Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, every time I visit another country, I realise just how much I prefer it to France! Haha. At any rate, I just got back from Belgium and had an amazing time. We left Thursday morning arriving in Brussels early afternoon. We met up with my aunt who took us to eat some Belgian fries with two of my cousins (I hadn’t seen one of them in 8 years, and the other I had never met!!!!!) That night was spent catching up on old times and re-getting to know my family.
Friday morning we were off to meet up with Vero (friend from Mtl who is studying in the Netherlands). The rest of the day was spent eating waffles (with strawberries, bananas and chocolate!), tasting every possible flavour of chocolate, visiting costume and lace museums, taking pictures with the mannequin piss (who is super small by the way!), seeing the palace and numerous cathedrals, and playing on the map of the world!!!! (It was super fun! We took pictures of our feet in all the different places we have been too!!! Then I lied down on North America and Gab lied down on Europe and we held hand and demonstrated globalization!) That night we were spoiled by my aunt who bought us Belgian beer and who made the most amazing and delicious dinner EVER! Afterwards Vero and Gab went out with one of my cousins and I stayed home with the other….it was awesome….my aunt, cousin and I all cuddled in my aunts super comfy bed and watched Munich (not the happiest movie ever made, but the principle of cuddling with family was nice!).
The next morning we were spoiled again with a yummy breakfast (I don’t think I have eaten breakfast since I was on my trip with my father in February!!!) Afterwards we met up with my neighbour (from Dorval!) who is studying in Belgium and whose girlfriend (who is also one of my friends) came to visit him! We all went to la musée Horta, which is basically a really pretty house. The architect who built that house also designed a bunch of other houses in Brussels and you are given a map so that you can go find them (you can’t go inside the others though because people live in them!) That night my aunt cooked us an amazing dinner (again!) and we chilled at home because Vero was not feeling well…she ended up having a throat infection. Thank god she was with my aunt who took good care of her!
The next day was Easter Sunday. MY AUNT GAVE US AN EASTER EGG HUNT!!! Picture 5 individuals who are all 20+ running around the house trying to find chocolate! It was GOLD! My aunt was worried that we weren’t going to share….she was right…we didn’t!!! Gab and I also made my cousins pancakes with maple syrup! After lunch my aunt, my cousin Crystal, Gab and I all piled in the car and headed off to Bruges. Bruges is very pretty….we went on a canal ride…and ate Belgian fries!
Early Monday morning Gab and I left for Amsterdam. Our fist stop (after the tourist information centre) was, naturally, the Sex Museum. I officially have pictures of me not only with a giant condom (Hamburg), but also giant penises that would fit the giant condom (only in Amsterdam!)! When you first walk in, you automatically set off a motion detector and a sculpture of a guy comes out of the wall, winks at you, and opens his trench coat where you notice that he is NOT wearing pants….or boxers for that matter! The rest of the museum is somewhat similar to Hamburg’s Erotic Museum….porn basically…however much more classy and educational if that is possible!!! After sex was beer. We went to the Heineken Museum, which is FABULOUS! Definitively beats the Guinness Brewery in Ireland. You have a bunch of interactive games – for example, I was able to interactively see what it was like to be a Heineken beer bottle! – and you can send movies of you singing in Deutsch to your friends and family! (My screen wasn’t working, so I couldn’t read the lyrics to the song, so I’m dancing in my video!). Also, you get free pints of beer throughout the museum (total of three glasses of good old Heineken beer!) which makes for a great start to your afternoon! After my Heineken Brewery experience, Gab and I tried to bargain a hotdog down from 3E to 2.50 E…we failed, but it was fun trying! I also bought a bagel and cream cheese – I miss that from back home! After sex and beer we did coffee shops… they have menus with all the different types of drugs you can buy…it’s actually kind of unsettling! So after sex, beer and drugs, we were back at sex (red light district!). It’s very similar to Hamburg’s red light district except that the ONE street in Hamburg that is only open at night and reserved for men over the age of 18 is now replaced by NUMEROUS streets that run 24h a day, and that are open to ppl like me who take a random right and are faced with half naked women posing in windows. After sex, beer, drugs and sex again, we were tired and took the train home where we feasted yet again on my aunts amazing cooking!
Tuesday was a sad day. Vero took the train to go back to the Netherlands, and Gab and I took the plane back to France. I cried in the airport. Arriving in Marseille, I met up with my oldest cousin who was visiting his dad in France. We went to their house for dinner where I officially became a model! My uncle’s girlfriend designs hats and is having an exposition and need people to model the hats…apparently Gab and I were perfect candidates! It was super fun!
Now I am back in Montpellier. I have exams next week – two on Monday actually….
My family sent me a care package…I am probably the only person in Europe with Tim Hortons coffee! Loves it!
In three weeks I’ll be on summer vacation and in Spain…can’t wait! Until then, I have enough chocolate to keep me out of depression while I study!!!
Miss you guys! Happy Easter (a little late)!
Kiss Kiss
-Ash
xoxo
