Believe it or not, 5 euro flights really exist. To get to Belgium to visit the family of my friends (their siblings) I took a .01 cent flight with 4.99 in taxes. Granted, I did land in an airport an hour outside the city and did online check-in with carry-on luggage only and had to pay 50 euros to get back to Madrid, it was still a cheap flight for the weekend. Not that I am complaining, but the family really spoiled me with everything from the homemade meals and luxurious guest room to their willingness to show me around Brugge and Brussels. I didn’t have to think for even a second and my nose was far from being buried in a map.

As a result of such royal treatment, I of course love the city even more, but even without it I would have still liked the buildings and atmosphere in the Grand Place, the canals and Medieval architecture in Brugge, and most certainly the waffles, mussels, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, and did I say chocolate? I also visited Waterloo, where there’s this hill with a lion on top symbolizing peace in Europe and a rotunda with a circular mural and sound effects to re-create the battlefield.

I came in on Thursday and left on Monday morning (landed at noon and got to class with my luggage and such by 2, no problem), so I got a real feel of what it’s like to live in Belgium. Of note are the mix/clash of languages in French, Flemmish, and even a bit of German, its small size (think Maryland), and that there is a countryside with very narrow roads (so much so that people often have to back-up for another Smart car to get past). Since I was not nearly as productive as I hoped to be over Easter Break, I did have a paper. presentation, and an exam to do while I was there , so I did not do as much as I would have liked (for example, visit Amsterdam or Germany), but I am happy to report that I at least received excellent grades on those projects, so my regret is not killing me.

Since I was in the company of the family or their friends the entire time, I did not seek the companionship I normally have in my camera, so I do not have as many pictures as normal. That, and the weather was kind of dreary–always seems to happen to me when I leave the warmth and sunshine we have in Madrid.