Month: April 2018

Five Things I Learned When I Moved to Belgium

The number one question I am asked since living abroad is “Which country do you prefer? USA or Belgium?” And my answer is always the same, “I like them for different reasons.” Political answers that show respect for both parties is a key social skill you pick up when growing up in the South…and I mastered the art.

But not having an opinion is one of the key things Belgians do not tolerate; I learned this quickly. This, amongst other typical American traits, I would learn to change in order to survive.

1.Make a plan

When I made my first friends in Gent, I got so excited and expected the flow of friendship to happen as it did in Kentucky. Hell no! Everyone in Belgium has an insane social calendar that gets booked weeks in advance. I was used to everyone hangs out with everyone; there is one giant friend circle and you just co-mingle all the time. Belgians? Umm no chance. They have their school friends, work friends, party friends, shopping friends, watch movie friends, dining friends…and don’t even think about mixing them! I remember one evening I was walking my dog and happened to walk past a friend’s house. Now, in the South, I wouldn’t think twice before calling up a friend (or even showing up) to say “Hey! I’m in the neighborhood, let’s hang” with only a few minutes warning. So I tried it. I walked right up to the house and rang the bell with all the confidence in the world. She came to the door with such a confused face like who in the hell was this person standing in front of her. Well, she was having a dinner party with one of her fabulous circle of friends. Politely, she told me we could make a date tomorrow to meet up. It took me a long time to get over the fact that people don’t want to hang out with me every chance they get; no, I am not full of myself but it is not the typical Southern hospitality I was used to. Now that I am acclimated, I love the making a plan routine. Your friends have your undivided attention and no fear of someone feeling left out.

2.  Being a Hostess is an art

The time has come for you to host your first dinner party. You’ve planned it out based on your cooking strengths and you’re ready to show your new friends what an American can do in the kitchen.  The thing is, we don’t typically plan dinner parties in the South unless it’s Friendsgiving or well, that’s about it. Our idea of hanging out is going to the local bar to fill up on an assortment of fried foods in the meat and cheese variety and beer.

What did I do? Taco bar. But I thought I killed the taco bar– I had the shells and the meat and the toppings all laid out in separate containers for friends to self serve and casually mingle in the house. I kept the booze flowing, maybe a little too much, and sent them on their way in less than three hours. Success, right?

Well, they invited me over the next weekend for brunch to show me how it ‘s really done. Holy moly was I schooled. Pate, fresh fruit, fresh juice, fancy salmon on even fancier toast, little baby shrimps, cocktails and the most beautiful display of meat and cheese I have ever seen. And they made it look so effortless! Course after course of amazing food, conversation and drink that made the day go on for six to seven hours. They started the day at 11 and we left drunk and full at 8pm. Needless to say, I am not a Master Hostess to Belgium standards, but I have stepped up my game.

3. Take a Holiday

We love to work in America. Ok, maybe not “love” but it is ingrained in our way of life to never stop working. When my job became super demanding that I was working from 8AM until 11pm just to keep up with business in Europe and in the states, my friends stepped in. The majority of Belgians have 9-5 jobs or jobs that allow them to work in their passion. They get their afternoons and evenings to enjoy family, friends or just enjoy some alone time to recharge. In addition, Belgians are granted something like 25 vacation days a year. 25 days!! Compare that to the measly 10 days Americans get but often don’t take and you’ll understand why holidays are an intricate part of their yearly schedule.

This might be the most life altering habit I changed since moving to Belgium as I have learned to shut down on work to take some days for myself.

4. Get a Hobby

You know that feeling when you’re at summer camp and you’re in arts and crafts class and everyone around you is making super sculptures out of dried macaroni and you’re sitting over in the corner trying to get the glue off your hands? Try living that life every day around your fabulous, younger than you new friends.

Everyone in Belgium is so damn arty and sophisticated that I felt like I would never belong. You either know how to cook; you are into pottery or plants; yoga or some other badass exercise; tennis or cycling (oh lawd that’s another article: obsession with biking). What could I do when I arrived? Taco bar. Oh, and I could walk the shit out of my little 8 pound dog…

What can I do now? Oh, shut up…

5. Dating

If you plan on moving to Belgium and take one thing away from this article, let it be this. Do not accept a date with someone unless you plan on a life together. You think I am joking. Belgians do not casually date.  In college, it was so typical to have a date with one guy on Friday night, see a different one for a movie on Saturday then not speak to either of them for a week. It was how our parents taught us to date around to find the right guy to be with long term. In Belgium? You accept one date with a guy and it’s until death do you part. Luckily, the first guy I had a date with ended up to be great and we had a great time together. But it took him pointing out that we were a couple before I realized how awful the situation could have become.

So, there you have it. Five from a very long list of things this amazing country taught me. But, no matter how hard they try, they will never take away the Taco Bar 🙂

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A Weekend in Israel

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Wizzair has some great flight deals around Europe and recently to the Middle East. When we found a deal for 60 euro to Tel Aviv, we jumped on the opportunity to trade snowy Europe for sunny Israel. We could only spend four days in Israel despite everyone telling us that it isn’t enough time. But, we had a budget and chose to spend our time in Jerusalem.

 

Transportation to/from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

There is a bus departing every hour, on the hour, from Tel Aviv airport to Jerusalem city center.

  • Transit time is one hour and 45 minutes
  • Departs from level two
  • One way fee is about 4 euros (bring cash)

Tip: Be aware of your arrival day. This shuttle’s last journey is at 2pm on Friday night to prepare for Shabbat. If you miss this, you’ll need to take a private taxi or a tourist bus for a much higher price.

On our return, we did book a shared taxi because it took us straight into downtown Tel Aviv’s central train station. From there, we took a second bus closer to our hotel; but more on that later…

Jerusalem

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We arrived in Jerusalem just as everything was closing for Shabbat. We did not do any preparation for this trip…first mistake. Our goal was to be spontaneous so we could relax and spend time where we wanted; the problem is there is just so much to see. You have to have a plan! Thanks to our hotel concierge, we quickly realized that not only would everything be closed on our first full day,  but we wouldn’t even be able to rent a car to visit anything outside of the city. Luckily, we found a last minute tourist website that would bring us to the Dead Sea.

We super lucked out with this service because it stopped in a couple of places before dropping us at the Dead Sea. We went to the border of Jordan and Israel as well as the point of sea level. The bus dropped us at the Dead Sea around 10AM and picked us up at 3pm.

It was such a cool sensation. You sit down and you just instantly float! I realize we were in a very touristy location but we still had a great time swimming / floating and covering ourselves with mud from the sea bottom.

Back to the city

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Day two was our Old City, religious experience day. People travel to Jerusalem for its significant religious impact and we wanted ours. We started the day on the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus walked to the place where he was crucified. There are fourteen stations on the route, each with a powerful story and marked by these round icons. If you are traveling alone, be sure to purchase a station map in any of the market shops or pay a nice local man to take you on a tour. We were approached by a shop owner for this service and thought it was well worth the money as some of the stations are a bit off the beaten track.

Our favorite stop of the tour was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. According to the Catholic faith, Jesus was crucified and buried on sacred ground that the Church was built around. It is considered the holiest Church in the world. The first day we went it was so busy that it was hard for me to let go and feel the Holy Spirit move me. So I went back the next morning, before the crowds came pouring in, to have some quiet time inside. It is such a different experience to be before the place where Jesus was crucified when it is quiet and you can take your time. I know not everyone can have that opportunity so I’m thankful that I could.

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Close to the Church is the Western or Wailing Wall. Men enter one side, women the other, to pray and offer your worship to God. All religions are invited to share this experience and to place your prayers into the cracks of the wall.

 

 

From the Wall, we walked around the outskirts of the city to Mount Olives for gorgeous views of the city and the Garden of Gethsemane to walk where Jesus spent his last hours before being arrested.

Gethsemane
View from Mount Olives

 

Before we left Jerusalem, we went to the Garden Tomb at Golgotha. This is where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried. I recommend to visit both and decide for yourself which places gives you the greatest impact.

Skull Rock
Garden Tomb

 

New Jerusalem

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We actually booked our hotel in New Jerusalem and loved our hotel so much. Every morning, we had a nice buffet breakfast with typical Israeli foods and a bonus happy hour every evening with cocktails and snacks. Besides that, there was this super cool market that went from daytime fruits, veg stands to a nighttime spot for drinks and hipster hangouts.

 

 

Tel Aviv

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We were surprised by Tel Aviv. So many of our friends told us it wasn’t worth visiting, it’s just a city, blah blah; but it was super fun and pretty! Immediately, we said this is a place we want to come back to because there was just so much to do! We only had one night in the city so we took a walk on the beach to Old Jaffa for dinner and drinks.

 

All in all, we had a great long weekend in Israel but was definitely not enough time. Beware that it is an expensive place to visit but if you plan well, you can plan a wonderful trip on your budget.

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Krakow

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Poland is a country that has interested me but for different reasons than the rest of Europe. When work took me to Poland for a week, my “work wife” and I decided to make the most of it and take a tour of the southern part of the country: Wroclaw and Krakow. We rented a car from the local company, Panek.

Tip: Only in Poland did a car rental company notify me that being an American I needed an “international license.” They tried to make me pay an additional fee in order to use my Tennessee license. If you are going to be in Poland with a car, contact your car insurance ocmpany to get an international driver’s permit for the trip.

Wroclaw

Wroclaw was a delightful surprise. We enjoyed walking the streets and searching for the little gnomes spread out in the city. There are over 350 of them and are a symbol of the anti-communist movement. You can take a walking tour by going on a gnome search in the highlights of the city. Most of the tour shops have gnome maps that can help you map our your itinerary.

Auschwitz

If you have the fortune of making the road trip from Wroclaw to Krakow, you drive right past Auschwitz. Now, I have been to this camp twice and was very pleased to learn they have removed the 20 euro entry fee. While I understand there is financial obligation to maintain the camps, I strongly believe it is important to keep these historical landmarks open to the public while encouraging donations. The photos above are from the first of two camps where you can see the well known “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign (Work makes you Free) and remnants of the victims, which can be found in Block 5.

You can visit Auschwitz I and II (start in I) with either a guided tour or doing it on your own.

Auschwitz II shows the sleeping barracks, cattle cars that brought in the victims and the iconic entry way as seen in movies like Schindler’s List. In addition, there are two demolished former gas chambers located at the back of the camp. Nazi soldiers tried to destroy all evidence, including these gas chambers, when word broke that the Allies had won and were liberating the camps.

As difficult as it may be for some of you to visit Auschwitz, I highly recommend adding to your list. It is the most powerful and moving place I have ever been.

Krakow

Krakow was without a doubt the best surprise in Europe. There are so many sights to see from the Wawel Castle to the Main Square that you easily need four days to see it all. Poland is an inexpensive country to visit so four days in Krakow may equal one or two days in a city like Paris or Berlin.

We spent the majority of our time in the former Jewish district of the city, Kazimierz. Other than the obvious historical significance this district holds, present day Kazmierz is full of cafes, second hand boutiques and street markets for the masses. One such place that combines the historical with the present is “Once Upon a Time” restaurant located on Miodowa street. At the very beginning of WW2, Kazimierz hosted both Jewish and Polish business where they could work and mingle side by side. It was time and a place where everyone ate, shopped and inhabited the same place, even if they differed in almost everything. Inside this restaurant, you are transported to this time and can see the nostalgia on the walls and in the building.

Oskar Schindler Factory

Most of us have seen Schindler’s List but you can not imagine how your perspective changes after visiting the actual factory where it all began. I was a little confused before starting the tour as I thought we were going to actually walk inside the factory and see equipment and enamel goods and basically the factory as it was during WW2. However, it is an exhibition of Krakow during the occupation and walks you through the different aspects of how this city was impacted during the war. If you are a WW2 enthusiast, then this tour is a must see.

Food

Besides the super yummy Pierogi, we found that fresh juices were high in demand in several cafes in the city. Polish food can be quite heavy, enter pierogi, but we had huge success finding Jewish cuisine that lightened the load.

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Birthday in Bordeaux

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I could not wait to get to Bordeaux for my birthday weekend– the wine, the weather, the food; it was everything I needed to escape the brutal European winter that slammed us this season. I packed my flip flops, my summer dresses and shades and we started the eight hour drive from Gent to Bordeaux. (Side note: Why did we drive? My furry friend joined us for the trip and stupid Ryanair doesn’t allow animals to fly. In the future, we will definitely take a flight. It’s only an hour and a half and the airport is super close to the city center.)

Wineries

My extravagant present to myself was a wine tasting and tour at the very prestigious Chateau Pape Clement. This chateau has been harvesting since 1252 and is one of the Grand Cru’s of Bordeaux. They went in great detail on the history and significance to the chateau and its harvest, showing us the vault holding bottles of wine from every year. We finished with a very strong tasting of seven different styles of red, white and rose wines, explaining the tastes, smells and bodies of each one. For the super wine lovers, you can also stay at the chateau in their own bed and breakfast, which looked like it didn’t suck.

Dune of Pilat

This thing was nuts. After the tasting, we wanted to take advantage of the amazing weather so we head to the tallest sand dune in Europe. Before leaving Bordeaux, we stopped at a store for French cheese, meats and wine to enjoy the gorgeous sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. Don’t let the massive sand hill intimidate you, even though it is a bitch to climb. The view is simply magic.

Bordeaux itself

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As if by birthday magic, a carnival appeared in the heart of Bordeaux. After the dunes, we arrived to the city and spent the rest of our evening in the cutey carnival, playing the ducky game and target shooting. Even at 31, a girl still loves when her boyfriend wins her stuffed animals 🙂

Bordeaux is a place you need to spend at least three days in to see and experience everything. Us driving cut into the amount of time we could spend in the city but we enjoyed the things outside of the city very much.

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