Brugges!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

WARNING: long post but juicy with pictures!

My 1st trip to belgium landed in brugges

It's really a peaceful quiet little town.

fortunately, we got a good deal of 30euros - includes transportation via train, citytour with tour guide, chocolate museum, belgium traditional dinner.

9am to 11pm ended up 1am! Will tell you why soon later.
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!
they say it's adventure. -.-"

so here goes:

please ignore the hair!

my house mates from lithuania - ramune and lina. very nice cheery people.
one of our house mate silvia from germany was hospitalised due to high fever like 40 deg and was on drip. OMG! and the doc diagnose it's the kidneys that caused the fever. so scary.

Hope she can get well soon! she will be back today (tues) :)

ok let's not divert topic.

so we proceeded to walking along the river or is it canals?

pretty sights :)

ah! let me explain some interesting facts about brugge.

it's very small. everywhere you can walk by foot and there's only 20,000 people living there.
basically the buildings are build in the late centuries but they look old coz brugge like their architecture to be gothic and old.

interesting ah? so the building u c above is actually quite new comparing with the other european architectures.

then we walked on,

check out the bridal car!

so classic!

embrace the european culture!

and my fave of all!

daffodil field!

omg..... seems like a walk in a garden I want to marry in.
serenity - I just wanna lie on it and dream away.
take me away - my soul and my spirit

make me ALIVE

pretty swans by the lake.

the tour guide was telling us, the swans are there for some reasons abt this guy who was killed and he had a long neck sth like that.
The government actually pays for the swans to be there.

isn't she pretty?

I love horses too :P

check out the legs! so hairy and unique

we saw so many horse carriages there and

there's this horse walk very 'sey' coz we are all looking at it.
haha

the coloured bricks of this old hospital built in the 17th century. so pretty

so many photos and I dunno what to post!

haha i try my best to post my faves.

Belgium is also the land of laces, toys, chocolates, mussels, beer and the tour guide told us that PURSE name originates from belgium too.

interesting ah!
there are so many shops of those in brugges~

chocolates! there's like 1 chocolate shop every 20 steps~ amazing.

praline is one of the earliest chocolates started in belgium.

we also went to the chocolate museum but it was a mistake. waste of time! -.-

walking along the shops, we saw something:

LOOK properly! and stop acting innocent if you tell me u dunno wat are those.

hahaha exclusively in europe >.<

toy shops are also a commodity!
made of wood usually.

and my fave red riding hood:

I took it secretly because the staff say can't take foto. keke.

and they have alot of these hanging in the shops:

toys!

so tempted to buy it but it's not cheap!
it's 19euros which is S$38 for this small thing, no thanks la.

the fantastic artist whom we thot only exist during the roman catholic era.

his paintings are so close to real!

my fave scenery:

a museum in the cityhall. very gothic indeed, compared with other buildings in europe i've seen.

we decided to drink belgium beer!

I had amber (ambre) and I really like it except without the olives.
check out the olives, I am suppose to drink after eating that.

dun like it at all

sadly, we can't have mussels coz it's 20 euros and it was close to dinner time.
too bad I am broke :(

the creamy chicken is my dish. tastes not bad~ belgium chicken

the other one is duck sauce with beef.
the dinner place is very cosy like at home with fireplace. I like it :)

lastly, the NEOs

acting sey -.-"

quite a steal I feel - 30euros for today's trip!
for more pics, go to fb and see my photo album. hehe

Ohyes,

let me relate my adventures during my trips:

1st trip to amsterdam, the railway tracks went for repair so instead of 2.5 hrs train ride, it became a 4.5hrs with train, bus then train again. we nearly can't come home! and reached at 1+

2nd trip to paris, it was the worst! the bus ride was horrendous. 90deg of 7 hrs, reached the train station at 4am and the station was CLOSE! we had to stand in the cold, shivering for 1 hr b4 they open the door. when we got on, we realised our tickets are discounted meaning we can only board after 9am else no 40% discount. shit rite?! but it was when we board then we realised. officer told us to change ticket. we got down and asked the ticket officer, we can't change. we have to BUY A NEW ONE. crap! it's like 30 euros! madness. it was then 730am. so we decided to wait til 9am. 1.5 hrs in a cafe with 2 sleepy heads on the table. daryl and me talked, staying awake.
it was really bad, I tell you. coz it was cold and waiting for heaven to come to us.

EXPERIENCE XIA!

(PS: dun make me sleep in the station with sleeping bag, that's ULTIMATE)

thought it's over? NOPE.

3rd trip to brugge, we travelled with ESN who organised this day trip at 30euros. we took the train back and suddenly it stopped on its way to liege. it was then we realised, someone jumped in front of the train - like SUICIDE. omg... I THOUGHT THIS ONLY HAPPENS IN SINGAPORE MRT?
then we have to get out and walked to leuven station which luckily is pretty near.
once there, we have to wait to see what's the next arrangement since the train can't proceed. we also saw the ambulance dragging the body. gosh! it's not headless anyway.
then while waiting for 1 hr, we realised we miss the last train from liege to maastricht.

GREAT! WHAT NOW?

think someone went to enquire and we got a bus back from liege to maastricht. by train, usually takes 20 min. now maybe 45min+. better than nothing! thankful. there were 30+ of us.

we reached at 1am+ when it was suppose to be 11-12

WHAT AN ADVENTURE!

I am starting to think I am a jinx in travelling.

only with me then such weird things happen.

sorry for the long post and nagging.

but hey, hope everyone is good at home.
I miss home and the food!

exams are coming! 2 april and 7 april.

i AM so not ready. SHIT!

blog again maybe soon after my next trip!

take care then!

hahA

A rainbow to end my day

12:46 AM

A lit' treat from me

Brugges!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Songs of Rainbow

Someday I will find it

The Rainbow connection

The Lovers, Dreamers

& me

The pot of gold at the end

Must go

Someone out here