Waffles and Bath Houses

This past week/weekend were ones to remember for a lifetime. Brussels, probably my favorite weekend travel thus far, was heaven on earth for food lovers of all kinds. It was a weekend filled with waffles, chocolate, fries, and more waffles. I went into Brussels expecting mediocre fries, but I was quickly proven wrong. Apparently the fries are fried twice giving it the extra crispy deliciousness that no one could deny. Furthermore, there was something about the waffles, I don't know if it was a placebo affect in the fact that we were in Belgium, but they were undoubtedly the best waffles I have ever had in my life. On top of the food, the architecture set itself apart from all else. It had all the character of typical European style buildings, except these were mostly lined with accents of gold. The grand place was a place where we were surrounded by the beautiful buildings and upbeat people. I will never forget Brussels. Lastly, our weekend ended with a bang. As we arrived at the train station to go home, we were warmly welcomed with the fact that our train got cancelled meaning our alternative was taking a train that was 30 minutes later to some other city, bussing to another city, catching another train to cologne, then finally arriving at Bonn. Luckily however, the first city we arrived at, saw our problems, forced us on a thalys train with no seats and with 2 minutes to find the platform. We sprinted to our platform and sat in the hallways and luggage racks for a while. Lastly in cologne, we took a train to Bonn which was a good preview to the sauna's we would soon be having. It was so tightly packed and there was barely room to stand. However, all in all, it was an adventure and we got home late, but still at a reasonable time. Moral of the story, Deuschebann is unreliable. 

Next, Norderney, a.k.a paradise. I'm currently on the ferry leaving Norderney right now and I don't want to leave. Just one more day at the bath house or one more day at the beach would be ideal but time goes by so quickly especially when you're doing things you enjoy. These have been the fastest three days of this trip so far meaning it has probably been my favorite excursion as well. I felt like I was living a fairy tale while riding our bikes along the beach, seeing the beautiful lighthouse, holding jellyfish and seeing exotic creatures on the mudflats, or simply relaxing at the bath house covered in mud and steam. Calling it a bonding experience would be a complete understatement. Furthermore, it felt like a vacation within our study abroad. Though the European architecture is beautiful and historic, it was nice to get away for a little bit and change up the scenery. The people were definitely more laid back and very hospitable. We were treated with great service at every restaurant and our hostile. People were curious because they probably don't see many Americans, so we were asked many questions about our country and culture. The bath house was a euphoric experience and I probably reached a level of relaxation that I have never reached before. Furthermore, this was a place that loves and appreciates nature like it should. From the unique birds, to the rabbits, to the microscopic primary producers we learned about, it was truly a unique ecosystem which is great for nature lovers. I definitely plan on going back to this island because it is a hidden gem not many Americans know about so I'm thankful Dr. Wasser introduced us to it. 

Lastly, Paris, here we come.