Bruges
The Benefits of being American in Europe
I was so excited to have my first weekend abroad on our own. We are students on a budget so spending money has to be done wisely. That is why this first weekend we split going to two places Amsterdam and Bruges so that we are seeing the most for our money. Something that I want everyone to know is that when people see that you are American they jump at the chance to help you and to ask you a million questions. I originally thought no one would like us and that we would have a really hard time finding our way around and understanding people. What I experienced was something completely the opposite.
Amsterdam was nice but Bruges by far was my favorite. First off I love the small town vibe that Bruges has with the cobblestone streets and little quaint cafes, my first impression of Bruges was that it was gorgeous. Our day started with viewing some amazing churches including one that had the sculpture by Michelangelo which was just breath taking. This is a must see when you go to Bruges because it so beautiful and to add in the money savior tip visiting churches is a free way to see some of the oldest parts of Europe history.
After visiting the churches we decided to sit down and have a snack and a drink. Never would I have thought that it would be one of the best snacks I have ever experienced.You may be thinking that I am referring to the food but not at all. When we sat down we happened to sit down by an American couple that struck up a conversation with us. They could not have been nicer to us by giving us tips on places to eat and how again to save money.The couple worked for the government as diplomats and has been living in Brussels for three years. We were both sharing information about ourselves and talked to them for about forty minutes. During this forty minutes I remember thinking that if we hadn’t chose this outside café we would never have met such nice people. Advice to the next traveler that reads this blog remember to try new places and not to just stick to places that look American or ‘safe’ you have to venture out and try new places you normally would not pick.The couple was so nice and willing to answer any of our questions, it reassured me that we were in very nice place. It came time to get the check and the American couple had just gotten up and waiter says no check and points to the couple. The couple had paid for our bill so nonchalantly and wasn’t even going to stay so that we could thank them, but luckily we caught them just as they were leaving the restaurant to thank them profusely. It literally shocked me that someone would do such a thing to for us. The whole day I could not believe how nice of a gesture that was. It made me feel good to be an American in Europe.
When I read your city blog, I found it very interesting how the American couple had paid for your meal. I feel like that generosity is hard to come by because that normally wouldn’t happen in the states. I would have like to have read a little more about more of the conversation that you had with the American family. I thought you incorporated the theme well with this blog because it was the first weekend traveling abroad on your own and the challenges you had to overcome.
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