From Young Professionals to Ypres: Belgium Part Two

After a quick trip back to Madrid to pick up my stuff and to say goodbye to my Madrileño friends, I came back to Brussels for part two. Now you may be thinking after spending five days in Brussels the first time what more could there be? You’d be surprised to know that Brussels always has some cool cultural events going on and is a great starting point for day trips.

I visited a few of the museums I didn’t have time for last time. First was the Musees royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique and the Magritte Museum. I got a sweet deal for combined entree in both museums for three Euros with my ISIC card. The most impressive thing about the Musees des Beaux-Arts was the lack of people. After visiting many large art galleries, like the Louvre, the Met and the Prado, it was a refreshing change to go to an art gallery and not feel crowded. At one point in the modern art section I was the only person on the entire floor!

The Magritte Museum on the other hand was a bit more crowded. However, given that it only opened in June,  many of the visitors were local. It was a nice smaller museum exhibited chronological showing the different phases of his life. I was a little disappointed the collection didn’t include the famous Le fils de l’homme (the painting of a faceless man in a bowler hat – that was used in the film The Thomas  Crown Affair). Overall a nicely put together gallery.

The last museum I visited was the Centre Belge de la bande dessinneé of Belgium. In Belgium they are crazy about comics. They are also quick to remind you that both Tintin and Smurfs are not French but Belgian. This museum definitely enlightened me about the world of Belgian comics (to which I knew very little about). The experience would have been better had I been a bit more of a comic nerd. The only sections I really appreciated were Boule and Bill, Tintin and les Schtroumpfs

Since Brussels is perhaps nowadays best know for being the ‘capital of Europe’ (home to the EU Commission, EU parliament and various European lobbies), I spent a day experiencing the European part of Brussels. First I attended a forum on Isreal-EU relations hosted by one of the NGOs in Brussels. One of the Isreali delegation to the EU spoke about the recent events in the Israel-Palestine conflict and the impact on the EU. It brought back memories of some of the seminars I attended at the Munk Centre at the University of Toronto. After the session (and a free lunch!) I visited the EU Parliament where you get to see the main chamber with over 700 seats for all the elected members of the European parliament. I would recommend stopping at the info center as well to get some useful info about how the EU works and some free maps.

One of the ‘must-sees’ for any Canadian (or commonwealth citizen) is to visit Ypres. One of my professors in my first year at university told us that if we are ever in northern France that we should visit some of the WW1 memorials. I wholeheartedly agree. After reciting the poem “In Flanders Fields” for so many years, the feeling of standing where John McCrae wrote the poem is indescribable. Most of the memorials are accessible easily by car from Ypres, but if you like me don’t have a car there are many tours of the battlefields sites of Ypres that range from two to four hours. It was definitely one of my personal highlights in Belgium. 

Because Brussels is home to the EU is is also home to a lot of young professionals from all over Europe working for various European institutions. As such there are a lot of cultural and art events aimed at young people. I attended several arts shows and outdoor events over the weekend – proof that Brussels is not only full of bureaucrats!

One of the events taking place while I was in Brussels was Mobility Week. This was a nationwide event that promoted using alternative means of transportation aside from cars. There were free beverages in the metro, draws, art expo, On Sunday there was no car day. Where from 8AM to 8PM there were no cars allowed on the  roads. The city was so quiet and bikes took over the streets. I definitely think this is an idea Canada should adopt!

One of the benefits I got out of Mobility week was the discounted train tickets for 12 euros I was able to get a round trip ticket to Maastricht in the Netherlands! Before I had visited Maastricht the only thing I knew about this little Dutch town was a EU treaty was signed there. But in fact it is quite picturesque: a beautiful river running through the centre, an abundance of churches to see and beautiful medieval walls in a park behind the university. A fantastic day trip from Brussels!

As final remarks about Belgium, I will leave you with a couple of tips for travelers. First beware of the country’s pay phones. Those outside the airport don’t take cash or credit cards. Even the ones that look like they take coins don’t work.You have to buy a phone card or find the local internet/phone cafe.

Secondly, be prepared to pay for the use of toilets EVERYWHERE. Even in some bars where you have purchased a drink you still have to pay the toilet lady at least 30 cents. You’ll get excited when you find one. It’s like finding free wi-fi in downtown Toronto!

Lastly Belgium like Canada is a country of dual nationality – Flemish and Walloon (French). When in the Flemish part you are better off speaking English than French (they’ll respect you more), in Wallonie almost no Flemish is spoken and may seem like you are in France. Just like the French and the English in Canada the Flemish and the Walloons don’t always get along!

25+ Belgian Beers

In five days in Belgium I managed to sample over 25 different Belgian beers with friends. There are over 750 different beers in Belgium so in reality this is just a small selection. We were at several bars, in 4 cities…some with jazz music, somewhere you could choose from over 2000 beers and some where they let you dance on the tables! Here is a complete list (including various comments!)

• Lindemans Kriek – cherry beer
• Lindemans Pêche – peach beer
• Lindemans Cassis – blackcurrent beer
• Lindemans Faro Lambie – fizzy, fruity, light beer
• Duvel – light beer common across Belgium
• Vedett (extra blonde)
• De Koninck – general consensus amongst friends: “10/10”, my personal favourite, dark colour but not heavy, beer common in Antwerp
• Mort Subite Framboise – raspberry beer
• Mort Subite Kriek – more cherry beer
• Brugse Zot – spicy, wheat beer
• Piraat – definitely my least favourite, but as a Belgian pointed out in Belgium they start drinking Belgian beers young and only after 15 years do you enjoy something like Piraat
• Tongerlo Tripel -  a deceivingly pale beer that is quite heavy
• Hoegaarten – nice white beer ( a side note for North Americans in Belgium they pronounce it who-gar-ten NOT hoe-gar-ten)
• Hoegaarten Rosee – raspberry white beer
• Witbier Haacht – lemony white beer
• Keizer Karel – dark, heavy beer – “oww, that hurts” said a friend, I said “different”
• Rodenbach – tastes a little like HP sauce
• Belle Vue Gueze – nice after taste
• Mystic – new raspberry white beer
• Leffe – light and nice
• Westmalle Tripel – “meh”
• Saint Feuillien Blonde – nice and light
• Kwak –sweet beer with a cool holder (see picture)
• Grimberger – white beer, I think its watery piss, but someone else said “I like that”
• Orval – spicy barley beer
• Brugs – “good after taste”
• Stella Artois – this is what you get in Belgium if you go to a bar and say you want the beer on tap…

Fun in Flanders

After spending five nights in the northern part of Belgium (Flanders) and in Brussels, I got a good feeling about the country and culture. It also helped that I hung out with locals.

Brussels is a very cosmopolitan city with beautiful 19th century buildings (largely thanks to the African exploits of King Leopold II). With a large contingent of young professionals working for the EU or lobbying the EU, it is a   lively city during the day and at night. Some of the must sees are: manneken pis and jeanneke pis (the little boy and girl peeing), the music museum (and the view of Brussels from the 10th floor), the royal palace (which has free entry in the summer), the Grote Markt (where you have to rub the statue of Evrard ‘t Serclaes for luck) and the Atomium.

One easy day trip from Brussels is half days in Bruges and Ghent. Bruges is only one hour away by train and is relatively easy to walk in a morning. Often considered the Venice of Belgium it is very picturesque, but there is not much to do there. We visited the Choco Story – I had to visit the chocolate museum especially when there is a free sampling at the end. But if chocolate isn’t your thing there is the Frites Museum and the  Bruges Zot Brewery you can visit.

Ghent is also nice, it is a larger city and a bit more to see. There are several churches, a castle and of other architectural points of interests. If you go to the tourist office they give you a free map and walking tour suggestion (unlike Bruges where they charged us 50 cents for a map)

 

The last day trip I did was to Antwerp. This is the fashion capital of Belgium and a lot of rich people live here…possibly thanks to the diamond industry (you can find a diamond store on every corner). This city is also resplendent in 19th century architecture – in particular the main train station and Stadsfeestzaal. It is also very Flemish. If you don’t speak Flemish  then  people prefer you to speak English rather than French. Of particular interest to Canadian historians is the plaque commemorating the Canadian contribution to the Battle of Antwerp in World War Two.

One common thread throughout my travels in Belgium is gastronomy. The Belgians are perhaps most famous for their food: chocolate, fries and waffles. All of which I sampled in great quantities. Just like in Switzerland, in Belgium they have whole sections dedicated to chocolate in supermarkets. Fries in Belgium are not just ordinary fries. They are often served with a sauce of your choice, in a variety of sizes and with the option of buying mystery meat. At Frituur no. 1 in Antwerp people go to this fry place just to hear a quirky old lady yell at them when serving fries. Belgian waffles are not the same as the ones we get in North America. Unlike the big round waffles we eat for breakfast, the Belgians eat them plain at anytime of day from kiosks.

Salamanca Sojourns

By the end of the summer I will have been to Salamanca four times with different groups of children and one time for evening adventures. I don’t know whether this makes me a local expert or that I’ve just done too many camps in the area.

Salamanca is a beautiful city with many sights to see as well as a good cultural vibe. Highlights of my day trips to Salamanca include:

The first stop is usually the new and old cathedrals. This is one of main attractions in Salamanca. Be sure to find the astronaut on the north face of the cathedral. As a result of refurbishments in the 1990s and the loss of the original drawings, the architect got a little creative and inserted an astronaut on the east side of the north door.

The university and the wall in the Patio des Escuelas: This is where the famous frog is located. Apparently if you find the frog you will have good luck in your studies.But I think that anyone who has the patience to find a frog the size of your hand on a huge wall is bound to be a good student.

The 15th century painting El cielo de Salamanca : If you are visiting the frog you can take a couple of extra minutes and see this wall painting nearby in the Escuelas Menoras patio.

La Casa de las Conchas: There is a rumour that one of these shells has solid gold behind it.

Plaza Mayor: After seeing the historic sights of Salamanca this can be a good place to enjoy an overpriced lunch or just admire the symmetry of the plaza. It is also quite spectacular at night.

Convent of San Esteban: If you are interested in architecture and are willing to pay a couple of euros this can be a nice addition to an otherwise free tour.

 

Side Note on Santiago

   After finishing the first session as a teacher in Alba de Tormes, I along with four other staff members had the responsibility of taking the kids back on the bus to Galicia. Galicia is the most northwestern province of Spain, directly north of Portugal.

After dropping some kids off in Ourense, our final stop was in Santiago de la Compostela. We had to stay overnight in the town to pick up the next group of kids in the morning. In the meantime we took advantage of our time there to see a few of the sights.

The main reason people come to Santiago is to see the cathedral. This 12th century cathedral supposed to be the most beautiful in Spain. Unfortunately when we were there it was closed for the day, but even from the outside it is impressive. Santiago is also the end point for the Camino de Santiago. El Camino started out as a religious walk by Saint John but it is now an international event. Every year people walk and bike el Camino which begins in France. There were lots of people in the town for this reason.

Since there are so many people in the town it is great for tourism and tacky souvenir stores. All of the area surrounding the cathedral is littered with these types of stores. We went into one and sampled some local desserts, cheeses and wines  – all very delicious!

The last thing not to be missed in Santiago is sampling some of the delicious seafood – most notably the pulpo (octopus). The octopus dish from Galicia is rumored to be the best in Spain. But even if you don’t want to try octopus, all the seafood is super fresh from the coast and melts in your mouth.

Vacation in Valladolid

 After finishing work in Alba de Tormes, I spent three days in Valladolid with some of the staff I worked with last summer in Spain. Valladolid was convenient because it was only an hour and a half away from Alba and because one of the staff members now lives there.

Some may criticize Valladolid for being too industrial, too modern and too boring, but I had a fantastic time! Valladolid is the capital of the Spanish province of Castilla y Leon and a great place from which to see some of the 300 castles that are in the province. As a city Valladolid pales in comparison to the beauty of Salamanca, but there is still plenty to do.

When planning reunions or gatherings of any sort it doesn’t matter where you are, but who you’re with. Had I visited the city by myself it probably wouldn’t have been so fun. Valladolid is one of those places that you need to know someone to get the most out of your experience.

We visited downtown Valladolid (which is quite nice and architecturally quite diverse), the Coca Castle (the red brick castle featured above), the Peñafiel Castle (the boat shaped castle to the right) and a couple of pueblos.

One of the most unique things on this trip was in the town of Peñafiel. In the town they had a local bullring with buildings that looked like they belonged in a cowboy-western movie. Apparently the folks who live in these buildings have to allow people to watch the bullfighting from their balconies for free during the event.

We also had time to do a quick wine tasting of some wines from the Duero river region. Some of these wines are the most expensive in Spain. The wines were good, but here in Spain they have a weird custom of chilling their red wine which makes the wine lack flavour and body when you first pour it.

If you have a car, the province of Castilla y Leon is definitely quite accessible and worth a visit. Just because it appears to be mostly green and brown fields and lacking in landscape it shouldn’t be overlooked.

 

 

Monastery Monitor Moments

After completing my first two weeks out of six  weeks here at the San Jeronimo monastery in Alba de Tormes, I’ve realized there are several universal truisms about summer camp whether they are held outdoors in Canada or in a monastery in Spain.

In my opinion there is no such thing as a ‘camp kid’ and a ‘non-camp kid’ – every kid can enjoy and benefit from a certain type of  camp. Kids learn how to get along with others, how to pack a suitcase, how to set pranks, how to avoid getting caught for said pranks, how to take a shower etc

In the same way the more often you work as a monitor the more you realize that kids and camps are largely the same all over the world.

There is always the smelly kid, the sick kid, the spoiled kid, the clueless kid and the annoying kid at every summer camp. Sometimes these are not necessarily different kids.

Being a monitor isn’t as easy as it looked when you were 12 years old.

Nap where you can and when you can.

Being on lunch duty when there is soup and/or beans is the worst.

You will see pee, blood, vomit, tears or any combination of the former.

Think twice before dying your hair purple (or having someone cut it) even if its sounds like a good idea when it is suggested by someone else.

Good ventilation in the kids’ bedrooms can’t be overrated.

Camp food is filling but not always healthy or tasty.

The relationship between when monitors wants kids to be in bed and when the kids want to be in bed is an inverse relationship. In the morning the monitors want the kids out of bed and the kids want to stay in bed. In the evening it’s the reverse.

Next month I will be staying here in Alba de Tormes working as a English teacher with two different groups of children from Galicia. Being a teacher is a little bit different from being a monitor, you see a little less blood but just as many tears. However generally the above truisms are the same for teachers at summer camp as much as they are for monitors.

Wonderful Working Holidays

This is my third summer on a ‘working holiday’ in which I spend part of my summer working and the other part travelling. I’ve discovered this is the one of the best ways to travel for students. 

1. You earn money – It’s always fantastic to get a little cash so you can travel longer and further. Even if you aren’t earning a lot of money, every bit helps. Furthermore in a lot of temporary jobs (fruit picking, summer camps etc) your accommodation is provided, so this allows you to save more money.

2. You learn more about local culture – You work with the locals so you learn all the inside tips for enjoying your visit to the area. If you want to learn the language working holidays are a great way to immerse yourself in a language. You learn all the slang words and expressions that are not taught in a formal class.  

3. You have a home base  – Travelling to many cities in one trip can be draining. In summer 2007 I visited 25 cities in three months. For the weeks I was changing cities every two or three days, I felt quite tired afterwards. Also if you do short day trips or weekenders from where you are working you don’t need to lug a huge backpack (or suitcase) around!

Even working at the same camp two years in a row, you meet different people and see different things.  I love the Spanish lifestyle -  eating lunch at 2pm, taking a siesta, enjoying an afternoon clara (beer and lemon soda), doing some shopping,  then going for dinner at 10pm and going out to bars at 12am. My experience would not be the same if I was only a tourist and not working here .

Bumming Around in Berlin

What is most stunning about the city of Berlin is the architecture. While the destruction of Berlin during WW2 was devastating as evidenced by Kasier Wilhelm Church, Berlin has had the unique opportunity of blending new and old. It gives the city variety and keep it interesting. No where is the blend of new and old more evident than at the Reichstag.

The newly constructed glass dome atop the 19th century building was a highlight of my visit. Not only is entry to the glass dome free, but the audio guide provided gave you an in depth understanding of major points on the Berlin skyline. What made it cooler was the audio guide was automatic, when you reached certain points it would start the appropriate commentary.

One thing of which to be careful is the operating of the transit system. Twice I was out in the downtown area with others from the hostel at night and twice we got stranded and had to take a taxi. The second time we left earlier and thought we’d make it, but some lines and services close earlier than others. What was most weird was some lines would close at midnight but then reopen at 3AM – much too early for commuters, but perfect for Berlin’s great all night bars.

On my second day I made the trek out to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.You could definitely spend most of the day there (I was there for about 5 hours and could have spent more time) The memorial was packed with information there are many displays as well as you can rent an informative audio guide for 3 Euros (entrance is free). The plethora of mass graves on the sites really gives an eerie sense of  the history of the Third Reich and the beginning of the GDR.

Even if you don’t go to Sachsenhausen, you can’t help but feel history in Berlin. Very tasteful monuments litter the downtown area. Memorials for WW2, the holocaust, book burning all within walking distance from each other. But one of the most striking was the memorial to the victims of war located in an old Prussian guardhouse. It was shocking to enter this cavernous room that contained only one statue of a mother holding her dead son.

Everyone that I talked to said the one museum you have to go to is the Pergamonmuseum. I was not initial super excited about it when I heard it was mostly classical Roman and Greek sculptures,but as it turned out it was impressive! For me the sheer size of the displays is astounding. it feels like you are walking in an ancient Greek city that was stolen and transplanted to Berlin. I wish I had paid more attention in Greek mythology because then I could have appreciated the sculptures even more. 

Another museum I visited that deserves credit is the DDR museum – all about life in communist East Germany.It was small but had cool hands on features and lots of information in English.

On my last day I visited the East Side Gallery where the longest continuous piece of the Berlin Wall is located. Right now there are artists repainting  their paintings (after years of weather and tourist) damage in time for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall in November. I also  briefly visited the Kasier Wilhelm Church that was largely destroyed by allied bombing in 1943.

Lastly one of the ‘must do’ things is one of the fabulous free walking tours. I did it on my first day and the four hour tour gives you a sense of direction and a good opportunity to ask questions from a knowledgeable guide.

Packing Permutations

How much can you pack in 23kg? Believe it or not quite a lot. This year the company I am working for in Spain decided to book everyone on direct flights to Madrid on Air Transat. My previous experience with Air Transat has been positive, but because they are a budget airline their baggage allowance is also budget.

Most transatlantic flights allow 2 bags weighing 23kg PER BAG. Air Transat allows 23Kg TOTAL with any amount of bags. This complicated my packing plans for the next 14 months. I needed some summer camp clothes for Spain, dress clothes for work and fall clothes for Russia.

Despite these initial setbacks, I finally found a packing list that worked. It probably includes a lot of stuff that I really don’t need and there is things I probably forgot. But as always the contents of my bag is never the same when I depart compared to when I come back. Things get left behind and I buy new things.

I kind of broke my own personal rule about travelling with only one big bag and one day backpack (the contents of the packing list are divided among the backpack, daypack, suitcase and purse pictured above). I justified this to myself by remembering that I was going to be away for more than a year. I probably could have got it all one bag instead of taking two half empty bags.

So now my entire life for the next year is contained in four bags with 23kg of packed baggage and 12kg of carry-on stuff.