So yesterday we went to...BRUGES!
It was so amazing; apparently the city was once one of the biggest in London, but then the river dried up making the port useless, and the city lost its wealth. Because of this, nobody built new structures in Bruges, meaning that now it is almost exactly like how it was hundreds of years ago. So great!
We took a walking tour of Bruges (the city is extremely small it wasn't too strenous) with the always amazingly knowledgeable Jerry and saw so many amazing things. First we saw a beginuale house, which is where women whose husbands had gone off on the Crusades came so as not be alone and to pray. This is is now a convent, but they had a museum that was set up how a beginuale would have been and we were allowed to take pictures- so great.
Bruges is also very known for its lacemaking, which seems to have the same technique as in Galicia- it's amazing to me how many things remind me of Spain, but are also different in some crucial ways.
After the beginuale houses, we walked around, Jerry telling us stories of different houses (we saw the projects of ancient Bruges) and then went into a church to see the only Michelangelo in the North, Madonna and child. The churh where it is has so many amazing structures and sculptures, it was extremely beautiful. After that we went to the center of the city, seeing a few more things, and then the tour ended and we were left to do what we wanted. Some of us went to eat at this tea house, where I had the babiest croque monsieur ever and some Earl Grey Tea, which amazingly filled me up for a while. Then we split and I went with Aiko and Marissa to see the relic of Jesus' blood in a tiny church in the city- it is only open for veneration for an hour and on specific days, so we were very lucky that we could see it. Then we went to the Groeninge Museum, which has samples from every major Northern Renaissance artist who had done work in Bruges, and which is about to close for renovation (sorry anybody coming to visit!!). It was amazing and so beautiful, but we weren't allowed to take any pictures. After that we went to the famous brewery where we met up with almost everyone, and then took the train back home.
When we got home, Rinske, Trent, Ben and I decided to, after a failed attempt of finding a house to cook in, take the Metro and get off at a random stop for dinner. We tried three of four stops before finding ourselves in the center of the city where we were going to meet some of the others later on, and ending up eating in a Kenbap place. After that we met up with Shiza, Christina, and Katie and went to a new bar called Delirium, but it was expensive and after a drink we ended up back in Celtica. Since the Metro even on weekends closes at midnight (so lame!), me and Rinske went back early and then I went to bed, exahusted from my entirely crazy first week.
Today will be spent on me attempting to give myself a budget and preparing for my internship interview tomorrow! I am extremely nervous because I really want the IRC one, so we'll see what happens!
Besitos,
Lucia
Pictures: 1) Michelangelo's Madonna and Child
2) Christina, me, Katie, and Shiza at Delirium
3) one of the first views of Bruges, with swans which they take immense care of.
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