I'm back! Pictures, Part 1: Gent, Belgium

[huskerlaw]

And many, many more here: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b353e1e7841d&sid=8EcuGThm1ZsWO

:hi:

[fizzgig]

1. very nice

a friend of mine dated a guy from gent once. he was very nice

hope you had a wonderful time

:hi:

[huskerlaw]

5. Thanks!

As far as I could tell, everyone from Gent was really nice!

I did have a wonderful time, thank you. ;)

:hi:

[Haole Girl]

2. Welcome home!

I love Belgium! About 10 years ago, I stayed in Spa, Belgium 5 days while my husband attended a conference. I drove around, and walked around, by myself. People kept speaking French to me (I guess that's a good sign, right?) but I barely speak French.lol Anyway, my Spanish got me by, and I had a great time! Good food, nice people, and wonderful Spa water (I brought back 4 bottles of it)!

:hi:

[huskerlaw]

6. Mmm, Spa water!

That's all I drank when I was there. Oddly, it made other bottled water taste nasty. :shrug:

I basically stayed in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, and I amused people with my blank stare when they tried to speak to me in Dutch. Thankfully, most of them speak English, and I was traveling with a friend who lives in Gent.

[Haole Girl]

8. I didn't get to see Gent...

I'd like to go back and see more. Thanks for sharing the pics, btw -- they're great. Hope you'll share more soon!

[huskerlaw]

10. No problem!

There are definitely more pics coming. Sorting through them is taking FOREVER. But I'll get it done eventually.

I was staying with a Dutch-speaking Belgian, and they don't like to venture into the French part. Brussels is about as far south as she'd go...there's a long-standing feud between the two parts of the country.

[Haole Girl]

11. Oh... I didn't realize that

Too bad you didn't make it to Spa. There are some things about Spa I found rather interesing... especially how nobody (at least in August) was awake before 7 a.m. The first morning I was there, since I had a bit of jet lag, I woke up at 5 a.m. As soon as the sun began to rise I walked around the block, from the hotel, looking for breakfast. There was just one old man, feeding a cat, on the street. He looked at me as if I was from outer space for being awake so early in the morning! lol! I love Europeans.... they really know how to enjoy life -- long lunches, staying up late, sleeping in...not to mention the 6 weeks of holiday per year they get! *sigh*

[huskerlaw]

12. Yeah...

one of those weird European things! Actually, they are having issues selecting a Prime Minister right now because the French and Dutch politicians can't come to an agreement. Their governmental system makes ours look downright simplistic. They have, basically, 2 separate governments (one French and one Dutch...and I think there's even some German representation). She tried to explain it to me, but even she's confused by it.

I couldn't get over how all of the stores are closed on Sundays (and sometimes Saturdays!)...and during the week, nearly everything closed by 6. Craziness. But they do definitely believe in everyone working "normal" hours, and then being at home.

[Haole Girl]

14. Did you get to go to Luxembourg?

I'm still not sure what it is, exactly, I saw there. There were ruins (I believe it was a Roman Aqueduct). There were signs in every single language (well, German, French, etc) but not English! I should have done some research on it, before going, but it was an impromptu side trip. Fantastic, though!

[huskerlaw]

17. I didn't...

We went to the Netherlands and the UK, and briefly France (to take the chunnel to London) and Switzerland (my layover both directions).

[Haole Girl]

19. Oh..oh...that sounds great!

I want to take the chunnel. I think what's stopped me, though, is that I'm slightly claustrophobic. But, someday, I'm going to do it anyway. I don't let any phobias stop me from doing anything I really want to do!! :hi:

[huskerlaw]

21. I thought it would bother me too

but honestly, it didn't. If you can handle the subway, the chunnel is the same thing. The only way you know you're under the North Sea is that, well, you're in a tunnel for 20 minutes. The rest of the ride is a regular train ride.

[Haole Girl]

22. Thanks

Good to know! :-) Now, if I can just stop going to Hawaii every single time I get some time off (it's like a drug to me), maybe I will go back to Europe!

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. Beautiful photos...

Do you feel a sense of being letdown from being back?

I have always done so when I return from overseas.

[huskerlaw]

7. I'm not sure...

if I feel letdown, or if I'm just exhausted. I've slept maybe 10 hours in the past 3 days...my body is SO confused. I didn't have any jet lag problems going there, but coming back has kicked my butt.

I have a feeling that I'll really start to miss it when I go back to work on Monday. ;)

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. Belgium looks as pretty as I've heard...

How odd that one of my favorite bleak, dark bands, Front 242, are from there... I don't get it.

Looks like you had a great time! Thanks for sharing the pics!

[huskerlaw]

9. It is very pretty

Though I can see how bleak music could originate there...the weather can be quite horrid...very rainy and depressing. Thankfully, it was really nice when I was there. ;)

[Fire Walk With Me]

13. It rains in Seattle and we get grunge... It rains in Belgium and we get a new style of music,

EBM.

I prefer Europe...

[Omphaloskepsis]

15. What camera are you using?

I'm shopping around for one.

And lovely pics, I miss Europe.

[huskerlaw]

18. Well, it's 2 cameras, actually

I combined the photos that I took with those my friend took.

Most of them are mine though, and I have a Casio Exilim, 10 megapixels. Got it at CostCo for about $350. I'm very happy with it.

My friend's camera is a Canon IXUS. She bought it in Belgium, but I assume they're available here too.

[libodem]

16. What wonderful arcitecture

outstanding colors, and fine photography. Nice.

[huskerlaw]

20. Thank you.

The US certainly doesn't have architecture of that caliber, does it? Though I suppose Belgium has a good 600 year jump on us. ;)

I'm excited that the pics turned out so well, I'm not a good photographer by any means. Credit goes to my camera on that!

[libodem]

24. Well you did great!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

23. Welcome home, my dear huskerlaw!

Your pictures are wonderful!

I know you had a good time, and it shows...

You're going back to work Monday? Are you certifiable?

Good luck with that, sweetie...

It is good to have you home...:hug:

[huskerlaw]

25. Ha ha, thanks!

I may be certifiable. But I've only worked about 7 days total since mid-June, and first-year orientation starts Monday, so I don't really have a choice. ;)

However, I am hoping that I get some sleep tonight. Last night, my body was convinced it was mid-day. Ugh.

:hug:

[Blue_Tires]

26. great shots

ttt

[huskerlaw]

31. Thanks!

:hi:

[MrScorpio]

27. Ahh, Belgium

I like Holland better

[huskerlaw]

32. I'll be posting Amsterdam pics

in a few days. ;)

[Heidi]

28. Lovely!

Welcome home, gf! :hug:

[huskerlaw]

33. Thanks!

Next time, I'm spending more time in Switzerland! It looked lovely from the plane, lol.

:hug:

[billyskank]

29. Beautiful!

It reminds me of Bruges. Hope you had a lovely time. :hi:

[huskerlaw]

34. I've got Bruges pics too...

will post those soon. Followed by a few hundred shots of London. ;)

:hi:

[Callalily]

30. What wonderful pictures!

Thanks for sharing. Did you have a bit of a culture shock upon your return?

[huskerlaw]

35. Thanks!

Well, my sleep schedule is still a complete mess, but I think the culture shock was being there, rather than being here. ;)

[lizziegrace]

36. It's so beautiful there!

My sister moved to Europe almost 6 years ago this month. I still haven't been able to get over. There's so much I want to see.

:hug: What other countries did you visit?

[huskerlaw]

37. It really is!

We also went to the UK and the Netherlands, with brief stop-overs in France and Switzerland.

There will be more pictures...like, hundreds more...soon! :)

[barb162]

38. Very, very nice! n/t