Een kort bezoek aan België! "A short visit to Belgium!"

Vrije Universiteit usually gives students a free week before finals to get their affairs in order. Upon learning this, I was very grateful to be given time to review my notes, study with friends, and… plan a fun little day-trip to another country. When I first was planning for my time in Amsterdam, both my friends and other adults alike constantly told me to plan some trips to neighboring countries. That is why when I saw a week gap in my calendar, I jumped at the opportunity to visit Belgium. I figured I could study on the ride there anyway. 

The planning for this trip went by pretty smoothly. A friend and I met in the lobby of our dorm building to coordinate. We initially thought that taking a train would be the best option. But upon further research, we discovered that taking a sprinter bus was significantly cheaper. With the company “Flixbus”, I was able to get a round trip ticket to Antwerp for around thirty dollars. On the day of the trip, I packed some cash, my camera, and my passport (even though it was never actually checked during the trip). 

My friend and I arrived in Antwerp in the early afternoon and decided to make our way over to their Central Railway Station, one of the most beautiful train stations in all of Europe. After walking around the building for a bit, I could see where New York got their inspiration from! After admiring the station, my friend and I decided to get a true taste of Belgian waffles. We found a well-reviewed place nearby and decided to walk to it as a good way to get good views of the city. Although Google Maps told us that it was going to be a twenty-minute walk, it actually ended up taking the both of us around an hour because we kept on getting distracted by the fun thrift stores and boutiques along the way. I think walking was a great decision because we were able to hit all the sights without even trying! We finally made it to the waffle restaurant that was placed right in front of the beautiful Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerpen. Although it was a bit chilly, we decided to eat outside and enjoy the views. 

After our meal, we walked around some quiet neighborhoods for a while and visited Het Steen, a medieval castle right on the water. Before we knew it, the day was over and we had to catch our bus back home. Although we did a lot of walking, I think the most tiring part of the day was the bus ride back. That is why I went straight to bed as soon as I got home around 10. 

My day trip to Antwerp was such a great experience and taught me a lot about trip planning. From this experience, I’m excited to see if I can plan another one before I go home!