If It's Thursday, It Must Be Brugge

The sound of bagpipes, the smell of warm waffles, the feel
of cobblestones underneath our feet, the taste of chocolate and the real feel
of European culture awaited us as we traveled to Brugge today. Ascension Day
offered the perfect opportunity for us to take a break from our normal
business-focused routine and instead enjoy a more cultural experience.

The first stop of the day was the medieval town of Brugge, located an hour and a half from Leuven. We made the trip this morning after feasting on some croissants and other various breakfast foods at the Irish College. While in Brugge we tasted the best that chocolatiers of Belgium had to offer and were treated to an exceptional experience--a medieval town in Europe. Many of us also ventured down the river as we partook in a boat tour of the city. This offered us the chance to learn more about the city and provided some great Kodak moments! It was amazing to see the buildings in Brugge especially considering that those surrounding us were older than our own country is!

At 2:30PM, the group reconvened from the adventures in Brugge to meet at the bus, where we departed for Belgium's capital, Brussels.

On the way there, we made a pit-stop at the famous Atomium monument, which resembles a gigantic molecule, signifying Belgium’s connection with the rest of the European community. This manmade wonder is located near the site of the old World's Fairgrounds, which was hosted by Belgium in 1953.

After seeing the Atomium monument, as well as the royal palace on the periphery of the city, we continued our voyage to the city center, specifically, to the Grande Platz The main sight on the plaza was the city hall. All of the buildings on the plaza are of Gothic design and are some of the most detailed structures that we had ever seen.

Once we arrived in Brussels we were able to go with the
group to see some of the important tourist sites. One sight that everyone found
particularly interesting was the Manneken Pis located just outside of the
plaza. This particular statue is so famous because it is of a young boy weeing. The students as well as the instructors took many pictures to bring home. Before we could leave Brussels many students bought the famous Belgium waffles. These appetizing waffles were covered with anything from strawberries, bananas, chocolate, to even whipped cream. The taste of these waffles was just as exquisite as they appeared.

The day was a huge success, and all of us left with great
memories and excellent pictures. Because we were able to break off and do our
own thing, it allowed everyone to have an individual experience in the two
cities that we visited, Brugge and Brussels. The day off was very relaxing and
appreciated by all of us students in IBIP.

Posted by Dorothy Spencer, Ashley Arnold, Matt Briscoe, Lucas Wakefield