Visiting Many Places Before Home



     It has been a long time since I have updated my blog. I have traveled to Ghent, Amsterdam for a second time, and Barcelona. So many things have happened since last time I posted. Ghent was great even though a lady chased me out of Subway yelling fifty cents and threatening to call the police on me and Dan after we ranwithout paying for the bathroom.  Other than that, Ghent was a beautiful city even in the rain (typical Belgium). 

     Amsterdam was great this time around!  I saw painitings by Vincent Van Gogh and Vermeer.  It was amazing to see his works up close because photographs don't do them justice.  I am glad that I had the opportunity to see more of the good side of Amsterdam to balance out the drugs, prostitutes, and pornography. 

 

     Barcelona was my favorite city to visit so far!  It was 22 degrees celsius so I drank a Coronita (Spanish Corona) on the beach.  Tambien, Yo tuve la oportunidad a practicar mi español.  Yo aprendí un poco catalán tambien.  It was great. to see such beautiful architecture especially La Sagrada Familia.  I really want to back to Spain!

 

      Now, I should get back to packing since I'm going home to NY for Christmas break.  Dag; Tot Straks. 

 

Tale of Two Cities

     It has been a while since I last updated my blog but I want to talk about   my experience in two cities of the Netherlands: Rotterdam and Amsterdam.  I was really excited for Rotterdam; it had such an interesting history even though the buildings were very modern.  This was because the Nazis bombed the city during World War II.  I thought that the modern building structures were peculiar but many people apparently like them.

     Some of the structures were beautiful, the older ones at least.  The view of the bridge was also one of my favorite experiences.  I found out that one of my favorite historical characters, Erasmus, only because he was friends with St. Thomas More, was from there.  I'm pretty sure they named everything in the city after him, whether it be streets or buildings.  His statue was in the center of the city.    

     Amsterdam was a completely different world.  It was very liberal--a little bit too much.  I was happy I went there to see the history.  For example, I went to the Anne Frank House, where I was moved because I had read the majority of her diary.  Now, I really want to finish the book.  Also, I went to a museum where Catholics used to have Mass in an attic in secret during the persecution by the Protestants.  Overall, I was not a fan of the drugs, prostitutes, and the red light district.  However, I was glad that I had the opportunity to see all of the great history in this city and the magnificent canals.

 

Update

     It has been an interesting week.... September 24th marked the beginning of the academic year with a ceremony and Mass.  It was amazing to see the professors parade through the streets of Leuven to the Church in the center of the city.  The Mass was also beautiful; there was such cultural diversity and it was in about 6 languages.  I guess it is about time I get used to the fact that everyone does not always speak English.

     That brings me to Dutch.  Things are finally looking up for me in Dutch class!  I received a B+ on my midterm exam, which I thought I was going to fail or do horribly on.  Studying and practicing has definitely paid off.  Nederlands is niet moeilijk, natuurlijk.  My other classes have already started and I finally have to begin some sort of routine to get things done.  I missed my first day of Medieval Philsophy because I did not read the 24 hour clock format correctly...how stupid am I.  I was looking forward to that class too because I absolutely love medieval philosophy!  Oh well, I will get it right this week.  Anyway, I recently took a trip to Brugge where I was able to  explore more of the beautiful country of Belgium.   I even went to the Church where the relics of the Blood of Christ are and kissed them.  That was definitely something I wanted to do my entire life so I can cross that off my bucket list.
     Brugge is perhaps one of my favorite cities so far.  I felt as if I returned to the medieval ages where Christianity was most evident in Europe.  I really want to go back there someday but it is time to explore other places in Europe.  

 
     

Ik Spreek Een Beetje Nederlands

     It has been a while since I have last updated my blog so I thought that I would take some time to do so.  My roommates finally moved in!  They are a really good group of guys-one is from Hungary and the other is from Japan.  Needless to say, that is really awesome!
     In the past week, I also started taking an intensive course in Dutch, which I find difficult.  However, I find all languages hard to learn.  I have my midterm exam on Monday so I guess that means studying will consume the majority of my time these next two days.  It sure has been great to practice in the public square because unlike in high school and my Spanish courses at Loyola, I am no longer restricted to just learning a foreign language in a classroom.  This entire country, specifically Leuven is my new classroom.  The Belgians are different than Americans but yet, they are so similar.  It is something of a paradox for me: how we can be so different but yet, it becomes more obvious that both American and Belgians share much in common.  This past week has also been a big adjustment for me in a number of ways in terms of the ordinary day-to-day.
     In Belgium, people bike or walk everywhere.  There is no such thing as the subway in Leuven and most people do not drive.  I decided to get a bike and now, I ride it everywhere, whether that be the supermarket, class, or the old market.  It has certainly been interesting for me, that is, the biking across town.  There have been times where I almost crashed into a mother and her child, almost got hit by a car, practically fell off my bike, and rode on the wrong part of the road.  Thank God things are getting better for me as I learn to ride on these cobblestone streets and share roads with cars and trucks.

France!

Cathedral of Notre Dame

It has been about a week since I arrived in Leuven.  It is quite funny that I was only in Leuven for a few days before I left for France for a week. France is a beautiful country filled with so much history, magnificent churches, great food, and nice people despite the stereotypes that I have previously heard.  I saw one of the most important churches in Christendom, Notre Dame, and it was absolutely amazing.

The Slaves by Michelangelo

I visited museums like the Louvre and an impressionism museum.  I still cannot believe that I actually saw the works of Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo among others.  I even saw two paintings of my favorite Saint, Thomas Aquinas!  How beautiful!  Then I met this really nice group of French people at a night club and it turns out that one of them started a company which promotes his father's art.  How awesome and yet, it is so French! I then had the opportunity to visit an abbey isolated on an island called Mont-Saint Michel .  I never have seen such a beautiful place before; it was so peaceful to be there in the cloister and literally be on top of the mountain being closer to God.  I saw a magnificent tapestry in Bayeaux, France depicting the battle of Harold and William the Conqueror to claim England.  Finally, I had the opportunity to see Normandy and the beaches where the Americans stormed the Nazi fortress on DDay.  Seeing the cemetery allowed me to reflect on the lives lost on this day back in 1944.  So many people died securing our freedom and protecting us from the Nazi regime.  I was definitely very proud to be an American at that moment.

Me on Omaha Beach in Normandy

I arrived back in Leuven late last night and I have so much to do!  I still need to buy a phone, go food shopping, buy a notebook for this Dutch class I start taking next week.  I love Europe so far and I cannot wait to see what else will happen.  For now, I need to get ready for the day but I will update you all soon.

“Lord, make me see thy glory in every place.” -Michelangelo 

Pre-Departure

     I have decided to start this blog to keep track of my experiences in Europe.  As for now, I only have a few days left until I depart for Belgium.  I have so much packing to do!  I started to pack already but cannot seem to find the motivation to finish.  I would much rather sit here and watch the Titanic, by the way, one of the greatest movies ever.  I did not realize packing would be this difficult.  I guess that it makes sense though because I have to pack enough clothes for a year.

     This year is definitely going to be one that is life changing for me.  I am really excited to see what God has in store for me.  It will certainly be different but nevertheless, it will be something I will never forget.  In the words of St. Augustine: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”  Now back to packing.  I will update soon.