Last Sunday we went to check out the Chinese New Year celebrations in Trafalgar Square. I expected it to be very crowded and busy, but let me tell you, it was packed! After getting our Year of the Rat balloons we tried to make our way to the stage to see the dragon dances as well as traditional music. Later in the day we headed to Leister Square to see the fireworks. I have never been so scared of fireworks in my life! We were just feet away from them and they were being set off among trees in the middle of the city! It sounded like rapid gunfire there were so many! Nevertheless, it was great to experience the second largest Chinese New Year celebration (outside of China, that is) smack dab in the middle of Chinatown.

On Wednesday, my Art & Society class headed to St. Paul’s for the well anticipated climb. One Arcadia girl, who had climbed the cathedral with me last time, is also in my class. This climb was much easier though! I guess our walking miles and miles every week has conditioned us for a couple hundred stairs! Because it was such a clear day, once we made it to the Golden Gallery we were able to see the whole city. A little sunshine makes all the difference!

Finally, after my busiest week of school work thus far, the weekend came and I was off to Belgium! My friend Chelsea and I traveled with a group, mainly of students from different schools. Beginning at 5:30am and catching the very first tube, we headed into central London to catch the bus to Dover where we crossed the channel to Calais, France on the ferry. From there we drove to the egg shaped city of Brugge, the Venice of the North, where we found our hostel for the weekend. Soon after arriving, we headed out on a walking tour of the city. We visited the market square, paused at traditional tourist spots (most of which are the photos seen on postcards), meandered through the nun’s homes where daffodils were blooming in freezing cold weather, and walked past some waffle stands where I couldn’t resist buying my first one of the weekend! We ended by trees that resembled Whomping Willows from Harry Potter down the street from a pub were we sampled infamous Belgian beer. I have to say, beer doesn’t thrill me, the smell and all, but cherry ones are quite different. Some pubs we past had over 400 different types from trappist beers to multiple different flavored beers. After testing the wonderful fries/frites/chips (depending on the country) sans mayo (I just couldn’t do it!) we escaped the cold and settled inside to get to know some of our fellow travelers at the hostel. Downstairs we met some Mexicans whom we proceeded to hang out with since we were on the same trip and we also talked to some Brits visiting for the weekend. I was advised what football team to root for and what English cities to visit outside of London. They were also impressed that I knew about, understood, and had female friends who played rugby since they play themselves! After chatting for a while I headed to bed since we had to be up early to head to Brussels for a full day of sight seeing.

Once again, we piled into the coach bus to drive about an hour and fifteen minutes to Brussels, the capital of Belgium as well as Europe. On our way into the city, we stopped at the Atomium which is pretty much a huge metallic atom structure that attracts tourists. Clearly that is too much science for this fine arts major but I couldn’t help thinking about some friends back home how would be certain to enjoy it. We also paused at Jubilee Park where we quickly learned it was going to be a frigid day walking around Brussels. Once arriving in the center of the city, we were given a quick walking tour passing the cathedral, complete with a waffle van parked in front, the Grand Place, and tiny statue Mannequin Pis. We were given the rest of the day to explore on our own. Without realizing it, Chelsea and I managed to walk in circles multiple times, but at least we didn’t get lost! In Brussels, I had the best waffle ever! Freshly cooked with bananas, whipped cream, and chocolate! Ah, they should have waffles like that at the diner at home! In addition to waffles, we bought more fries, this time served in the traditional cone. And of course, we bought chocolate! For dinner we relaxed in a restaurant by the fire (I had to buy gloves earlier in the day because it was so cold and unlike London weather over the past week)! We got a pretty good deal, a drink, an appetizer of shrimp in garlic, meal of steak and chips, and dessert. It was nice to sit down and relax after walking all day. Soon after, we headed back to the bus to return to Brugge for the evening and night.

Sunday, our last day in Belgium, we were up early to check out of the hostel and spend our last few hours exploring some more. We found a windmill, perfect for a photo op, on the edge of the city’s walls. Before getting our last waffle of the trip and stopping to pick up a piece of lace and some pastries for the ride home, we decided to climb the bell tower. I must have a thing for climbing to the highest points of the city to get the best view; I have done it in London quite a bit. So after three hundred some odd steps and breaks to see in the inner workings of the clock and bell system, we were at the top looking out upon the other two tallest buildings of Brugge. Along the rail, there were mileage, or maybe kilometer-age, to other major cities, London included, our home away from home. Saying goodbye to Belgium and hello to the bus we became all to sick of, we were thankful for an enjoyable weekend in a country whose official languages isn’t English, but both Dutch and French. Thankfully, English is widely spoken making my first trip to continental Europe a success!

Since I’ve been back in London I’ve managed to catch an awful stomach bug. Thankfully, it only lasted for 24 hours and was nothing in comparison to the norovirus’s reign of terror last January. Being sick at Stonehill is no fun, let alone across the Atlantic. Today, I’ve been feeling much better seeing that yesterday I slept pretty much the entire day and then another 12 hours at night. Hopefully, I’ve kicked it from my system and it will be the only time I get sick this semester.