Catching Up
Well, it's a bit shameful. I haven't posted in over a month. Fun stuff is still happening, it's just such a daunting task to post about it all because I'm so behind.
So, I'm going to catch you all up very quickly.
Classes are going well. School is a bit more relaxed here than in the states. Some of my textbooks aren't ever for sale yet. This is getting a bit scary since I have to take some of my exams early and one of these textbooks is over 1000 pages long, but what can you do?
Sam came to visit in March, shortly after my last post. We had a great time. The day he got here Leuven celebrated Carnival, which is like Mardis Gras only smaller and less sexually charged. I didn't know it was going to happen, we just sort of stumbled on it. There were some amazing floats and interesting costumes though and it was a great welcome for Sam to Leuven and Europe.
We spent the next few days exploring Belgium.
I took Sam to see the Begginhof in Leuven. Beggins were like nuns who didn't take a vow of celibacy. They lived in the Begginhof, which was supervised by a woman. It gave women a chance to work in medieval Europe without relying on a man. They are all over Belgium and the Netherlands and many of them are quite beautiful. None I have seen are better than the one in Leuven though.
We went to Brussels, tried the waffles, and saw the sights. Here's a picture of Sam in front of the Palais Royal (Royal Palace).
The next day we went to see Brugges. Brugges is the most visited city/tourist attraction in Belgium. Brugges was a big center for commerce, particularly cloth, which made the city very wealthy and attracted a number of artists and nobles. When the supply of wool from England was cut off because of war with France, the city suffered greatly and many of the artisans left for other cities. Unscathed in both World Wars, the city is excellently preserved. That said, it's become a big tourist trap, packed with tourists even on a cold day in March. I can't imagine how bad it is in the summer. It was a little disappointing after all the hype, but it was pretty.
The next day, we took the train to Amsterdam. In case you aren't aware, Amsterdam is one of the most liberal cities on Earth. Not only was it the first country to allow gay marriage, they have also decriminalized marijuana and mushrooms. Guys sell cocaine on the street, and prostitution is everywhere. With a description like that, it might sound like Amsterdam is a dingy city best to be avoided, but it is actually one of the best cities I have visited in Europe. It's built on a multitude of canals criss-crossed by bridges and dotted with attractive old buildings. It's clean, safe and small enough to walk across in 45 minutes. They have top quality museums, including the Van Gogh museum, with large collections of art from around the world. I could easily do a whole post about our time there, but since I'm trying to get caught up, let me just say, I loved it and hope I get to go back someday.
Sam and I came back two days later and the next day he had to go back to the States. Since then, things have been pretty low key here. I haven't really done any more traveling as I'm low on funds. Sam had a great time though and we are hoping to come back after we pass the bar exam.
It's Spring Break now in Leuven and finally starting to get a little warmer, though I still have to wear my jacket every day. I'm still frequently discovering new and wonderful things in Leuven. Hopefully now that I'm caught up, posting won't be so daunting. School starts again on Monday, and I'm going to need to hit the books and start studying. I come back to the States in about a month and a half and I've got a lot of learning to do before then. So, maybe I won't have much to post about anyway.
Feel free to send me an email, they always brighten my day.
So, I'm going to catch you all up very quickly.
Classes are going well. School is a bit more relaxed here than in the states. Some of my textbooks aren't ever for sale yet. This is getting a bit scary since I have to take some of my exams early and one of these textbooks is over 1000 pages long, but what can you do?
Sam came to visit in March, shortly after my last post. We had a great time. The day he got here Leuven celebrated Carnival, which is like Mardis Gras only smaller and less sexually charged. I didn't know it was going to happen, we just sort of stumbled on it. There were some amazing floats and interesting costumes though and it was a great welcome for Sam to Leuven and Europe.
We spent the next few days exploring Belgium.
I took Sam to see the Begginhof in Leuven. Beggins were like nuns who didn't take a vow of celibacy. They lived in the Begginhof, which was supervised by a woman. It gave women a chance to work in medieval Europe without relying on a man. They are all over Belgium and the Netherlands and many of them are quite beautiful. None I have seen are better than the one in Leuven though.
We went to Brussels, tried the waffles, and saw the sights. Here's a picture of Sam in front of the Palais Royal (Royal Palace).
The next day we went to see Brugges. Brugges is the most visited city/tourist attraction in Belgium. Brugges was a big center for commerce, particularly cloth, which made the city very wealthy and attracted a number of artists and nobles. When the supply of wool from England was cut off because of war with France, the city suffered greatly and many of the artisans left for other cities. Unscathed in both World Wars, the city is excellently preserved. That said, it's become a big tourist trap, packed with tourists even on a cold day in March. I can't imagine how bad it is in the summer. It was a little disappointing after all the hype, but it was pretty.
The next day, we took the train to Amsterdam. In case you aren't aware, Amsterdam is one of the most liberal cities on Earth. Not only was it the first country to allow gay marriage, they have also decriminalized marijuana and mushrooms. Guys sell cocaine on the street, and prostitution is everywhere. With a description like that, it might sound like Amsterdam is a dingy city best to be avoided, but it is actually one of the best cities I have visited in Europe. It's built on a multitude of canals criss-crossed by bridges and dotted with attractive old buildings. It's clean, safe and small enough to walk across in 45 minutes. They have top quality museums, including the Van Gogh museum, with large collections of art from around the world. I could easily do a whole post about our time there, but since I'm trying to get caught up, let me just say, I loved it and hope I get to go back someday.
Sam and I came back two days later and the next day he had to go back to the States. Since then, things have been pretty low key here. I haven't really done any more traveling as I'm low on funds. Sam had a great time though and we are hoping to come back after we pass the bar exam.
It's Spring Break now in Leuven and finally starting to get a little warmer, though I still have to wear my jacket every day. I'm still frequently discovering new and wonderful things in Leuven. Hopefully now that I'm caught up, posting won't be so daunting. School starts again on Monday, and I'm going to need to hit the books and start studying. I come back to the States in about a month and a half and I've got a lot of learning to do before then. So, maybe I won't have much to post about anyway.
Feel free to send me an email, they always brighten my day.
posted by Matt @ 6:30 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home