ZZZzZZZZz

After 9 dyas of GO GO GO, I have finally come down with a bad cold. I spend 18 hours in bed yesterday, and I feel it is about time for a nap.

C'est la vie.

DING dooooOOOng DIIIInnnng Doooong

^^On the train again!

So, I made it to Graz last night with Kristen after a long day's travel from Belgium. We arrived around 10:30 p.m and are now very very very tired. Kristen lives in a very cute little apartment with 3 other roommates, yet only one of them is here now. He is studying to become a doctor and has a big test on Wednesday, so I haven't really had the time to talk to him much....
We met Kristen's boyfriend Alex at their usual sausage stand (adorable) for lunch and we were once again attacked by bees. I think it must be the perfume I wear or something, because they love me. Sadly, the feelings are not mutual.

We chatted with Alex for a bit, and then all went and bought groceries at the little supermarket. I was really excited to see that there were two kinds of hand baskets. To save space, they make a small one that looks like a regular hand basket for groceries, but has hidden wheels and can be rolled on the floor and easily lifted up. Crazy Austrians.

After a little walk with Alex, Kristen went to go tutor and I am now spending some time at her house uploading photos and just took a short nap. While sleeping, I was woken up by the sound of church bells…the bells have been going on for about 25 minutes now. Maybe 3 in the afternoon is a really special time for Austrians? I’m not quite sure. I could get like a noon bell show, but 3? I’ll have to ask Kristen when she gets home.

AND the bells just ended while typing this, and at the exact same moment her huge door just slammed shut, and I screamed like a little girl. I think this is a sign that I need to go get some water and finish reading my book/write postcards.

Brussels.

Today Kristen, Adèle and I took the train to Brussels and had super over priced Chimay on the beautiful Grande Place and we ate mussels in Brussels. Hence the picture of Kristen above.


^^ This is a picture of the Grande Place de Bruxelles, known as the most beautiful town center in all the world!


^^A shot of Brussels

^^Belgium's most famous man, the Manneken Pis. Story goes, he saved Bruseels from it's most deadly fire by peeing on the whole city. Today, he gets dressed up in outfits to go with the seasons and photographed over a thousand times a day.

^^A shot of Adele, me, and Kristen at the Grande Place de Bruxelles

Life is good, tomorrow off to Graz (Kristen's home in Austria)

photos tomorrow, je vous promis

Austria and Belgium!!

^^Welcome to Claire's room! (Adele made the sing for me on myvery awesome chalkboard wall)

Hello All!!

I am going to do things a little differently and start in the middle of my journey so far since I haven't really had the chance to sit at a computer, and Belgium is still fresh in my mind, and look over my journal and blog about Austria at Kristens Thursday night....

So, here I am in Belgium sitting in the living room with my old host family here in Mellet. (I studied abroad here during my junior year of high school with afs) It is so great to be back and my two youngest sisters met me and Kristen at the airport with posters (one of my face, that was quite hilarious)....Adèle had spent all day preparing for our arrival and had candles all around the house and it was a very nice way to be greated back in a place I had spent so much time. We stayed up until 1 am talking amongst the family and drinking Chimay in the land of Chimay. And eating cheese. Of course. I have been translating for Kristen and it has been so much fun. My French has really held up (but not quite where I want it to be) so I am ready to hit up France and really work at expanding my vocab and all that jazz.

Our first full day here we had a nice day at the house and all 8 members of the family were here! The 4 oldest are studying for exams so they are only here on the weekends....Kristen became great friends with Bali, the chocolate lab, and we learned how to defend ourselves against the bees that are EVERYWHERE. Kristen taught me to close my eyes and say 'I am not a flower', haha, it started as a funny kristen style of a joke and ended up being a live saver. I highly recomed it to anyone who just might happen tocome to Belgium and experience this first hand.

^^Adele and I having fun time

Day number two was spent visitng Margaret in Binche! Margaret was here with AFS during the same year I was and itwas so great to see eachother again! Pictures are sure to come, I promise.

^^Me in Binche

^^Margaret and I soaking up the sights

^^Margaret and I doing our best impression of the Gilles de Binche

I have spent a lot of time trying to explain to Kristen the difference between French Belgium and Flanders to the north. There is a lot of tension between the two sides over "little things" such as language, money...

So after passing the day in Binche we had a nice rest and hopped on a train to BRUGES!!!!!!! I love Bruges. It is with out a doubt a tourist trap in the summer (a wee bit like Disneyworld for history and Europe lovers), but it is so pretty and Kristen and I came across a hidden place to eat right in the corner of the street over looking a canal. I had a wonderful Duvel to drink and later a Hoegaarden in front of the church. I found my future vacation home! (in the picture below)

BRUGES!
^^Kristen and I fighting off the rain in Bruges

^^So many Belgian beers, so little time....

I love Belgium, and the people here are one of a kind. Adèle is just finishing up two homemade quiches, so I should go lend a hand! More to come on Thursday!! Tomorrow it is off to Brussels and then Thursday to Austria, and Kristen's flat in Graz!

Step One: Start Trip.

France, France, France.

Well, even though I head out tomorrow, I won’t quite begin my Strasbourg adventure. The first stop on the journey is to Vienna to see Kristen (my sister), Laura (my Italian sister who lived at my house in high school), and Birgit (Kirsten’s Austrian sister from her year abroad). I will be there for a couple of days, and then off to Belgium to reunite with my host family from when I was an exchange student there in high school—who I haven’t seen in almost three years. From there it is back to Austria and off to Alex's (Kristen's boyfriend) house in Linz...and then off to France on September 3rd.

Right now, the packing is almost done (just the final touches left to do) and the freaking out is starting to begin. The real reason I am freaking out is because I am abnormally calm about all this and I now at some point it is going to click that I get to go abroad and meet a new family, new friends, new experiences, and new beginnings.

The French major in me is dieing to get there and speak French all the time and be in the motherland. I will be sure to post pictures, and things on this blog and try to give you a little taste of what my semester is like!

The journey begins tomorrow!!!