CUA Takes Belgium: Exploring my host country

In the 4 weekends I have spent in Europe, I have spent only two of those in my host country of Belgium. I went to Paris and Amsterdam the other two weekends. While both countries were incredible, I realized I needed to take advantage of all the beauty and culture Belgium has to offer. I found myself missing my quaint little town of Leuven while I was away and I have barely explored major cities in Belgium. In this short time Leuven has become my home and I can't imagine spending my time abroad anywhere else.

This past week, by some miracle, I had an entire day off. My classmates all went to work at the Parliament so I was alone at the Irish Institute. It was a beautiful day so I decided to explore Leuven and do some shopping. Although small, Leuven is filled with culture and hidden gems. I found canals, a fantastic chocolate shop, and loads of new places to eat.

On Friday we went to Brussels for the night. Although we go to Brussels twice a week for our internships, no one had really set out to see all the city had to offer. Part of being abroad is trying new things and food is definitely new and different in Belgium. With the Superbowl being last Sunday we were all in the mood for wings and we found this African restaurant that served wings. Instead of getting wings, fries and hoagies, we ordered wings, samosas, falafel, and tons of other authentic African cuisine. The wings did not come slathered in hot sauce and served with celery, but seasoned with dry rub and served with a ridiculously spicy chili sauce. After, we went to the bar Delirium where they offer hundreds of different Belgian beers. Some beers have up to a 14% alcohol rate, where as most American beers are only 3-5%!

Finally, on Sunday we went to Antwerp. We went to an immigration museum, explored the city's cathedral, took some photos with a statue, and visited a castle on the water front. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. Antwerp offers the classic Belgian foods of waffles, beer, chocolate and fries on nearly every corner, and we of course sampled all of them. Taking day trips is honestly something I prefer to spending an entire weekend away. I saw two new cities this weekend and I was able to come home to my own bed every night and not have to worry about paying for a hostel or a B&B. I plan on seeing the Belgian cities of Bruge and Ghent soon and definitely heading back to Antwerp for the day.