I Love the United States

There are many things I don't know. I know that is shocking to several of you; however, this is something I felt like I should have been aware of. Patton's grave site is not at Arlington, something I think I just took for granted. He's a war hero, after all, and I thought we buried all of our war heros there. Well, at least the big wigs, anyway. In any case, my assumption was mistaken. He's buried in the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial. There you have it.

I realize my review of Luxembourg was not raving. However, I am really glad I got to see this. I'm not homesick, really. But when I walked through the cemetery, I got choked up. I thought of all the Americans buried there, who never got to go home to their families. I thought about the reason they were there, and the cause they fought for. These Americans were far from home, from family, from friends, when they sacrificed their lives. It made me proud of my country. So even if I do love Europe (it is a beautiful place, after all), I'm still very grateful that I was born in the States, and I wouldn't want to have been born in any other place. I love my country! 

Patton's grave...

Me standing in front of some of the many many headstones...

Some roses...

More headstones...

Luxembourg

I really don't quite know what I think of Luxembourg. When we left Leuven, I was excited to see it. I think I pictured a really ritzy, glamourous place. I must say that the bus ride there was pretty amazing. We were going into the mountains and the countryside was breathtaking. Lots of trees. Anyone who knows me, knows I love trees and green places. A bit strange considering that I grew up in a more arid climate...but I digress. Anyway, I really thought at that moment that I wanted to be European. (More on that in another blog.)

When we got to the city/country, I wasn't sure I was so excited about it anymore. First of all, our hotel wasn't the type of place I expected in Luxembourg. In fact, I was a bit skeeved out by it. Now I've stayed in some nasty hostels in my day, as my dear friends Kate and Amy can attest to. But it goes with the territory. You expect hostels not to be five star luxury suites. And I realize I am on a student's budget. Still, I also wasn't expecting the Bates Motel. The rooms were eerie and bleak and creepy. A strange old man walked into two of my friends' room. No joke. Just walked right in. I was very uncomfortable there. Anyway, the city itself has some pretty sites, but there really isn't a lot to see. We did go to the ECJ (the EU's court). But my final verdict is...skip Luxembourg. Paris is much more glamourous and you can spend a week there and still have things to see.

One thing I did love about the city? The park. There is a valley/gorge in the center of town. This is a view of one set of stairs. It's actually quite expansive. I went running here one morning. It was beautiful.

So this picture is for Niki, Monica, Josh and everyone else who wants to see pictures of me. I'm heading into the park with a some of the other students. I'll have more from other locals in future posts. I'm trying to remember to get people to snap a few of me from time to time. 

Another view of the park.

This is a view from above the gorge, from one side to the other.

A building in the main square of the city.

Bruges

This place made me happy. I was so taken with its quaint charm that I was smiling the entire time I was there. Bruge is a little town outside of Brussels. I don't know much of its history, but I will say this. It felt like we were stepping back in time about 500 years. Of course, the buildings were old, just as they are in all of Europe. Some buildings were built as early as the 1300s. But it wasn't the age of the buildings. The town felt sort of undisturbed, less commercial than perhaps other places. I can't quite explain it, but it is my one of my new favorite places in Europe, one I highly recommend to all.  

The first picture is of the main town square. Very quaint!

The city is on the river. I love how the houses and buildings are right next to its bank.
This is what always blows me away.  Look at the height of that tower (part of a cathedral, I believe, but don't quote me!). Amazing. And they built it without all of our modern technology. That is what I call dedication to a cause.

The view of the river as you walk into town from the train station. It was so peaceful. 

This is me with Crystal (I hope I'm spelling her name right). She's one of my fellow students at Seton Hall. We are standing in the town square, enjoying the scenery. 
Hope all is well with everyone. I'm in Ireland right now. I have some updating to do on other places and sites, but this is the first time I've had reliable internet service for about a week. We left Leuven last Thursday and stayed in Luxembourg. I'll post some pictures from Luxembourg soon. Then we got on a plane on Sunday and flew into Dublin. We are now in Galway, and school has gotten a little more serious. So I'm not out and about as much, just because I have reading and studying to work on. More on that later. Miss you all lots!

Leuven

Leuven (or Louvain for the French speakers out there) is a college town not far from Brussels, Belgium. Because Leuven is in the northern part of the country, the local language is Flemish and not French (as is most of the southern part of the country). Actually, unbeknownst to me, the country has a third official language, German, spoken in a small section of the south-east. 

Leuven itself is famous throughout Europe for a few things. First, as a college town, it's home to fourteen different universities and over 48,000 students. I'm studying at what is locally called the "Irish school", known as such, and yes I'm being obvious, because it was founded by the Irish in the 1600s (one of many such Irish schools throughout Europe). It is connected to the university I'll be studying at in Galway come Monday. 

The second thing Leuven is famous for is its Town Hall, built in the 1400s, in the late-Gothic style (as you can see below). I would definitely say this is one of the most ornate buildings I have ever seen. It is adorned with hundreds of statues that sit on pediments arranged on the three stories of the building and its towers. Unfortunately several buildings were bombed out during World War II and had to be rebuilt to look as their originals did. However, fortunately the Town Hall, one of the most famous in Europe, remained untouched and stands as it did when it was built hundreds of years ago. 

Town Hall. Click on the picture and try to get a close up view of the many statutes that surround its walls. Very cool.

The town square, similar to many in Europe, really isn't a square but a long rectangle. As you can see, it houses several restaurants and pubs. Because so many students study here, the square gets pretty full every night. It's one of my favorite features of the city.

P.S. - I have more photos I'd like to share of Leuven, but I'm having trouble uploading them. I have no idea why, but it is very choosy about which photos will work and which photos won't. Any help figuring it out would be greatly appreciated.

Heidelberg...

I want to preface this entry with a little disclaimer. First, so no one thinks I want to become an expat, I love the U.S.  It's home for me, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world permanently. However, if I could choose a place to spend some serious time, my new choice is Heidelberg. I know, I know. Many of you have heard me talk of places such as Paris and London, but I have changed my mind. Take a look at the following pictures, and see if you don't agree that this might be one of the most beautiful places on earth.  

First, a girl's got to have a place to rest her head. And why not this lovely little cottage set on the hill, in very close proximity to the castle? 

Next, a girl has to have a nice neighborhood.

Then, when a girl needs to take a walk by the river and see some sights, look what she might find. Who out there would say no to that?

And finally, when a girl needs to know the time, she just listens for the bells, from the beautiful cathedral not far from her doorstep.
Heidelberg, Germany was my first stop before beginning my study abroad program in Leuven, Belgium (not far from Brussels). I've wanted to see Heidelberg ever since seeing pictures a student at my former high school took while he studied there. In fact, I loved the pictures so much, I purchased them (gave him a little spending money before heading off to college). I decided that I would take a few days to see the city, and it turns out that was a really good decision. I took almost 150 pictures in less than two days (couldn't help it). Every time I turned around there was another beautiful view that I had to get a shot of. What's better, the weather was beautiful. I spent an entire day walking up the river, about five or six miles one way, just because I couldn't believe how absolutely perfect it was. It was honestly like a fairy tale.  Besides that, after spending a 10 months holed up in Newark, NJ studying for law school, this did my soul some serious good. You just can't be stressed out in an environment like this. I've been to my fair share of cities throughout Europe and have loved pretty much every place I've been. But Heidelberg is my new number one.