Día de Andalucia: Gent, Amsterdam, Brussels

"Día de Andalucia: celebrated on the 28 of February, this holiday commemorates...."

No one actually knows what Dia de Andalucia is.  Kind of like Carnaval, actually.  I'm beginning to see a pattern here.  My favorite part is that because this holiday fell on a Tuesday, they call Monday puente (bridge) and everyone cancels class.  This is Spain in the springtime.  We don't need work...we have playing to do.

Monica and I took advantage of puente to book RyanAir flights to Brussels-Charleroi.  I emphasize the hyphen and the French word because we learned how important a hyphen and a French word can really be.  Brussels-Charleroi is not Brussels.

2/23-2/29 Travel Itinerary:

Thursday
Bus to Madrid from Sevilla (7 hours)

Friday
-Metro from bus station to airport
-Sleep in Madrid-Barajas airport (rated #1 in 2010 by sleepinginairports.com!)
-Fly RyanAir to Brussels-Charleroi (cheap tickets = no reclining seats or baggage space)

     *realize Brussels-Charleroi is not Brussels*

-Bus to Brussels train station
-Train to wrong stop
-Train to Gent
-Car to Nathalie's house

Saturday
-Train to Amsterdam!
-1st train is canceled: explanation from station waffle lady(man?): "The Netherlands have problems"
-2nd train is standing room only in train's aisle
-Delayed for track clean-up (someone had a terrible day)
-Play M.A.S.H. for 3 hours
-Meet traveling swingers
*6 hours later arrive in Amsterdam*

"We have been traveling for 18 HOURS!!!"

Sunday
Rest

Monday
-(Slow) Train to Brussels
-Train to La Hulpe

Tuesday
-Metro around Brussels for funsies
-Car ride to Brussels-Charleroi (thanks Aunt Carrie!)
-Flight to Madrid

Wednesday
-Metro to Madrid-Barajas airport
-Flight to Madrid
-Metro to wrong stop
-Metro to bus station
-Bus to Sevilla

           *Return to Sevilla just in time for class!*

Gent

At the Gent train station (at last!), Monica and I fell into the welcoming arms of Nathalie Depoorter.  Nathalie has been an extended part of the Barry family since I was but a wee girl.  She was our exchange student back on Briarwood Lane.  Now that I am an extranjera here, the tables have turned.

They were actually GOOD this time!

Point of Interest: The best hospitality in all of Europe is to be found with/around/nearby Nathalie.  Nathalie noticed we missed the mark with our Spanish chocolate chip cookies, so she bought all the correct ingredients and already owns the American measurements (purchased in Idaho).  After resting and showering (the airport floor lacks the "beauty" part of "beauty sleep") we were treated to the best beef stew, fries, and Belgian chocolate mousse in all of Gent.  

Nathalie, me, and Neef Berend!

Don't tell your friends, but Gent is Europe's best kept secret.  It is the real birthplace of French fries, has much friendlier people than Paris, serves better beer than Germany, is prettier than Brugge, and has all the chocolate, lace, and waffles that Belgium can offer.  Really though, keep that to yourself.  Don't ruin one of my favorite places in the world by inviting in more obnoxious tourists like Monica and myself.

Important Dutch Words to Know

(Excuse the spelling, because even Google translate doesn't know what I'm trying to say)

Hallo - hello

Good hedine! - good job!

Neef - cousin

Dank u - thank you

The Flemish language started back in the 1300s when someone stole a leprechaun, gave him lots of beer, and taught him English while playing really fun music.  I'm pretty sure that's right, because Dutch is just English--only a lot more entertaining.

Amsterdam

It's a good thing Monica and I taken care of so well in Gent, because we were certainly on our own in the Netherlands.  After the train ordeal getting there (see above itinerary, use imagination), we asked for a map and directions to our hostel.  

FUN FUN FUN FUN

Important Travel Advice: when booking the cheapest hostel available, maybe spend two minutes googling the neighborhood.  And by neighborhood, I mean district.  And by district, I mean the Red Light District.  The "Heart of Amsterdam" hostel certainly sounds homey, and received a 90% rating for "location."  Monica and I spent two nights in one of the most notorious neighborhoods in the world.  We were next-door to a theater (of sorts), across from some very "friendly" neighbors, and had the option of really kicking off our trip at the local coffee shops.  The hostel was movie-themed (how fun!) and our particular 12-person dorm was action-horror, which meant the walls, floor, and furniture were two deep hues of black and red.   

However, we met up with some great friends from ISA who happened to be staying at a classier hostel nearby.  Amsterdam is a gorgeous place.  It is all canals, architecture, and bicycles.

The Anne Frank museum was just a ten-minute walk from our hostel, and was absolutely incredible.  We toured the annex where she and her family remained in hiding during the war.  It was definitely worth the nine euro to experience such an important piece of history.

If you are a person that loves to look at paintings, then be sure to check out the Van Gogh museum.  As it turns out, I am not one of those people; I'm better suited to four or five...but if you really-really love art, then you will really-really love the four stories dedicated to my friend Vincent.

If you look closely you can see that the bridge is lined with bicycles, just like all of Amsterdam.

We certainly enjoyed our stay in such a (multi-)cultural mecca, but by Monday we were ready for a change of scenery.  And to not share a bathroom with ten people.  And maybe showering without socks.  

Brussels

Monica and I were welcomed at the La Hulpe train station by my uncle Nicola, private transportation (a car!), and the classic European two-kisses.  

Best Friends Forever

Side Note: The main reason my parents are rather nervous about my studies abroad is not because my dad isn't Liam Neeson.  My aunt Carrie married an Italian after her own exchange abroad as a young woman, and these things are definitely genetic.  I think it runs in the family to run away to Milan, have babies in Paris, and settle down in the capital of the European Union.  

"Ugh, like, so immature."

It was absolutely wonderful to see this side of the family and be treated to more delicious food, warm beds, and clean showers.  Unfortunately, we didn't plan nearly enough time for this leg of the trip, but we packed in as much as we could in our 24 hours in Brussels.

The Highlights of Brussels:

  -Stealing Cousin Julie (our best friend) away from school to get yelled at in scary French  by a grocery store worker and eat sandwiches on the sidewalk. 

Two Belgian waffles: the first sign of danger

  -Belgian waffles.  Oh. My. Goodness.  The last time I visited was 14 years ago, and I still recognized the scent immediately.  

  -Showering without socks!

  -Cappuccinos at the "local castle" with Aunt Carrie

  -Mannequin Pis: who wouldn't love to watch someone eternally peeing in the street?

  -The kilo of chocolate from the factory.  Who needs actual food?  Really though, our meals would have been chocolate, waffles, and beer if my aunt Carrie didn't care about us so much.

  -Wandering around the sketchier parts of Brussels: "That got bombed...that got bombed, too."

Too much.  Just.  Too.  Much.

We were driven back to Brussels-Charleroi (45 minutes...so that's the difference) by my gracious aunt so we could catch the plane, metro, and bus back to Sevilla just in time for class at 9am.  

Six days, three cities, two countries.  Were we ambitious? I would say so.  I am still recovering from the craziest long-weekend of my life.  It's now 4:30 in the morning, and I am about to pack for this weekend's trip to the Canary Islands.

I'll sleep in Idaho.