Reminiscing over my entire trip, I realize how much I have experienced here. My first two weeks in Amsterdam were amazing. Even doing the smallest things like taking public transportation and familiarizing myself with the city was so special. I really enjoyed the people in Amsterdam. They’re all very friendly and speak amazing english. The …
Day 19 (7/25/19) : Leuven
Today was our final excursion to a Flemish city. We visited the city of Leuven, or Louvain in french. This is the “ home of Belgium’s most internationally reputed university.” (pg. 124) It’s name interested me because it phonetically sounds like Löwen in German, meaning lions, and that exactly what it means in Flemish. Interested …
Day 17 (7/23/19) : Antwerp
Today we visited the Glorious town of Antwerp. As we arrived we first walked through the well-known Diamond district. “ Antwerp is first and foremost a trading city, the undisputed international diamond capital with 90 per cent of the world’s uncut diamonds passing through.”(pg. 107) Walking through this area was quite odd, as it felt …
Day 16 (7/22/19) : Ghent
Today was an immediate excursion to a Flemish city, destination : Ghent. I was quite excited to see this city as it is well known for its historic and economic status. In fact “ many Flemish consider Ghent, with its unrivaled cultural facilities and superb architecture, the best place to live in Belgium.” (pg.70) When …
Day 15 (7/19/19): Belgium and The Congo
Today was an interesting visit to the Royal Museum of Central Africa. We took two buses into the area of Tervuren. I really enjoyed the town the museum was located in. When we arrived infant of the museum it appeared more like a palace than anything. The rooms were full of cultural exhibits ranging from …
Day 14 (7/18/19) : EU Parliament
Main Entrance 🙂 Today was fun because we got a special tour in the EU parliament. I have always watched the broadcasts on the news when important decisions were being discussed, so it was cool to see the actual room in person. The EU parliament is special because it is not directly a governing body …
Day 13 (7/17/19) : Art and Culture in Belgium
Today we began our class with an interesting topic, the art and culture of Belgium. It was interesting to learn how the Belgians are into such an artistic and individual country. Our lecture was a great way to prepare us for our excursion to the Royal Museum of Fine Art of Belgium. Once we entered …
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Day 12 (7/16/19) : Flemish Parliament and Federal Belgian Parliament
Today we started off with a very interesting lecture on Brussels and then made our way to the Flemish Parliament. There we learned about the way the parliament operates. The Flemish parliament is focused on cultural situations such as education and economic policy. Therefore, the federal parliament is still responsible for the control f transportation, …
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Day 11 (7/15/19) : Amsterdam to Brussels
Today was special not only because we we were heading out from Amsterdam to Brussels, but it was also my birthday! On our way we stopped off in Dordrecht for a nice tour. Dordrecht is the fifth largest city in the South Holland province. One very special fact about the city is that it held …
Day 10 (7/12/19): Rotterdam
Visiting Rotterdam today was very different than the other experiences in the Netherlands. We arrived not exactly at the city center, but when we came out from the station we were in a very central and meaningful spot to Rotterdam’s history especially from the time of WW2. “ Only ‘Fortress Holland’ and the isolated province …
Day 9 (7/11/19) : The Anne Frank House
Today was an interesting lecture about WW2 and its effect on the Netherlands. WW2 didn’t hit the Dutch until 1940. The Dutch preferred to stay out of the war and remain neutral, but Nazi Germany had different plans for the Dutch. On May10th, 1940 the Germans officially invaded the Netherlands. The Queen at the time, …
Day 8 (7/10/19) : Visit to Enkhuizen
Today was another immediate excursion to a town called Enkhuizen. It is a well known harbor town north of Amsterdam. On our arrival we took a ferry which transported us to the Zuiderzee Museum. The museum was established as an incentive to preserve the cultural heritage and maritime history from the old Zuiderzee region of …
Day 7 (7/9/19) : A Trip to Den Haag
Royal Family Tree2nd Chamber Ridderzaal Today we did not have a lecture. We got up early and left immediately for Den Haag. The city is best known for its political ties to the Netherlands. “ One of the most visible moments when a king acts as head of the government is during the opening of …
Day 6 (7/8/19) : Visit to Utrecht
Today was an interesting start with our beginning lecture on politics. We of course learned a new word today which was uitwaaien, meaning to go outside and clear ones mind. I like this word since i’ve lately been taking short breaks after my long excursions and going for small walks to think about my day. …
Day 5 (7/5/19) : Exploring Delft
On our fifth day here in the Netherlands we were given a fun two hour lecture on some more Dutch terms and phrases. We learned how to say hello, introduce ourselves and and state where we come from. I think what’s so special about the Dutch language is that they use diminutive words often in …
Day 4 (7/4/19): The Maritime Museum
Happy Independence Day to the U.S of A!! 🙂 Today’s word in lecture was Natafelen. This word describes the talking and conversation after having a meal. Family members tend to eat then remain at the dinner table and talk for hours! I definitely can see this as a usual activity for the Dutch. So far …
Day 3 (7/3/19) : Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum Day three started off with our lecture and we dove into the three new Dutch words or phrases: Kom op, Opschieten, and hup hup. Kom Op means "come on,” Opschieten means “to hurry up,” and Hup Hup is “go go.” These words seem very useful because Amsterdam is such a busy city, and I …
Day 1 (7/1/19): Van Gogh Museum
Day 1 Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum Today was our first official day of the course. We started it off with an orientation in the morning. After learning some do’s and dont’s we headed out to the Van Gogh Museum. I was quite excited about this trip since I can remember learning about Vincent Van Gogh …
Hello!
My name's Elán. I am doing a summer abroad in the Netherlands and Belgium as a finale to my education at UC Berkeley. I am a German major with a germanic studies focus which has led me to having a great interest in the Benelux countries as well. I will be sharing my daily tour …
Day 18 (7/24/19) : Bruges
Alas, today was our trip to Bruges! I have always been interested in this city for its unique medieval architecture and quaint bridges and cobble stoned streets. Arriving and seeing the city was more pleasing than expected. The heat today was slightly overbearing, but by staying indoors in certain museums we were able to still …
Amsterdam to Brussels 