Hey Relax...Take it easy!
It is true I haven't written anything in my blog but it dosn't mean that I have disapperead from the planet. I am here hhhhhhheeeeeyyyyyyyyyy I AM HEREEEE!!!
Well it seems that the blog has some fans and that I have to keep on writing on what I am going through, or else I start getting e-mails of disappointment. I guess J.K. Rowling gets loads of those after publishing the last book in the Harry Potter series...WE WANT MORE!!!
So..wamt happened to me after I arrived in Bruxelles??
Upon arrival I settled into my room in central Bruxelles...the room is nice but at first really hated the common parts which I had to share with the others in the house. I think my eyes have now adapted and I see it as quite ok, but at first I really saw the 2 kitchens and the living room as too dirty to live in.
The house is shared with another 15, and till last week it was soo cool to stay downstaits in living room with anothr 8 or 9 people. Now it has gone really quite cause everyone is on holiday...it is August!
And it is also August in the rest of Bruxelles, with most of the Euroepan Union institutions closing down for the month and most of their employees going back to their own country for a holiday, so most of the city is like a ghost town at this time.
Yep...the first impression that I took of Bruxelles was not that good...empty streets, closed shops etc etc...a real ghost town...but now I have really adapted. I must say that I don't like Bruxelles as a city, apart from the centre of the city centre..hehehe....but then again I love the international intellectual society that lives here.
As for the French course..it is goign great and now I can understand French and speak quite a bit..hehe lovign it..and my class mates (who will also be my class mates and neighbours in Bruges are excellent..could not have asked for ncier people!)
I am now in mid of my stay here in Brussels...during the next half I will be venturing a bti mroe out of the city. Yesterday I went to the city of Liege, situated at the east of Belgium (clost to Cologne in Germany)..and in the coming weeks I hope that I will visit Antwerpen and Ghent in Belgium, shilst also planning trips to the Netherlands, Paris and aslo Luxembourg.
So...I hope that this will satisfy your curiosity..until my next blog..take care of yourselves and each other! (JERRY!!!)
Song of the day (played all the time in Bruxelles):
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Friday, 3 August 2007
Last Day Of Ibero Journey: Sintra, Cabo de Roca , Caiscas, Estoril and Lisboa!
Three and a half weeks of travelling across the Iberian peninsula have come to end. Andorra, Spain and Portugal have been fantastic countries to visit, with fascinating sceneries, delicous food, interesting people and wonderful musuems, cathedrals and towns.
The last day took us to some villages close to Lisboa: Sintra (with its amazing castle, Cabo de Roca (the most wetsern point of continental Europe - facing the USA), Caiscas (with amazing beaches) and Estoril (a stylish town).
Tomorrow the journey takes us to Brussels, where once again it will be back to studying...this time in an effort to improve French...until then..Aurevior!
The last day took us to some villages close to Lisboa: Sintra (with its amazing castle, Cabo de Roca (the most wetsern point of continental Europe - facing the USA), Caiscas (with amazing beaches) and Estoril (a stylish town).
Tomorrow the journey takes us to Brussels, where once again it will be back to studying...this time in an effort to improve French...until then..Aurevior!
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
Lisboa – The Current Capital of the European Union
Me Enchanta, Me Enchanta! Simply wonderful!
Arriving in the capital of Portugal did not only bring with it a difference in the general atmosphere, but also a drastic difference in temperature. Although it was hot (over 40) everyday for the past week in Lisboa, upon our arrival our luck took a turn and the temperature plummeted to 28 degrees with a very nice breezing, giving us a breath of fresh air following a long period of over 40 temperatures.
Lisboa is interesting since all its regions are different. Modern areas, older parts, even much older quarters, royal streets and sea side views. Some areas remind me a lot of Malta, in particular the cities of Valletta, Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua, with long narrow streets, having high baroque buildings, cobbled streets and other steep streets featuring steps.
Hsitory, culture, scenic views and a good night life feature highly in Lisboa.
Interesting was a visit we made to a church dedicated to Sta. Lucia, a church known as the ‘Church of the Order of Malta’. Within it one can get a lot of information on the order as well as on the islands of Malta. An interesting book sought to show how Malta, a small island state, managed to influence Portugal throughout its history, not only politically, but also architecturally. In fact, as already mentioned, one can find many similarities between Malta’s cities and Lisboa.
Our journey throughout the last city being visited during this Ibero journey will continue tomorrow…
Arriving in the capital of Portugal did not only bring with it a difference in the general atmosphere, but also a drastic difference in temperature. Although it was hot (over 40) everyday for the past week in Lisboa, upon our arrival our luck took a turn and the temperature plummeted to 28 degrees with a very nice breezing, giving us a breath of fresh air following a long period of over 40 temperatures.
Lisboa is interesting since all its regions are different. Modern areas, older parts, even much older quarters, royal streets and sea side views. Some areas remind me a lot of Malta, in particular the cities of Valletta, Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua, with long narrow streets, having high baroque buildings, cobbled streets and other steep streets featuring steps.
Hsitory, culture, scenic views and a good night life feature highly in Lisboa.
Interesting was a visit we made to a church dedicated to Sta. Lucia, a church known as the ‘Church of the Order of Malta’. Within it one can get a lot of information on the order as well as on the islands of Malta. An interesting book sought to show how Malta, a small island state, managed to influence Portugal throughout its history, not only politically, but also architecturally. In fact, as already mentioned, one can find many similarities between Malta’s cities and Lisboa.
Our journey throughout the last city being visited during this Ibero journey will continue tomorrow…
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