Day 1 (December 17) Itinerary

Our journey begins. (Dates) The trip spans from December 17-28.
Belgium Trip Itinerary
We all woke up at 1:00 A.M and got our stuff together. The night before we agreed to meet at RDU international to hop onto a flight to Antwerp, Belgium. By the time we arrive all arrive at the airport, it's already 2:05 A.M. We got through security and waited for the call to board the flight at 4:00 A.M.

RDU International

While we waited, we finalized our plans, and play some games. Like Trevor brought a mini football, so we tossed it around for a bit. Yuval told us a funny story about how he walked around school with toilet paper streaming down his pants the whole day. We enjoyed each other company and got ready for our amazing twelve day trip.
By the time it was 4:00 A.M, we were all ready to board the flight. Once we were in the air, it was 4:15. We had sixteen hours ahead of us. Over the flight we all watched The Millers and The Matrix. We played a mobile game called Soccer Physics, taking turns since only two players can play at a time. By the time we were done with all those activities, we had eleven more hours until we landed. We decided it was best to sleep.

De Keyser Hotel

When we woke up after our naps, we have arrived in Antwerp, Belgium. (Average Weather) The average temperature in Belgium this time of year is 40F. It rains a lot and they usually get around 70mm in December. It was 10:00 P.M, when we got out of Antwerp International Airport we were all shivering. Our bodies weren't used to such a cold environment. We called two cabs to drive us to the De Keyser Hotel. Once we got checked in and settled into our five bedroom space and put away all our belongings, we decided to get a meal at Bourla. It's located at Graanmarkt, and was around seven miles outside the place.

Bourla's Chicken Fricassee With Fries

We called two cabs once again. When we got to the restaurant at 11:00 P.M, we all were seated in a booth. We all browsed to menu for a while, and ordered different meals. Pierce got Chicken fricassee with fries. Trevor got Beef Casserole with a chicory salad and fries. Max got Ox tongue in Madeira sauce. Will got Steak tartare with fries. Yuval got Sautéed Belgian rib steak with a salad and fries. Our entrees were delicious. The meal made up for the long flight. We decided to walk seven miles back to the hotel to experience the scenery of the city. It was beautiful, and there weren't many people on the street. Once we arrived back at the hotel, it was 12:00 A.M. We brushed our teeth, watched Season 5 of Family Guy (Yuval brought the disk and a PS3), and we all went to bed. We all wanted to get enough sleep for the next big day.

Day 2 (December 18)

FC Westerlo VS Sporting Lokeren

When we had all woken up and gotten ready for the day, we headed out. We decided to go to a soccer match between FC Westerlo and Sporting Lokeren (Sports). We called two taxis to head over there. The match kicked off at 9:00 AM in the pouring rain. It was intense and the home fans at Het Kuipje Stadium went wild including Us. We were rooting for the home team FC Westerlo and we slowly lost our excitement when Sporting Lokeren scored an equalizing goal in the 43rd minute. During half time we bought five hotdogs and a water for each of us. We filled our stomachs and prepared for the intense second half.
In the second half Sporting Lokeren scored a heartbreaking goal in the 70th minute. Our hope of victory was crushed until FC Westerlo's Striker scored a 30 yard distance screamer in the last minute of the game. The game came to a draw of 2-2. After the game Yuval was ecstatic and he brought around three rolls of toilet paper from our hotel room. He covered the fields and stands with all he had. We ran out of the stadium.

Antwerp City Hall

In the end, the game ended at 10:30 A.M. It was the most intense sporting event we have ever seen. After the match, we called another two taxis to take us to Antwerp City Hall (History). The place has a pretty interesting history behind it and a very unique architecture. It was constructed in 1564. The Spanish came and burnt down the building in 1576, and then it was restored three years later. The amazing thing is the building is still used today. When we arrived at Antwerp City Hall, it was 1:00 P.M. We spent most of the day wandering in and out of the buildings/shops and exploring Antwerp. In this one area in city hall, we went into this big grand hall and saw paintings/ flags scattered down each wall. In another place, we wandered down the streets looking at the houses and common places scattered everywhere. We could tell the area was because of the building's condition. Once we were done looking around, it was around 4:00 P.M. We all decided to go to dinner.

Zaowang Sushi

We chose to go to Zaowang, so we called another two taxis. When we were seated, it was 4:30 P.M. We all decided to get individual sushi trays  The food was delicious. It was some of the best sushi we had ever eaten in our life. When we exited the restaurant at 5:30 P.M, we called the taxis back to take us to the hotel.

When we were back in the hotel room, we all sat on our beds exhausted. It was 6:00 P.M. We threw a ball around the room for a while and watched a little South Park on TV. Max told us a personal story about how he broke his leg by tripping over a pothole. We all got ready for bed and fell asleep at around 8:00 P.M, getting ready for our adventure tomorrow.

Day 3 (December 19)

We were all ready at 8:00 A.M, so we headed out. Today we are going to Antwerp Zoo (Ecosystem). It's described as a beautiful place with an amazing range of animals/exhibits to see. We called two taxis. When we arrived at 9:00 A.M, we were jumping in joy to get inside.

Antwerp Zoo

Once we were inside, we learned that the zoo has housed over 7,500 animals and 950 species with its sister park Planckendael. Also, that it's one of the oldest zoos in the world. It was initially established by The Antwerp Royal Society for Zoology to encourage zoological and botanical sciences. Over the years, it has changed and started to encourage wildlife preservation through the activities and exhibits present.
It use to hold normal/symphonic concerts in the garden. Later, the museum building was demolished to build a concert hall. Finally, after World War II, the animal park was turned into a model zoo and conformed to the new scientific, educational, cultural, and aesthetic standards of the world. Now more than 1,000,000 people come in annually.

Sea Lion Theatre

Our first exhibit was the "Sea Lion Theatre", which features California Sea Lions. They were magnificent. They did flips and turns and high fived us on the glass separating us. Our second exhibit was the "Egyptian Temple", which features the Asian Elephants and Baringo Giraffes. The giraffes were our favorite, since they were so active and playing around with one another. The funny thing was that one of the Asian Elephants decided to poop and pee in the middle of all this happening. This made us all really laugh. The third exhibit we visited was the "Cat Enclosures", which features the Amur Leopard, Lion, Siberian Tiger, and Jaguar. They were separated between glass panes. We loved the Jaguar, since it was jumping and playing in its enclosure. All the animals were very active, which surprised us. We saw many other animals including Congo Peacocks, Zebras, African Buffalos, Two-Toes Sloths, Night Monkeys, Armadillos, and many more. Before we left the zoo, Trevor stopped in at the gift shop and got a California Sea Lion plush stuff animal. After that, we left at 5:30 P.M. We decided to go to dinner at Paul's Boutique. We called two taxis. Once we arrived at the restaurant at 6:15 P.M, and were seated we ordered water and looked on the menu. Pierce, Trevor, and Max ordered the Angus Beef Burger. Yuval and Max ordered the Chewbacca Beef Burger. When the food arrived, we devoured it. It was so good, the spice and beef in the burgers were a great mix. Its combination created a great taste.
After we left the restaurant at 7:00 P.M, we called two taxis to take us back to the De Keyser Hotel. When we got settled in our hotel, we started packing, since we were driving to another city/hotel the next day. After this was all done it was 7:30 P.M. We brushed our teeth, said our goodnights, and fell asleep.

Day 4 (December 20)

Hotel Dukes' Palace

Today we woke up at 8:00 A.M, and checked out of the De Keyser Hotel. We took two cabs all the way to the Hotel Dukes' Palace in Bruges. Once we arrived at the new hotel at 9:00 P.M, we went down to the mini breakfast buffet. We all decided to get scrambled eggs, sausage, and blueberry pancakes. It was very delicious and filling. After breakfast, we checked into our room.

Family Guy Season Five

We all settled down and put our stuff away at 11:00 P.M. We watched some Family Guy on the disk Yuval brought. The funniest episode was Barely Legal. In this episode, Meg falls in love with Brian after he takes her as her date to the Junior Prom. Also, Peter and his friends join the Quahog Police Department to help Joe with his work. At around 1:00 P.M, we all decided to call two cabs to go to the Historic Centre of Brugge (Culture).
We arrived at 1:45 P.M. It's a beautiful place that really showed us the beauty of Belgium. Roughly encircled by the Ring Canal, it's described as an outstanding example of a medieval settlement, which has maintained been well maintained over the centuries. When we started to explore, the canals and cobblestone paths looked aged. We learned that the buildings once housed merchants who sold leather, fish, and more. The buildings are used now as cafes, boutiques, and art galleries. Since, it's almost Christmas, lights, ice rinks, and markets were scattered everywhere. This prepared us for tomorrow. The horse carriages passing by made the place look majestic and peaceful.

Historic Centre of Brugge

We all took a skate at one of the rinks, and Trevor fell every minute we were there. It really made us all laugh. Once we exited, all of us started circulating throughout the stores. Max decided to buy a little plush snowman from one of the stores and Will bought a small box of chocolates from a stand. Once we got our fill of the place, it was 7:00 P.M. We called two taxis and drove back to the hotel. We were all exhausted from our long day. Everyone said their goodnights and went to sleep.


Day 5 (December 21)

We all woke up at around 8:00 A.M and began getting ready for the big day ahead of us. Before we left our hotel, Yuval and Trevor got into a heated match of FIFA 16 on Yuval's PS3. They were both tied for 2-2, and then Trevor scored a goal from half across the field. Yuval lost and got so mad that he threw his controller at the wall. A big dent was left in the wall! We were all laughing so hard. After that, we called two taxis to travel to the Church of Our Lady (History). 

Madonna And Child

When we arrived at 11:00 A.M, we learned a little history about the place. It dates mainly from the 13th to 15th century, and is the second tallest brickwork tower in the world. The altarpiece of the large chapel showed off the astounding sculpture of the Madonna and Child created by Michelangelo in 1504. It was recovered twice after being looted by foreign occupiers, French revolutionaries in 1794 and Nazi Germans in 1944. Close to the sculpture are important Brugeans such as Francoise de Haveskercke buried next to her husband in the black tomb of Haveskercke family. The place was more about the scenery, so there wasn't much to do. Once we walked around looked at the architecture and sculpture, it was 2:00 P.M.

Skating At The Rinks

After, we were headed off to our big event of the day, the Bruges Christmas Markets (Holiday). During this time of season in Bruges, Belgium Christmas markets are everywhere. We went to the one in Market Square connecting with Simon Stevinplein (the ice rink). When we arrived at 2:30 P.M, we went skating on the rink, and it was a funny experience. None of us are experienced skaters, so we were slipped and falling a lot. For example, Will slipped on the ice one time and it caused Pierce to fall over. We also walked around and looked at the huge Christmas tree in the middle of the market. The lights lit up the area and made the atmosphere very cozy even though it was cold. Max got hungry while we were there, so we all got some warm Belgian waffles. They warmed us up while we were out there. We also went for a horse carriage ride, and it was really entertaining to see the entire area.
(Purpose/History) Christmas is an annual holiday celebrating/remembering the birth of Jesus Christ. It happens on December 25, and it's a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people. Today it has moved away from these principles and turned into a season of giving/prosperity. People have parties, put up huge lights, and give presents to each other. Its a way to transition into the next year.

The Olive Tree

After we were done at the festival, we were all starving. It was around 6:00 P.M and everyone decided to eat at The Olive Tree. It's a Greek restaurant with a variety of foods. When we were seated, everyone ordered Parmesan chicken with tossed salad and garlic rolls. It was so delicious, and it was a great way to end the day. Once we were out of the restaurant, we called two taxis to go back to our hotel.  It was 7:30 P.M, and we were all exhausted after our huge day. We said our goodnights and went to bed, getting ready for the next day.  



Day 6 (December 22)

Blackberry Belgian Waffles

We woke up at 8 A.M to get an early start on the day. We were all very excited for our activity today. We wanted a quick breakfast at the hotel, so we went down to the mini breakfast buffet. Pierce had a blackberry Belgian waffle with sausage, Max had chocolate pancakes with bacon, and Yuval, Trevor, and Will had had scrambled eggs with sausage patties. After our filling breakfast, we called two taxis at 9:30 A.M to go to Gravensteen Castle (History). It was a long drive, and on the way there Yuval and Trevor played FIFA Mobile. It usually resulted in Trevor having the upper hand of one goal and then Yuval would make one great play and beat Trevor. We also shared stories. The most notable one was Pierce's story. He told us that once he was a striker on a team named the Fireballs. To make the story short, the ball hit his hand in such a weird angle that it broke his index finger, middle finger, and thumb. He had to wear a cast for two months.

Gravensteen Castle

Once we arrived at the castle at 12:00 A.M, we were all astonished by how huge it was. It looked very aged and medieval because of the architecture and the mote partially surrounding it. Once we got inside, we learned a little about the place. Nicknamed Castle of the Counts, it was built in 1180 by Count Philip of Alsace and was modeled after a crusaders castle. Before it was constructed a wooden castle stood in its place. From 1346 to 1384, it was used as a place for torture. The castle served as a seat for the Counts of Flanders until it was abandoned in the 14th century. After this, it was used as a courthouse and prison before it eventually decayed. People built houses against the walls and at one time it served as a factory. At the end of the 19th century, the castle was renovated. 

Gravensteen's Torture Devices

Now it's a tourist attraction showing off the castle and inside a museum stands displaying historical torture devices used in Ghent. All the tools looked like brutal methods of killing and inflicting pain. Especially the menacing blade of the guillotine.  
By the time we were done exploring, it was 5 P.M. We called two taxis and drove back to the hotel. By the time we arrived back at the hotel, it was 8:30 P.M. We all reflected on the day, each taking a turn to say what our favorite thing was. Will said that he was fascinated by the middle ages after our little trip. He also said he wouldn't mind visiting again because it really immersed him into the time period. We all got ready for bed and watched more Family Guy before doing so. We said our goodnights to each other and went to bed.

Day 7 (December 23)



The Royal Snail

Today, we woke up at 9:00 A.M and packed up our stuff. We checked out of our room at The Hotel Dukes' Palace, and called two taxis to take us over to our new hotel, The Royal Snail. Once we arrived at 10:00 A.M, we all headed down to the hotel's breakfast bar and got some food. Yuval got some scrambled eggs and sausage, Trevor got chocolate pancakes and bacons, Pierce got a honey glazed croissant and sausage. Max and Will got French toast and eggs. Once we ate our fulfilling breakfast, it was 10:30 A.M. We settled in our room and then called two taxis and drove over to The Grotte La Merveilleuse (Natural Environment).

Grotte La Merveilleuse

We arrived at around 11:00 A.M. When we descended into the cave, it was a breathtaking sight. There were white stalactites and stalagmites scattered everywhere. Surprisingly, there weren't many people in our tour group so we were able to take our time and explore. We saw huge rock curtains and beautiful waterfalls. We learned that this cave was used as refugee during WWII. It was discovered during road construction. Adolphe Sax was presumably born in the cave. Also, jazz concerts used to be held in the place. It was a beautiful environment, but the only thing that stumped us was that there wasn't much to do when we reached the end of the cave.  

FIFA 16

We left at around 3:00 P.M, and headed back to our hotel. We all decided to play FIFA 16 on Yuval's PS3. We made a little tournament system in our room. We all took turns playing against each other. The best match was when Max and Will were 2-1 and in the last minute Will scored a goal from across the field. It tied the game and Max was so angry. He was yelling so loud that the people next to us had to knock on our door and tell us to keep it down. By the time we were all burned out of FIFA, it was 5:00 P.M. It was time for our biggest dinner of the trip at Le Pre Sale.

Moules & Frites

Once we called the two taxis and drove over, it was 5:30 P.M. When we were seated everyone decided to get a unique food to Belgium.  Its called Moules & Frites (Indigenous Meal). The meal consists of Mussels and French Fries. It unique to the country because it originated in Belgium and they claim to be the birthplace of French Fries. This meal is served around the world, and is mostly popular in France and northern Europe. We all thought the meal was very delicious and filling. After dinner at 7:00 P.M, we called two taxis and went back to the hotel. We all got ready for bed and watched some more Family Guy Season Five. We said our goodnights and went to bed.