Brussels

...where images were alive 

 

the mini. the unstoppable BMW3. going down and up the tunnels. The reflection on the glass windows on the bridges. The log-out. The clean desks. The 17:00 downstairs. The EU Jam. Cora. Place Lux. Chatelain yes. Flagey no. The hours and hours at Today Tomorrow, or 1000 and Hoboken's Materials for a Better Life. The departure hall at the airport. The drive to "Brussels South" Charleroi. That very moment as you enter the Eurostar station. The 1 hour drive to curls. Avenue Emile Jacqmain (and Sveta the couch). Rue aux Laines. Tuesday study nights. cours de français le samedi. UGC. Louise. The Louise corner (and the "breakfast at Tiffany's). "Siberia". The Avenue Louise. Sablon. Marolles (more than foxhole). the cobbled routes. the many squares. some of those long walks. The guitars and all the precious moments. Arcadi. Le Cercle des Voyageurs and so much more. birthday week. the secret santa rage. Brunches. Brunches. Brunches and more Brunches. Wine. Wine. Wine and "more wine!". The ups, downs, high and low.

heel hartelijk bedankt
merci beaucoup

Antwerp

Fashion. Diamonds. Antwerp. 

Though the first highlights were the castle, the fries, the train station, and the South Indian food.

Leuven

1. 2.

1. Perhaps I should have at least taken another photo. This was photo-worthy as this says a lot about my first visit there. Home to AB InBev (and hence the whole "gang") and many students, Leuven was bigger, and livier than imagined.

2. (beyond first impression) This place left me speechless.

Gent

[way beyond first impression]

These photos here were not from my first time stepping foot on Gent. The first time with Kristi, and like many times after that all I have seen were the train station, the library, and the office. On that grey and windy autumn day though, I joined Beatrice and Alvin and finally visited other parts of the city, and enjoy the cosiness of the cafe. I went there many more times later, for the sightseeing, for the Vimeiro reunion, for the lights. Just don't believe any of these photos - Gent is beautiful.

Les Saintes Maries de la mer

 
  

Sun, sun and more sun on a relaxing day in a small village in Southern France. Enjoying icecream, enjoying walking through the narrow streets, and enjoying being outside close by the sea. They sell as fascinating range of stuff toys in forms of different animals, and we took picture with them for some random fun.

Córdoba

Argentina in general, but especially Córdoba was full of gorgeous looking women. After a typical breakfast (crackers with dulce de leche), Pelado showed us the glamourous house which was turned into a museum, the school which was turned into a shopping mall, and the artificially drawn shadows of buildings in the centre. Gera and his family showed us true Argentine hospitality with delicious food (lots of meat!), great wine and amazing company.

Cambridge

 

It was too cold to stay outside for long but we did our best to appreciate Cambridge. Spending time with those people who I shared moments of life in Wellington with, eating fudge that tasted like 99.99% sugar, admiring the infamous King's Colleage, watching the traditional punting along the Cam.

Camargue

    
  

Who would have thought one day I'd be in Camargue for a training? Located in Southern France and close to Spain, there were clear similarities: the bull-fighting, the music, the paella and the garments. The weather was of course amazing and I loved the daily swims, and how close the pool is to the room. The drinking chants, the cultural observations, the sergents... and what was definitely beyond any doubt the tastiest mussels I have ever had (even better than the ones in Belgium)

Tupiza

After a morning hot drink at the tiny bus station at Villazon and a bus trip which involved hitting flies, we were at the "cowboy town" of Tupiza, with a main square shaded by trees.

It is of course possible to travel around South America without speaking any Spanish; many backpackers spoke only the basic. Nonetheless in the Amazons in Ecuador, in the mines in Bolivia, on the streets, in the markets, at the villages of all these countries, for so many times I felt so greatful for being able to converse with people in (at least one of) their language(s).

It is such a vast continent, with so much more to see, and so much more to experience. What would also be a good trip is to start from Mexico, and travel all the way down to Panama by land.

Next time.

Copacabana

Finally seeing Lago Titicaca from the other side, Copacabana has a "Moorish-style" cathedral which looked out of place. I went to Isla del Sol on a day of rain and hail, ate trucha (trout) again, enjoyed api morado (very sweet syrupy beverage) and Buñeuelos that was larger than the size of my face. Bolivia was a real gem; after extending my stay there again and again, I still did not want to leave.

La Paz

My first impression of La Paz was "cold", but that was of course natural when you are back on 3660m altitude. The stay at the hostal, the panoramic view of the city, the cobblestone alleys, the Mercado de los Brujos, the Mercado Negro, the Mercado de Hechiceria, the sheer number of artisan shops, and the skirts tailors made the rest.

Sucre

Going to Sucre was another spontaneous decision; I went there because I saw a beautiful poster of it somewhere. The whitewashed buildings, the narrow and steep streets, the calm and green plazas, the many different markets, the street snacks keep me there, one day after another. With the view from la Recoleta in front of us, the shoe shine boys told me they also thought Sucre should be the one and only capital of Bolivia, but they were still a bit afraid of those people who were protesting in the main square, which was where they usually find work.