WEEK 11: Brussels - City of Chocolate, Waffles, French Fries and Beer

Brussels, you were good to me.

The city known for waffles, chocolate, French fries and beer...and wow did we embrace that. Angie and I had planned Brussels back in January and really had not done any researching. We went into Brussels with a couple suggestions from friends and were pretty much open to seeing and doing anything. We flew in on Thursday night pretty late and after getting to the airport, we were ready to head to the hotel. The last train had already left for the night, so we hopped in a taxi and told our driver our hotel in the City Center. "You know that's not a good area," our taxi driver says. Wait what? "It's where the prostitutes are at night. With the red lights." A red light district? In Brussels? Angie and I looked at each other...very confused and as we approached our hotel, our driver pointed to the street behind it where there were windows with red and blue lights and girls posted up in the windows. How did we miss this when looking at the reviews for our hotel? Dear God. We contemplated switching hotels but knew that we wouldn't spend much time there and it would probably end up being a waste of money. It was a sketchy area though and definitely would not suggest getting a hotel there hahaha.

On Friday, we had plans to meet up with our friend Trevor from high school who is studying in Maastricht, a city in the Netherlands about an hour and a half train ride away. We slept in a little bit and ended up meeting him at Delirium Cafe around 11am. If you haven't heard of Delirium, it's a bar with over 3,000 beers, the most anywhere in the world. We caught up for a little bit until Angie and I decided to get Mango and Banana(!!!) beers which were so good and pretty strong. We had a quick bite to eat at a cafe and then Trevor showed us literally all of Brussels. We had waffles at Le Funambule and it was probably the best thing I've ever tasted....topped with bananas, chocolate and whipped cream...all of my favorite three things combined together on a waffle. We saw the Grand Palace, Manneken Pis, Cinquantenaire, the Royal Palace, the Town Hall and so much more. We definitely would not have been able to see all we did or known where to go without his help so it was so fun to hang out and catch up and hear about his study abroad experience. He left around 4pm to catch a train back and Angie and I walked around some of the shops a little bit before heading to Delirium because we heard that it gets really busy early. We ended up hanging out there for 3 1/2 hours....drinking the famous Tremens beer, meeting Italians in town for a wedding and hanging out before going to dinner at place called Hemgie's that had gourmet burgers and craft beers. After dinner, we went out to a couple bars in the area before calling it a night.

Saturday, we had plans to visit Bruges. Everyone person we told that we were going to Brussels insisted that we go to Bruges for a day. It was about an hour and fifteen minute train ride away, which was really easy. We had no expectations or plans at all so once we arrived, we followed the mass of people walking towards the town. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch because we needed to have french fries and we were STARVING. The restaurant had Wi-fi (Thank God) and we looked up different sites in Bruges that we wanted to see and map our directions while we had internet. We ended up going to the Frietmuseum (french fries) and Choco Story...a museum all about chocolate. We got chocolate to taste at the beginning of the museum, chocolate to take with us, and a hazelnut filled chocolate to try after they showed us a demo of how to fill chocolate. It was awesome. Apparently the type of chocolate that I should like best is Venezuelan chocolate after taking a quick test based on my preferences. We walked around some more, saw a couple churches, went into some shops, and eventually settled on stopping into a chocolate shop to purchase some because....when in Belgium, you need Belgian chocolate to bring back. They had everything from dark chocolate hazelnut to milk chocolate with pistachios and even had these chocolate blocks with spoons stuck inside them and they gave you hot milk for you to then stir the chocolate in for hot chocolate. We left stocked and headed to a bar in the area with live music before heading back to Brussels. We got back and headed straight to the City Center to see the different building with the lights at night and it was beautiful. We had waffles (again) and then went to a local pub to hang out after having a long, exhausting day.

We came back early Sunday morning to sleep, get homework done, do laundry and rest before El Clasico - the soccer match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. People in Spain go crazy over this game. It started at 9pm and we thought getting to a bar at 7pm would be fine.....no, it wasn't. Everywhere was PACKED. We ended up finding a place and having a good time and FCB won! So it was a good night. I'm just exhausted and have a pretty busy week finishing up things before Spring Break next week. I cannot believe it's already Spring Break. It's going wayyyyyyyyy too fast. I don't want to come home.

WEEK 10: Dublin - The Good and The Green

St. Patty's Day Weekend in Dublin. 

A weekend filled with beer, lots of green, and a bunch of Americans.

The beer. It's everywhere and it's good. Immediately after getting in on Thursday, we went to the Guinness beer factory tour which was actually really fun + you get free Guinness! I had tried Guinness before but wasn't sure if I actually liked it or not. I thought it tasted like a combination of chocolate and coffee and beer...I mean I like all three but not mixed together. Well, when I tried it again at the tour, I really liked it. It's definitely not something that I want everyday, but it's nice for sipping on and having on occasion. At the top of the Guinness building, there is basically an observation deck with a big bar that you can see the city from which was really cool. This weekend I also tried a Doolin beer which is a red ale lighter than a Guinness but still heavier than a blonde. I love beer. On Saturday we slept in (much needed), had brunch and got festive. Sarah, Angie and I bought green spray paint because why not? and spray painted the tips of our hair green to get into the St. Patty's day mood. We went over to our friends' airBnB and got ready before heading to this Irish Beer and Whiskey festival where there were stands filled with different types of beer (some dyed green!) and whiskey tastings. There were also different food vendors and people just hanging out. We met up with some people from TCU who were also there before going to a bar with some of our friends from Barcelona. 

The green. Early morning on Friday, we decided to do the Cliffs of Moher tour which involved an 8am departure and a 9:30pm return, but was so worth it. You can only sit at Irish pubs, drink, and eat for so long. So we decided to sign up for the tour to see another part of Ireland while we were here rather than just stay in Dublin the entire weekend. We made various stops along the way, seeing various castles, the baby cliffs and more of the countryside. It was beautiful. When we finally got to the actual cliffs, we were given an hour and a half to take pictures and walk around. There's something about nature that is absolutely breathtaking. I always love seeing famous monuments and architecture, but the Cliffs of Moher were really something else. Although it was a long day, we did have Wifi on the bus and a tour guide who made the ride back entertaining playing Backstreet Boys and joking around. 

The Americans. I'm pretty sure every single study abroad student was in Dublin this weekend. On our flight from Barcelona, there was actually one family. Even though there were so many Americans there, I didn't think it was overwhelming. Being able to hang out with friends from TCU who are studying in London and Florence as well as friends from Barcelona through my program was probably the best part about this trip and being in Dublin meshing your friends from college with friends that you have met while being abroad. A city can be so fun, but the people who you are with is what really makes it too. This was definitely one of my favorite weekends because I was able to see the city of Dublin, hang out with so many people and see a part of Ireland that I will probably never go to again.

I have a pretty busy week ahead...a couple of projects and a paper due before Spring Break. The fact that Spring Break is in two weeks is actually crazy. Ang and I are headed to Brussels this upcoming weekend. I'm excited for chocolate and waffles and more beer! See ya next week

WEEK 9: Barca with the Best

Barca, I love you more and more every day. 

This weekend made me realize even more how much I love studying in Barcelona and the fact that I have only two months left here and basically only two weekends left actually in Barcelona because of traveling. Also, having my best friends here made this weekend so much fun..just being able to show them the city and the places we love. 

On Thursday Annie, Snewt, and Emma arrived around 3pm and right when they got in, we headed to one of our favorite places Flax & Kale for lunch. We wanted to keep it light because it was already late, so Annie and I split the salmon sashimi toast and tacos which were both amazing. Because they are studying in London, they don't have to deal with the language barrier so it was funny seeing them try to order in Spanish or ask for certain things (aka Wifi). They were also shocked at how SLOWWWWW the service was. Literally everywhere we went, the service was terrible this weekend because it's just the Spanish way of life. We are pretty used to it by now, but it can still be frustrating. I always tell Liz that I want to make a statement and leave a bad tip but you don't tip in Spain...so you can't even express how bad the service is. We then took them to our school so they could print out their Abroad Fest tickets and then we walked along Passeig de Gracia showing them the different shopping before heading to our airBnB. Because we live in an apartment through our school in Barcelona, our RA did not want us having guests so we rented an airBnB for the weekend so that we could all stay together. I know, paying to stay in our own city...absurd. We got them metro cards and then went to Gracia, bought a bottle of wine, and sat out on our balcony during the sunset just catching up and relaxing before getting ready for the night.

Because we wanted to show them traditional tapas, we went to Tapas 24 for dinner and it was PACKED. A Thursday night at 9:00pm and there was probably a 45 minute wait. It was crazy. I thought we were on the earlier side but apparently not. We met up with one of Annie's best friends from home who is studying in Barcelona and her roommates here. While waiting in line, we got a pitcher of sangria (the best) and talked which made the time fly by. We ordered the traditional patatas bravas, bread with tomato and olive oil, korean beef lettuce wraps, croquettes, lamb kebabs, bikinis (jamon & queso). We then took the metro to Ovella Negra, a huge bar where literally every college kid visiting went before the festivals were going on later that night. It kind of looks like a huge beer hall and there are wooden tables everywhere and people order jugs of beer and sangria. We hung out there for a few hours and we were able to introduce Annie and Snewt to a bunch of our friends from studying abroad. Literally everyone's friends were in town this weekend so it was fun meeting so many different people who are studying in Florence, Madrid, Rome, Dublin, London and others. From there we went to Razzmatazz, a huge venue where Abroad Fest was that night. 

On Friday, we slept in til about 11am before forcing ourselves up to "seize the day". We wanted to try a new brunch place and I had seen Federal Cafe all over the different Barcelona food Instagrams and had been dying to try it. It definitely lived up to the hype. I ordered two fried eggs with pesto and it was amazing. I also had a soy milk cappuccino (I'm obsessed). It was such a beautiful day so we sat there for a while (mostly because the service was slow) before heading out to explore. We wanted to show them the beach because 1) it was so nice out and 2) London is a little landlocked. We walked all the way down to the beach and hung out there for awhile along the boardwalk. We then walked along the beach and stopped at Surfhouse where Liz and I went a few weeks ago to get drinks. I love that place. We then walked back up Las Ramblas to show them the Boqueria and the Gothic Quarter area before heading back to Gracia. 

On Saturday we went to breakfast at The Juice House which was good but not great. I get so annoyed when a waiter doesn't write down your order and just tries to memorize it. Like I don't care if you have a pen and paper to write down my order...I just want it to be right. Of course, a couple things were messed up but I've learned in Barcelona just not to say anything and accept it. We then went to Placa de Espana which shows an amazing overview of the city. The girls loved it. Liz and I went here our first week in Barcelona and I have also mentioned how I like running in this area. We took a ton of pictures and walked all around before showing them our apartment. Throughout the weekend, Liz had been talking to someone we met in Cadiz who was also in town. He and his friends rented a yacht for the weekend and asked us if we wanted to hangout for the afternoon so we decided to spontaneously go and it was so much fun. Being on the water during the sunset is amazing especially with the weather getting really nice. Once it started getting a little later, we decided to get dinner at NAP, one of our favorite pizza places. And again, it was amazing.

It was such a fast weekend but I feel like we fit so much into it which I am happy about. Being able to show my friends our favorite places was my favorite part about the weekend. After seeI can't believe that we are already going to see them in a few days in Dublin for St. Patrick's Day weekend. Everyone and their mom is going to be there. I'm pumpedddddddddd.

Check out the EATS, DRINKS, & FINDS pages! Updated pictures for ya

WEEK 8: Oui Oui I love Paris

Paris, I absolutely fell in love with you. 

When starting my study abroad journey, I knew there was a list of places that I definitely wanted to see and Paris was always high on my list. My parents and brother had visited three years ago and only raved about it. From other people, I had heard totally mixed reviews. The French are mean. Paris is expensive. There are way too many tourists. Well this weekend proved all of that wrong and I can honestly say that Paris has been my favorite city that I have visited so far. 

heyooo Eiffel Tower

This weekend I travelled with Laine and Mary - two girls I met through my program who go to Penn State. We left early Friday morning. Like 6:30am flight early. We flew into Beauvais (never again) and took a bus into the city where we figured out the metro to our airBnB. Their metro system rocks. We met Sylvain, our host, who showed us our place and then we were off to explore really not having a plan or expectations for the weekend. We decided to first go to the Arc de Triomphe which is at the very end of Champs Elysses - the famous street known for restaurants and high-end shopping. We picked a place to eat and realized the name of it was literally "The Place to Eat". Are you kidding me? With a name like that, we weren't expecting much but ended up all ordering bagels with cream cheese and roasted veggies with French fries...surprising so good. We then went to the Arc which was massive. We got in free with our student visas (such a perk) and climbed to the top where we saw incredible views of the city from all directions. After taking a few pictures, we headed back down and walked the street where we saw the famous multi-story Louis Vuitton store, the garden Abercrombie & Fitch store with 16 year old models posing and stopped into Laduree for macaroons and coffee. The chocolate banana one one. Two of my favorite things sandwiched into one double decker macaroon. Ugh, amazing. We then walked about twenty minutes to the Eiffel Tower and took pictures in the park right behind it. It was a beautiful day out and the area around it was so quaint and pleasant. We then headed to a sushi place for dinner (I know..why in France I'm not sure) which was surprisingly pretty good and went out in the Bastille area that night which has strips of bars and restaurants. Laine became best friends with the bartender Hugo while Mary and I met random French guys who bought us beer and called us "rich bitches". No clue why.

Champs Elysses

Sylvain provided breakfast with us the next morning and for some reason we said we wanted it at 9am....so we got up, ate breakfast and headed straight to bed to catch up on sleep before starting Day 2. After showering and finally getting our act together a little after 1pm, we set out to a crepe place my roommate in Barcelona, Miranda, recommended. And. It. Was. Amazing. I'm not one for savory crepes especially after having a scarring experience in Austin, TX last year, but I ordered a crepe with prosciutto, arugula, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil vinaigrette and it was the best thing I've ever eaten. After, we split a chocolate/banana/ice cream/whipped cream crepe...unreal. Pretty sure I'm in love with crepes. We then wanted to go to this shopping area called Le Marais and on the walk there, accidentally ran into the Notre Dame cathedral which was massive. Then, we looked across the water and happened to spot the Love Lock Bridge. The fact that we just accidentally saw them when we weren't even planning on it was pretty convenient and we knocked out two birds with one stone. We had to be touristy so we bought a lock and all initialed it with the date and locked it on, making our mark in Paris. There are actually two bridges now with locks because the first one was getting so heavy that they started boarding it up. We shopped, walked, and talked our way through the afternoon before stopping at a place in the Bastille area called Iguana Bar for happy hour drinks and wifi. After staying there a few hours, we decided to find a place for dinner. Well we walked down two streets and then headed straight back to Iguana Bar for dinner, more drinks and free shots courtesy of our new French friend James. We went out later in the same area and met some other kids who are studying in Barcelona. The night ended with us walking out into the pouring rain and desperately finding a McDonalds before waiting to hail a cab for 15 minutes.

Love Lock Bridge 

Sunday our plan was to see the Louvre solely for the Mona Lisa. We had heard from everyone that it was a let down because it was so small and you had to stand really far away. Plus the Louvre was free on Sundays. Well, we got there at 11am and I have never seen a more ridiculous line in my entire life. I expected a long line but nothing like this. There were thousands of people. Literally, the line never ended. We finally made it to the back and found out it was a three hour wait and decided it wasn't worth it. I know I'll be back to Paris, so we were all willing to skip out this time. We ended up going to a falafel place that Mary's friend recommended and it was the best pita I have ever had. Not kidding, Paris has the best food ever. (Do I say that about every city?) We walked around and then took the metro way North to see Montmartre which has an amazing view of the city and a huge church and cemetery that are both beautiful. Eventually we headed back, packed up and went to the airport. I definitely was not ready to leave. Everyone was so friendly and willing to help us with directions or whenever we had questions and the architecture on every single building is so intricate. The other girls and I agree that we definitely lucked out on weather and were busy the whole time in a good way. You can go to any part of the city and see something new and it doesn't feel overwhelmingly big at all. This weekend was definitely needed and I'm not ready to go back to school at all.

Snewt and Annie are visiting Barca this upcoming weekend!!!!!!!!