Business as Usual

With the weather warming, the clouds retreating, and the first signs of spring beginning to appear here in Brussels, I find myself shedding layers of clothes and creeping from the depths of the cave my roommates and I out lasted the winter in.

Since my return from Cologne life has been business as usual. The beginning of the week was host to a test in all of my classes (conveniently enough).

Thursday afternoon, with temperatures reaching upwards in the 60s, my roommates and I decided to put on a good ol southern fashioned BBQ with a charcoal grill that I recently acquired. Grilling steaks, hamburgers, brawts, and chicken over an open flame was a great change of pace from our usual budget meals.

As I write this, I'm sitting under the overhang of our front porch swinging slightly in my Eagle Nest Outfitters hammock. The weather has changed so dramatically (and for the better) over the past 2 weeks that Brussels has taken on an entirely different appeal for me. Shortly put, I find this place much more desirable under a little bit of sun light and warmth.

My family will be arriving within the next week and soon I'll be on my way with them for a whole new array of adventures.

Wishing everyone the best!

All good; all the time,

Thomas

Trinken Wir!

Our second day in Cologne was much like the first. Andrew and I wandered the streets aimlessly just taking it all in.

We did make our way back across to the city to the Dom Cathedral only to find it was yet again in service for a noon mass. We got in the lobby (which was still as large as many churches back home) and managed to get a short look around.

Afterward we headed to a crafts section of the market where I purchased a Bier Stein. Its pretty cool looking and actually wasn't overly expensive either.

Not too long after I found a coin shop and bought a German mark minted in 1934 that would have been used during the 3rd Reich under Hitler. The front shows Hindenburg and the opposite shows the Nazi gold eagle grasping the swastika. Interestingly enough, the merchant told me that Hitler never had any coins minted with a bust of himself. His plan was to win the war and then implement a world currency system with his face on all currency (obviously this never happened) ergo no Hitler coins.

The German people themselves are very American like. They primarily speak German but I have yet to meet a citizen who couldn't string together some basic English sentences. On a whole they are more than happy to help you and answer your questions. They're pretty curious and generally want to know your story and why you're wandering through the Rhineland.

Cologne was a great trip and highly recommended as a weekend destination for any who care to experience some German culture.

I'm currently back in Brussels and preparing for a week of testing and finalizing some plans with my family for Easter Break!

All good; all the time,

Thomas

Cologne, Germany

My bus pulled up at the Cologne bus & train station around 8:00pm Thursday, March 19th. Andrew and I walked less than 2 blocks before we came across a Longhorns Steakhouse, KFC, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonalds, Starbucks, and Wrangler Jeans outlet. We looked at each other, both utterly confused and thinking the same thing, "Are we even in Europe?"

Cologne is the fourth largest city and Germany. Seated directly on the Rhine river, it has significant historical and present value as a major trade city. Founded in 38 B.C. by the Holy Roman Empire, the city has undergone numerous territory changes throughout the ages.

The city's trademark structure and architectural landmark is without a doubt the Dom Catholic Cathedral. The building underwent the beginnings of it's construction in 1284 A.D. but was not fully completed until 1880 A.D. (those dates are correct, feel free to do a double take). Andrew and I first saw it last night on our walk to the hostel from the bus station. It is fully illuminated all day every day giving it a really eerie appeal in the dark of night. We came back first thing this morning and made the 90 something meter climb to the top (which is a narrow spiral staircase aside from 4 flights at the tip top). Situated on the banks of the Rhine river, the view from the top is absolutely incredible. It provides a birds eye view of quite literally the entire city.



The Gothic structure is the seat of the Arch Bishop of Cologne who is currently Cardinal Joachim Meisner. In 1996 the structure was added as a World Heritage Sight and is stop to millions of visitors annually. The structure was hit on 70 different occasions by Allied bombers during World War II. Pilots eventually realized that it was a valuable landmark and towards the conclusion of the war decided to leave it be for navigational purposes.

We arrived at the Cathedral today right as mass was about to begin and we thought it best not to disturb it so we have yet to walk through the grand isles of the Cathedral (the tower ascension is located in an entirely different area of the structure).

After wandering down to the Rhine river itself we headed to a preserved Gestapo Prison Museum. For those of you who don't know, the Gestapo were essentially the secret police of Germany under Hitler in the 3rd Reich. (The German equivalent of the K.G.B.)

It was pretty cool and really made you think about how awful it would have been being locked up in such a place. Most of the literature on the walls was in German so I don't have a ton of information on it. I plan on doing some research on it later and I'll post some of my findings in the coming days.

We walked through the market (new one and old one) just taking it all in. Its hard to imagine this city 60+ years ago following the devastation of World War II. Many of the buildings seem so new and modern when compared to the rest of Europe and we figured this is partly due to the fact that Allied forces essentially leveled the city.

At this point we're craving some food and a Bratwurst feels appropriate.

Check out the rest of the pictures here at my Study Abroad Website.

All good, all the time;

Thomas

Two Months Abroad: A Look Back.....

I remember stepping out of terminal A23 at B.R.U. and the feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and excitement I experienced back on January 8th with my arrival into Belgium. I knew not a lick of French (or Dutch for that matter), no clue how to get to my new residence, and was hence forth on my own in nearly every aspect of the next 5 months as an expat. Was I a bit scared? Let the record state that I was not, but in all reality, I was a tad bit uneasy about the whole experience that lay before me.

So 'where the heck is Thomas McGuire'?

I'm currently cruising at an altitude of 31,000ft, traveling approximately about 650mph while transcribing my thoughts onto the back of a partially shredded Ryanair boarding pass.

I've been to a lot of cool places and I've met a lot of really interesting people.

I am frequently asked, "Hey Thomas, whats you favorite place to visit? Whats the coolest thing you've seen?" And a variety of other similar questions. Its usually pretty hard for me to come up with answer. Not because I don't have an opinion or a preference but just because Europe is so diverse, it makes comparison across borders very difficult. The E.U. is so diverse in quality, culture, architecture, music, tradition, creativity, and innovation that comparing one to another is essentially impossible.

Regardless, as I am a study abroad student and people will always be inherently curious about what I'm up to, I've created a short evaluation of each of the places I've been as well as what I thought.

BRUSSELS

• The Good: Political and business center of Europe. Most culturally diverse place I've ever been. Large variety of people to meet.
• The Bad: Cold enough to make a polar bear dream of warmer climates. Also, if you don't speak Dutch or French, you're S.O.L.

PARIS

• The Good: Parisians have more style and class than anywhere else I've been. The cuisine, if you can afford it, is a sensory overload and the national monuments are a must see.
• The Bad: Parisians are definitely not looking to make friends. If you're not French, they really want nothing to do with you. Also, very very expensive (for everything). Street gypsies out the wazoo.

NETHERLANDS

• The Good: Intensely rich in history and architectural uniqueness. Offers essentially every pastime you could think of (including some you probably don't want to think of). A very laid back gear towards life and the most welcoming society to outsiders as of yet. Heineken factory is a must see!
• The Bad: Things can get a little weird at times. Enough said.

PRAGUE

• The Good: Very old, great food, great prices.
• The Bad: You'll probably spend too much money since everything is so cheap just to indulge.

BRUGGES

• The Good: Town looks like it was frozen in time during the Medieval ages. Great day trip.
• The Bad: Pricy food. I love food and if you charge me too much for it, I'll dock you favor points. Also, once you walk around the town once, you've seen everything (like I said, great Day trip).
  

CANARY ISLANDS

• The Good: Warm. Sun. Sand. = European Paradise
• The Bad: Caters to the elderly, and I mean the elderly elderly. Basically the Florida of Europe. Also, you will be haggled by street vendors once every 5 steps you take. Get used to it.

I currently have plans to travel to Dublin, Venice, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and a return trip to Paris with my family during the Easter Holidays. On top of those destinations, I'm sure I'll visit a few more places before its all said and done, further expanding my horizons.


European Climate

Okay, for any of you that have been following this blog even somewhat less than religiously as I'm sure my mother has, you've no doubt picked up on the slight cynicism I harbor with regards to the European climate.

Essentially I'm just not a fan of -5 degree Celsius temperatures mixed with constant snow/rain/sleet.

I grew up in South Carolina, USA; I enjoy my sun and 105 degree Fahrenheit temperatures (maybe not quite that hot, but just anything that gives me an excuse not to wear a shirt). If you h ave future ambitions to travel Europe, I strongly encourage you to book your plans around the Euro addition of the farmer's almanac, if such a thing exists. You'll enjoy the experience much more if you're aren't shaking in your duck books.

Luckily for me the temperatures here in Brussels have begun to cap the freezing point. Although it was snowing upon my return to the E.U. capital, as I look out my window now, its actually quite sunny. By the end of the month temperatures will be hovering around high 40s and low 50s (F) which in comparison will be quite pleasant.
Recap: Sun - a.k.a. Canary Islands = Awesome; Snow with no access to 4x4s and/or ATVs = Miserable.


Life Abroad

If there's one thing this experience has thus far taught me, its accountability. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I was ever a person greatly lacking in such principal but traveling/studying abroad has taken life's education to another level.

My fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, focuses heavily on this virtue during the initiation process and with good reason. We teach that being accountable for ones self is above all else, the most important of self maintained ideals. It connects everything together and is the foundation of making a person truly responsible in life.

Such personality behaviors are learned through experience and personal mental reflection. I am of the opinion that far too individuals ever learn, comprehend, or practice being accountable. People are in general (myself included) too quick to point fingers and lay blame elsewhere when in reality taking control of the situation and working with what you've been dealt would essentially be more cohesive.

The high road is rarely the easy road.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am in no way trying to misrepresent myself as an all righteous, egotistical prick. We all have our days and sometimes life just pushes too hard. We find ourselves upset whispering, "Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"

At this point I've ranted and raved long enough where you're probably thinking how in the world does any of this relate back to studying abroad?

Being here, being away from friends, family, and all familiarity, it change's a person's perspective. At first I resented it. I wasn't trying to be adaptive, but I soon realized its part of the experience. Everything I do, every action I embark upon, every decision I make - its all on me. Mom and Pops are 4600 miles away and if I ever needed physical help, the most instant action of assistance I would receive would be a crackly 'sorry' voiced via skype. I know that this is probably scaring the bajeezes out of my mother right now, but its true. There is very little anyone can do for me here and that just causes me to undertake that much more personal responsibility.

Personally that sort of knowledge is empowering. And I love it.


I'm making my own decisions, living my own life, and creating my own experiences. No one teaches study abroad students how to go about life outside of their native areas. Its all about trial and error. We figure it out on our own.

I remember experiencing some similar thoughts back when I first started college but being abroad tops that 10:1. The choices I make, for better or for worse, are my own. There's no two ways about it. Ergo, a person must be accountable.

Anyone that knows much about me will concur that I personally am a creature that learns through experience. I prefer hands on as opposed to simply learning the theory. Studying abroad is in all meanings of the phrase, a 'hands on experience'. The situations you find yourself in while abroad, some good some bad, all ultimately teach you something new and give you one more piece to life's puzzle. While I am enrolled in school as well, there is no doubt in my mind that learning I've done while traveling trumps the previous.

This is the type of real world application and experience you take with you for the rest of your life. Its applicable everywhere. Granted, there are still many times when I miss home, but ultimately I feel that coming here was probably one of my best decisions.

I was nervous when I first arrived in Brussels. I had a lot of questions, very few answers, and really no where to turn for help. I'm over half way into my study abroad tenure and have zero regrets about my choice to come here. I am no more certain about what the future holds than when I first arrived; the only difference between now and then is I have 100% confidence in myself that I can take whatever comes my way.

Bring it on life.

All good; all the time,

Thomas

Cantillon Brewery Quintessence

We arrived at Cantillon Brewery a little after 9am on the 16th of March. With no distinctive entrance or sign, I cautiously pushed open the ancient oaken bay doors only to have the smells of malted barley and yeast come wafting into the streets behind us. We were at the right place and early, giving me plenty of time to snap a few unhindered shots of the historic Cantillon Brewery of Brussels.

Formed in 1890 by the Cantillon family (still the present day owners and workers), sits atop the same foundation it did 100 years ago. The brewery survived both World Wars only to have very little change about its brewing process. The brewery functions and operations exist today as they did when it was first built with few, to no technological innovations or advancements.

The Cantillon is the last industrial beer brewery within the city limits of Brussels (many micro breweries exist). It also is proudly the only organic brewery in Belgium. All beers are brewed from 100% raw organic materials in the same fashion and methodology since the beginning. All biproducts are recycled into the agricultural sector of Brussels as either feed for cattle or mulch for city landscaping projects.

Being a Lambic beer producer for more than the past 100 years, the Cantillon knows how to make a brewsky. Lambics are characterized as a still beer or a cereals wine. During the fermentation, the carbon dioxide escapes through the wood oak barrels and as a result does not saturate the beer, ergo no foam or bubbles when poured. All in all, the process of brewing a lambic rests somewhere right around 3 years.

Ingredients for brewing a Lambic beer:
> 35% Raw Wheat
> 65% Malted Barley
> Dried Hops [3 years old]; 5g per Liter

The Process of brewing a Lambic beer:
> Brewing from 45 to 72 degrees Celsius
> Collect wort (the sugary waters) by filtering
> Boiling and hopping in the boilers
> Cooling in the cooling tun
> Natural infection of the wort by wild fermentation (bacteria and yeast)
> Pumping wort at temperature of 18 degrees Celsius into oakwood Barrels
> Transformation of all sugars into alcohol within 3 years

The brewery was a damp dark place, that as I said, smelled strongly of...well exactly what it should smell of, beer. For myself it had the kind of exciting appeal that all new places have for little kids. I wanted to explore, touch, and ask questions about nearly everything in eye's sight.

The tour took about an hour and at the end, you got to try two of their different beers; the first was Gueze.

Lambic, which is the base for the making of Gueuze, is a spontaneous fermentation beer. All beers made with Lambic are naturally sour, but some will be more sour, more bitter or "softer" than the others.The Gueuze is the result of a well-considered blending of Lambics of different ages and with different tastes.

The main task for the brewer, however, is tasting. He will taste about ten Lambics from different barrels in order to select five or six which will be used for the Gueuze 100% Lambic presenting the typical characteristics of the beers from the Cantillon brewery.

The bottles are closed with a cork, capped with a crown-cork. They will remain horizontally in a cellar for a year on average, in order to allow the sugars to be converted into carbon dioxide (second fermentation in the bottle). The saturation of the beer is slow and natural. When the Lambic becomes sparkling, it is called Gueuze. At that moment, this crown-jewel of the Cantillon brewery will leave the cellar and find its way to the cellars of the lovers of the traditional Gueuze.

Every blending will produce a different Gueuze. Since the Cantillons work according to a natural process, it is impossible to make a standard beer.

This beer is not only unique because of its brewing process, but also because it can be conserved for a long time. When kept in a good cellar, a Cantillon Gueuze will still have an exceptional taste and flavor after 20 years.

This beer was actually very tasteful after your senses got used to the very acidic reaction. By the end of my glass I found myself wishing for more and ended up purchasing a bottle for myself.

The second of the two beers we tasted was Rosé de Gambrinus. A slightly easier to handle beer, the flavor consists of a multitude of fruits added during the brewing process that gives this beer its distinctive taste. As I said, its fruity, and just didn't fit my palate.

I met a couple while on the tour who were visiting the city from San Diego, California. They had arrived in Brussels early on in the morning and made a bee line for the brewery. Apparently, as far as beer connoisseurs go, Cantillon beer is in high demand and fetches a steep price in San Diego. The couple had come to see first hand how their beloved drink was brewed.

The tour, although not near as flashy or as advanced when compared to the Heineken Experience, did offer its audience a much more in depth and authentic look at the brewing process.

I've got my workout to complete today, but after that, I'll be popping the cork on my bottle of Cantillon.

To take a look at the pictures I took, head here.

All good; all the time,

Thomas

Fast Cars and Freedom

Being the Red, White, and Blue loving patriot I am, you could easily say that I am inherently predisposed to the 'American Motor Head' mentality. That being, as a whole, Americans have a reputation for owning road hogging, gas guzzling, speed daemon sorts of vehicles. Not that I'm complaining, because in all honesty, who doesn't like the idea of parking their chromed out chevy two-toned camo 4X4 over the sun roof of a smart car? Sounds like home to me.

Americans have long romanticized the mentality over ownership of a personal vehicle. Manufacturers pump millions of dollars each and very year into market advertising to continually foster this sense of self-pride at purchasing an automobile. We see it everyday from music (Big & Rich, Lil Wayne), to movies (James Bond, Talledega Nights), to magazines (Du Pont Registry, Motor Tread), to TV shows (Pimp my Ride, Home Improvement).

Often time the luxuriousness of a person's automobile can be indicative of their wealth, class, and status. Other times its not and the person essentially put multiple mortgages on their house so they could go out and purchase that fresh, off the line Mercedes. Regardless of how they financed their acquisition, the point is, they did.

Automobiles are an accepted and integral part of American society. Alas, such is not the case here in Europe.

I was walking to the dry cleaner earlier today and noticed an elderly man with his head under the hood of some foreign two door hatchback. I purposely slowed down for want of catching a glimpse of his motorized matchbox. As I passed, I was pretty surprised at the internal workings of this foreign wonder. The engine resembled a 2 stroke back pack blower and in all honestly seemed you could have gotten more torque out of a hamster wheel. That car inparticular is a fairly popular budget model automobile here in Europe.

Europeans hold a distinctively different view towards their 'motor carriages', as they were once called, than their American counterparts do. Vehicles serve a purely functional purpose here and as such, they give little concern to how flashy, fancy, or superior it actually is. The lack of emotional attachment to their automobiles has resulted in millions of small, functional, standard vehicles. Basically a nation of Model Ts.

Between the multiple cheap public transit options and high petrol prices, many European don't even feel the need to own a vehicle. If they do own a vehicle, there's a good chance its one per family, or even shared across multiple people.

The smaller engines, diesel fuel, less options, and essentially 100% manual transmission are all factors that play into Europe being ahead of the curve when it comes to energy efficiency and sustainability.

While the Europeans practice social and environmental responsibility by limiting their carbon footprints via transportation, America continues to bolster the personal assets by buying the next biggest model to roll out of Detroit.

I can understand where both sides come from. Efficiency v. Customized Personality.

In my own opinion I'd be happy with a combination of the two. Who knows what we'll be driving in the future. A nuclear powered jacked up 4x4? Maybe, just so long as I can still have a redneck exhaust system. However until the oil companies die out, which isn't happening any time soon, I'd say America is stuck in a energy rut with the automotive industry. Best just put it in a 4 wheel drive hang tight until the future gets here.

All good; all the time,

Thomas

European Cuisine

Earlier this week my mother sent me an email outlining some of the family travel plans they've made for an Easter Holiday excursion to come visit me in Europe. At the base of the email she included a few side notes and anecdotes outlining some happenings from back home. One such reference talked about how they had just finished dining on a gourmet meal based off of a custom recipe by yours truly. The thought of home cooked food got me going and I was instantly watering at the mouth.

I don't know how you do things at your house, but where I come from we eat well, and we eat a lot. Anyone who has ever been extended an invitation to dine at the McGuire household will attest that my family, majorly my mother, does a good job in going above and beyond with the meals (although my little sister will argue that since the 'big eater' of the family has moved away from home, the frequency of such feasts has decreased marginally). Regardless of the corner of earth the cuisine originates from, I think its safe to say, my family does it right. Whether we're chowing down on a 3 course meal of Mexican or we're frying up some beer batter onion rings to go with our venison steak burgers, its all homegrown/killed, its all fresh, and its all good [all the time].

Europeans do things a bit differently thought. They eat much smaller portions and tend to have many meatless meals. By my definition, its just a snack if there's no meat. ('Wheres the beef?') Also, the selection of restaurants in Europe isn't nearly as diverse as back home. In the states you can walk down pretty much any strip and bank on finding some sort of Italian Pizzeria, San Jose (or the equivalent), China Wok I, II, or III, Average Joe's Burgers, and a 'snack' restaurant for all the vegan and veggie lovers. Over here, your options are limited. You're pretty much stuck with either kebabs, french fries, or a local pub that has their own select recipes.

I speculate that the smaller portions, higher food prices, and lack of nutritional variety account for parts of the reason that on average 90% of Europeans are smaller than the average American (I'm not talking width either, we'll get to that another day).

However, that limited selection in Europe isn't exactly bad. Since being here, I've grown to love anything grilled and smothered in andaulouse (a spicy mayo based sauce). Although I do miss my "all you can eat chips 'n' salsa" and 5 guys burgers and fries patty with EVERYTHING on it, the cuisine isn't all too bad once you get used to it.

Just a heads up though, I'll be checking a big appetite on my return flight home so yall best go ahead and get the charcoal burning.

All good; all the time,

Thomas

Back to the Real World....

The Canaries were gorgeous; the sun felt amazing, and our trip out of the cold couldn't have gone any better. Its back to business as usual in Belgium with new classes starting this week and snow falling as I type this.

We arrived at Charleroi Sud (our airport) yesterday evening and made our way back through the metro system to our house in Koelelburg, Belgium. Comparative to the Canary's tropical climate, the bitter winter winds of Belgium were hardly welcomed.

As far as all our travels have gone, we did the least in the Canaries, which is exactly what I wanted. I remember being younger and not understanding why parents wanted to just lay on the beach and read or sleep. I always wanted to do something and easily got bored just 'lounging around'. This was different. For once I understood the whole ideal of just laying around. I spent two days sleeping, laying in the sun, and reading books. I did no sight seeing (unless it was in front of my towel on the ocean), I did little exploring (unless it included ritual morning jog down the beach), and I was in no way productive. I loved it and I would go back in a heart beat.

Back in Holland, we met a group of American students who were likewise studying abroad and took a weekend trip to the Netherlands. They were our neighbors in the hostel and we hung out a bit as we meandered around the city. We parted ways at the end of the week and I personally did not give it much more thought. However, on our second day in the Canaries, who came trudging by the pool yard, luggage in tow? Yep, the same American girls from the Netherlands. It was a pretty wild coincident and we again ended up hanging out with some fellow English speaking, American students (which is always a relief from trying to communicate in another language). This was their 'spring break' and they ended up staying a few days after we left but we definitely enjoyed having them around.

I knew I had gotten some sun on the beach but ultimately did not feel like it would amount to much considering how pale I was when I arrived. However, upon entering CUBC today and seeing how pale the rest of my class mates were, we immediately realized we were in fact far better off than previously thought. Our comrades looked on with jealousy because we, unlike them, had color in our skin.

Academically, my semester abroad is divided into quarters. I finished my first set of classes last week and this week I start Finance, Law, and Management. I'm especially looking forward to Law and Finance as I know very little definitive information in either of these areas and am always looking for ways to expand my real life education. I feel confident I will do well them.

We're headed to Dublin following class this Thursday evening to catch the start of the Saint Patrick's festival in Ireland. I'm excited about the trip but more on that later this week once I'm actually there.

Time for a jog...in the snow...not on the beach.

All good; all the time,

Thomas

Gran Canaria

Two full days of sun, fun, and relaxation. That's been our experience thus far in the La Isla de Gran Canarias. With not a cloud in sight, the fun continues!

Our hostel is the remake of an older hotel that was bought out, renovated (somewhat), and then put back on the market as short term apartments or rentable overnight rooms. Its nothing terrible and perfectly suitable for a group of college males on a tight budget. The building is about a five minute walk from the surf and that is by no means a hassle in my book. Just being out side, walking around in the sun and the warm air is a luxury I've hard far too little of recently.

We've spent the majority of the past two days just relaxing in the sand. Its a darker blend of sand than back home but just as fine and just as clean. Off in the distance you can see the volcanic mountains covered in lush tropical vegetation. Although ominous thunderheads linger in the distance, they've yet to interfere with our glorious take of the sun.

I'm sure you've all seen the old Bud Light commercials featuring "True American Heros". It was generally something along the lines of an extremely overweight male with skin so pale it rivaled Carrot Top. This 'American Hero' would be wearing an all too revealing speedo and the narrator would spout something similar to "If you've got it, flaunt it...and you're definitely got it." This mentality is shared and employed by a good portion of the locals as they take to the nudist sections. Trust me on this one, if you ever visit the Canaries...just steer clear of this area. In the interest of you own mental preservation, stay away.

An odd fact about the island dwellers...they do not like sea food. Let me clarify that statement. They live on an island, surrounded by tropical ocean, and choose not to eat sea food. I can't comprehend it, but was truly amazed with how difficult it was to find a sea food restaurant.

I've got to run now, but tomorrow we head back to Brussels. Regardless of our flight in the mid afternoon, I will still get in a few hours of sun light on the beach for one last time.

All good; all the time,

Thomas

Canary Islands; Paradise at Last

Its 4:30am and I hear the buzzer of my alarm ringing as I gradually arise from a sleep induced coma. Despite my general disdain towards being awoken for any reason aside of Christmas morning, I crawled out of bed (literally crawled) and mashed the start button on the coffee maker. While propping myself up against the living room table a sleepy sideways grin slid across my face...because on this morning, we're setting off for the Canary Islands.

Our plane lifted off from Charleroi Sud at 7:40am on a cold crisp morning. After spending four hours in the air listening to screaming infants triangulate my position and a Robert Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond) look alike flight attendant who couldn't speak a word of audible English to save his life, I was happy when the plane touched down in the sunny Canary Islands. A step onto the tarmac was essentially a rebirth from cold dismal Belgian climate. After instantly shedding my jacket, vest, overshirt, undershirt, scarf, and hat we jumped in a cab, and made our way to 'Playa de Palms' beach and hostel.

We checked in, dropped our bags, threw on some swim trunks, and made a mad dash for the beach. The sun was shinning, the air was warm, and it was humid (reminds me of home sweet home in Dixieland). I considered myself to be in paradise at this point. I'd been longing to be someplace remotely warm and sunny for weeks now and the time had finally come. Although you really don't appreciate it on a regular basis, the sun plays a major factor in a person's overall well being (as I've learned).

I crashed on a deserted stretch of sad and ended up sleeping in the sun for a couple hours. A perfect start to a great vacation.

Internet here is a bit dodgy but I'll do my best to update my happenings when I can. Wishing everyone the best!

All good; all the time,

Thomas

A Trip Back in Time

Last Friday the CUBC student body headed to the small town of Brugges (Dutch) or Bruge (French) for a short day trip. The quiet, slow town appears to have been dropped out of a movie centered around Arthurian Legend due to the preserved Medieval architecture and seldom sight of anything modern. It's egg shaped borders, encircled by winding canals, meandered through the city doing nothing to speed up the pace of life for this sleepy town.

Brugges is Beglium's most visited tourist destination. Everything seems to be stuck in time and from what I can tell, the residents like it that way. We took an organized tour with a native Belgian who happened to also be our guide for the tour of Brussel's during the first week abroad. His knowledge gave us a very indept insight into the city's past and why it appears to have never moved forward.

The city was 'rediscovered' in the late 16th century and dubbed a romantic and restful place. Due to city laws and strict limitations in real estate, the city's architecture remains a testament to the work of engineers long past.

Despite all of the sights, tourist traps, and beautiful scenery the one experience I enjoyed most about Brugges, was the chocolate. There is literally a chocolate shop on every corner and all of them sell 'the world's best chocolate'. Honestly though, it does taste like the world's best chocolate. They have every flavor, every variety, every assortment you could ever wish for. Its so good you'll probably end up eating so much it makes you sick. I know this from experience.

By my book, Brugges is definitely a worthy day trip for anyone in the area. See the sights, check out the architecture, and eat the chocolate; day well spent.

All good; all the time,

Thomas