorted to iPhone photos, but I hope to have nicer weather so I can go shoot with my larger camera. It's been a great time meeting more people in my program, so I added a picture from our night out last night below. Classes start next week, so here's to enjoying the rest of the weekend.

Cheers!

Kate

My Old Kentucky Home

Welcome to my travel blog! I have decided to give blogging a good faith effort (I promise to try to keep things interesting)! Starting January 13th I will be studying in Brussels, Belgium until May 17, so it will be a great experience, but I have to admit that I am a little nervous now that I leave tomorrow. As a goodbye to Kentucky and the US, I went to one of my favorite places in Lexington to shoot with a friend. Nothing beats the simple beauty of country roads. I know there will be a lot about European culture that I will love, but I can say there are a few American things I will miss a lot (i.e. peanut butter). I'm excited to start this new adventure and feel free to comment on any of my posts, I will greatly appreciate it!

Bisous bisous 

Kate