As part of my four-year course in the University of Limerick, it was necessary for me to partake in a semester of study abroad, known as Erasmus. I chose to attend the University of Ghent in Belgium as my destination last semester and I couldnât have been happier with my choice. Belgium is breath-taking, to say the least. I could rant for ages on its beautiful landscapes, kind people and amazing food but instead would rather let the pictures speak for themselves.
Ghent is, to the say the least, a must place to see for everyone.Â
The city is a spectacular blend of old medieval style buildings and new modern works. They combine to create this diverse city that is riddled with culture. There is a history behind each of the buildings and there are many guided tours that help shed light on the life surrounding Ghent. One high point I found in the city would have to be the Gravensteen Castle which is Dutch for âCastle of Countsâ. Placed in the centre of the city, it is an excellent viewpoint for the whole city from the top as well as being a great touring opportunity. Not to forget the towering cathedrals that were dotted around the city. Each just as beautiful as the other and great places for high photo shots of the surrounding area.
The Leie River bank alone is a centre point for many people, especially students, who conjugate here to relax and enjoy the sun. The weather itself was a surprise for me, I expected Ghent to be rather similar to Ireland from the months of September through to January; cold, wet and rather dreary. Yet it wasnât, for most of the time the sun was present and days were warm and enabled me to tour the city many times over.Â
Not only is the cultural aspect of Ghent a must-see, but the city itself is filled with shops and activities. Take a boat along the Leie River to see the true beauty of the place or else venture through the streets and get lost in the multiple shops, both high fashion and cute little gift stores. It just so happened, that two weeks prior to my arriving in Ghent, they opened their first Primark store. Needless to say, most of my weekends were spent wandering through this three floored shop and wasting away money on cute little items.Â
Then there was the food. I am a food loving girl and usually plan my days and trips around my meals. Ghent did not disappoint. While the meals in restaurants were a tad more expensive than what I was used to in Ireland, some main courses being between âŹ16-âŹ22. It was all worth it. Every restaurant I visited was at such a high standard, be it a three-star, more or even just the deli shop across from my University building. All the staff were kind and very attentive, especially when not laughing at my utterly horrible attempts at Dutch. My favourite part of dinner would be dessert. They do this dessert, itâs so simple but delicious that I would go out of my way to have it. I mean, I would go to a restaurant and just order the dessert, I loved it so much. Now, Iâm not talking about the famous Belgium waffles, though they were delicious. I canât remember the name of it but it was just ice-cream with hot chocolate sauce over it and wafers. Not the fake chocolate sauce you may get at some places, but real chocolate melted and then drooled over the ice-cream. I donât know why it was so delicious but, perhaps the mere simplicity of it is what made it so good.
On top of all this, Ghent gave me an opportunity to grow as a person. Being my first time living aboard and away from the comfort of family, it meant I had to fend for myself and learn everything by practice. I also met some amazing people there who helped me along the way, went on wonderful trips with me and became close friends. It was a great trip and hopefully, the beginning of many more wonderful ones to come.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Part of my travels during my time in Ghent saw me going to Brugge. My gosh, it is an incredible place. I couldnât even begin to write about it. From the stunning scenery to the buildings, the markets, the high-end fashion streets, and especially the people. Brugge was an unforgettable day and I am definitely planning on heading back there for a proper holiday. I need to explore this city more. Iâm not going to go into detail about my brief day there because I think the photos I captured speak more about the beauty of the place and the amazing people I met and became friends with during this time than I ever could.Â
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
 *Images subject to Š Copyright 2015*
A Semester in Belgium As part of my four-year course in the University of Limerick, it was necessary for me to partake in a semester of study abroad, known as Erasmus.
