I went to Belgium for a few days this week and it was fabulous. Ironically, MARDI GRAS (the Frenchiest French-inspired holiday there is) is not all that big throughout France. Down south in Nice it's celebrated, but since that is far far away, we roadtripped over to Belgium, where they take Mardi Gras very seriously. We stopped in Amiens, France along the way to see its gargantuan cathedral (even taller than Notre Dame!). As soon as we arrived in Brugges, Belgium we went directly to the chocolate factory/museum. Duh. DID YOU KNOW that there are 46 different chocolate shops in Brugges and that each year they have to apply for permission from the city to sell their chocolate. Some guy goes around tasting the goods to see if they're up to par. I'm changing my major pronto.Brugges is the cutest thing since My Little Pony but unfortunately the little town shuts down way too early in the evening. Some friends and I went searching for the perfect waffle but it was hard to come by. Luckily we found some and they were all I ever hoped for in a legit Belgian waffle. We also had some real french fries, which have nothing to do with the french because they were invented in Belgium!
The next day we headed to Ghent to see the Ghent altarpiece by Jan van Eych and it was absolutely stunning. I am SO glad I took Art History before I came here because all the masterpieces I'm seeing mean so much more to me. We arrived in Binche----home of the crazy Mardi Gras party---oh, i don't know, some time late morning, and hung out there with all the drunk locals, party-seekers,
and backpackers alike. We danced and got confettied on and such. I was like, "sweet, this place is way fun!" Then came time for the famed parade. So we waited on the side of street for it to come by. And we waited. And waited. Almost 2 hours later it FINALLY showed up and it was the most boring and long thing I had ever witnessed. Now I know why people spend all day getting drunk. Basically so they can sit through this parade. These men and boys (ranging in age), dressed up in goofy outfits, march up and down the streets, wearing big wooden shoes. They don't go anywhere without their personal drummer. (Hence the expression....?). And they throw out oranges! Ouch? Yes! It's not like your average parade where candy is thrown out. Oranges are a little more violent. Apparently we were supposed to catch them and keep them but I kept chucking them back. It was fun at the time, but looking back, I could really be living off those oranges right about now.....
and backpackers alike. We danced and got confettied on and such. I was like, "sweet, this place is way fun!" Then came time for the famed parade. So we waited on the side of street for it to come by. And we waited. And waited. Almost 2 hours later it FINALLY showed up and it was the most boring and long thing I had ever witnessed. Now I know why people spend all day getting drunk. Basically so they can sit through this parade. These men and boys (ranging in age), dressed up in goofy outfits, march up and down the streets, wearing big wooden shoes. They don't go anywhere without their personal drummer. (Hence the expression....?). And they throw out oranges! Ouch? Yes! It's not like your average parade where candy is thrown out. Oranges are a little more violent. Apparently we were supposed to catch them and keep them but I kept chucking them back. It was fun at the time, but looking back, I could really be living off those oranges right about now.....Anyway, it was a fun/bizarre day, which ended in a hotel in Mons. We left the next morning to go back home and along the way stopped in Chantilly to see the most incredible chateau I have ever seen. Seriously gorgeous and ten times better than Versailles. 
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