Hallo, Hola, Bonjour, Ahoj, Hello again!!
After few months, I am back here to share some of the first impressions I have got about Erasmus and exciting moments from Paris and Barcelona, where we went for a week, that are worth sharing.
Most of you probably already know, but for those of you that don't, I am currently spending a semester abroad in Leuven, Belgium, completing my Erasmus Exchange Programme. I arrived on 31st of January along with 2 of my classmates from Worcester Uni- Tereza (Tyrýza- whom I share a studio with) and Honza.
Honestly, Leuven wasn't my first choice for Erasmus. I wanted to go to Barcelona (as everyone else did I think :D, because you know- sun, beach, Spanish language, sangria, Spanish food, siesta and the city) but since I study all Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations it was hard to find a partner University that could offer us all of these three subjects at once. Finally, I could choose between Paris and Leuven. I've chosen Leuven and I don't regret my choice. Even though in Paris, the semester ends in April, however, I was quite afraid of the language barrier as I don't speak French at all (except from the basic greeting phrases and some nasty words haha). I've just had this tiny feeling inside me that Paris would not be the right choice for me (as for Erasmus, otherwise Paris is always a good idea, right?). Soooo anyway, I just felt Leuven would be a friendlier place to choose, and it sure is (Thank you, Leuven).
So that's how it all started.
After few months, I am back here to share some of the first impressions I have got about Erasmus and exciting moments from Paris and Barcelona, where we went for a week, that are worth sharing.
Most of you probably already know, but for those of you that don't, I am currently spending a semester abroad in Leuven, Belgium, completing my Erasmus Exchange Programme. I arrived on 31st of January along with 2 of my classmates from Worcester Uni- Tereza (Tyrýza- whom I share a studio with) and Honza.
Honestly, Leuven wasn't my first choice for Erasmus. I wanted to go to Barcelona (as everyone else did I think :D, because you know- sun, beach, Spanish language, sangria, Spanish food, siesta and the city) but since I study all Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations it was hard to find a partner University that could offer us all of these three subjects at once. Finally, I could choose between Paris and Leuven. I've chosen Leuven and I don't regret my choice. Even though in Paris, the semester ends in April, however, I was quite afraid of the language barrier as I don't speak French at all (except from the basic greeting phrases and some nasty words haha). I've just had this tiny feeling inside me that Paris would not be the right choice for me (as for Erasmus, otherwise Paris is always a good idea, right?). Soooo anyway, I just felt Leuven would be a friendlier place to choose, and it sure is (Thank you, Leuven).
So that's how it all started.
The first week we had an induction for all the incoming Erasmus students organized by the UCLL (the University we study at here). That week was full of different activities, city tours, team-building and getting-to-know each other activities, parties, trips, but also some paperwork, registrations and formalities. Most of the Erasmus students stayed in the hostel so it was easier to get to know everyone. However, we did have to find an accommodation for the whole semester, which was really stressful (as it always is when it comes for seeking an accommodation). It was quite challenging to combine all the activities prepared and seeking for a room and arrange viewings. Nevertheless, me and Tereza managed to find ourselves a studio in the very centre of Leuven (next to the Oude Markt - which to you who are not from here won't tell anything, so a small hint- it is very famous square with a lot of pubs on it). So except from the very strategic location of our accommodation, it is also a very cosy studio with nice atmosphere in the whole building (halls of residence, to be clear). There are lot of fun events organized with the help of halls, so it's really nice to socialize with everyone this way.
Let me take things more generally from here, otherwise this post would be longer than ever and since I also intend to squeeze our trip to Paris & Barcelona here... uuups.
By the way, if you really want just an overview, take a look HERE. You can find a blog post for my home University, which is rather brief and clear.
Let's have a closer look at each category here.
LANGUAGE
Honestly? I am so glad that everyone, and I really have to say EVERYONE in here speaks English. And surprisingly very, very, very well (ok, calm down Michaela). I mean, it doesn't matter whether you go shopping, use means of transport, order drinks, get lost, are extra curious at school or have an inquiry about anything, there is always someone who speaks English and is willing to help you. I have not come across anyone that wasn't able to speak or understand English YET (*knocking on my wooden table* (probably only Czechs would understand this haha)). Even though Belgium has two main (plus one tiny German speaking part) language groups- Dutch and French, all the students, kids, elderly and teachers have great spoken English. Basically, this makes all the things related to school and school projects easier. Well, knowing Dutch language (as Leuven is in the Dutch speaking part) would have made it easier for everyone of course, but at least in Leuven, you will survive with your English.
MONEY
Another area that I would like to mention is the moneeey. Since we came to Belgium on Erasmus from the UK as "UK students" the grant we have been receiving is considerably lower than if we would come from Czech Republic (almost as twice as much, lucky you guys!!!). When considering the amount of money we have been receiving from the EU monthly, Belgium ends up being a more expensive choice than for instance Spain. The expenses are ranging from the monthly rent (we pay about 645 euros for a studio per month- each 323 :) ) to basic grocery shoppings and travel expenses (even though our Leuven bus pass is only €20 for the whole semester, so I am not moaning about that). But it sure will slowly drain your bank account (crying emoji) (even with the grant, as it unfortunately is really low) and especially when you don't have a part-time job, which is what I was used to from my home Uni. But we are still managing and are still able to travel, buy ourselves nice clothes and some food (don't worry mom and dad, I am not starving here). I am not exaggerating, but it would have been nice to receive at least a tiny bit more of € from the EU :--) (well, don't judge me- I am Czech after all and we are all known for being a bit greedy (but in a good kind of way))
SCHOOL
And finally, the reason we are all here :D . The education system here is different from the one in the UK and it is harder than I expected it to be. Luckily, I am still used to the system in Czech schools, which is focused more on spending more time at school and learning a lot by heart. However, in Belgium, it seems to me like a combination of both. You will get to learn by heart, attend twice as many lectures (4 in the UK, 8 in Belgium), do projects in teams, deliver presentations, write reports and essays, do written and oral exams, prepare for each lecture and spend more time at school in general. It was quite intense from the first day at school, when we had to hand in a report the next day. I mean we are on Erasmus, right? Where is the partying everyday and occasionally attending school? JK- I have only missed one week of lectures and only because we were away (shouldn't really be bragging about this here tbh).
Instead of my 4 modules that I am used to attend, I now have 8 modules, that are here called courses, which, you can imagine, made things a bit confusing first time at school (as in the UK course is what you study, the field of study, what you will have on your diploma BUT HERE they call lectures courses). The modules (courses) here differ a lot and I also have to attend some Management modules (UNFORTUNATELY). On Mondays I have Organisational Communication and Strategic Event and Risk Management, on Tuesdays it is Project Management and Consumer Marketing, on Wednesdays Advertising and Internet Marketing, then on Thursdays we can finally chill and finally, on Fridays we have Public Relations and Cross-cultural Communication. To be honest, vast majority of the modules I'm taking are quite interesting and I have already gained some valuable knowledge, but in some we cover only the basics AGAIN (like in Advertising and PR, which is rather useless for me here, but still something interesting comes up every lecture).
There is a lot of group work, actually, in every module we are divided into groups and are supposed to deliver either a presentation, essay or project during or by the end of the semester (plus exams in some). On the other hand, the lectures are only 2 hours long here in Leuven, which is useful especially when you have that many modules. I am not going to lie, there is a lot of homework to do when we come back from school, but it usually links to the lecture and is quite fun to do (OK, SOMETIMES.. NOT USUALLY...wait! did I really just say that?). Lastly, the semester is prolonged as well since we will be finished (if we pass all the exams) by the second half of June. I believe you are already bored with this school stuff, so let me just finish this off with saying that I am only hoping to successfully pass all the exams, reports, presentations and essays and get it over with.
Another Belgian pleasures
Since the previous paragraph about school is rather skeptical and really compares systems in two different countries (just for you to have an overview) in this short paragraph the attention will be paid to the irresistibles of Belgium.
When I say Belgium, first things that usually come to one's mind is beer, waffles, chocolate, Atomium, Manneken Pis and the EU. I don't like to talk stereotypes but you have to admit (if you are foreign) that at least one of these things have just come up to your mind too.
As Leuven is the base of Stella beer, where its brewery is situated, of course we already paid a visit to it. It isn't a base of Stella Artois only, but of many MANY types, brands and flavours of beer, as well as the whole Belgium is- and this is me, someone coming from a beer drinking country- Czech. We are lucky enough to be able to enjoy the most flavour interesting beers available on every corner here. My personal favorites are Duvel, which is a 8-9% but still a very sweet beer, then Kriek, which is cherry-flavored beer and of course Hoegaarden. If you are a wine lover, Belgium is probably not the right place for you, even though we FINALLY found ...drinkable wine in the supermarket (Yaay, fireworks!).
Quite related to the whole beer topic- going out or clubbing (if you can even call it clubbing :D) here is completely different to the one in the UK (fortunately? unfortunately? still can't decide what I prefer- would actually prefer something in between). Ok, so we live near the Oude Markt, where more than 20 pubs & bars are situated (we chose our position well B-) ) so if you are going out, nobody here actually dresses up (yay, can go in my t-shirt and jeans) so you don't have to spend 3 hours preparing for a night out like in Worc. Secondly, as I have already mentioned, if you are a beer lover, you will love going out here, as very often the only affordable drink in the pub/bar is a BEER! (3,50 for Duvel, 2 for Stella, if you go to student's bars it's way more cheaper!) So let me sum it up. It is all about beer, beer, beer and once again beer. Pre-drinks are beer, if there is anything discounted or offered for free it's beer, what everyone usually drinks in a pub/bar is also a beer. So yep, I have probably never drunk that much of a beer like during these two months here (but I am still craving the beer after a dreadful and long day at school, so Belgium probably got me into that deeply haha). Also am drinking one of those cheeky Hoegaardens while writing this, so you can imagine how the beer culture here has influenced everyone. Ok, enough of the alcohol related topics, shall we? I know you all guys, this is probably the only thing that interests you, but wait for me to tell you about the rest!
Waffles, fries, waffles, fries, which one do I choose to try first? We actually first had the fries. The portion was bigger than huge and it equals your all day meals, but I probably understand why the fries are such a boom here. Honestly, I had already tasted better fries, these were just from a usual "Frietkot", which is some kind of friterie, that is available on every, SERIOUSLY, EVERY corner. If you find yourself hungry, there is about 19101001% possibility that a frietkot is situated maximum of 10 meters from you. It was said to me that these small shops are typical Belgian and since they are super cheap, students pay them visits very often, even though are extremely unhealthy.
And the waffles? The plain ones from Pinocchio's in Leuven are the best (below the Quick Burger situated on the opposite side of the Town Hall). These are just for 2 euros and are both fluffy and sweet. But of course we had to try the combo ones with all the toppings in the world. We did and had some regrets for about an hour and then we craved another one haha, classic. You can also get waffles in Belgium on almost every corner, students eat waffles as a snack, some for breakfast and some enjoy them as a treat, there are savory ones, chocolate ones, plain ones and many more. Moreover, if you are vegan or just love Alpro, Belgium is the place for you- as it is a Belgian Brand, you have a wide range of flavours and types.
And that is it for now (AS FOR THE ERASMUS, THERE IS PARIS AND BARCELONA BELOW ALL THIS :D )! These are my first impressions from Erasmus and mostly Leuven. Be prepared for another articles that will reveal much more from my stay in here.
WEEKEND TRIP TO PARIS
Before the easter break has actually started me and Tyryza decided to do a little Eurotrip in order to visit friends from our University that are on Erasmus in Paris and Barcelona. We spent about 37 hours on the road (read: being tortured by the inconvenience of Megabus, jk- we love this cheap mean of transport) and visited 2 big cities.
First stop- Paris
Bonjour!
We arrived on Friday night and were welcomed by our friends (Beka, Tyna and Ernest) at the bus station. Expect no tips for cheap-ish accommodation in Paris as we stayed at our friends' place.
The sun woke Me, Tereza, Beka and Tyna up on Saturday and we were all ready to explore one of the Paris's classics on this lovely spring sunny day. We did the obligatory or must-see circle on Saturday. We began in the Jardin du Palais Royal (Palais Royal Gardens) where we had the best coffee Kitsuné (which is a must try) and enjoyed the delicious coffee in the gardens while the sun was spoiling us with its rays. Then we continued to the one and only Notre-Dame. On our way to the Notre-Dame we entered a pet store where they held cute little puppies behind a glass cubes and people could watch them and hopefully pick one of the puppies to take home with them. It was horrible and there was loads of children just knocking on the poor dogs' windows. Such a sad thing to see on a Saturday morning. Anyway, after Notre-Dame we wandered through the main streets of Paris, crossed the river and headed to the Jardin Du Luxembourg. But before! we found the Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki where we bought Green tea or Earl Grey flavored Japanese/French macarons and Black Sesame Eclair- everything tasted so different yet delicious. So with our small packages from the Patisserie we finally headed to the Luxembourg Gardens in order to relax for a while and sunbathe. After the break we continued with sight-seeing and visited the Eiffel Tower. I know it's a classic but considering the fact that I only had been to Paris once before this trip I deserved to spend some time with this beauty. Overcrowded as always, this time we at least decided not to go up to the tower and see it just from the ground. As it was still very warm and sunny we marched back to the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile and Champs-Elysées. Being a bit naughty we went into few stores and bought some stuff. We were absolutely starving so we bought a snack in Paul. By that time we were barely walking so the girls left us but me and Tereza still continued exploring. We got lost and ended up at La Fayette's Gallery. We really wanted to climb all the stairs and see the view from the top of the Gallery but OF COURSE they had to close it exactly when we finally reached the top. Nevermind, starved and tired we continued and somehow ended up somewhere who knows where (typical), had a traditional onion soup and very VERY good wine in a local wine bar. That was the end of our first day. We basically walked everywhere so on our way back home we almost couldn't make it from the metro station haha, that's how tired we were.
I have to say that I am proud of us as to have managed to see it all in just two days in Paris. Of course, if it wasn't for our amazing guides slash friends Tyna and Beka we would have never seen what we did and enjoyed it fully!
(btw- if you really have made it till here in this article, I appreciate your patience and commitment, I really do. I just wanted you to know that O:-) )
Our last slash second day in Paris we started off with a yummy breakfast in Soul Kitchen where we enjoyed their homemade apple crumble muffins and coffee. This bistro is situated almost next to Sacra-Coeur which was our next stop. After climbing around 37325203 steps to see it we then just wandered through the nearby streets, squares and absorbed the again sunny atmosphere. We stayed in Montmartre afterwards where we went to see the Moulin Rouge, Amelia's bistro (Café des 2 Moulins), had lunch (read got super full with Chinese food) and then came back to the centre and relaxed in a park. A bit later on, Beka joined us as well and we visited Louvre and the park. As usual, we came by the time they were closing it down (read: bloody Sunday) but we at least saw (read: took a selfie with) Mona Lisa (what else, right? haha) and explored it just a bit. We finished this amazing and sunny stay with a view over the Eiffel Tower in a lovely sunset.
Thank you PARIS AND GIRLS, YOU WERE AMAZING (AS ALWAYS)!
Please don't take this video seriously, we were just having fun with our bestie- selfie stick :D :D :D This is only for my friends to hopefully understand.
And finally BARCELONA
Hola!
We arrived to Barcelona in the middle of the night after spending about 14 hours in the bus and went straight to bed. What are the odds.. it is only raining in Barcelona like 10 days in a year AND it was raining/cloudy/cold 3 out of 4 days while we were there. CAN IT BE MORE TYPICAL? OF COURSE NOT :)))) Anyway, I believe we enjoyed it as much as we could despite the lack of the sunshine and warmth, also unfortunately our friends couldn't spend that much time with us because of school/illness. You know that I love Barcelona and it will probably still be among my TOP 10 cities to see and since we could stay at my friends' room on UAB campus there was no reason why not to combine this trip to Paris with Barcelona as well. OK! It may seem from the pictures that this trip was mainly about food and it may not be 100% true but let's give it at least 60% hahah (joking, we'll give the 40% to wine). Trust me, you WILL get hungry from the pictures. I will give you a lot of pictures and some tips, so be prepared.
Among the main sightseeing spots we managed to visit La Rambla, Sagrada Familia, Gothic barrio, La Boqueria Market, Park de la Citadel, Casa Batló and the beach. However, the programme wasn't that hectic as we were already a bit tired after Paris and most importantly, the weather just wasn't good to visit all the places. We also experienced St.Patrick's Day and drank Guinness in Barcelona.
As there already is one post about Barcelona in my blog, I will only add loads of pictures and recommend you some food places. If you want to find out more, click on one of the previous blog posts (read: I can't even type the keyboard now, that's how this post is long).
FOOD PLACES TO VISIT IN BARCELONA
- BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER
THIS IS THE END OF THIS POST, I PROMISE. IT WILL BE DEDICATED TO FOOD PLACES IN BARCELONA, THAT WILL BE NUMBERED ACCORDINGLY IN THE SECTION BELOW. All these places are inspired by girls from A Cup of Style, who recommended them. TAKE A SNACK AS YOU ARE READING THIS BECAUSE YOUR MOUTH WILL START WATERING EVEN FROM JUST LOOKING AT THE PICTURES.
Brunch and Cake (1)
Possibly the best brunch ever. Honestly, the food presentation and portions are on point! We had some difficulties finishing our meals but it was worth it! Prices range from €7-11 for food and drinks €2-6 (coffee, smoothie, milkshake). It is a bit pricy but if you consider the portion and presentation it is definitely money well spent! Everything was delicious but the best ones were probably Pancakes, SMOOTHIE BOWL!, Banana bread, Bagels with scramble eggs and Eggs Benedict on waffle. Coffee, however, is not that good. You can also find many Brunch and Cake bistros all over Barcelona.
Chök (2)
Cronuts/donuts and chocolate choice of the year. This heaven is situated near to La Boqueria Market. One cronut will cost you €3.50 but have a look at all the toppings! Delicious delicious delicousss!
La Granja Pallaresa (3)
Churros are a MUST TRY while in Spain/Barcelona. These churros with dark chocolate are spectacular! I can't remember the prices, but it was extra cheap and so tasty. Big plus is that the chocolate is not overly sweet and is rather thick, churros on the other hand are fluffy, sweet and not oily at all (you usually find the oily ones). Situated on la Rambla? What else should I say to convince you to go?
La Paradeta (4)
Sea food and fish MUST VISIT! SEA FOOD LOVERS LISTEN! If you are a fan of fish or sea food, or even if not you should definitely try this local restaurant where you can first choose your meat/fish/sea food (from the counter, fresh from the sea), sit down and wait for your meal to be called away so you can pick it up made to perfection. We tried tuna steak- 10/10 points, calamari- well 5/10 (they could have cooked them for a longer period) and Tereza had shrimps which were delicious also. The steak was €14 for two huge pieces and you can choose the meat yourself. Great concept, great food!
This is it! I promise you my next post will be much shorter! I hope you have enjoyed reading it and gathered at least some inspiration/ understanding from it. I would like to send my condolences via this article to all the people affected by the attacks in Brussels, which is only 25 km away #PrayforBrussels.
Thank you for sharing my adventures with me.
Michaela