Shanah Tova Uit Amsterdam!

Shanah tova from Amsterdam!  It's safe to say that my Rosh Hashanah experience this year was unlike any other I've had.  After calling my family and Josh on Wednesday evening, I turned all electronics off and then cycled over to the Portuguese synagogue, which is a mere four minutes from home.  During the continued conflict between the Dutch Republic and Spain during the 16th and early 17th centuries, the Spanish Jews who had fled to Amsterdam to enjoy freedom of religion began referring to themselves as the "Portuguese Jews."  During the mid-1600s, the three Sephardic Jewish communities in Amsterdam merged into the Sephardic community that exists today as the Portuguese Jewish Community.  Their 17th century synagogue exists today in fairly good condition, and looks beautiful when lit up by candlelight, as it was on Wednesday night.

While I knew that services at this synagogue were bound to be different from those I am accustomed to, I wasn't quite prepared for the effect that the mechitzah and its specific construction would have on my experience.  I met Marisa, a dear friend from Brandeis who is also studying abroad in Amsterdam, outside the synagogue before services.  Upon entering, we had to show our I.D. and answer several questions about where we are from, the synagogue we attend, and our rabbis' names.  After Lea, a woman Marisa met on last Shababt led us into the sanctuary, I picked up a siddur for myself and we took seats in the balcony with all the other women.  Not only was the women's balcony situated what felt like two stories above the men's section, but there was a fence-like divider that blocked a clear view of the Rabbi and other congregants.  I was immediately so offended and overcome with a feeling of angst; never have I felt so marginalized within a part of my own identity.

Judaism has continuously played an integral role in my life, from my Torah School years at Adat Shalom (my home synagogue) to the indescribable euphoria and near perfection at Camp JRF, and my amazing BRO (Brandeis Reconstructionist Organization) community at school.  I am fortunate to have grown up in a series of communities that not only accept, but also embrace and encourage every member to play an equal role in prayer and community life, regardless of sex or gender.  Although I have acknowledged this gift and ability to be a female Jewish leader in the past, I suppose such a privilege is easy enough to take advantage of.  I sat confused and astounded at the disconnect I felt; the service was more foreign and uncomfortable to me than any other I had attended before.  While I respect tradition and the religious practices of the women who continue to pray and engage with religious Judaism in this way, I cannot help but to give extra thanks for the liberal nature of my home communities and their profound acceptance of the engaged Jewish female.  One of my closest friends here grew up Modern Orthodox, and she felt entirely differently about her experience at this synagogue the following morning; for her, the service felt normal and comfortable, like those she grew up with.  Neither of us were offended at our different reactions and religious preferences, but it was so interesting to me that we had such widely different experiences growing up in the same religion.  My reactions and reflections have taken me back to a conversation I had with a rabbi during my Maimonides program at Brandeis this past semester.  We talked about the essence of Judaism: is it a religion, a culture, a practice, a framework for understanding the world we live in, a peoplehood?  He offered the possibility that Judaism is about relationships: how do we engage with one another using the Torah as our guide and model for how to act, and how do we use our relationships with one another to engage with the rest of the world?  The relationships that I have developed as a Jewish girl and now a woman have largely been defined by my own acceptance within the community and consequential involvement in religious and communal practices, so this service was just really different for me.  I hope that, when I raise my own children, I am able to show them this way of practicing and being Jewish with the simultaneous exposure to alternatives within Judaism.

After services, my night took a turn for the better.  As we were leaving, I met someone who was born on the street I lived on in Cleveland this summer...go Hessler Road!!  This past summer only confirmed a developing deep love for the midwest, so it was really exciting to meet another Clevelander here.  Marisa had also been invited to join Lea's family for dinner after services, and I was the lucky friend who got to tag along.  After the hectic process of seating everyone around the table, we began our 3-hour (plus) meal, full of life and energy.  Lea is from Israel but has lived here for 14 years; she came here after marrying her husband, who is Surinamese.  They have four wonderful sons and are an incredible family.  It was so unbelievably wonderful to be welcomed into their home, and I really appreciated the homemade challah and other delicious Jewish food.  After reciting traditional Sephardi blessings over dates, pumpkin, carrots, beets, leeks, apples, and honey, we blessed the wine and challah and continued on with our chatter for hours.  I was stuffed to my maximum capacity by 11:15 p.m. and very much in need of sleep.  As I said goodnight, Lea welcomed me to come back to her home for Simchat Torah and Sukkot, and any Shabbat for which I am in need of a home.  Reconnecting with the communal part of Judaism, the humility and hospitality (not to mention the over-stuffing with scrumptious food) was fulfilling beyond belief and a great way to welcome in the new year.

As I mentioned, I decided to keep my phone and internet shut off for the first night and day of Rosh Hashanah; I really wanted to push myself to reflect on the past 12 months and do some goal-setting for the new year.  I spent the night journaling and reading in my room, without worry about where my friends where and what they were up to for the night.  Among my goals for my time in Amsterdam is to grant myself alone time to read books for pleasure and write more poetry for my zine, to take quiet walks and to really get a breather from my normally insanely busy routine.  Especially as I was reflecting on how I have done in following my goals, it felt great to catch myself in the action of succeeding at just being.

Yesterday morning, I adventured over to Beit Ha'Chidush, a progressive-religious Jewish synagogue that's founded upon Jewish Reconstructionist, Renewal, and other contemporary Jewish cultural movements.  I had read about the synagogue online and Wednesday night's experience was certainly a motivator to give something different a try.  The 17th century building was easy enough to find, and I was greeted with welcoming smiles.  The woman who showed me the service room handed me a Kol Haneshama siddur and a supplementary music sheet for Avinu Malkeinu...I was right at home.  Because the service was conducted solely in Hebrew and Dutch, I was fairly on my own to keep up and find the right pages.  Luckily, my Hebrew is pretty good, and I just learned Dutch numerals, so I actually knew what pages the Rabbi was calling out!  The melodies and harmonizing voices sang me right back to home, and I felt so blessed to be called to the Torah for a "newcomers and visitors" aliyah.  I had to sneak out a little early to make it to my Dutch language midterm, but was able to stay through the blowing of the shofar.  It's pretty incredible how powerful song and words can be, especially when they are imbued with memory and personal significance from many years.  As we sang L'dor V'dor, I couldn't fight a few tears as I thought about my family, and mom in particular... Yes, mom, I'm emotional too.  And when we got to Avinu Malkeinu, G.P.'s attempted rabbinical chanting sounded in my ears, right along with the choir from Adat Shalom.  I missed home and my Jewish communities very much on Thursday, but also felt more connected to them than I would have thought possible.

Starting this new year in Amsterdam has really given me the chance to reflect on my past year and the hopes I have for this new one.  Despite personal challenges in the last year, I feel so strong and stable here, and feel continuously refreshed and fully energized.  To all my family and friends, shanah tova u'metukah; may this be a sweet, happy, and healthy year for you that brings only challenges worth facing and many moments that evoke fun and laughs.      

Dutch phrase of the day:
Het is herfst, maar het weer maakt het gevoel dat het is zomer! = It is fall, but the weather makes it feel like it is summer! (The regendruppels have momentarily ceased to fall on us, and the sun has been showing off continuously for the last two weeks...it's been in the 70s and my shorts have magically reappeared!)

Dutch word/phrase bucket:
Ik hou van de koffie in de ochtend. = I love having coffee in the morning.
Elke dag, heb ik een broodje met heerlijk kaas voor de lunch. = Every day, I have a sandwich with delicious cheese for lunch.

groen = green (Mijn fiets is groen = My bike is green)

geitenkaas = goat cheese (Geitenkaas is mijn favoriete voedse! = Goat cheese is my favorite food!)   

fiestpad = bike path
keo = cow
koffie = coffee
regendruppels = raindrops
goedenacht = goodnight

My Family! Hamishpacha Sheli! Mi Familia! Mijn Familie!

Surprise! I spent the last week with three of my favorite people, and couldn't have been happier with their visit.  Mom, Dad, and Sarah arrived on Friday, September 16 and there began our days of double-digit miles of walking and exploring Amsterdam together.  Their visit began with laughs: I agreed to meet them by the apartment they were staying in so, when I arrived, I parked my bike and waved at the suitcase-lugging folk of mine as they walked down Prinsengracht (their street) in my direction.  It was only until we were a mere five feet away, though, that they realized it was in fact their daughter waving at them... Dad thought I was their host, waving them down to welcome them to the apartment.  We laughed and hugged and they congratulated me on looking too European to recognize me from down the road.

One of many bicycle photographs from the trip...

After settling into their place, I began leading them around Amsterdam, pointing out places we would visit later and important landmarks to remember.  The jetlag was certainly present and gravity seemed to be tugging especially hard on their eyelids, but their excitement sustained them until after dinner.  We had a lovely Shabbat together, which I really missed.  At home, Shabbat is a defining and crucial part of my week.  As my friends from home know, I spent every Friday night dinner at home and only started going out after dinner later in high school.  At school, I have a great group of friends who enjoy making Shabbat dinner together, which is such a blessing to have.  Since I have come here, though, I haven't made Shabbat, so you can imagine how happy I was to tie together my week with the fam.

We spent the next few days touring the "must see" places, and also strolling around and enjoying the city's seemingly endless beauty.  Among our art explorations was a visit to the Van Gogh museum, where we struggled to weave our way through the massive amount of people inside but enjoyed his works, nonetheless.  On one of our walks, we wandered into a small art gallery near Prinsengracht and discovered an incredible artist named Rennsen who uses Picasso as his stylistic inspiration and other artists' work as models for his own pieces.  Luckily, the gallery was hopping and the artist happily introduced himself, leading us through his work and method.  This was especially exciting for Sarah, who has recently flourished in her art ability and is amidst compiling her portfolio to send in with college applications....WOO!

Another required trip was to the Anne Frank house, which is located right on the Prinsengracht canal, right next to the Westerkert (western church), where Queen Beatrix was married.  (I mentioned this in one of my first posts.)  Otto Frank's old office, where Anne hid, has been preserved incredibly well and the exhibit does an unbelievable job of retelling her story from a historical perspective through excerpts from her diary.  I learned about the Holocaust extensively during my years of education both in pubic and torah school, but there really is nothing that compares to walking through a piece of history so directly tied to those years of horrid events.  From the moment we entered the exhibit, everyone was silent and walked slowly through each room of her hiding space.  It's hard to believe that eight people remained in so few rooms for two years, and I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been for the young children to experience their own physical and emotional development indoors, confined to so few rooms, without any external contact.  As emotionally challenging as the tour was, I am so glad that the space has been preserved well and is open for visitors so her story can continue to live on for generations to come.

We also went to the Jewish History Museum and wandered through the old Jewish district for a while.  I was so impressed with how much ground we were able to cover, and how much of the city my family had the chance to see in just a few days.  By the end of their week in Europe, they walked over 80 miles!  Super champions!  Although the museums and memorials are important to see, our agreed upon highlights were certainly the simple pleasant strolls around, letting ourselves be in awe at the quaintness of the canals and bikes.  We also became true allstars at bakery hopping...I now have a massive list of bakeries that are well deserving of my euros.

Champion traveler :)

New favorite cheese shop, and my Dad exhibiting his true character.

Sarah became an exponentially happier camper with the purchase of this hat...the real, goofy sis I know comes out :)

It's hard to express the feelings I had when my Mom and Dad decided to rent a bike on Monday morning...I was both excited to be a part of their experiencing Amsterdam by bike, but also fearful for my Mom's safety.  After a couple accidents and far too many scary health concerns, it is understandable to be nervous about Mom hopping onto bike lanes in Amsterdam, which can easily feel like the fast lane of a highway.  My parents' extensive years of tandem riding together, followed by a bicycle hiatus for my mom and recently a hilariously awesome purchase of recumbent trikes have left my mom out of contact with a single, upright bike, for over 20 years.  My jaw nearly fell off when I rode up to the bike rental place to find mom giggling as she rode around...by herself...on an upright bike...in Amsterdam.  I definitely had to bite my tongue a lot to keep in what feels like much validated and understandable angst about her safety but was, at the end of the ride, filled with an overwhelming sense of joy.  My mom never quite ceases to amaze me with her enduring strength and bravery.  Riding a single bicycle was a huge step for her and definitely boosted her confidence in her ability to, quite literally, get back on [that kind of] bike.  Dad was also, as expected, incredibly excited with her comfort in the ride.  Look out, rainbow tandem, they're ready to make you work again!

Tuesday brought a different adventure: we traveled to the Hague with my CIEE group to watch the Queen parade in her Golden Carriage to read the Dutch form of the state of the union ("the Speech from the Throne").  The queen doesn't actually have any political power, but it is her role to read out the plans for the coming parliamentary session.  The carriage belongs to the Dutch royal family, and dates back to Queen Wilhelmina's royalty in 1898.  Prinsjesdag ("princes day") is mostly exciting because everyone comes together in huge masses to watch the crazy parade go by, and wave at the queen as she rides to her palace.  It was kind of a lot of traveling for just a few moments of excitement, but definitely a unique experience worth taking advantage of.

She's waving!

Incredible

People watching was extra fun...

And where would we have been without our handy dandy guide, pointing us in the right direction??

Mom, Dad, and Sarah headed to Paris on Wednesday morning, leaving me to my work and friends for a few days before Sarah returned on Friday for the weekend.  I played homework catch up and rewarded my productivity with a day of unbelievable bike riding on Friday.  Hannah, Stephan, and I left at 2 p.m. for what we expected would be a 3-hour max. ride to Marken, a supposedly beautiful island to the north of Amsterdam.  Instead, we rode until 8 p.m., but every minute of the ride was absolutely worth the achy knees and grumbling tummies.

I swear, the happy cows and sheep just dominate here. 

Hannah at her cutest.  

True pro, total champion.

We finally made it to Marken!

And, of course, it was too adorable for words.

 My favorite part of the day was, beyond just getting away from the city and finding endless space to breathe, right around when the sun was beginning to set.  We were on our way back to Amsterdam, riding into the falling sun, each of us silhouetted against the light, and next to us galloped three perfectly hazelnut brown horses, neighing and playing with one another as they rode alongside us.  It was one of those moments when I didn't even know what to think or how to react but laugh at the beauty life has to offer.  Nothing mattered at that moment except for the five of us racing into the last moments of daylight, and it was truly a heaven on earth.  Shout out to Camp JRF pals: I hummed a little ma'aseh vereishit, a blessing for natural wonders.

Once we reluctantly crossed over the bridge that brought us back to the developed city area, we made our way over to Amsterdam Centraal (the train station) to pick up Sarah, who had just arrived from Paris.  Boy, did she get quite the special treatment: We strapped her rolling suitcase to my bike, gave her backpack to Stephan, and she hopped on Hannah's bike.  We all rode one handed, balancing and keeping hold of our various additions, but it worked great and we made it home safely.  (Only one minor fall, and it was greeted with laughs.)  Kyle, Hannah, Sarah, and I made a delicious Shabbat dinner and said the brachot before digging into the challah Sarah brought back from Paris.  Yummy!  We took it easy for the night, and really enjoyed just talking into the wee hours.  On Saturday we worked at a great cafe for a little, and then spent the night out on the town... When Sarah and I decided to come home at the end of the night, it became evident that it was my time to learn how to ride her on the back of my bike.  Despite a little wobbling at first, we were totally successful and it was SO fun to ride through the streets of Amsterdam with her late at night.

Before Mom and Dad got back on Sunday evening, Sarah and I wandered throughout the city, hitting markets and bakeries that seemed to have a magnetic attraction to us...okay, maybe the other way around :)

We spent our last family night chatting about the week, sharing stories and adventures, and hugging lots...I won't see my family until the end of December, which is kind of difficult to accept.  I've never gone that long without seeing them, and I'm spending my first Rosh Hashanah ever without them.  Growing up can be exciting and scary all in one, but it's so great to know I have such an awesome home base.  Since I graduated high school, I have really struggled with the concept of home.  Since the end of my senior year, I have not spent more than two consecutive weeks at home, and my visits have been far less frequent than I would like.  I've lived at camp, college, in Cleveland, and in Amsterdam and making each of these new spaces more "homey" is a must.  Still, my real home remains with my family, beside a cherry blossom tree in Bethesda.  I miss home so much, but know that it's always there for me when I'm ready to return.  Until I next make it there, I'm so lucky to be in Amsterdam, surrounded by continuous beauty and wonderful people.  The history and contemporary social policy here is beyond fascinating-there is so much to soak up every day.  Plus, the weather has been absolutely incredibly scrumptious for the last two weeks, and the sun is definitely getting to me--things are wonderful over here!

Dutch phrases of the week: (I have a midterm tomorrow, so wish me luck!!)

Ik hou van de koffie in de ochtend. = I love having coffee in the morning.
Elke dag, heb ik een broodje met heerlijk kaas voor de lunch. = Every day, I have a sandwich with delicious cheese for lunch.

Dutch word/phrase bucket:

groen = green (Mijn fiets is groen = My bike is green)

geitenkaas = goat cheese (Geitenkaas is mijn favoriete voedse! = Goat cheese is my favorite food!)   

fiestpad = bike path
keo = cow
koffie = coffee
regendruppels = raindrops
goedenacht = goodnight

One Month Anniversary!

My second week of class brought much excitement with the start of my lecture series, "Social Justice and Development in the Global South."  We are exploring social justice and the marginalization of people in the global south, specifically in coastal regions.  We have a different lecturer each class, which keeps us fully engaged and is a great way of enhancing our understanding of international relations on a variety of local scales, given the varying backgrounds of the speakers.  I have never taken a course in international development but am loving every minute of it; the readings are all thought-provoking and, especially since we are looking at coastal regions, I have definitely been able to apply my knowledge of environmental justice to the course.  Last week, Professor Joyeeta Gupta spoke about the difficulty defining justice and challenges in granting "natural" rights to all people.  She was an incredible speaker and her talent as an environmental lawyer shone through; she played the devil's advocate to most of our arguments to portray difficulties with universal definitions of justice.  We constantly returned to the difference between rights and needs, which helped reveal why governments are reluctant to specify rights: this identification comes with a sense of urgency in granting said "rights" to all citizens, and violating rights is more problematic and "unjust" than violating needs.

The course is open access, which means that anyone can essentially participate in the course (except for our forum posts).  In fact, there are currently several students in India who are taking this course via live recording of the lectures.  You can check out the lecture archives and even watch them on the course site: http://www.ids-uva.nl/archives/Static/about

Last week I also got to spend some time with a dear friend from Brandeis who is also studying abroad here.  I met Marisa by Waterlooplein, a fantastic outdoor market near my neighborhood and the old Jewish district.  We cycled to my place and made a delicious stir fry for dinner.  We caught up, shared stories, and marveled at the fact we were actually together...in Amsterdam!  She's living with a host family not far from me, so I can't wait to spend some time exploring with her.  Although making new friends is imperative while I'm here, it's so nice to have a familiar face around :)

In many ways, the start of studying abroad parallels freshman-year orientation at college: you start off likely excited but filled with nervous energy and uncertainty for what your experience will bring; most people don't know anyone at the beginning either; there are lots of introductions and small conversations to get to know one another; you really have to put yourself out there and push through the awkwardness/mild discomfort with getting to know new people to eventually develop more meaningful relationships.  Luckily, I had an incredibly smooth orientation and have definitely continued with positive social experiences.  I've found a great balance between hanging out with friends and being social on nights and weekends, and also taking time to be independent and reflect on my own.  I have discovered that, more than in the past, I am needing time by myself to "reboot" and I have found that my alone-time to decompress is crucial to making it through my day happily.  Fortunately, though, I don't feel like I've limited myself by taking time to be alone, and my friends here have generally been really understanding when I want to stay in or go off on my own.  It's strange to feel as socially comfortable with people I have known for such a short period of time, but I'm not complaining!

Kyle and Hannah, two of my close friends here, were hanging out in my room last week and we decided to indulge ourselves in planning a trip to Greece!  It's not a cheap trip and it would obviously be best to spend more than a weekend there, but such is the nature of being a student based in one city, and we are so lucky to be able to go at all.  Traveling is super exciting, but it's also so so so important to keep myself grounded where I'm actually living.  I have a bunch of unbelievable trips planned in the coming months, but also many weekends to be in Amsterdam.  As I spend more time exploring this city and better acquainting myself with different neighborhoods, I am coming to truly love being a resident of the Netherlands.  (Speaking of which, I got my Dutch residency card, so I'm officially a resident until late December...wooo!!)  From the awesome Dutch students I've met to the sweet as ever Dutch folk in cafes and small shops, to the food and second-hand markets, to the crazy bicyclists and gorgeous backdrop to my whole experience, everything has just fit into place so well.  These years when my primary job is to learn and explore are a true blessing.  Being on a campus is wonderful, but it's also refreshing to break out of the small-school bubble for a while.  I had a moment of total euphoria the other night when I was riding my bicycle over a bridge along the Amstel canal...despite the occasional homesickness and questioning of how to best prioritize my time while here, I am so incredibly grateful to be on this journey, constantly adventuring and continuously provoked to push myself.  Yesterday, in my lecture, the visiting professor addressed our class in a way that showed her consideration of the class's diversity; there was no assumption of homogeneous socio-political backgrounds among the students.  Studying with students from all around the world, especially in an open-access course, creates this feeling that I'm a student in a global classroom.

Tomorrow (September 22) marks my one-month anniversary studying in Amsterdam.  (It's also Josh's birthday!!)  I can't tell if the time has flown by or if it feels like I've been here for forever but, regardless, I'm a happy camper.

What's not to love here? 

Here's what the neighborhood looked like in the 1800s...not much has changed!

Delicious warm treat at the Pancake Bakery.  There is an endless supply of tasty tasty food here.  The Dutch love to give you small treats with hot beverages--there's a stroopwafel (caramel cookie) in my glass!

Dutch words of the day (I missed one last week!):     

groen = green (Mijn fiets is groen = My bike is green)

geitenkaas = goat cheese (Geitenkaas is mijn favoriete voedse! = Goat cheese is my favorite food!)   

Dutch word/phrase bucket:

fiestpad = bike path
keo = cow
koffie = coffee
regendruppels = raindrops
goedenacht = goodnight

First Self-Planned Weekend Trip -- Hello Beautiful Bruges!

Bruges is infamous for its waffles, chocolate, and beer, all of which I had the chance to try this past weekend!  I traveled with six friends from my program, making for a weekend full of fun and also some rather interesting moments of coordination, or lack thereof...

We began our adventure on Friday morning with a hectic realization that three people did not yet have their tickets, and were unable to print at the university.  Come 9:00, Agata and I decided to split and hurried over to Amsterdam Centraal in search of our train's platform.  We spent the following half hour nervously checking our phones, waiting for notification from the others that they were on their way.  The train arrived, and I boarded with three others.  Within fifteen seconds of the train departing the station, our three ticketless buds ran huffing and puffing onto the train.  Luckily, one of the officers at the station took pity on them and gave Kyle her internet code.  He took a screen shot of their tickets and then sprinted from the ticket help desk up to the platform, screen shot and note of explanation from the officer in hand.  After laughing hysterically at the hilarity of their near failure to make the train, we settled into our seats for a beautiful ride to Antwerp, and then onto Bruges.

Gorgeous train station in Antwerp.

Traveling in a big group can be exciting but also poses the risk of assuming that others will care for important details, for instance, where to sleep during the trip.  It was not until the night before leaving that Faith and Agata compiled a list of hostels and walking directions from the train station.  We arrived in Bruges without a reservation, but were surprisingly excited by the prospect of needing to work on our feet and move hastily to grab the last available spots for that night.  After getting turned away from two full hostels, we were lucky to find an 8-person room for only 20 euros a night.

Once we got settled in, we began our hunt for waffles.  Although we had better waffles later in the weekend (street/window waffles are far superior to those in restaurants), the warm chocolate sauce topping was enough to satisfy our craving before we went on a half-hour canal cruise through the city.

Can you imagine living here??

Bruges has a really relaxed open container policy: except between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., you are permitted to walk around public spaces with open containers of alcohol, so we took advantage of the afternoon sunlight, gorgeous town square, and intriguing beer selection.  Watching the sun set against the bell tower and beautiful churches was almost as enchanting as the surrounding streets.  One of our CIEE advisors suggested Bruges to us over Brussels, and she was hands-down correct in her description of this old city as a true fairy-tale.

It was really difficult to capture this tower, the largest brick building in the world...the photograph doesn't really do it justice, but trust that the detail and beauty reached incredible heights (literally).

Kyle and me in the square!

Incredible backyard terrace and garden.

Happy travelers!

We spent our evening at a middle-eastern restaurant (an unexpected but incredible discovery) and then ventured over to the oldest bar in Bruges, from 1515.  We were the only tourists there, and thoroughly enjoyed our late-night conversation on the back patio of the bar.

Fortunately, our exhaustion from a full day of traveling and discovering led us to a much-needed 9-hour sleep.  On Saturday, we ate breakfast at the hostel and then walked to a series of beautiful old windmills on the outskirts of the city center.  We had a pretty nice view of the city, but nothing compares to our reward upon reaching the top of the Belfort (the Bell Tower).  After climbing 366 spiral staircase steps, we reached the bell room and stood in awe at the view around us.

We ate lunch in the market square (the buildings in this last picture are a part of the square) and then I began my favorite part of the trip: time to find chocolate.  My grandparents have literally traveled the world in search of the best chocolates, and when I told my grandma of my trip to Bruges, she insisted I find her favorite shop.  I arrived in Bruges knowing only that many, many years ago, Grandma found her favorite chocolate shop, Nicolaas, somewhere off the main square.  There are about five gazillion chocolate shops, so the hunt was on.  I ended up walking into a random shop and purchasing a few chocolates so I could ask the owner if she had heard of Nicolaas.  Indeed, she had, but she remembered that it changed names many years ago, and is now called "Prestige."  She happily gave me directions and off I went to find Grandma's dark chocolate truffels.

Chocolate found!

The following hour was the highlight of my weekend, and I soon understood the charm and perfection that made this shop and its creations stick in Grandma's memory years and years later.  I told the woman working about my Grandma and she proceeded to gift me with numerous chocolates unlike anything I had tasted before.  Walking away with a happy belly and a golden box of treats for my grandma made me feel closer to her, especially because she celebrated her 80th birthday with my family while I was filling her box!

These photos show Faith and Agata's shock at the intensity of their chocolate:

Yummmm

"Oh my gosh, you're right!  This is sooooo good!"

All gone :(

My afternoon and early evening became a time to wander aimlessly through the city by myself.  I was in need of some alone time and wanted to see where my feet might carry me if unrestricted by a map or questions of direction from locals.  I spent two hours walking by myself, exploring what lay outside the city center and taking a look at some Belgian homes.  And, of course, I picked up a street waffel along the way.  Aside from the powdered sugar coating my black shirt, I enjoyed every bite of this distinctly Belgian treat.

The rest of our trip was great, and coming home was far less hectic than our outbound trip.  Heading to Bruges was a good way of starting my travels, and I learned a lot about my preferences for traveling.  While I enjoyed being with a lot of friends, it's definitely difficult to coordinate the day and meals with so many differing opinions.  More importantly, I got so much out of my individual explorations on Saturday evening, so this type of walk will certainly make it into my future travels.  At the end of our trip, I realized how much I was looking forward to getting back to Amsterdam; it's nice to feel this place becoming a home away from home.