Belgium

The trip to Belgium was a great way to break up my extensive summer holiday break in Denmark. I was there from the 17th of July until the 1st of August.

I took a train to Hamburg, spent the night in the airport, caught a plane to Geneva in the morning and then finally a plane to Brussels, adding up to a total travel time of 18 hours. I was greeted my Claude and Brenda at the airport, and we went straight to their house in Brussels. I felt like an adopted grandson the whole time I was there! They treated me to many little trips around the country to various tourist spots, allowing me to soak up the atmosphere in the land.

First was the Atomium, Belgiums slightly strange answer to Paris' Eiffel Tower. It was built for the World Expo of 1958, and was thus celebrating its 50th anniversary.


We also saw underground caves in the south, went to a reconstructed Gaul village, saw Brussels on Belgiums national day, went to Waterloo, and I was treated to an extensive study of Claudes well-stocked Belgian beer collection.

A village in the south:


Gaul Village:


Claude and Brenda:


Waterloo:




Brussels on Belgium's national day:






mmm, chocolate!


After my time there, I caught a train to St Niklaas in the Flemish speaking area of Belgium to meet with Soetkin, my exchange student friend from Silkeborg Gymnasium who is now at home. I had an absolute ball of a time there! We went to jazz festivals, gyspy festivals, explored the hip city of Antwerp, wandered the romantic/touristy streets of Bruges, went to a beer factory in Brussels, ate way too many waffles, chocolates and icecreams, met with her friends and generally enjoyed ourselves well. Her family were very sweet and welcoming to me which made the stay very "hyggeligt".

Castle in Antwerp:


Antwerp Station:


Beer brewery in Brussels:


Pawell, Soetkin's brother, in brewery:


Centre of Antwerp:


Bruges:


Bruges:




woman making lace in Bruges:


One of many concerts attended:


I'm back safe and sound in Denmark again now. I was shocked to see at the baggage checkin in Brussels that my baggage weighed 20.8 kilos, as I had left most things in Denmark! It's going to be tricky to convince baggage handlers in January that I need to take 60 kilo's home with no extra charge please? Although, the situation wasn't helped by my mass purchase of Belgian beers and chocolate, which probably made up half that weight.

The weather in Europe has been a brilliantly consistant 25-30 degrees for 2 weeks now. The Belgian news was offering warnings for people to not go outside due to the heat! I am loving the warmth, and dreading the cold weather that is inevitably coming back soon. The sun is now setting at about 9, already an hour and a half earlier than it was a month ago. However, I'm far more prepared for it than I was when i had just arrived in Denmark!

Next week I'm going to Skanderborg festival with classmates. 50,000 people are expected to be in attendance over the 5 day festival, with names like Eric Clapton, Franz Ferdinand, Lenny Kravitz, Katie Melua and a bunch of others, both from within Denmark and outside of Denmark.
School's back on the 14th, and some structure and a forced reason to get up before ten am is probably a very good thing for me!

Love to all, Daniel