Chocolate, Chocolate, and More Chocolate: Day 1 in Bruges, Belgium

This past weekend could be classified as one of my top weekends in Europe. I was fortunate enough to travel to Bruges, Belgium, the #1 Gothic city in the world and capital city of Belgium. The trip started off a little bumpy though. After only getting about 4 hours of sleep (I was excited and Woodland Court was a little noisy) we boarded our coach at 6:45am. We were on our way to the city of Dover to meet our ferry which would be taking us across the English Channel to France and then our coach would drive us onto Belgium!

The ride to Dover was about 2 hours long (of which I slept most of the way) and when we reached the port town, the White Cliffs of Dover were actually visible-unlike the week before when Monica and I were on a tour there. It was pretty cool to be able to clearly see them! So at around 9:30am, our bus drove onto the ferry (which was more like a cruise ship!) and we disembarked from the bus and went up to the main deck of the boat. The view from the outside was incredible! The sun even peeked out of the clouds to let us get a few good pictures. Our ferry ride was going to take 90 minutes so we settled in, had a little snack, and anxiously awaited our arrival in France.

English Channel

Rainbow over the Cliffs of Dover

Dover Castle

Little Londoner and the White Cliffs of Dover

When we finally reached the other side of the channel, we got back on the coach and were onto the last leg of our travel. It took us another 90 minutes to finally reach Bruges, but the long trip was well worth it. From what I could see from my rain-soaked bus window, Bruges looked like a fairytale city. All these medevil gothic style buildings lined the tiny streets. Our first order of business was to check into our hotel, the Hotel Ibis. Before we could do that, our bus had a little accident. Our driver, Dave (not the kindest man in the world) bumped into another little car on the narrow road of Bruges. The car had a little bit of damage and the driver was pretty upset so Dave had to sort that all out while the rest of us put our luggage into the hotel for storage until our rooms were ready to check-in to.

Hotel Ibis

Lobby of the hotel

After everyone stowed their belongings, it was time to begin scenic tour #1 of Bruges guided by our activities coordinator Tony. After walking up one of the narrow streets past dozens of chocolate shops and waffle parlors, we reached destination number 1...The Onze Lieve Vrouwerk (Church of Our Lady). We got to explore the indside and see the famous work of one Michelangelo-his sculpture of Madonna and Child. It was pretty amazing and something I will never forget.

Church of Our Lady

Michelangelo's Madonna and Child

Then we were given 30 minutes to explore the street and get out first taste of Bruge's delacacies-Belgium Waffles! It was seriously amazing. My waffle was fresh and warm and coated in powder sugar. It also had little sugar granules inside which made it sweet enough so I didn't need syrup! DELISH!

So happy to have a real Belgium Waffle (don't worry mom, I still LOVE your waffles)

Then it was time to continure our journey through the city. We visited the Basilique Du St. Sang (Basilica of the Precious Blood) where they supposedly have a vile of Jesus' blood. You could get in line and walk up onto the big podium-like thing and put your hand on the vile...it was pretty cool but kind of creepy at the same time (I may have prayed for better weather...oops!) Then we continued on to the Markt Square where we saw the Belfry which is the big bell tower in the center of Bruges. There are 366 stairs you can climb to reach the top of the tower (you will have to read my next post to see if I climbed them or not). Then were were taken back to the hotel to warm up and get ready for the evening which consisted of free time to eat and explore the city. The weather seriously sucked and my jacket leaked was not waterproof so I had to blow dry it to warm it up/dry it off. Then Kirsten, Monica, Amy, and I headed out for dinner. First, here are a few more pictures from the walking tour.

Absolutely adorable :)

Church of Our Lady

The Belfry

The Belfry

Basilica with the Blood of Christ

CHOCOLATE!

Our first stop of the night was at this chocolate shop Tony suggested-it didn't really have a name but he called it the blue and white shop because that's what color it's awning was. It was seriously overwhelming and amazing all at the same time. The smell was incredible-fresh chocolate scent. The chocolates looked so delicate and delicious in the way they were presented/displayed. I decided on a little box of 28 for my parents and some other goodies for some of my friends back home. The only bad thing about Belgium's chocolate is that they use the freshest ingredients without any preservatives so they only stay fresh for 3 weeks...just means I'm going to have to eat all my chocolates real fast :)

After the chocolate expedition, we went into a little lace shop (another delcacy known to Belgium) and purchased a few other things. Then it was off to find a place to eat dinner. Belgium is also known for it's french fries and mussels so we wanted to find a place to try those. However, we were very shocked to find every restaurant would set us back about 20-23 euro! I was not prepared to spend that much on one meal but in the end, we decided "when will we ever get to eat mussels in Belgium again?" so we chose this little place in the Markt Square and splurged. Let me just say, that was the best idea we could have ever had because this food was seriously amazing. Tony had told us Belgium is one of the foodie capitals of the world but my tastebuds were not at all prepared for the trip they were about to take.

We sat down and stared at the menu for about 10 minutes before one of the nice waiters brought us the "local" menu which was a 3 course dinner for 14 euro (now we're talking)! It came with an appatizer, main course, dessert, and tiny glass of wine. I was sold. I decided on the mussels in au gratin sauce for the appatizer, Flemmish beef stew with chips for the main course, and a raspberry beer brewed right in Belgium for my beverage. I questioned what the mussels would be like but they may have been the most delectable thing I have ever put in my mouth. The cheesy sauce they were in was so rich and delicious. If you ever go to Bruges, you MUST try them! Then our main course arrived which was just as tasty if not even tastier! It consisted of thes huge chunks of beef in a delicious sauce with a side of french fries. Apparently, Belgians do their fries different than everywhere else in Europe. They use only a certain kind of potato which is sweeter and they double deep fry them...amazing.

Finally and sadly our main courses were devoured and our bellies were full. But we still fit in our beers and little dessert of ice cream. It was the most satisfying  meal I have ever consumed...my mood was so happy after this meal and I forgot all about how cold and wet I was. Take a look for yourself and try not to get too jealous :)

The restaurant

Mini wine for Hale

The Markt square lit up at night

Best brew EVER!

Hadn't even drank any yet...also, notice how wet my shirt is :(

MUSSELS!! So good

Flemmish Beef Stew :)

After we were finished, we waived down the waiter to get our bill (came to around 80 euro total!) and headed back to the hotel. Kirsten and I were roomies and we decided to have a chill room as we were both exhausted, extremely full from dinner, and cold. We turned on the TV and to our surprise found GLEE was airing in English! We watched that for a while and munched on some of our newly purchased chocolates...which by the way melted in my mouth and were sooooo good! Then at around 10PM I feel asleep to Transformers and had dreams of mussels, chocolate, and waffles!

My box of chocolates which started out at 14 and sadly only has 8 left...noooooo!

Tune in to the next blog to hear about day #2 in Bruges, Belgium!

Cheers,

Little Londoner

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun!

Today was all around a great day. For some reason I feel so happy and energized and just can't stop smiling! I have Mr. Sun to thank for my mood :) He finally came out today and warmed up this place! It was 55 degrees and sunny all day. Best weather day by far!

My day started off with a lovely run through Camden, past/through the London Zoo, up Primrose Hill where I got to see a clear view of the entire city of London, and then along this little canal under bridges and back to Woodland Court. I did purchase some new Nikes yesterday but didn't want to break them out yet because it was really muddy and I don't want to get them dirty just yet...but the run was great and put me in a  good mood off the bat.

Then it was time to head to Picadilly Circus to find Flat White. It took me a little while to find the place because it was kind of hidden away on a random street in Soho. To get there I had to walk through all these tiny alleys that brought me past tons of adult sex shops and strip clubs...I had no idea I was walking past these places until I looked in the window and saw the words plastered across the front of the building...oops! Anyway, I finally came upon Flat White and forgot all about my adventerous route to get there.

SO good.

I ordered a flat white and banana toffee muffin for take-away and waited patiently for my beverage. When I tasted it, I almost melted. It was that good. Best flat white I have experienced thus far. I wish I could explain to you how good it was but I don't think that's possible. Maybe some day you will have the chance to experience it for yourself :)

With my coffee in hand and muffin stowed inside my bag, I headed for Green Park. I found a bench right in the sun and settled in for a lovely afternoon in the park. I read my book (almost done!), sipped on my delectable coffee, and chowed down my muffin (which by the way was amazing). It was so relaxing sitting here being surrounded by Buckingham Palace and numerous people doing the same thing as I was. These are the days I live for! I may have even gotten a little tan...rightttt.

Green Park-ate lunch from this spot today

Does it get much better than this?

After I got to a good stopping point in my book, I figured I should probably get a move on and headed back to Picadilly Circus to do a little shopping...funny how easy it is to spend money in London. I headed up Regent's Street to find United Colors of Benetton and take a browse at the new spring collection. I should have left my credit card in the flat because I honestly liked every single item I tried on...but I fugured if the stuff fit, I might as well get it right? So I settled on 2 pairs of shorts, a pair of capris, a pair of jeans, and 2 dressy tops. It was so exhilerating leaving the store with my new purchases, but about 2 blocks later buyers remorse kicked in. I felt a little guilty but decided since I only have 2 weeks left, it was okay to splurge a little bit :)

I continued my journey down to Traflagar Square and onto this neat bridge that crossed the Thames River. I was in awe at the London Eye and Big Ben once again. No matter how many times I see these structures, they always take my breath away. This time I got a totally different angle of them and decided to take some more picture. The sun was shining on the buildings and people were everywhere enjoying the beautiful day. Everyone just seemed so happy and friendly today (a rare sight in London). I took about 50 pictures and decided I should probably head home as I had been out all day. Here are some of my faves from the photo shoot!

Big Ben's always watching out for me :)

The Eye+The Thames+Big Ben+Parliment...

Love it

Part of the bridge over the Thames

Could stand here all day in the sun

The Eye and Benji are competeing for camera time

Check out that sun!

London's Skatepark

It's funny how much sunshine and warmth can change people's moods...hopefully this trend continues :) Today was a fantastic day and as my time here comes to a close I hope to take advantage of each and every remaining day!! I cannot wait to see everyone back home, but I am going to miss days like this here in London.

That's all for now!

Hope the sun is warming you all up as well :)

-Lil Londoner

Brrr it's cold in here...Ice Bar London

February 23rd, 2011, Monica, Kirsten, and I had a date at 7:15pm. It was with the Ice Bar London. This was one of the most uniquest experiences ever. We pre-booked our reservation about a week in advance and upgraded our ticket to the champagne experience for 16.50 pounds.

Hello Ice Bar!

We arrived at the location (it was tucked away off a side street of Regent Street) and checked in. We were given directions and handed our drink tickets and then got in line to receive our capes and gloves. Since the ice bar is -5 degrees C (about 23 degrees F) it was important to have these insulated capes to keep us warm!


We entered the bar at exactly 7:15 and looked on the wall to see a timer counting down 40 minutes exactly. That's the deal with the ice bar; since it is such an attraction, you are only allowed 40 minutes in the bar...this is probably for a good reason though because after 40 minutes you might start to freeze!

One of the walls inside the bar

View from inside...couldn't really get a good picture but you get the idea

So there we stood in our elegant capes-I felt like an ice princess-surrounded by ice. Everything in the room was made of ice-the bar, the tables, the lounge seats...the floor wasn't ice for safety reasons but my feet kept sticking to it because it was soooo cold.

Kirsten and I in our capes!

Kirsten, Haley, and Monica

We made our way to the bar and ordered our beverages. I got a peach bellini (champagne+peach). It arrived in a glass made entirely from ice! When I began drinking from the glass, it started melting where I was sipping from...it was so cool (literally)! We just hung out and drank our drinks and took in the atmosphere around us. The 40 minutes went by surprisingly fast and we were all sad to leave the ice bar. But it was definitly worth it and it is an experience I will never forget!

Peach Bellini...mmm

My little ice glass sitting on a little ice table

Me in my cape...it was super warm

Chilly greetings from Londy :)

O.M.G.

Last night was the best night of my life. period. I went to the most famous venue in pretty much the entire world and saw the most amazing performance ever. USHER. This concert far exceeded my expectations. It was incredible. I could not stop smiling the entire show.

Entrance of the O2

Entrance of the O2

Nuff said

View from my seat :)

Outside the O2

Tinchy Stryder, a popular British rapper opened for him and was pretty awesome. Then, there was a super long break (I think they were finalizing Usher's set) and finally the lights dimmed. The show was about to begin. It started with a bang as 4 of Usher's dances appeared on stage in these very futuristic looking outfits. Then, all of a sudden, Usher pops up in the middle of the arena-right in front of my section!!! It was the most amazing entrance I have ever witnessed and I still cannot believe I got to see him live in London! Here is a sample video of  "Yeah"

The thing about this concert that made it so great was how amazing of a performer Usher really is. He can dance, he can sing, and he can make the crowd laugh. I was so impressed by everything he did (not just because he's hot either)! He sang pretty much all his new popular songs like More, DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again, Hot Tottie, and O.M.G (this was the encore). He also did stuff from way back like Burn, Caught Up, You Remind Me, Love in This Club, Yeah, and so much more. I was in heaven the entire time :)

"YEAH"

So fricken amazing!

At this point my night couldn't have gotten any better :)

So jealous of this girl who got pulled up on stage!

Usher's tribute to MJ

At one point Usher even gave a tribute to MJ and did the moonwalk-it was amazing! I seriously think Usher is my generation's MJ and it was so cool that he would do that. As the concert was coming to a close and Usher performed his last song, I was starting to get really sad because I didn't want it to end. Once he went off stage, the entire arena erupted in cheers of "USHER USHER USHER" and he came back with another BANG!! His encore performance was none other than O.M.G. What a great way to end this spectacular evening.



After the concert I was seriously on cloud 9...couldn't stop smiling and just felt so happy to have witnessed this experience. The first thing I did when I got back to the flat was check ticket master for Usher tickets in MSP. I couldn't resist the urge and purchased a ticket on the floor this time :) I know I am lame but I have friends who will be there so it's not like I'm totally going by myself :)

I hope you can appreciate this post as much as me!

Thanks for tuning in and see ya next time!

-Little Londoner Loves Usher