The Travel Club

Home sweet home!  After 5 days of traveling throughout Belgium and France it is very nice to be back in Maastricht, but the experiences I had on our trip were irreplaceable. 

A surprisingly comfortable travel bus picked up my European Study Abroad group of 52 on Friday at 6:45 am and we swiftly crossed the border into Belgium.  Since we don't go through a physical border when we cross into Belgium, the only way to tell that we have entered a new country is to look at the license plates on the cars and listen to the languages.
Our first stop was the city of Brussels to visit the European Parliament.  The entire area around the EU office is so official looking and everyone seems like they are on an important task.  In our business casual dress, we shuffled around the big buildings and learned more about the European Parliament.  We got to spend some time in the EU Commission room where discussions are held with the commissioners as well as with the public.   It was very interesting to see the screens where the discussions are translated into all languages and projected for all to read.

Welcome to the European Union

Flags of every country in the European Union

A pleasant city tour gave us time to see the infamous statue, 'Mannekan Pis' and sample some authentic Belgian chocolate and Belgian Frites (fries).  The Grand Court of Belgium is so spectacular and encompasses the entire main square with towering buildings with incredible architecture.  The architecture of the buildings is like nothing I have ever seen and definitely adds to my list of favorite places in Europe.  Later on, we made our way to the epic Delirium Cafe...where they boast having over 2000 types of beer.  I indulged in a Floris Peach beer as well as a raspberry beer and a classic Delirium brew, but my favorite of the night was the peach beer.  So different than anything I have tasted before!  The bar was decorated in all the beer names and had a merry Belgian drinking vibe.  I will definitely be making my way back to Brussels soon, especially since it is only about 45 minutes away from Maastricht!

 

 

The Main Court.  Picture this covering the entire main square.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheeky Mannekan Pis.

 

 

Brussels!!

The infamous Delirium Cafe. 

Onward to Brugges Belgium!  On our way out of Brussels we passed the grand Atonium structure, which was built for the 1958 World Expo.  The rain began to pour as we walked around Brugges, but it added to the quaint feel of the small town.  On our city tour we passed a countless churches, hospitals, and enjoyed the mazes of canals that flow throughout the town.  Brugges definitely proved to us why it keeps the name 'Venice of the North'!  We also enjoyed a tour of a local brewery and got to see how Belgian beer has been made for over 100 years. 

The Atonium.

The canals are everywhere!

On our canal tour

Our reward for walking all day :)

On the roof of the brewery, overlooking the town.

Paris, Paris, Paris.
This city of love and lights never ceases to amaze me.  I was fortunate enough to have been to Paris once before with my mom and dad and this trip, I was able to see different parts of the city and of course, revisit my favorite sights!  The first day in France, we traveled out to the Chateau of Versailles.  The palace of King Louis XIV was originally built in the French countryside as a hunting lodge, but today the 2000 acre property is enjoyed by tourists like me!  I have never seen anything so large and so grand in my life.  The tour of the palace showed us countless grand rooms lined with gold, crystal, paintings, and tapestries.  I couldn't help but wonder how much more of the palace there was that the tourists never get to see...

The Hall of Mirrors

The Palace

We ventured outside into the Gardens of Versailles which were equally as grand as the palace.  There are roughly 230 acres of gardens on the chateau property and every inch is groomed to perfection.  We walked out far into the gardens to find a smaller palace where the Kings' mistresses would reside as well as Marie Antionettes fairytale home where she would escape the drama of the royals.  Walking through the gardens made me feel like royalty especially since the fountains were running and classical music was softly filling the hedges.   The Palace of Versailles is definitely one of the most grand structures in the world and still leaves me speechless when I think about it.

Molly, Jillian, and I enjoying the gardens.

There are many happy bees in these gardens.

There is something new around every corner in the gardens!

After a long day of walking in Versailles, we traveled back to the city where we got to see the Eiffel Tower from a unique perspective.  The Eiffel Tower seems to have something magic about it that never makes it seem redundant, no matter how many times you see it.  Our hotel was in a rough part of the city and we were all a bit nervous about using the metro late at night, so we decided to do something a little different.  Our Maastricht University tour guide brought us to the Sacre Coeur Basilica, also known as the Sacred Heart Church to enjoy a unique night overlooking the city.  The church is located high on a hill that overlooks the entire city and gives a great view of Notre Dame at night.  The steps in front of the church were filled with locals sipping on wine and beer, casually enjoying the night.  We bought some cheap wine (the 'cheap' wine in France is much better than what we are used to in the United States) and watched the city of lights come alive. 

The Travel Club

J'adore Paris

Sacre Coeur overlooking the city.

 

Paris Day 2!!  I began the day with a lovely, but brisk walk through the Lourve.  I really enjoyed the museum for the first time, but I prefer to really take the time to appreciate a piece of art, and with all the people ushered into the Lourve, it is difficult to spend more than a minute at the work.  On the other hand, I can now proudly say that I have seen the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Tomb of Ramses III.  I got a little lost trying to find Vermeer's piece 'The Lace Maker', but had an overall breezy tour of the largest museum in the world.  Midday, I ventured along the Seine toward The Pompidou, Paris's modern art museum.  The most interesting part of this museum, is that it is constructed in an exoskeleton form, where the piping and structure of the building is on the outside.  Being the Dutch residents that we are, we got in free to the museum, and enjoyed the view from the top.  A few metro stops later, and I found myself in the Gardens of Luxembourg.  They were very beautiful and had a true Parisian elegance to them.  To end my last day in Paris, we went on a boat tour of the Seine River at night.  It was exceptional to see the Eiffel Tower at night and to view the sights of the city from a different perspective.  At ten o'clock exactly, our faces light up with the epic light show upon the Eiffel Tower...a fabulous end to a day in Paris.

An attempted self portrait at the Lourve.

The unique Pomidou Modern Art Museum.

Resting our feet in the Gardens of Luxembourg.

Ten O'clock.  Sharp.

A stunning view of Paris.  Notice the Eiffel Tower in the distance!

Notre Dame from the Seine.

If I can handle the DU light rail, I can handle the Paris Metro.

An early morning bus ride brought us to the town of Reims, France, the champagne region of the world.  Here, we took a tour of the Pommery Champagne house and I learned that no where else in the world can boast the name Champagne, unless it is in the Reims region.  If the drink is made somewhere else, it should be called 'sparkling wine'.  At 10:30 am, we were welcomed to the town with a bubbly toast of Pommery Champagne.  In the center of town, we looked around the Notre Dame Cathedral of Reims, which is extremely grand and equally as breathtaking as the Cathedral in Paris.  The stained glass was glistening as the sun streamed through the tall windows, and I was able to enjoy the church without all of the tourists. 

Backside of the Notre Dame Cathedral, Reims.

Simply breathtaking.

I love that there are no tourists in this church!

My study trip came to a quick end, but I am glad to be back in Maastricht.  I have been exploring more on my bike and becoming more familiar with the local customs.  I start class on Tuesday and am so anxious to see what classes will be like in the Netherlands!  Wish me luck on my first day of class!!