This year has ended on a really bitter note for me. To be honest, I’m really ready for it to be over. That being said, I don’t want to let the bad overshadow all the good that has come of this year. Here is a look back at my 2017 in pictures:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Here’s to hoping for a brighter 2018.
Our time in Brussels was short, but sweet. I was immediately struck by the Christmas decorations, which were much more elaborate than any of the other cities we visited in Belgium. Lights everywhere! My favorite part was watching all of the shop owners stepping outside to decorate their windows.
Since I was still feeling terrible and our time was limited, I had only one thing on my list: The Magritte Museum.
I got really into Magritte’s art and the Surrealist movement in general when I was in college taking a French Lit course. I love the playful juxtapositions and philosophical suggestions in his work.
The exhibition was well worth the 2 Euro fee and I was surprised at how reasonably priced the gift shop was. I left that museum with a noticeable spring in my step, in spite of my cold.
We ended our last night in Brussels (and the last night of our trip) by strolling the streets looking at all the Christmas lights and hopping in and out of cafes, where my husband continued to sample Belgium beer and I tried to soothe my sore throat with hot tea. I’m afraid I didn’t do Brussels much justice, but that just gives me a reason to go back. Perhaps next time I’ll even bump into Stromae.
After leaving Bruges, I wasn’t sure if any other destination in Belgium could compare, but I was totally wrong. Ghent turned out to be just as charming, if not more so in the sense that it was not nearly as touristy as Bruges.
Ghent is a seriously overlooked city, full of life and personality. Our adventure begin when we checked in to a cool little Airbnb in the red light district (yes, the red light district), smack dab in the middle of all the action.
Ghent is by no means a bustling metropolis, but it had an energy to it that Bruges did not. In fact, Ghent reminded me a lot of Moda, one of my favorite neighborhoods in Istanbul. Every twist down an alley revealed a slew of delightfully hipster shops, quirky cafes, and plenty of pubs.
My Thanksgiving dinner
Ghent is also the self-proclaimed vegetarian capital of the world (again…self-proclaimed), so it was nice to have some tasty and healthy options around. One cafe in particular – BARISTA- has forever captured my heart with it’s unbelievable homemade soups and awesome orange chai lattes. It also didn’t hurt that they offered me a free sandwich one evening right before closing that turned out to be one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten.
We decided to focus on city walks during our time there since I was too sick and exhausted to manage much of anything else. The coolest walk by far was the Illuminated Walk, suggested by the Ghent tourism board. This walk is meant to be done at night and to showcase Ghent’s unique cityscape all lit up.
Ghent was such a stunning place, both by day and night. If you find yourself passing through Belgium, don’t miss out!
After a seemingly interminable term, the fall break finally came and we took off to Belgium to catch some fall foliage and binge on waffles and chocolate. I had seen many a magical photo of Bruges before arriving, but the photos really don’t do it justice.
As if the charming alleyways, canals, and bright red trees weren’t enough, the whole town was also preparing for the holiday season with lights and Christmas displays. It was so refreshing to be surrounded by holiday spirit!
Bruges is a fairly small town, but it’s bigger than it looks and there is certainly no shortage of things to do! We signed up for a free walking tour through Legends of Bruges and were not disappointed. It’s one thing to wander through a city, but it is so much more meaningful when you can learn about its history and culture. We had also considered doing the foodie tour because it sounded awesome, but unfortunately, I came down with a nasty cold while we were there and simply didn’t have the energy to do more than one tour.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper trip without sampling some of the local cuisine. We tasted chocolate in every city we visited in Belgium, but this particular shop was our favorite.
We also did a little pub hopping to taste some of the many excellent beers Belgium has to offer. My personal favorite was the cherry-flavored beer that they only serve around Christmas.
Another highlight of Bruges was the Frietmuseum, a museum dedicated to the history of fries (but don’t call them French fries while you’re there!). It was such a fun and interesting museum.
I had hoped to accomplish a bit more in Bruges, including climbing the Belfry (Belfort) to get a better view of the city, but my illness really slowed me down. Still, I managed to squeeze in one last canal tour before we left.
In spite of feeling terrible for most of our time there, I really enjoyed Bruges – and I couldn’t imagine being there any other time of year. The colorful leaves and Christmas lights definitely set the tone for the rest of our trip and made me feel excited for Christmas in a way that I haven’t since becoming an expat.
Going Groundless 