Flanders Field

Flanders Field was very interesting, we visited a bunch of memorials, cemeteries, and trenches from World War I. It was one of those crazy Belgian days where it flip flops back and forth between pouring rain and wind to blue sunny skies, though the bitter cold is felt in both types of weather. Supposedly the farmers almanac says this winter will be the coldest and longest of the millennium in Europe, fabulous haha. We had a really fun day though; normally on our trips it is just the Loyola students, but today all of the internationals living in our house came with us so it was good bonding.

Unit Dinner

Last night we had the opportunity to go as a unit to our professors house for dinner. The house I live in is broken into six different units, mine is the smallest, and has the most Belgians which is really great. We had fajitas, it was really nice to have a home cooked meal!

Lanzarote, Spain

Wow. I am just looking through my pictures and can't believe I actually just spent four days on an island in Spain. I was privileged enough to get the grand tour, experience the food, and even relax on the beach. In addition to the awe of riding up the side of a volcano on a camel, i got to see a geyser spray into the air, a grill where food is cooked from the heat of the lava beneath the volcano, a boiling pot where the volcano heat boils the water in a cove, lava beaches, and a green sulfur lake. I was lucky enough to go banana boating, slide on a boat in the middle of the crystal clear water, and jump off a little cliff into the water.











The food was phenomenal, we had tapas one night which allowed my palate to just have a taste of everything, it is smaller portions then appetizers but of so many different things. I got to go to a winery where the grapes are grown in the ash left from the lava which was delicious and very interesting. I feel like I could go on and on about everything I did and saw. But, I will leave it at this was one of the most amazing weekends I have ever had. Flying home I got goosebumps looking down at these huge ranges of volcanos and thinking i was on top of them exploring. The opportunities here continue to amaze me and the sights continue to be one more beautiful then the next

Oostende

Me, Maggie, Corey, and her spanish roommate Rosa went to the Belgian Coast this weekend to a town called Oostende. It was really beautiful, we spent time walking around one of the parks, shopping, having coffee. It was the perfect weekend to spend a day near the water because it was not the typical rainy, grey Belgian weather, but seventy and sunny.

We also took a tour of the Mercator, which was a three masted ship, kind of like the Eagle which Mick sailed on in the past but smaller. It was neat to tour and explore that as well. It was only an 1.5 train ride. Definitely somewhere I would go back too.

Ethiopian Experience

Salem, one of the Loyola students studying abroad with me is Ethiopian and found an Ethiopian restaurant in Leuven that 15 of us went out to eat at this weekend. It was delicious! I won't lie, I was apprehensive when she was describing it to us, but it was such an experience. You eat everything with your hands and roll the meat and vegetables up in these little crepe/quesadilla like rolls. The only word I can use to describe it is flavorful. You all should try it at least once, I plan to go back!

Bouillon

Bouillon was very beautiful and full of autumn foliage. We took a tour of the castle and citadel, had the ever famous french fries with Mayonnaise, and watched a lovely bird show.

I was chosen to have the bird land on my head and feed it which was both thrilling and terrifying haha. It was a rather rainy and foggy day, but it was definitely nice to travel back to the french portion of Belgium for the day. I love that in 2 hours I can travel "cross country"... only in Belgium