It is sad to think that our journey in Belgium is coming to an end. This experience has been one of many more to come! Traveling to Europe has opened my eyes to the different cultures around the world. With this experience I have made some lifetime friends which I will cherish. This second week was very different from the first. This week our lectures have been mainly bio-based, food safety, and water management. We attended neat facilities that went hand and hand with our lectures. Learning about the fermentation science at the Delirium Brewery was one of my favorites. The science behind brewing beer is actually very interesting to learn about. Who knew the fermented consumer good process was so complex! By giving the excess grain from the beer to farmers, the brewery showed a practice of sustainability. Another tour that the group participated in was the Cacao lab. Cacao lab was a good way to learn how Belgian chocolate is made in a sustainable way. It is good to know that the chocolate here is made sustainably because I plan to bring a ton of it home to share with family and friends. One lecture that stuck out to me this week was the packaging and sustainability lecture. This lecture consisted of information on how packaging is meant to keep food fresh and have a longer shelf life. Packaging is also better for the environment in the long run. |
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As our first week has come to a close I sit here and reflect on the exciting adventures. Throughout this week we have learned many new things about the culture of Belgium and different topics in sustainability. Our lectures have been very content rich, especially the organoleptic sensory panel. As the week came to a close and the weekend neared I was excited to see what Ostend had to offer. Approaching the North Sea we stopped to try out land yachting. Interesting enough it was challenging but fun. Arriving in Ostend there was a guided tour of the city where we learned about the history, culture, and night life. As the sun rose on Sunday morning we gathered our belongings and traveled to the "go cart" shop. These go carts were not like any regular go cart we entertain ourselves with in the U.S. They consisted of four wheels, five seats, 4 petals, and one functional steering wheel. Whoever invented these go cart bicycles were genius. My team had the best time riding around the city of Ostend learning facts and history through a scavenger hunt. We traveled from Ostend to Bruges via train. My experience on the train was fun. The ride is very smooth, cheap, and quick. In Bruges the shops and Belfort were the extent of my afternoon. The Belfort was rough climbing the 366 stairs to the top, but the view once we got there was amazing. After the afternoon was finished, Gent was not too far away. I did not think I would ever be so happy to see the Hostel after staying in a very nice hotel, but I was. The rain throughout the day was inconvenient, but we managed. Seeing these new cities in Belgium has really opened my eyes on how similar but very different they are from Gent. Ostend and Bruges are very touristy each with their own unique history. They contain many souvenir shops as well as more English speaking people. They were all similar in a since that they close down around 17:00. This is typically because the stores and snack bars close for the night. This next week I am looking forward to the upcoming lectures and tours because they are outside of my discipline. In addition, I am excited about our upcoming free time to explore Gent.
So far we have been in Belgium for four days. In these four days we have experienced many different cultural and historical sites. I have realized that in this part of Belgium the people speak Dutch or Flemish (not French). In the first day we arrived into Gent mid morning. By early afternoon we were taking a walking tour of Gent. Seeing all of buildings with different stories behind each and every one was pretty amazing. Taking a tour of the city museum helped me receive a better understanding of Gent's background. Even though we were all SUPER tired from the flight we managed to make it through the entire day without crashing. By the second day I could barely wake up. I realized that jet lag is real. Monday was a holiday so class was not in session. As a group we visited the town of Ypres. Just outside of Ypres we toured the Monteberg Winery. This tour was very informative on how grapes for wine are grown and how the wine is produced. After the winery tour we went into the town of Ypres. There the group was led on an educational tour about World War 1. This tour was a driving/walking tour. Every time I got back on the bus I would fall asleep, even though we would only be on the bus for a maximum of 10 minutes going from place to place. Tuesday was the first day of our class. We spent the whole day in the classroom, except for lunch, learning about more history of the country. Our lunch was in an old church that had been turned into a restaurant. This restaurant helps people that are trying to get back on their feet earn money and skills. After class we had the rest of the evening to ourselves. This included going to the grocery store. Little did I know the store would not be open the first two days we were in Gent and I decided to not bring any shampoo or soap. So the first few days I had to bum some soap from others that were smart enough to bring a little to hold them over. I am glad that I finally bought my own! This group has basically became a family. We pretty much do everything together, even in our free time. Without each other I don't think we would manage. Today we had class in the morning discussing plant production in Europe and Genetically Modified crops in Europe, followed by lunch in the university cafeteria. I have noticed that in Belgium you get much larger portions when eating a meal than you do in the United States or it at least seems like it. After lunch we visited the VIB, which is the Flemish Institute of Biotechnology. Here they study plants and their biomass. As well as sustainable plant production. So far Gent has been a great experience! Trying all new food and beverages has probably been my favorite part of the whole trip. I plan to visit Gent or Belgium in general sometime in the future.
XOXO Hailey |