Just Another Study Abroad Blog

This isn't anything new - just my adventures, or boring, daily life, in Europe (home base = Bruxelles)

[whosinbruxelles]

Can You Shut up and Just Tell Me What to Do? (Part IV)

Last one, I promise. (Maybe one on Brussels, but probably won’t happen)

Paris, France

To Do: ** IF YOU ARE AN EU CITIZEN / HAVE A VISA FOR EUROPE BRING THIS TO ALL MUSEUMS BECAUSE YOU’LL GET IN FOR FREE**

Louvre Museum – because you’re supposed to do this when in Paris, but it’s so large so plan what you want to see before you actually go or you’ll just wander around lost.

Muse D’Orsay – Probably my favorite museum in Paris. Also quite large, but much more manageable than the Louvre. Don’t forget to snap a photo of the clock cause it’s famous and you’ll look super artsy.

Rodin Museum – When I went the permanent exhibit was under renovation so I got to only really see the gardens which were worth it. Pay for the gardens and take a stroll to enjoy Rodin’s masterpieces.

Notre Dame Cathedral – Yeah, the line is going to be long and yeah, you’ve probably already seen a thousand churches before this but it is the Notre Dame.

Sacré-Cœur – Go for the views. The basilica is also extremely impressive.

Arc de Triomphe – Can climb to the top for a lovely view of the Champs-Élysées (but it’s probably packed with tourists) 

Eiffel Tower – lol, almost forgot about this one. Like I said in my blog post, it’s much more impressive in person. Go at dusk, right when the lights are turning on and stay for the 10 PM light show. BYOB.

Centre Pompidou – Museum for modern art. Go just for the building and if you really want to see some weird art, go inside.

Versailles – Do a day trip. It’s easy to get to and it’s simply magnificent with the expansive gardens. You should just purposely get lost there and see if you can live there (probably won’t happen).

Jardin Tuileries - right by the Louvre, it’s quite lovely, though more touristy and busy than other jardins.

Jardin Luxembourg – Though I didn’t get the chance to visit it, I hear it’s one of the best jardins in Paris.

Pont des Arts Bridge – The love lock bridge but it was recently taken down so...that’s over. But the hundreds of bridges in Paris are all nice so screw the cliché love lock one/ all the other bridges have locks on them too.

Montmartre – Walk around this neighborhood for a more local feel

Moulin Rouge - Underwhelming in person; not sure how the shows actually are.

To Eat: I ate like a poor college student in Paris, so I wouldn't really listen to this list.

Le Refuge des Fondu - Now touristy restaurant that serves wine in baby bottles and pretty delicious fondue. Prix fixe of about 25 euros?

Marche des Enfants Rouge - Oldest covered street market. I didn't get to go but supposedly some of the best Moroccan food is here.

Relais de l'Entrecôte Saint Germain - Also missed the chance to go here, but steak-frites! Only thing on the menu, just tell them how you like your steak done.

Chipotle - Because you're a basic American bitch that needs her (his?) dose of Chipotle. Nearly not as good or as big as the ones in America, but whatever, you're desperate.

To Drink: Another bad list, because I felt too poor at the time.

Buddah Bar - oh you fancy, huh? Supposedly the (20 euro) cocktails are to die for.

Le Comptoir General - trendy. hip. local. (but we didn't get in). Club at night, cafe/lounge at day.

There are lots of clubs in the Montmarte area and closer to the university, so check that out.

Lisbon, Portugal

To Do:

São Jorge Castle - Go for the views and those crazy peacocks that roam around the grounds. Simply a beautiful place.

Sit by the water for a view of the 25 de Abril Bridge

Day Trip to Sintra - worth it, so so worth it. You can probably do 2 main places in one day. I suggest Quinta Da Regaleira and Pena National Palace.

Day Trip to a beach - Lots of options so do your research. Generally the further you go from Lisbon, the less people that will be there (and more beautiful the beaches are)

Feira da Ladra - Flea market with random knick-knacks; held every Tuesday and Saturday

Just walk around the different districts.

See a Fado show in Alfama

Arco da Rua Augusta - Some famous arch near the water; go for the nice, ocean breeze.

To Eat:

Restaurante Farol de Santa Luzia - Everyday I dream of going back to this restaurant. The fish literally melts in your mouth and the restaurant's atmosphere is perfect. Also, it's in a great location to just take a stroll afterwards in the Alfama district.

da Prata 52 - Close to the arch; a beautiful, modern restaurant, tapas style. The fois gras is to die for. I don't know, just eat it all.

Pastel de nata - There's got to be crack in these pastries. Supposedly the best ones are at Pasteis de Belém (a town about 10 minutes away).

To Drink:

Park - Rooftop bar on top of an old parking lot. Sick vibes, sick views.

Lux - The big club in Lisbon.

Porto - The wine of Portugal.

Bairro Alto - Bar hop around here - cheap bars where everyone stands outside and drinks. 

Prague, Czech Republic

To See:

Charles Bridge - but do it either at sunrise or night. It's prettier and emptier.

Prague Castle - Like everything touristy is up here? Personally, I found it overrated, but the views are quite nice and you get to experience some history (Defenestration of Prague, yo).

Old Town Square - tourist-central. Stay to see the clock do its thing every hour.

Petrin - Huge park with a large hill that I highly advise you take the train up because climbing up it would be a bitch.

Lennon Wall - Touristy but do it and bring paint if you wanna be hella cool.

Old Jewish Cemetery - I didn't see it, but supposedly a very interesting cemetery in how they made space to bury people.

St. Vitus Cathedral - Famous church...(Don't know why)

Lobkowicz Museum - Get a taste of what it meant to be part of a rich, royal family

Honestly, take a walking tour because you'll see like the majority of Prague.

To Eat:

Mlsnej Kocour - Good, authentic Czech food that's really affordable. Get the ribs and the duck.

Dish - If you're feeling burgers and some gin and tonics, then this is your place.

Chimney Cake - Actually has Hungarian origins, but all we ate in Prague was this shit.

Cafe Savoy - The best french toast I've ever had in my life. splurge. splurge. splurge.

To Drink:

Cross Club - my friend highly suggested this club/bar and I regret not going.

Chapeau Rouge - 3 floor club/bar. Went on a Monday so it wasn't as popping.

Karlovy lázně - Largest club in Prague but overrun with tourists.

Vinárna U Sudu - Famous huge, underground bar.

Vytopna Railway Restaurant - Stupid, but model trains bring your drink to your table (so worth it?)

Yay, all done. My lists probably got worse as time went on...

[whosinbruxelles]

Can You Shut up and Just Tell Me What to Do? (Part III)

Continued.

AGADIR, MOROCCO 

To Do/See:

Jemaa El Fna - The main square in Marrakesh which also has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Come at night, where it is much cooler and packed with performers and street food stands. It’s insane. Eat there and then get lost in the souk afterwards. (MARRAKESH)

Agadir Kasbah – Remnants of a fortress on top of the hill. Worth it for the amazing views of Agadir. You can take a taxi to the top, but I would walk up it – not too tough.

Seafront Promenade – Enjoy the multitude of (overpriced) restaurants by the ocean – especially when you get to the marina area. It’s nice and packed with lots of tourists (mostly from other areas of Morocco).

Vallee des Oiseaux – If not the lamest and strangest “zoo” that I’ve been to. Lots of birds and other animals in cages that are definitely not humane. It’s free though and takes about 15 minutes to do the whole thing… so if you’re really bored.

Agadir Fishing Port – Check out the port and all the fishermen. They are all quite friendly and one guy even came up to us and gave us a mini-tour and his experiences with the earthquake, but then asked for money afterwards (classic).

Take a day trip – there’s a ton and they’re all guided and pretty fun. Agadir can be quite small, so get out and explore the south of Morocco – it’s quite different.

To Eat:

This gets tricky because I didn’t get a lot of the names of the restaurants we went to – most were small side restaurants.

Fish Market – An area near the port with like 20-30 fresh seafood stands. They bring out a plate of fresh seafood and ask you to literally pick what you want. All the stands seem basically the same (same pricing) but there will be people trying to get you to their stand. I think I ate at stand 21 because my friend met a nice guy who took us there.

Eat in-land (further from the beach and touristy areas) – it’s cheaper and the food is amazing.

If you go near Hotel Sindibad, there were 3 great, cheap restaurants in the square –that’s where we ate every night.

Get milwee for breakfast at any cart.

To Drink:

This was nonexistent for me; nightlife can be found but it’s quite hidden.

MADRID, SPAIN

To Do/See:

Royal Palace of Madrid - go because it’s famous, but I wasn’t particularly impressed by the palace. The tour was quite boring, but it’s fascinating the palace is right in the center of the city.

Retiro Park – Huge park with the pond that everyone goes boating on (I don’t really know why). There’s a bunch of museums in there and the glass palace, but I wasn’t able to go inside it. Still impressive from the outside.

Temple of Debod – worth the hike up the hill. A strange landmark from Egypt in the middle of Madrid. Go at sunset for the beautiful views over the city and the Temple to be lit up. It’s quite magical.

Reina Sofia – Museum that features 20th century art. The famous Guernica is here – definitely worth seeing in person.

Prado Museum – Spain’s Louvre which means it is huge. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see it, but if you like art, this is for you.

Plazas! – Walk around the different Plazas.

Malasana – hip, younger district with amazing bars (aka less tourists)

Day trips – because of the RENFE (train system), it’s extremely easy to get around Spain! I went to Toledo since it was close by. But you could also just stay in Madrid, because there’s so much to do.

El Rastro – If you’re there on a Sunday, check out this awesome flea market. Really cool things, especially clothing.

To Eat:

Mercado de San Miguel – An indoor market with a bunch of stands serving tapas/paella and alcohol – great for lunch.

Lateral – A very affordable, yet well done tapas restaurant – multiple locations. Get ready to wait a while

Chocolatería San Ginés – the most famous place to get churros con chocolate. Get ready for a literal cup of melted chocolate. I also think this is open like 24/7 so if you’re drunk and feeling the sweets, this could be for you.

100 Montaditos – Super cheap mini-sandwich place with like 1 dollar beers on Mondays or some deal like that.

I wish I ate at fancier restaurants, but I was balling on a budget.

To Drink:

Copas – Bar with cheap mixed drinks before midnight (then it gets expensive)

El Tigre – Didn’t get to go, but extremely cheap drinks

Kapital – like the largest, most famous club in Spain; filled with mostly tourists.

Joy – club I went to. Pretty fun, not too large.

Just walk around Sol and you’ll find bars and clubs - open super late cuz it’s Spain. holla.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

To Do/See:

Gellert Hill – Buda side; go for the view. If you’re out of shape, get ready to hate your life as you climb up this “hill”. Go at night for a spectacular view, but be careful climbing up.

Church cave – Buda side; on Gellert Hill, a cool church set into the hill. I didn’t get to visit it because of hours.

Statue of Liberty – Buda side; on Gellert Hill. I think the Soviets wrote something about how Hungarians were saved by the Soviets, but when the Hungarians took back power, they replaced the inscription.

Fisherman’s Bastion – Buda side; get your new profile picture! But actually a beautiful bastion (whatever that is) with views of the Danube and Parliament. Go to Matthias Church, though I found the exterior more impressive than the interior.

Buda Castle – Buda side; uh, we went and didn’t even know it was the castle cause the building was quite small. The grounds are neat but we didn’t go inside since I think it’s a museum now.

Gellert Thermal Baths – Buda side; the most photographed bathhouse – the architecture is amazing and it’s a bathhouse so you must go to at least one!

Szechenyi Baths – Pest side; the largest and most well-known bathhouse. It’s in City Park. This one is probably more touristy.

City Park – Pest side; awesome, large park with a flea market (on Sundays) and museums.

Heroes’ square – Pest side; near City Park; nice monument.

Parliament – Pest side; duh go...

Walk along the Danube and look at all the bridges – Chain bridge is the most famous, but I really like the Elizabeth Bridge.

Shoes on the Danube – Pest side; memorial to the Jews killed during WWII. Pretty poignant.

Take the Communist Walking Tour – found this out from my sister but it’s extremely well done and gives you a better perspective and understanding of the city. The tour guides are people who went through the transition from communism to democracy.

St. Stephen’s Basilica – Pest side; famous church, where you can pay to go to the top for a view (eh, not really worth it)

The Great Synagogue – Pest side; the largest Synagogue in Europe, unfortunately, it cost like a shit ton of money to go inside so I skipped it.

Central Market Hall – Pest side; produce, clothes, tourist gifts all in this beautiful building. 

Margaret Island – HUGE “island” in between Buda and Pest. Has two crazy outdoor clubs during the summer time.

Museums aren’t very good in Budapest supposedly. The only one my friend suggested was House of Terror.

To Eat:

I didn’t really eat at any nice restaurants… & Hungarian food is extremely heavy

Padthai Wokbar – Yeah, I ate here twice. It was cheap and I missed fake Asian food. Chipotle style but for Asian noodles/ rice.

Blue Rose Restaurant – Affordable traditional Hungarian food in the Jewish quarter, which means lots of meat.

Arriba Taqueria – I was also desperate for Mexican so it’s Budapest’s version of Chipotle

Oktogon Bisztro – 4 euro (yes, you read that right) all you can eat Hungarian food – go crazy.

We were there during the spring festival, so we ate at the food stands by Vörösmarty square – slightly expensive but really good food.

New York Café – you want to feel rich, go here. The décor is ridiculous.

Eat langos because why not? Might as well die young but happy, right

Altair Teaház – sick, hidden teahouse. Need to chill out, go here.

AVOID Pizza King – late night fast food that serves both pizza and kebabs for like 1 euro. It was possibly the worst pizza I’ve ever had (and I was drunk).

To Drink:

Morissons – the best Monday club I’ve ever been to because it was the only Monday club I’ve ever gone to. Filled with Erasmus students, but so much fun. Multiple rooms with different music and a karaoke room.

Instant – ruin pub/ club. Insane decorations and like a maze of different rooms. Extremely fun but crazy.

Szimpla Kert – the most famous ruin pub in Budapest. Just go. Can’t really describe it.

Kuplung – another ruin pub, but much more chill

The nightlife in Budapest is crazy. There are also bathhouse parties and crazy themed clubs. 

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

To Do/See:

Leopold Museum – the best museum I saw in Europe. Who knew that Austrian art could be so wonderful

Schönbrunn Palace – Hapsburg palace right outside the city; the grounds are actually perfect

St. Stephen’s Cathedral – The famous church (I have no more comments about churches anymore)

The other million other museums in Vienna

Wien University – So you can cry over why you didn’t study there (either cause you didn’t know about it or you weren’t smart enough)

Parliament – the statue outside is gorgeous

Town hall – Cool park in front of it. There was a festival going on when we were there

Opera house – Go see an opera there if you have money, if not check it out for the architecture

Belvedere - Oh, no big deal, another palace in the city. Now a museum that houses The Kiss. Go for the beautiful grounds.

Hofburg Palace - The winter palace for the Hapsburg; now museums

Mozart House - where Mozart resided in Vienna, now a museum. My friend wasn’t that impressed by the museum.

Spanish Riding School - no. just don’t even waste your money, unless you really really really love horses trotting to music.

Hundertwasserhaus - funky houses... not really worth it but cool if you are bored and have time.

Prater - a 24 hour amusement park on the outskirts of Vienna? Supposedly pretty weird but cool kitschy place (so now hipster then?)

To Eat:

Naschmarkt - Outdoor daily market for food, shopping, and clothes. Go to Dr. Falafel to get some of the best falafel

Neni - wonderful Mediterranean food in Naschmarkt, super cool vibe and ambiance 

Cafe Hawelka - Get that Viennese coffee and apple strudel cause it’s goddamn delicious. 

Centimeters - affordable and HUGE portions of Viennese food - aka meat. 

Do not eat a kebab in a box.

Cafe Sacher Vienna - Get the famous Sacher Torte

To Drink:

25hour hotel - the rooftop bar has a really cool vibe and gives a great view of the city

Honestly, I didn’t get to go out that much so I’m not sure about the nightlife, but I hear near the universities is where it is. 

I’ll finish up with this on the next post (Paris, Lisbon, & Prague). 

·          

[whosinbruxelles]

What I was doing at home...

Yeah so I realized that all my blog posts have been focused on my travels, which is cool but makes it seem like I did nothing in Brussels, which is, oh wait, where I was studying abroad. 

So, Brussels generally isn’t my favorite European city, but it has these really special parts of it that makes Brussels actually pretty cool. Below I want to highlight some must-dos and how I came to really appreciate this place.

The center is okay. Small, walkable, and therefore can see everything in a day. So yeah, go ahead and see the tourist highlights - Manneken Pis, the comic strip murals, and of course the Grand Place - you can’t miss that. Yet, really besides that, there’s not much to “see” in the center. You need to venture a bit further out, because believe me the center does get old. The bars in the center are great - making for a really fun bar scene. The club scene is lacking in Brussels, though.

Definitely hit up Delirium, just because it does hold the world record for the most types of beers (each floor has different beers). Les Gens que J'aime - Hip, cool place to grab some beers. Celtica - Come here at the end of the night because it’s ratchet. Nua - Another more “ratchet” bar/cub place - has karaoke though, which makes it fun. Mezzo - Cheap bar with a younger crowd.  Bonnefoi - Cool bar with live music usually

There’s a ton more, so go out and explore. But don’t limit yourself to the center, because Brussels really has so much more to offer.

When the weather finally warmed up, that’s where the city really comes alive. There were festivals every week - a jazz festival or a medieval fair. People sit outside, enjoying the sunshine and park. It’s kind of crazy how large of a role weather plays. So do that - find and do what the locals do, especially if you have a long enough time in a city. The parks in Brussels are probably some of the best in Europe. 

Ixelles though, stole my heart. Lucky for me, my best friend lived in that neighborhood and would always have us over. The food and nightlife is the best in Brussels because of the younger population and university situated over there. Here, you hear French (or Flemish). Here, you don’t really see that many tourists. But here is where you really find the “vibe” of Brussels. Go to  Ixelles Cimetière, where all the bar/clubs are on a Friday night. It’s extremely fun and filled with students. Perhaps the best burger place is there - L’Amour Fou. Or go to Frit Flagey. or 13 Degrees. and of course, go to Place du Luxembourg on Thursday night because you’ll never find swarms of diplomats and locals just drinking outside the EU anywhere else in the world. 

I long to go back to Brussels because I feel like I did the first half wrong and therefore didn’t love it. And even after finding the “right places” with the warmer weather, there were still things that pissed me off about Brussels (crazy people on the tram for example and how early the public transportation stops...and oh yeah, the smell), but no city is perfect (except maybe Vienna). Especially if that city is your home, you find flaws the longer you are there.

But you also come to love it because it’s the little things you both hate and love that give it character and basically make that place personalized. You hold those places close to you because of those memories - good or bad. I’ll remember getting stuck in the worst rainstorm of my life after my exam and being stuck on a tram, soaked (and then I ran to the international house without shoes on). I’ll remember going to Tabora for dinner and trying all the different sauces with their frites. Or sitting in Woluwe Park, simply staring at the sky.  Or grabbing dinner at Le Fin De Siecle the last night I was there - perhaps the best Belgian food in the city. Or having a diplomat spill his life’s problems to me in a bar. 

I hated parts of Brussels, but you really can always make a situation better - especially when you move away from the touristy places.

I’ll be back and it won’t be the same. It can’t be. But I will be able to instantly associate feelings and memories, simply by looking at certain buildings or getting on a certain tram (tram 39!!!). 

So we’re nearing the end of this blog... If you’ve been reading along - thank you. I guess I don’t really have much to say anymore. It’s been a month or so since I’ve left and there’s a point where I need to get over the fact that I was abroad (I’ve already annoyed enough people in SF about my abroad adventures). So this blog will be ending soon I guess...

I’ll finish up with my lists of things to do in each country.

[whosinbruxelles]

Can You Shut up and Just Tell Me What to Do? (Part II)

Continued.

BERLIN, GERMANY

To Do/See:

Alexanderplatz - quite touristy, but pretty impressive TV tower (turned into an over-priced restaurant)

Berliner Dom - In my opinion, worth going to the top for the amazing views of the city.

Museum Island - Literally an island filled with museums, so pick the ones you want to see. I went to the Pergamon and Neues, which are the “most famous ones” but I hear all of them are quite impressive. I suggest getting a museum pass if you’re planning to visit more than 2. 

East Side Gallery - the famous part of the Berlin Wall that artists’ painted on.

Brandenburg Gate - More impressive at night (and less tourists)

Checkpoint Charlie - Super touristy now, but very historical place

Charlottenburg Palace - One of my favorite European palaces, definitely worth the visit if you have time to venture more to the “outskirts”

Bundestag - Germany’s literal-transparent parliament. Book in advance to take a tour.

Mauerpark - Come here on Sundays for possibly the best flea market in all of Europe - huge selection and if the weather is nice, everyone is just chilling in this park.

Tempelhofer Park - HUGE park that used to be an airport - check out the “garden” (you’ll see it).

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe - Interesting memorial - there’s also a museum below the memorial.

Topography of Terror - Well done, free museum that goes really in-depth about the SS and Gestapo. The museum is actually where the HQ used to be.

DDR museum - Fun, interactive museum that has a lot of artifacts from East German. Can be packed with students during the week day.

Honestly take a free walking tour because there’s so much to see in Berlin and that’s one of the best ways to cover it.

To Eat:

Le Bon - Amazing brunch in the cutest neighborhood of Berlin. 

Rundstück, warm - An amazing, local burger place in Neukölln. I’d say it’s pretty life changing. 

Burgermeister - The more famous burger place in Berlin 

Currywurst36 - Pretty famous place if you wanna try currywurst (which I suggest!)

To Drink:

Watergate - The club I went to which is amazing - right on the waterfront, with all glass walls. 

Tresor - Another very cool club.

Salon Zur Wilde -  Alice in wonderland-esque themed club. 

Berghain - The hardest club to get into in the world. Good luck if you try.

http://berlinclubs.com/ - use this.

SWITZERLAND

So since I was all over the place in Switzerland I don’t really have a great comprehensive, list of what to do... so it’s more generic.

To Do/ See:

Go to Interlaken - Though it’s touristy, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. 

Do some sport-related/ crazy thing, such as hang gliding or sky diving - why not?

Hike up Harder Kulm (or take the tram up if you’re lazy) - the views are stunning. If you want to be even more adventurous, go before it’s season and there will be 0 people at the look-out (but you’ll need to hike it and believe me, it’s a bitch)

Walk to the lakes - maybe take a boat ride. 

Walk around the town? - I guess it’s cute

Go up to Jungfrau if you have the chance. Insane. It’s not even humanly possible to go up that high in a train. 

Geneva

Walk around the lake

Check out the UN Headquarters

Red Cross Museum - pretty well done museum.  

Go skiing in the alps - except I didn’t because I don’t know how to.

Bern

See the bear in the bear pit

Check out all the fountains in the streets (and you can drink from them)

Zentrum Paul Klee - Museum featuring Paul Klee

To Eat:

Well, everything was too expensive in Switzerland so I just went to coop to eat all my food. 

I did a fondue place in Grindelwald and I suggest you do one - quite famous.

Get a chicken schnitzel sandwich.

Einstein Coffee in Bern - perfect croissant.  

To Drink:

Honestly, didn’t go out anywhere, but bars are plentiful probably in Geneva, Zurich, and Bern. 

[whosinbruxelles]

& Some Thoughts

II will get around to blogging about what I actually was doing in my last few weeks in Brussels and my thoughts about that city.

The past five months have felt like a dream - extremely vivid, but not necessarily real. How was it that I was living in Europe for 5 months, going to “school”, and traveling to wherever my heart desired. What kind of life is that? & when could I ever do that again? There was no way it was real.

But it was, and fuck, it was the best semester of my life. I’m not going to ramble on and on about why my experience was the best months of my life - because I think when going abroad no one will understand your experience besides the people who were there with you, no matter how much you talk about it. But I do want to bring up some key points for both myself to remember (if I ever look back at this) and for those who are unsure about going abroad.

1. I hated it when I got there. I was unhappy and depressed that I was stuck in this world that I didn’t know and all my friends were miles away. But believe me, this happens to all of us when moving to a completely new place, but trust yourself because you will adjust. We truly are an amazing species - and when we are put out of our comfort zone, we find ways to cope. Trust in yourself.

2. It’s the people, not the place. You’ve probably already heard this but I want to emphasize this. When I went to study abroad, my mind was wrapped in all the cities I was going to see, but in reality it’s the experiences that are important and you associate those experiences with who was there. Shared experiences are perhaps the strongest bond of friendship. Study abroad accelerates these bonds because it is so fast and you’re literally traveling the world and doing crazy things with these strangers. You will make some of the best friends of your life but remember to be open and patient, because you might not like them at first. These people fucking change your life. Find people from other cultures and places - step outside of who you usually hang out with and at the end, you’ll have learned so much from just these people. 

3. Saying good bye is perhaps the hardest you will do during your study abroad. You always hear about how studying abroad is amazing and wonderful, but no one mentions the ending. It hits so hard when you’re there on your last day just looking at everyone and realizing that though you’ve said to each other over and over again “I’ll see you soon”, really the likelihood of that is extremely low. These people live on other continents. I don’t want to end on that note, but it is reality, and reality sucks. But this is why you need to have faith in the bond that you created with these people and that when in fact there is a small chance that you’re both in the same country, you will both make the effort to find each other. Realize that these select few people in the world can only truly understand the experiences you went through for those 5 months and no one in else in the world can take that away from you guys.

4. Study abroad changes you and maybe not in a dramatic way and maybe not in the way you think it will, but you’ll come home and feel a little different. Your perspective will change and maybe you’ll see yourself differently which is good. Progress is something we need to strive for, so when you go abroad, be open, be willing, be stupid, & be hungry. Because you’ll never be at that place, at this age, with those people ever again. 

[whosinbruxelles]

Back home and everything sucks

need to finish blogging... I’ll get around to it soon.

[whosinbruxelles]

Czech’in out Prague

(My title is terribly uncreative). 

Last trip of the semester (disregarding my quick day trip to Antwerp). Yes, I survived my last Ryanair flight and it was a beautiful feeling stepping on the ground of Charleroi Airport. But anyway, more about the lovely city of Prague, which is simply beautiful.

Being there for 3 days was definitely a good amount of time. Though the weather was quite dreary for one day which put a damper on our spirits. I arrived though on quite a perfect, sunny, day which also meant a shitload of tourists. Prague reminded me of a larger, more touristy Krakow - meaning that though I definitely did love Prague, I found the endless amount of segways and tourist stores that covered the entirety of old town. We stayed in “lesser town” which I found less touristy and beautiful. Every morning, we woke up and would walk across the Charles Bridge. Then every night, we would cross back over and get to see the Prague castle lit up - it was truly magical.

So the first day was mostly walking around and meeting up with MC and Mariana who flew into Berlin a few days earlier and then took a bus to Prague. Reunions always feel so good. They couldn’t stop raving about the amazing bus company they took (free movies and hot drinks?!). 

We found a great burger and gin place for dinner, called Dish. I highly recommend it and that area for dinner since it’s in district 2 which means not touristy, rip-off restaurants.

We finished the night going to a famous underground bar Vinárna U Sudu. Definitely worth a visit - it’s huge and definitely would be packed on the weekends. Crazily enough, I ran into Becka (one of Charlie’s friends that I met in Paris) at that bar... Europe is oddly small, I guess. 

The next day was dedicated to a walking tour (that was sooooo long) but really informative about Prague’s history - which of course has a lot. What I’ve come to realize is that walking tours are worth it, especially if it’s a small, walkable city with historical areas and you know 0 things. It gives a great introduction/context to the city and from there you can more deeply explore a place or historical aspect through a museum.

We checked out the Lennon Wall which is a cool concept where anyone can graffiti or paint the wall. It’s supposed to promote peace and love. Of course, we left our mark there. 

We went up to Petrin park with Prague’s (shitty) Eiffel tower. The park itself is huge and gives an amazing view of the city. There’s also a bunch of gardens and playgrounds scattered around. Mariana and I got in touch with our inner child.

We were craving ribs for dinner so I found the resto, Mlsnej Kocour which was in the same area as the burger place. Go here if you want good, authentic, and cheap Czech food. We got ribs and duck and it was amazing. (oh but dumplings here are so weird). The resto is filled with locals, further indicating that this is a good place.

The next day was rough, because of the weather. It was raining the whole day and we chose to go to the Prague Castle...which was overhyped. Perhaps castles aren’t my thing. Like MC was saying, it’s just an empty fortress. The cool thing though is seeing where the Defenestration of Prague happened (holla @ AP Euro). However, the other parts of Prague castle (the church and golden lane) were cool, but I don’t know if it was worth it. (It was the weather, I swear). 

The one cool thing though that day was something my sister recommended me which was the Lobkowicz museum. What was cool was the audio guide which is given by an actual Lobkowicz, explaining the family history. There are some really cool family heirlooms in there, such as compositions from Beethoven. Made me wish I was born in some rich, royal family - but isn’t that the story of my life while traveling Europe.

Dinner was done in old town, which ended up being fancier than we expected. We then went to a bar that brought drinks on a train which was pretty cool, I guess. We then visited (a shitty) club that was filled with all American students and played pretty bad club music. This, in turn, made me chug two (very very cheap) gin and tonics. Which then in turn, made my night not so great. Thanks to MC and Mariana though.

The last day, the sun came out, once again reminding us that Prague is still beautiful. We got breakfast at Cafe Savoy which literally has the best french toast I’ve ever had. We walked around one last time and simply enjoyed our last trip together. I couldn’t have done this exchange without my two travel buddies and I’m so glad we got to finish it up in Prague. 

It’s been crazy. 13 countries and 22 cities and here I am, at the end - kind of speechless about this semester. None of it has felt real, and yet, it is reality (dumb sentence is dumb, but it’s how I feel). I am, here, sitting in Brussels, (well Woluwe Saint Pierre) and accomplished my goals (looking back at the first blog post). But I’ll save the sappiness for later. 

[whosinbruxelles]

Can You Shut up and Just Tell Me What to Do? (Part I)

So I realized that I write a lot for every blog post and ramble on and on about my life and what I think about the city and how “everything is simply amazing.” So this post is to sum up every city that I’ve gone to in bullets. What to see, what to eat, what to do - some will be more comprehensive than others depending on how my trip went. Some things mentioned, I might not have actually done, but it is because I’ve heard from friends or the internet just how great it is. Feel free to listen to none of it! This will be done in parts since there’s too many cities.

LONDON, ENGLAND

To Do/See:

The London Eye - if you have money to blow and want an Arial view.

Buckingham Palace - So you can cry over the beloved royal family.

Westminster Abbey - Do what I did and accidentally go to service on Good Friday

Big Ben - because you need a picture with it.

Red telephone booth - get your new profile picture!

Tower of London - cuz it’s famous. (& Tower Bridge)

Do a picnic in Hyde Park. 

British Museum - See the Rosetta stone (or check out another museum - they’re all free)

Visit a nearby town - Oxford or Cambridge? or if you’re really bored of London, go see Stonehenge (I was kidding, don’t go).

Walk along the Thames.

See a show and grab dinner beforehand.

Go shopping at Primark cause it’s the cheapest shit you’ll ever find. Or Top Shop, if you want to feel like you’re actually buying real clothes. 

To Eat:

Fish n Chips

Wagamama - cheap (for London) casual Japanese food - get one of the ramen dishes

Steal free samples from the Borough Market

Dishoom - delicious Indian food in a classy, modern, yet vintage setting. Get there early or be prepared to wait in line. Perfect place for dinner before a show since it’s in the theater district. 

Afternoon tea which can range from a fancy place on the rooftop of a hotel or a simple tea shop. My first time in London I visited The Muffin Man Tea Shop in South Kensington for some scones.

Full English Breakfast. I had it at some old bed and breakfast that had the worst online reviews but the breakfast was so good.

Kebab. I visited the one right next to Fabric and it was great, but perhaps it’s because I was drunk. 

Ben’s Cookies - I mean if you want an orgasm in your mouth. 

To Drink:

Fabric - Perhaps the best club in all of Europe. Feels like a huge underground maze with multiple rooms and DJs playing house music. Pricey cover charge but open till 6 AM, so you can get your money’s worth. Drinks are affordable, considering it’s London.

Pimm’s Cup

Wander around streets and walk into any pub. If it’s good, stay. If it’s not, leave. 

If you can find it, Rekorderlig hard cider. So good, it can’t be actually alcohol. 

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

To Do/See:

Smoke or do an edible - it’s legal there and that’s why most people go to Amsterdam. Do be careful in both eating an edible or smoking. Weed in Amsterdam is much stronger. 

Recommended Coffee shops: Green House, Barney’s, Amnesia

Anne Frank Haus - make a reservation in advance because that queue is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.

Van Gogh Museum - really well done museum. Again, buy tickets online.

Stedelijk Museum - the modern art museum of Amsterdam. Been there twice and enjoyed it both times.

Red Light District - I mean...you’re here, why not. And go see shows if you’re really feeling adventurous. 

Sit (smoke?) at Vondelpark.

Cheese tasting - I did mine at Reypenaer but I’m sure you can find other ones. Wine is included!

Boat tour - if you want to be even more of a tourist.

Walk around the Jordaan area to get out of the touristy area / take a break from the Red Light District

Rent a bike!

To Eat:

Stroopwafels at Lanskroon

The Pancake Bakery - Life changing

Apple pie at Winkel - again, life changing

Bazar - Affordable, delicious Moroccan food served in a church (weird, I know.)

Thai Bird Snack Bar - delicious, cheap, and quick Thai food. (go to the snack bar, not the restaurant)

To Drink:

To be honest, didn’t get much of a chance to do the nightlife, but there are bars everywhere. Here are some recommendations from a friend who studied there:

Bloemenbar - super cool, hipster bar on the outer parts of the city

Paradiso - club that used to be a church (common theme in Amsterdam?)

KRAKOW, POLAND

To do/See:

Day trip to Auschwitz - I simply think it’s something that should be done for us in remembrance. I booked with Viator, but you definitely can get there by public transportation and be put with a tour group at the museum. 

Main Square - duh.

Day trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mines - pretty cool since everything in those caves are made out of salt, though a bit expensive. Did this one without a tour group- hop on a train.

Wawel Castle - pretty castle with great views and a nice church up there.

St. Mary's Basilica - perhaps one of the most unique interior’s I’ve seen of a church

Jewish District (Old Synagogue) - the area itself is really cool, and if you have time, check out some of the historical synagogues. Take a walking tour if you want to learn more history about the ghetto. 

Schindler's Factory Museum - very extensive and engaging museum about WWII in Krakow and Schindler

Krakus Mound - pretty cool park/ mound that gives you a view of the city.

To Eat:

Zapiecek - 24/7 hour perogies restaurant (what else could you want?)

Get Zapiekanka, the drunk food of Poland. In the Jewish district, there is a bunch of vendors that serve it.

Babcia-Malina - super cool underground, homey restaurant. You need to go through multiple doors to get to the restaurant - don’t give up.

Koko Gospoda - Cheap Polish food near the university

Any milk bar is a cheap place to get food - but generally food in Krakow is cheap. 

To Drink:

Wódka - Awesome small bar - do the 6 shot tasting vodka.

Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa - The famous vodka bar/ cheap shots, but it gets super packed.

Alchemia - really cool bar/restaurant in the Jewish district.

If you go to the Jewish district, there are bars everywhere.

Afera - Club that I went to - it’s okay. It is underground (literally, not the figurative sense of being cool and trendy cuz they play pop music), but pretty "trashy" place - lots of students.

[whosinbruxelles]

Strolling (Well, climbing) around Lisboa

It’s final season here which means the study part of “study abroad” is kicking in and I’m quite screwed with my 9 exams considering the amount of classes I skipped. But hey, I can only blame myself. So to procrastinate more, I’m going to briefly talk about my lovely trip to Lisbon. (and how I am desperately wishing that I was there right now.)

So this trip kind of came out of nowhere. Lisbon wasn’t on my list for this semester, but after looking at some ticket prices, and talking to a friend who had gone, I decided it would be a nice, relaxing place to go - I could finally get myself back to a beach and perhaps get a little tanner from the warm, sunny weather.

Lisbon is absolutely beautiful city. It reminded me a lot of San Francisco, but much more laid back and cheaper. Hills are everywhere, trams run along the narrow streets, and there’s even a bridge that looks just like the Golden Gate Bridge right by the city. What I loved about Lisbon was the different districts and how each district had quite a distinct personality. We stayed in the castle district which was perfectly located - right next to Alfama (the oldest district in Lisbon) and Bairro Alto (which is where the night life is).

What I loved most about Lisbon was simply exploring. It’s a city that perhaps doesn’t have as much “famous” history as other European cities, but every corner you turned to some small street either had an amazing small eatery or super, cute artisan stores. There aren’t many “must-see”s in Lisbon, so it was a city that I got to stroll around and enjoy the weather, neighborhood, and lovely views. This was probably one of my most relaxing trips and I’m so glad I got to take it at the end of my study abroad semester since I was kind of half dead at this point. 

The food in Lisboa is simply divine. Since it’s right by the sea, that means lots of fresh, amazing seafood. Portugal, being neighbors, with Spain has adopted similar flavors and the use of tapas. I personally found the food in Portugal to be better than what I ate in Madrid - but that’s also because I decided to splurge and go to “fancy” restaurants in Lisbon - except they were still extremely cheap compared to a fancy restaurant in Brussels.

So I don’t have much to say in terms of what I did in Lisbon - a lot of it was sitting around and simply enjoying where I was. We visited the castle, of course, which gives splendid views of the city. We sat right by the sea, which is one of my favorite things to do, and got some lemonade and ice tea - another perfect moment.

We also went to a rooftop bar called Park since it’s literally on top of a parking structure and watched the sunset right behind the bridge. 

We also blew 5 euros to ride some touristy elevator that transports you to a different district (so don’t do it, if you ever go to Lisbon) - walk instead or take one of the free elevators.

What was most exciting about my trip though was Sintra - a nearby town that has a lot to see. It’s an easy day trip - we hopped on the train and in an hour, we arrived. The first thing we did was go to Quinta da Regaleira, which literally straight out of a fairytale - grottoes, hidden doors, caves, waterfalls, forests. Basically it was just some guy that designed this entire place and used influences from the Gods and Dante. The house is cool, but definitely spend the majority of your time in the gardens. We spent around 3 hours there exploring. 

After lunch (burgers!), we went to Pena Palace which is the most ridiculous palace I’ve ever seen. It literally looks like a movie set or from Candyland. Like if any royal family was caught living there, they would be shunned by all royalty - but I guess Portugal’s royal family felt differently. Situated on top of a huge hill or mini mountain, we had to take a bus up (which I almost threw up on because it was so windy and the bus driver was driving like a maniac). You then have to walk around the “gardens” (which is more like a forest) to get to the palace. From there, if you purchased the ticket, you can enter the terraces which give stunning views of Sintra and create great photo opportunities because of simply how the colors of the castle pop. We also then entered the palace itself which was laughable compared to every other palace I’ve visited. It was still beautiful, but rather than decorating rooms with elaborate detail, the royal family had the design painted on, rather than like etched in or like outlined in gold. It was just weird, seeing how (no offense) “poor” this palace looked compared to Versailles and even Schonbrunn. Nevertheless, worth a visit because Pena Palace is such a unique palace. The “gardens” are also really fun to explore and you can climb to certain view points to see the palace from afar. 

We also took another quick day trip to a nearby beach town - Carcavelos. There are a lot of options in Portugal, but we picked the closest one since I wasn’t feeling that well that day. Supposedly the nicest beaches are in Sintra actually since they’re further out from Lisbon, so there’s a lot less tourists. The beach we went to was surprisingly packed with people even though the water was still cold. There were tons of surfers though which was super cool to watch. It felt great being back at the beach (something I took for granted in Los Angeles). Unfortunately, the world was punishing me and I started feeling very sick at the beach and had to be taken back to Lisbon. The annual-time-of-the-year-where-Irene-dies-from-the-flu-for-24-hours had struck. Luckily, my friend picked up some flu medicine and I ended up passing out for over 16 hours.

The next day I felt a lot better but was pretty upset we lost a day in Portugal.

Besides this one small hiccup in the trip, going to Portugal was simply a lovely break and another beautiful country that I got to experience. 

[whosinbruxelles]

Doing Paris...Differently

Paris, the city of love. Where every person or movie has romanticized this city to no end. And they’re all right – it is quite a romantic city, walking along the Seine or sitting at a café, looking at the Eiffel tower always sitting in the horizon.

Of course, going at 21 with a bunch of other study abroad kids creates quite a different experience with Paris. Nevertheless, I was extremely excited to finally get to go perhaps the quintessential European city. I had experienced Paris once in my life – when I was 11 and my family had a layover there on our way to Greece. We managed during our layover to go to the Louvre and Arc de Triomphe. It was only a piece, but left me wanting to return to Paris desperately. As an 11 year old, who wouldn’t love the long avenues and lovely Parisian apartments that line the streets?

What made me even more excited was that I was meeting up with one of best friend studying abroad Spain. He also was bringing along 4 other Americans and 1 crazy Brazilian.

So 2 days after I returned from Spring Break, I was already back on a train. I guess out of my excitement, I booked an (expensive) train ride from Brussels to Paris rather than a bus. Luckily, out of my stupidity, I managed to get to Paris in like 1 hour. I took a quick nap (since I of course booked the 6:40 AM train), and in an hour I woke up in Gare du Nord.

We got an airbnb right by the Louvre and therefore in one of the most touristy areas in Paris. This wasn’t bad since we could basically walk to any main tourist attraction and we were right by the Jardin du Tuiliers which is amazing. But the problem with staying in really touristy areas, in my opinion at least, is you don’t get the local feel of the city as much. Still the apartment was very “Paris” – aka extremely fucking small and we shoved 7 of us in there.

I had the morning to myself before Team Bilbao arrived. I walked around the Jardin and the Louvre (before all the tourists were there since it was early morning). I then walked all along the Seine, which was quite perfect. Every place I turned, it just looked like a perfect picture – the top of the Eiffel tower peeking over the line of buildings. I also was strongly reminded of Remy from Ratatouille running along the Seine with that piece of paper – but like that’s irrelevant (loser alert).

I made my way to the Rodin Museum. Unfortunately, the main exhibit was closed for renovation, so they only had a small temporary exhibit. The gardens with the sculptures were still open and definitely makes it worth it. It’s a much different experience seeing the sculptures in a natural setting with sunlight, hitting different angles. Also being able to walk up-close and really admire the details that Rodin put in his sculptures was an important part of appreciating his art.

I then had a happy reunion with Charlie and got to meet all his cool friends that studied in Bilbao with him. We grabbed some food (meaning I got a crepe from a street vendor and it was horrible), and sat in the Jardin du Tuiliers. It was seriously a perfect day out which can be rare in the spring time of Paris. We walked down the Champ Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe and it was still impressive as I remember it.

Concert time! Confession: So one of the main reasons why I came to Paris was actually because Charlie messaged me saying that Odesza which is one of my favorite bands was going to be in Paris and him and his friends were going. I couldn’t pass the chance to see one of my favorite bands in Europe (even though I’ve already seen them twice.)

So we all got ready and metro-ed our way to the venue. It was a cool, small venue meaning I got to be extremely close to Odesza. Unfortunately, let’s just say one of Charlie’s friends had a bit too much fun before the concert and sort of died at the concert. Since none of us wanted to miss Odesza’s performance, we (being the not so best friends) told him to sit down, against the wall, on the side and we would find him after the concert. Well, we looked over 10 minutes later, and he had disappeared. After some searching, one of the girls found him outside. Long story short, everything worked out thanks to a sweet Parisian girl who took care of him and the pissed-off security guards.

The concert was amazing! Though the set was similar to LA’s, they played some of their new stuff. Definitely no regrets in seeing Odesza in Paris (and now I can say that and feel even cooler).

I was exhausted after the concert so it was bed time for me. Of course, the Brazilian was ready to go out. He ended up having a fun but weird night which is a whole other story. Let’s just say that he managed to cook a frozen pizza in a pan but burned his arm at like 3 AM.

The next day was dedicated to Versailles. An easy train ride and we were there. We found out from the ticket office that you can use your visa to get free to all Paris attractions. Luckily, I carry my passport with me during the day so I managed to get into Versailles for free while the others had to pay quite a hefty admission fee. But at least we found out, so we could get into everything else for free.

Versailles was simply overwhelming. Too much gold, garden, and tourists. I mean, it definitely is worth the visit but it wasn’t my favorite palace. The hall of mirrors is majestic but there were just way too many (Asian) tourists. Hell, I saw one Asian lady sit on a chair that is obviously part of the palace exhibit for a photo.

Though the gardens were huge – like bigger than USC, I absolutely loved them. We ended up getting some ice cream and sitting right by the large lake, simply enjoying the day. I feel like you could spend a whole day in the gardens and still not see everything. It was impressive, hearing about (since we didn’t see everything) all the different parts – the hedges, the forests, the lakes, and scattered side “houses” (which were all bigger than my own home).

When we got back to Paris, we grabbed dinner at Le Refuge des Fondus in Montmartre. Now this neighborhood felt more local. The restaurant definitely has turned touristy from all the English being spoken. It’s a small fondue restaurant that serves wine in baby bottles (which is why everyone comes). It’s a set price of about 25 euros. We got both the cheese and meat - which were amazing - especially the meat. What I liked about the establishment was how the owner was trying to preserve the restaurant by keeping tradition. Only ladies could climb over to the other side of the table. He only spoke french to us, even though he knew we were Americans and he scolded a girl for using her phone at dinner. 

After content with dinner, we finally made our way to the Eiffel Tower. I thought I wouldn’t be that impressed, having seen it countless of times on TV or online. But no, it was simply stunning, seeing it in person at dusk, lit up. It’s simply magical. We popped a seat on the lawn, waiting for the lights show. Unfortunately, we found out that there was no light show that night but instead they were turning off the lights at 10 AM in honor of the Armenian Genocide (which explains the protest we walked by). Though we didn’t get to see the classic light show, it was still a unique experience seeing them turn off the lights.

Afterwards, we went out to celebrate one of the girl’s birthday, meaning we ended up at a super expensive, bougie bar - Buddah Bar. Super cool, but I was way too poor. We then ended up at this bar that was underground (and which we later found out was a Jewish bar). This would explain the music choice. A Parisian guy, while I was waiting at the bar challenged me to a rock, paper, scissor game...no idea why. Perhaps his way of breaking the ice (it didn’t work).

What else, but ending the night with a nutella, banana crepe (so so good) and meeting a French guy named Pierre, who was actually extremely friendly.

A super cute cafe called Telescope for an amazing cappuccino and we were off to hit all the touristy places. Sacre coeur was first and this was a church I was extremely excited to see. It was beautiful, both the outside and inside. It also sits on a hill, giving a perfect overlook of Paris. There was also a market right by it, so I picked up a sandwich with way too much cheese (and I never say that).

We then did the Louvre which was just simply too much for me. It’s too fucking big, the Mona Lisa is overrated, and there’s too many people there. I don’t know why everyone loves it. I ended up spending perhaps only an hour or so there. (But I got my touristy picture outside of it!)

We walked along the Seine to the Notre Dame which is like on an island. The line to get in was quite long, but I convinced everyone to wait with me. The outside is more impressive than the inside for me. But still a beautiful, gothic-style church. There also was of course the love lock bridge next to the Notre Dame (lame. lame. lame. throwing up.)

The night ended up a bit crazy, with us attempting to get into some bar/lounge/hipster place - Le Comptoir Général. Let’s just say it didn’t work out. However, it was still a fun night - we met some nice students from La Sorbonne university who took us to a nearby Irish bar.

The next day I said my good byes to Charlie and my new friends after a extremely cool cafe where you pay by how much time you spend there rather than what you order (so it’s unlimited coffee!) and hungover lunch (ramen!).

Alone once again, I knew I had to hit the Musee d’Orsay. It was raining, so the line was quite long but definitely worth it. Another quite large museum, but much smaller than the Louvre. I loved the temporary exhibit on Bonnard. Also the top floor with all famous impressionist and post-impressionist paintings was lovely though way too crowded.

I then was between going to Jardin du Luxembourg or the Centre Pompidou. Modern art won and I thought it was worth it. Though a lot of modern art is quite ridiculous, I actually really like it - how creative and crazy some people think. It’s fun, whimsical, and sometimes silly. Also the Centre Pompidou itself is a really cool building to check out.

I finished my trip with what else but yes, Chipotle. I committed the most American thing possible - finding that one Chipotle in Paris and getting my order. It was, of course, not the same thing, but close enough. The portion was also smaller (fucking Europe) and it was more expensive. Still, it was a damn good burrito. 

As I hopped on the train back to Brussels, I could only feel that I had touched the surface of Paris. The city, similar to NYC, is filled with an endless amount of activities and small hidden gems. A year in Paris and you still wouldn’t have explored it all. One day, when I’m slightly richer and slightly better at French and perhaps slightly in love, I’ll come back and experience Paris in a different way.

[whosinbruxelles]

Where the Rich Really are Hiding

Vienna - a place where I must get a holiday apartment when I become rich as shit and love to do bougie-ass things, such as watching a horse-opera show (yes, this is a real thing, please continue reading).

We hopped on a train from Budapest to Vienna (quite hungover). Only about a 3 hour train ride and we arrived. The first thing I noticed about Vienna was simply how clean the entire city was. It was like pristine - the streets and the buildings. With Budapest, there was definitely a lot of dust, whether from the endless construction on the tram lines or simply the environment. Vienna, on the other hand was like a perfect little utopia. The uniformity of buildings was also lovely - creating a perfect city. It was like Vienna had their shit together since the beginning. 

Vienna has a lot of history, being a place for royalty and rich families, which means lots of opera houses and grand buildings (that are now museums). Yes, the natural history museum literally looked like a palace - now how is that fair?

The endless amounts of (actual) palaces added to the “richness” of this city. Another great thing is Vienna is known for their coffee, which means lots of sitting down at cafes and simply enjoying the wonderful atmosphere and weather. Going to Vienna was like a vacation in it’s own.

Vienna felt like the classic, European city that I imagined as a child and the place to go to get your dose of culture. 

The first thing we did was of course food - meaning we walked to Naschmarkt to get some amazing falafel. I’m not sure how Vienna became a place to get falafel but it was some of the best falafel I’ve had. The market also sold touristy things, 2nd-hand clothes, and other little trinkets. We would come back to the market for an amazing, Mediterranean dinner for our last night at Neni.

We walked around the museum area which has like a museum on anything you want. The buildings themselves are impressive. The national library is gorgeous and use to be part of the winter palace, which is right in the middle of the city. 

We then visited cafe hawelka thanks to my sister’s recommendation. It’s one of the oldest cafes in Vienna (since 1940s) and the moment you walk in, you can feel it. The dim lighting, old, pressed newspapers sitting on a table, and lack of a menu.

I got the Viennese coffee and an apple strudel. Both were simply perfect. I’m seriously turning into a coffee addict here in Europe.

We then went to the famous St. Stephen’s cathedral which was impressive, and reminded me of both Cologne’s and Budapest’s church. But again, the churches are all blending for me...

We ended the night at a rooftop bar on top of the 25hour hotel to watch the sunset. It had such a cool vibe, with lots of young (attractive) people. I have to say guys in Vienna are the most attractive Europeans, thus far. Dinner was done at centimeters because literally you gain centimeters on your waist after eating there. We were overeager and ordered a bit too much food, thus resulting in overeating and perhaps almost puking out all the fried potatoes. 

The next day was Palace day! We went to Schönbrunn Palace, the Habsburgs’ summer palace, right outside of the city. The actual interior of the palace was quite simple and restrained compared to Versailles and other palaces. Yet the gardens were simply wonderful, especially the hill that overlooks the city and palace. We took a catnap there and sitting made me realize just how badly I wanted to be part of the royal family. (Unrealistic dreams). We then went to the Belvedere palace which is in the city and the summer residence for some damn Prince. It is now a museum and houses Klimt’s The Kiss. Unfortunately, we got there too late to enter, but it’s still a beautiful place - with the upper and lower house, and surrounding well-kept grounds. 

We also attempted to go biking around the city - which was stressful to say the least... Never again.

The last day was museum day! However, with MC’s obsession with horses, we decided to pay 10 euros to go to the Spanish Riding School’s morning session. It’s this weird traditional thing in Vienna where horses are trained to dance and trot to music. So we decided to check it out - but only the morning training session because we didn’t have 200 euros to blow on the actual show.

NO. THE TRAINING SHOW WAS SO STUPID. Literally, just horses walking around. And I get that they’re supposed to be getting their exercising in or training some new moves - but like how can you charge 10 euros for that. We sat there for like 10 minutes and realized how dumb it was. I’m sure the show itself is better, but the morning training session was stupid and definitely not worth the 10 euros. Though again, I felt like a rich bougie bitch, watching horses dance around to classical music.

We also checked out the most famous university (wien university) which furthermore made me hate ICHEC. Literally what a perfect university that had a bunch of famous (scientist) alumni - not just celebs (yes looking at you USC). We sat inside the courtyard for a while, observing all the students (attractive). We also went to the townhall, where there was this huge festival and walked around Parliament which was gorgeous. 

We then went our separate ways and I ended up at the Leopold Museum which has thus far been my favorite museum in terms of the collection. I didn’t know much about Austrian art beforehand. First the Leopold was quite empty so I got to actually enjoy the art (unlike in Paris), and secondly I was introduced to Egon Schiele who is absolutely amazing and more of Klimt’s work, which I loved. There also was an exhibit that talked about Freud (yes, it all goes back to him) and how artists used his theories and ideas in art. It was extremely interesting and gave the art more meaning. 

It was time to get back to Budapest though, which ended up being a close call. We picked the 5:45 PM train. We grabbed dinner at the train station and hopped on the train. We were surprised since it was completely empty, but happy - the entire compartment for ourselves. Mariana then asked me if she had time to get a drink and I advised her not to, but she decided to hop off real quick.

All of a sudden, I hear screaming “Get off, we’re on the wrong train. We need to run!” I started laughing since Mariana jokes way too often... but then I realized it wasn’t a joke when she grabbed all of her shit and started running. Basically, we got on the wrong train. The correct train was indeed on that platform but further down... We had about a minute to get on it. So we were those 4 stupid girls, sprinting down the platform, but hey we made it, so it all worked out.

& back to Budapest! 

AND THAT’S THAT. Finished with my spring break! It was a crazy 2 weeks but lots of fun and got to see such a variety of cities and experience so much. It was so tiring though and I thought I would never think that I actually wanted to go back to Brussels. Getting home was one of the best feelings.

[whosinbruxelles]

“In Buda Looking at Pest”

Welcome to the 2nd half of my spring break where I finally get a taste of Eastern Europe! Besides Poland this would be my first time hitting the “famous” Eastern European cities (except I think they consider themselves central Europe, but like all us Americans always refer to them as Eastern - awkward). 

Not only was I excited to go to a city that I have heard so many good things about (thanks to my sister), but I also got to see Jeffery’s lovely face again (look back at my posts about Poland). We always have a good time and he had already promised to take me and my friends out on a Monday night - yes you read that right.

He was also extremely hospitable and let crash at his lovely apartment for a few nights before we left to take a train to Vienna. So this post will get a bit strange since there was an intermission where we went to Vienna for 3 days before returning to Budapest since flying out of Vienna is extremely expensive (no budget airlines since Vienna is too good for that plebeian life).

First, landing in Budapest was a lovely feeling - though I wasn’t traveling completely alone since I got to meet up with people in both Morocco and Spain, I wasn’t really with a group of people either. But for the 2nd week of Spring Break I was meeting up with my girlfriends from Brussels. It was kind of crazy, because we were all flying in from different locations. One from Italy, another from Paris, and the other from Brussels. Of course, I had a mini freak out when I saw them all, patiently waiting for me (the last one to arrive) in the baggage claim. I was extremely happy to finally be traveling with a secure group.

The next day Jeffery sent us on a long day in the Buda side (with the castle, Gellert Hill and Fisherman’s Bastion). He also showed us his university which further made me realize just how outdated ICHEC is. Why can’t my university just be casually by the Danube river? Oh and he was going to a spa for a class field trip... he obviously doesn’t go to real school.

Budapest is beautiful, with the river splitting the city and the plethora of bridges (the chain one being the most famous, but I preferred the Elizabeth bridge). Buda is also quite hilly, so climbing up Gellert hill tested our unfit bodies. The view is definitely worth it and we would return at the end of the week at night. There’s also a church in the hill which we didn’t get to visit and the statue which is quite majestic. We then meandered towards Fisherman’s Bastion which is the most famous places to get pictures with the arches and view of parliament.

At this point, we were exhausted and dying of hunger so we hopped on a bus (where an extremely drunk man was passed out/spitting at me?) to go back to the Pest side. Buda is cool, but pretty residential while Pest has the night life and is more touristy. We grabbed some mediocre Hungarian food - which is just heavy - carbs and meat and no fresh veggies - yum.

We went back to Jeffery’s for a nap and then went to the Jewish district area for another Hungarian dinner - more meat. Time to pregame and it was off to Morrisons - the club to go on a Monday night, and holy shit was it full (with exchange students). It was insane - multiple rooms all playing different music and a karaoke room where of course Mariana sang “Timber.” It was so much fun. At 3 AM, our hunger was kicking in so we went to the infamous Pizza King that I’ve heard so much about. It not only sells pizza but also kebabs. I got a slice of Pizza (for like less than a dollar) and even though I was drunk, it was disgusting - which is saying something. Not sure why pizza king is the choice of drunk food.

The next morning was a struggle, getting to the train station to get to Vienna. We’ll skip over Vienna, since that’ll be my next post, but it was such an extreme contrast to Budapest.

When we returned, exhaustion from traveling had definitely set in for all of us. We went to the Gellert Baths which was heavenly - this is where I want to die. Though it’s not the most famous bath in Budapest, it’s the most photographed because of the architecture. It was absolutely amazing, and also allowed me to try saunas and a steam room.

(not my photo - I just felt awkward taking photos at a bath)

We also got to go to a ruin pub and ruin club. These are must-dos in Budapest! They used to be old, abandoned buildings until people decided to convert them into bars and just put weird, ass shit in them. For ruin pubs, we went to Kuplung and Szimpla Kert, which is the most famous one. It’s amazing, just seeing the random objects placed everywhere - so weird, but creates such a cool, chill vibe for a bar. We also went to Instant which is more like a club, which similar to Morrisons had a bunch of rooms with different music. It was like a crazy maze.

It was also the spring festival, meaning there were food vendors and shops set out on a street/park area. It was super cute and though the food was slightly expensive, it was delicious. 

A few last things to do in Budapest:

Visit St. Stephen’s Basilica which is beautiful, but a church is a church. But there’s the famous relic of King Stephen’s right hand... (ew). Pay a few dollars to climb to the top for some lovely views.

See the largest synagogue in Europe! But it cost like 10 euros to go inside and I’m quite too poor for that.

Go to a fancy cafe in Budapest - I believe only four of them exist cause the communists shut them all down. Since we’re too poor, we only ordered drinks, but man, did I feel rich sitting in an ornate, chandelier-filled cafe. We went to the New York Cafe.

Take a walking tour! My sister highly recommended the (free) communist walking tour so for the last day in Budapest, we joined one. It was great - the tour guides were super informative and one of them went through “happy communism” - so he could speak from experience. It really makes you see the country in a different way - especially since the democratic government is so new. Supposedly the constitution was written on an iPad..

Margret Island which is a huge park in between Buda and Pest. When we went there was a race going on which was kind of cool! We ended up getting some Langos (the most unhealthy hungarian food - fried bread, cheese, and sour cream) and napping in the grass.

Hero’s square & city park. Another lovely park with some castle (that’s a museum) and a flea market on Sunday - mostly old things. There also were BUDAPEST letters but that was only for the spring festival so we were lucky to be there. 

Memorial to the Jewish people on the Danube riverbank - and just walking along the Danube.

and of course Parliament - which is the largest one in Europe.

oh and a hipster tea house thanks to my sister.

Overall, there’s a ton of things to do in Budapest - it’s a vibrant, “new” city that’s still developing and growing. Construction is happening, and some of the metro lines are like..way too old while others are way too new. It’s a weird city, with an interesting, lively vibe. It makes me excited for Prague, hearing that there are some similarities. 

Vienna though, oh god, Vienna desperately wanted to make me into a rich lady to live a lavish lifestyle - pushing me in the opposite direction of Budapest.  

[whosinbruxelles]

Tapas All Day Everyday

The next leg of my spring break was in Madrid. I had been looking forward to this part for a while especially since I was staying with a friend from USC and I had only heard wonderful things about Spain. I originally had many Spanish cities on my list – Grenada, Seville, Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao…but because of a limited amount of time, I was only able to hit Madrid (and Toledo). Before coming I was debating between Madrid and Barcelona, and ultimately decided to go to Madrid since it’s the capital and had more friends there (but Barcelona, I promise I’m coming back for you).

After a horrendous day of travel, I landed in Madrid late at night (thanks Ryanair) and navigated my way to Alina’s apartment right in the middle of Madrid. Like smack center of Sol. Though it was a very touristy area, it was right by all the night life and main sights (a 10 minute walk to the palace).

All the apartments in Madrid have balconies and just make the city extremely adorable. Walking around Madrid was simply lovely (like most European cities). The plethora of plazas and street restaurants also added to Madrid’s charm.

The first day was super busy – Alina took me to every tourist attraction. We started with the royal palace, which was obviously impressive but not as impressive as the other palaces I’ve visited (sorry not sorry). We hit Plaza Mayor and then went to Mercado de San Miguel for lunch. It’s basically a food market, so LOTS of tapas. Amazing (and cheap!). Lots of seafood including scallops, salmon, and cod.

Then we went to Retiro Park which is huge and beautiful. We walked around the famous (I guess) pond where people go boating, which I found kind of lame since the pond is quite tiny. The beautiful glass palace is also there, but it was sadly closed for some art instillation so I only got to see the outside.

What would Spain be without siestas? After some churros (which I always thought were Mexican) with chocolate (yes, a whole cup of melted chocolate), I took a much needed nap. I could get used to the siesta life.

At sunset we decided to catch the Temple of Debod which is this really weird, but beautiful, out-of-place “temple” from Egypt in the middle of some park in Madrid. The park also offered a lovely view of the city, which meant lots of PDA couples (another reason why I love Spain…to remind me of my single life).

The first night finished with Lateral which is one of the best tapa restaurants in Madrid. We waited for about an hour for a table and oh god, it was so worth it. The only thing I messed up on was not getting Sangria (but they didn’t offer individual glasses, just a huge pitcher and there was no way Alina and I were going to finish an entire pitcher – I would make a fool of myself in the restaurant or fall asleep). I also got to reunite with Kyron, who I haven’t seen since last spring. We went to Copas – a cheap, hip bar with amazing mixed drinks. I got to see even more USC people – it was a big lovely reunion! I swear every single USC kid is in Madrid… Sadly, I did not get to experience Spain’s never-ending nightlife since I was feeling sick from traveling.

Since I wanted to see more of Spain, Kyron and I did a day trip to Toledo the next day. We hopped on the train and in 30 minutes, we were there. It’s supposedly a unique city since it has a mosque, church, and synagogue – but like don’t other cities have that…? Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful, small town to get lost in. The hike up to the center from the train station was a bitch though (so out of shape). I did not get to learn too much about Toledo, since the day was mainly used for catching up with Kyron’s crazy, crazy life. Confession: We stopped at a McDonalds.

But I successfully got my new study abroad profiled picture from there (which is a big deal you know). Toledo reminded me somewhat of Bern since it had a river running around it.

After another siesta (as you can see I have easily integrated into Spanish culture), I forced myself to go out. Luckily, Spain starts late so I took my time getting ready and didn’t have to take like 3 rushed-shots in a row. We went to Copas and then headed to Joy, a club right in the center. We decided against Kapital since Alina explained to me that it’s cool for the first like 10 minutes but then it gets overwhelming and it’s filled with tourists (it also costs like 10 euros). Joy was actually have some huge promotion for some new vodka-tasting beer so there were photographers, girls dressed up in promotional gear, and dancers on stage. The crowd was scattered with older men there which was weird but whatever, Alina and I had a great time dancing the night away to 4 AM. (Sorry Spain but I couldn’t hang till 6 AM)

Sunday morning was of course dedicated to a huge flea market – El Rastro. It’s been awesome since I’ve basically gone to a flea market in every city I’ve gone to so far. It’s interesting to see the differences between them. Spain’s was just lovely because of the weather and the vibrant colored scarves that would pop on the horizon. It was packed but lots of fun walking around and seeing all the various objects. I couldn’t leave Madrid without buying a football scarf – so of course I got one for the National Spanish team (the loves of my life).

Then I went to the Reina Sofia with Kyron to get a bit more cultured (slowly but surely).  The building of the museum was stunning with the tall arches and individualized rooms. I saw Picasso’s famous Guernica. I remember in high school always seeing pictures of it and being impressed but didn’t get why it was so special. But seeing it in person is an entirely experience. It’s quite large and hits you emotionally. Dali was also featured in the museum. I also saw his work when I was younger and didn’t get it at all. Looking at Dali was such a different experience – his artwork is crazy, but so detailed and vivid.

Kyron then took me on a quick walking tour of the more hipster neighborhood in Madrid - Malasana. I loved it, seeing people sitting in outdoor bars, sipping on some beers, enjoying the weather. The restaurants that I walked by looked amazing. Unfortunately, I had no time to grab one last dinner in Madrid and had to rush to the airport to catch my flight to Budapest (and eat Burger King there – kill me now).

Madrid was amazing and though people who are from Spain/ study abroad there are convinced the food there is “terrible.” I didn’t feel that way at all. Spain is a country that has so much to offer (besides its economy – joking). I wasn’t ready to leave it – feeling as though I’ve only touched such a small part of it. The south of Spain is different with its Moorish influences while the north has some of the best food, if not the best food in all of Spain. Madrid was a great small step into Spain, but I’m not ready to let it go. It’s definitely staying on my list to return back to.

[whosinbruxelles]

“I’m in Africa!”

The start of my 2 week spring break. I was nervous to start my adventures in Morocco. Not only was I taking some sketchy, never-heard of airline (Jetairfly) but I’ve heard mixed reviews of the place (especially if you’re a female).

There is something magical and enchanting (and I don’t wish to use this word) and exotic about Morocco. My friend Brennan had been studying there for a year (yes, he is one of the coolest kids I know) and I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I knew someone there. Unfortunately, he was doing an independent study so he couldn’t really let me know where he was going to be within the country until like a week before (more added stress).

So I was crazy and booked a flight to Marrakesh and luckily, he was actually going to be in that city when I landed. The next few days would be spent in Agadir - a quite touristy, beach town in the south.

Morocco (well Marrakesh) was crazy. Organized fucking chaos and I loved it. I was sad I only really got one night there. We spent the night walking around the main souk area/square and eating some amazing, cheap food. It felt almost like Disneyland with the sand/clay (?) architecture. It was so refreshingly different than Europe (obvious statement is obvious). The lack of organization, the crazy streets, the unmarked van taxi (that we took?), the old bus, and outside markets.

Before traveling, I had read online and heard (even from Brennan) that traveling alone in Morocco as a female can be difficult. Men in Morocco are much more open and will pester you or cat-call you or scam you for money. Luckily, I was with Brennan most of my time (except for one day which was just traveling). But I absolutely had no problems with any locals. Rather I found that they are extremely friendly. It was so easy to strike conversations with them. I remember an olive vendor started talking to me and “welcomed” me to Marrakesh. Of course, there were guys that would hit on me or Elena, but as long as you’re smart about it and just ignore it, it’s completely fine. Nothing different than being bothered in European cities. 

Agadir, where I spent most of my time, was lovely. Finally, I had found the beach, though the water was too cold. Though Agadir definitely had a lot of Moroccans, there were a ton of European tourists (in shorts...). Though they mostly stayed in the resorts, so we didn’t have to deal with them that much. We stayed more in-land which meant being surrounded by more locals. Best idea ever since we were literally right next to 3 restaurants which had a three-course meal for 3-4 euros. Every morning, we walked to the cafe next to our hotel to get mlwi (fried dough with cheese or honey). Days were spent walking along the beach and harbor - no complaints there. We also went to the fishing harbor (had an amazing seafood lunch where you pick your own fresh seafood) and climbed to the top of the mountain for a view of the city and the sunset. 

Agadir is an interesting place because it’s not the typical “Moroccan” city you think of. Hell, I didn’t know about it until Brennan told me that we would be going. It also suffered a huge earthquake and was completely destroyed and had to be rebuilt, which gives Agadir its more modern flair.

We also took a day excursion (with a very, er interesting Belgian family - it’s always the Belgiums) to like a bunch of places. Tiznit (a city further south with these famous walls around it) was our first stop. This felt more like Morocco. Super local and conservative - women were covered up and the city seemed to be preserved and untouched by the outside world. We then went to the mini-Sahara (lol - this was a joke), had lunch in a Berber house, saw the largest reservoir in Morocco, and ended up on the cliffs by the sea where traditional fishers still lived. It was simply amazing, because every place we went felt untouched. Though of course tourists had passed through, they were all empty when we went since access can only happen with a tour guide. The cliffs were amazing, just hearing the sound of the waves hitting the rocks, and looking outward towards the sea. It’s sad because a part of me thinks that in a few years or so, these places might be overrun with tourists, ruining the natural charm. But maybe not - who knows.

Having only four days in Morocco, it went by extremely fast and before I knew it, I had to go through the worst fucking day of my life thus far during this study abroad. Going from Agadir to Rabat (the north of Morocco). 

I had bought my plane ticket to Madrid (my next stop) from Rabat since it was extremely cheap. Well, it cost me a 10 hour travel day. I hopped on a bus from Agadir to Marrakesh (3.5 hours) and then took a train from Marrakesh to Rabat (4.5 hours). Then I took the tram to the most outer point in Sale (.5 hours), then found a taxi to the airport (.5 hours), then finally my flight to Madrid (1 hour). By the end, I wanted to kill myself. But it was an interesting experience, taking public transportation around Morocco alone. The train system, which is quite good in Morocco, was also interesting, seeing people coming in and out of the cart and the interactions. 

Thanks to Brennan, I feel like I got a more local taste of Morocco just because he made us avoid any too-touristy places/things. His favorite line to Elena and I was “stop acting so American.” 

Because I know I sped through this blog post, some other highlights/ thoughts:

Get Tagine. Get couscous Get an avocado milkshake (sounds weird, but best thing ever) Get freshly squeezed OJ Bread and olives at every meal Bargain the shit out of everything at souks/medinas and walk away if you aren’t happy - the seller will usually cave in. Dress conservatively... I don’t know why tourists feel the need to wear shorts if it’s a conservative country. Learn some french or arabic (shukran became my favorite word). Petit taxis vs. grand taxis Jaywalking is totally cool and insane. Night life is harder to find in Morocco

I have absolutely no regrets about Morocco and ended up being one of my favorite trips because it was something so different. A part of me is longing to go back to see other cities.

[whosinbruxelles]

Switz Part III: Back to Civilization

I tried to keep this short.

Another train and we were finally leaving the idyllic, quiet mountain side. Our next stop was Bern, which I've heard a lot of great things about. The whole city is a UNESCO world heritage site because it’s so damn pretty.

It’s an adorable city (town?), surrounded by a river and with these cute fountains everywhere (yes you can drink the water!)

The thing with Bern is it’s a great city to walk around but it’s extremely tiny and therefore there’s not much to do.

So we allotted two days in Bern, which I found it to be slightly too much. You can do the city in a day or so.

The main highlights were: Einsteins house Bear pit (yes they have their own since it’s the mascot of the city)

Rose garden (for a great view)

Zentrum Paul Klee Musuem

It was a nice time in Bern but it’s a pretty commercialized city, so besides those highlights it was just shops.

And of course, it was extremely expensive - like a McDonald’s meal was 15 dollars. And we were there on Good Friday, so everything was closed (Coop for dinner!)

Finally, we ended our trip in Geneva (yeah so literally went around the whole fucking country) - 2nd to last train ride! Similar to Brussels, Switzerland is sort of divided by language. Geneva is in the french-speaking area, so it was interesting sitting on the train and just seeing the change on traffic signs.

Geneva is gorgeous around the lake - like every other city in Switzerland. We only had one day there and I felt like I saw most of the main things - such as the UN and even got to visit the red cross museum (which was surprisingly well done). If you’re there, I’d say the main thing is to walk around the lake, especially if the weather is nice. Though I don’t really get the spout in the middle of the lake.

The last night was spent in Zurich airport (my first time sleeping in an airport!) which was super fun. Finally I got to go back to Brussels (for 12 hours) before I headed off to start my spring break... 

[whosinbruxelles]

Switz Part II: 3,571 m

The next morning we took the train to our start place: Wengen - a small village 1,274 meters above sea level (follow these numbers). The moment we got off the train, all we saw were skiers, but we didn’t think much of it. We bough some provisions from coop and began our trek to the trail head.

THERE WAS SNOW. I saw maybe like two patches of grass on the trail. Hell, I couldn’t even see the trail. My sister, the more persistent one, tried walking on the snowy-ice mix and realized we wouldn’t be able to complete this hike. An older couple did get on the trail while we were weighing our options and they had like ski poles and snow shoes... so they were actually prepared for the season. We were not.

April in Switzerland still means snow. Unfortunately, I had already booked all our hotels in advance so we had to proceed. 

Wengen was beautiful. It straight up looked like a postcard with lovely chalets in the hills and snow-covered alps in the background. We walked around for like 5 minutes and then took the train to Kleine Scheidegg (2061 meters).

So during the summer time it looks like this: 

As the train pulled us up the mountain, more and more snow piled around the train.

It was all skiers and snow... we were the only ones in sneakers and shitty hiking clothes (I was wearing cropped leggings, so I looked extra fucking stupid). We slowly glided (literally) to our hotel. The owner looked at us and told us we are the only ones staying tonight, gave us the key and bid us away.

The room was extremely cute and cozy - like a cabin get away. There was a lovely balcony that overlooked the ski trails.

But that was that. We had nothing else to do since hiking was supposed to take up most of the day.

Naps, reading, writing, and shitty MTV filled my day. It was a weird feeling, having a day off on my travels...which is just always running around. I guess it was a nice but I also felt extremely stupid at the same time. 

Finally at 7 PM when hunger struck, my sister and I went downstairs to check out the restaurant (which was packed during lunch time with the skiers).

It’s completely empty. All the doors were locked and as we peered outside the door, all the skiers had also left. The trains also had stopped running. 

Yes, irrational but panic strikes me. All I can think is that I’m literally in the middle of the Swiss alps in a cabin in the middle of a snowstorm with no one around. Hell, I didn’t even see the owner of the hotel. Is that even legal!? 

It started feeling more and more like a horror film. Was there a murderer looking out there? Would my sister and I make the news?

The next issue was dinner. All we had were our hiking snacks: Pocky, chocolate, and a few luna bars. 

I found some magazines and children game books (remember when you were a child at Applebee’s and get those?) to help pass the time. Amazingly, my sister and I had 3G on our phones, so the slow internet also helped.

However, I kept hearing noises coming from somewhere in the hotel and was still freaking out. Eventually, someone opened the door and wait, out appeared the owner. Relief instantly set in - we weren’t going to die (I know, irrational). 

The next morning, I awoke to the best view of my life. Freshly powdered snow on the ground with the sun rising right behind the mountains. It felt like the most untouched place in the world and my sister and I were the only ones witnessing it (plus all the people paving the ski paths). 

Breakfast was included in the hotel and because of the view, it was the best goddamn breakfast I have ever had in my life (and the food was actually really good).

Of course, our hiking plans to the next town wouldn’t work out so we decided to go to the highest train station in all of Europe - jungfraujoch (3571 m). It was insane that it was built in 1912... like how was technology that good to fucking climb to the top of a mountain. But whatever, go engineering/ science/ human/ society. 

Unfortunately, like all touristy places, the station was filed with hoards of Asian tourists blocking every possible direction. ugh - biggest pet peeve.

There is an observation deck at jungfraujoch. However, I expected it to be closed since a) it’s fucking cold and windy outside and b) someone can die out there meaning a lawsuit. But no, it’s Europe.

So my sister and I went outside in -8.6 degree Celsius and with 80 km/h winds. 

There are no words to describe this experience at all. It was freezing because of the strong winds. My body was literally pushed around the deck as I clutched on the railings. About 20 seconds in and I realized I was having trouble breathing and had to sprint back inside. I don’t know if it was from the high altitude or the sheer terror of being that high up. I couldn’t even open my eyes.

Nevertheless, I went back outside - wanting to see the view again. Again, I couldn’t breathe after a few seconds. A terrifying, yet beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime experience. So do it.

After returning to Kleine Scheidegg, we grabbed our things and left for a new town at thankfully a lower elevation, meaning no snow. Our last stop that we were supposed to hike to was Grindelwald (1034m). Another cute town that was larger than Wengen and had more tourists. We found another hiking trail in the area and it was really cool since it was in the forests and reminded me of a fairy tale. The end gave us a good view of Grindelwald and there was minimal snow on the path. For dinner, we splurged and got some fondue which was so good. Give me melted cheese and you got my heart.

The next morning we wandered a bit, but decided it was time to return to the city life. 

Next post will be Bern and Geneva and then we’re done with this country! (lol, finally). 

[whosinbruxelles]

Switz Part I: Ambitious Plans & Interlaken

TRAVELING KILLS YOU. (But it’s obviously worth it)

Three weeks that I've been gone from Brussels and my body has taken a hit. My hair is tangled and oily, my skin has gone to shit, and I smell like a strong mixture of airplane rides and hostel beds. I was given a two week spring break (thanks ICHEC!) but took an extra week off to travel with my sister who came to visit. I planned quite an elaborate spring break (aka, it geographically made no sense) and oh shit it actually worked out but I’m literally exhausted as I write this. 

I last left you with Berlin which seems ages ago.

The next weekend, I hopped on a quick flight to Zurich after making sure I went to Primark to pick up some hiking clothes. Before I left for Europe, we picked Switzerland as our week long trip - planning an elaborate hike throughout the alps. This would be the longest time that I would dedicate to a single country which is weird that it would be Switzerland. But I realized that though European cities are exciting and enchanting, they tend to blend together (church after church). Switzerland would be a complete change - becoming one with nature and all that hippie shit.

Well, that didn’t exactly happen...

Rewind to Day 1 though. Zurich was simply supposed to be a stop over. Hell, I wasn’t even supposed to leave the airport but my sister’s flight from Munich got cancelled and so I was stuck in the airport for another 4 hours. I decided to take the train into the city (which cost me 8 dollars..). Strolling around Zurich, I found it to be a quite charming city though quite commercialized. I guess it makes sense - being the banking center. I ended up walking up some damn hills and stumbled upon an elevated park, giving me a good outlook over the river and city. I found myself in another park right along the river, so I pulled out my book and soaked in the sun (aka took a nap). Finally, I returned back to the airport and met up with my sister. We took the train to Interlaken ($70...).

I’ll just say this now. Switzerland made me extremely poor. Holy shit, so poor. Don’t go here if you’re ballin on a budget, because that will not happen here.

Since we had gotten in during the night, waking up in Interlaken was stunning. The alps were situated right above me. Like I was walking down the street, and oh holy shit, the alps are right there. My sister and I took a morning stroll to the lake which was the perfect scene. A perfect, clear greenish-blue lake, with the snow covered alps, and morning fog hovering below the peak. 

Now came the craziest part of my trip: Hang gliding! Because why not. Why not blow 300 dollars on 15 minutes of hang gliding over Interlaken. It was totally worth it in my opinion and I felt extremely safe the whole time since I was with a professional. 

After lunch from coop - a lovely convenience store (this would become a thing), we decided to hike to the tallest point in Interlaken - Harder Klum. Here are a few issues:

1. I am out of shape 2. It was raining 3. It was uphill 4. Look at #1

I almost gave up multiple times climbing up this damn mountain. It also wasn’t season yet, so the trail was quite empty except for these crazy Germans who were running up/down the mountain. I could totally feel the judgement from them, their eyes glancing down at our silly tennis shoes.

Yet, after many many breaks (”omg, wait, can we stop at the top of this uphill” “omg, can’t breathe”) and complaints (”this sucks” “i hate hiking”) and a wrong turn, we made it to the top.

The lack of tourists at the top (there’s a tram that drags you to the top but it wasn’t running) gave my sister and I a peaceful, uninterrupted view of the entire valley and lakes. I know I keep saying this, but it was stunning. I have no words. The soreness tomorrow would be worth it. 

The next day we would start our hikes town-to-town in the alps...

How would I survive if I could barely hike up a mountain to a view point.

Well, luckily we didn’t actually end up hiking town to town, because we are stupid and snow exists in Switzerland pretty late into spring. Bad news, we ended up stranded (sort of) in a cabin in the alps. 

But I’ll get to this in my next post because let’s be honest, you’ve already stopped reading and really only care about the pictures - cause that’s what I would be doing.