Lady in Ghent

22.08.2011 7:53 pm

We’re just finishing our second full day here in Ghent, Belgium and trying to get a grip on our jet lag. We are 8 hours ahead of Calgary time (my friend Beth will be happy to know I am on the same time zone as Vienna) which screwed up my R.E.M. cycle or whatever quite a bit. It’s a strange thing going to bed at 5am and not waking up til 1 the next afternoon. Despite our weird sleeping patterns, we have had an opportunity to explore our neighbourhood quite a bit, and once again, I have fallen in love with a city. I’m pretty sure this city was made for me, it’s as if God and 18^th century architects got together just to supply me with my ideal living space. Ha! We are living in an apartment on the University of Ghent campus and we are right by the canal and there are some cool shopping and coffee places nearby. There are so many little details about the city that I love so much, like the architecture, everything looks so cute and romantic and old, hardly anything has been modified since it was first built and we can hear the bells from the old catholic church from our apartment. It makes me want to sing songs from the Sound of Music, I love it. I wish that we still put in effort to make our buildings into pieces of art.

 I also like the fact that everyone here rides their little cruiser bikes everywhere, and it makes me miss my little candy apple red Huffy back home. Once we get back from our upcoming week in the UK I’m beyond stoked to rent a bike and explore the city that way. I like to keep an eye out for the stylish European university students in their skirts and dresses riding along the canal on their bikes, so cute! I would love to be one of those girls someday; hopefully I make friends with some of the professors at the university. Everyone has such great style here, the guys in collared shirts and boat shoes and the girls in their cute dresses and cardigans… even the old people don’t dress cooler. It’s great.

The graffiti scene here is awesome too, and there’s so much of it. It’s really unique and somehow cleaner and more professional looking, like most things I’ve seen here so far. I already have some favourite artists that I keep an eye out for, which is fun.

It’s been fun getting settled in a new place for a little bit! We head out for the UK on Thursday by train and will pull into Kings Cross Station! That’s right folks, all of my Harry Potter desires are being satisfied in one trip! Expect a picture from platform 9¾! J