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
XOXO
Hailey