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A Night in Brussels

This is the first trip we’ve taken where we made no plans other than hotel reservations – one night in Brussels and one night in Bruges.

We arrived in Brussels around 7:30pm ready to check out the night life. Our hotel for the night, Rocco Amigo, was conveniently located near the Grand Place, or Brussels’ town square.  IMG_3953IMG_3950 IMG_3945 IMG_3947The rest of our evening was spent meandering the narrow cobblestone streets past small restaurants and bars. IMG_3651 We luckily found our way to the three story World of Delirium bar! It was the perfect spot for the four of us to enjoy beers – it was a mix between a dive bar and a club because this was clearly one of the Brussels hot spots for both tourists and locals alike. Each floor was packed yet we were able to find a table within minutes. The service was friendly and there were over 2,500 beers available in bottles and more than 100 on tap!

IMG_3958IMG_3960IMG_3643After a few too many beers we found our way to a mussels and frites filled dinner – the perfect ending to our evening. We stumbled across Chez Leon which had a huge line and decided that the packed quarters meant one of two things – it’s either very good or just a huge tourist trap due to its proximity to the Grand Place.  After sharing their mulles frites we can say that it is a tourist trap but the food was really, really good!

IMG_3968 IMG_3971 Today we’re exploring Brussels before taking the train to Bruges, a storybook Flemish town about an hour from here.

If you were at a bar that served over 2,000 different beers which one would you choose?

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ashleyd /

A Night in Brussels

This is the first trip we’ve taken where we made no plans other than hotel reservations – one night in Brussels and one night in Bruges.

We arrived in Brussels around 7:30pm ready to check out the night life. Our hotel for the night, Rocco Amigo, was conveniently located near the Grand Place, or Brussels’ town square.  IMG_3953IMG_3950 IMG_3945 IMG_3947The rest of our evening was spent meandering the narrow cobblestone streets past small restaurants and bars. IMG_3651 We luckily found our way to the three story World of Delirium bar! It was the perfect spot for the four of us to enjoy beers – it was a mix between a dive bar and a club because this was clearly one of the Brussels hot spots for both tourists and locals alike. Each floor was packed yet we were able to find a table within minutes. The service was friendly and there were over 2,500 beers available in bottles and more than 100 on tap!

IMG_3958IMG_3960IMG_3643After a few too many beers we found our way to a mussels and frites filled dinner – the perfect ending to our evening. We stumbled across Chez Leon which had a huge line and decided that the packed quarters meant one of two things – it’s either very good or just a huge tourist trap due to its proximity to the Grand Place.  After sharing their mulles frites we can say that it is a tourist trap but the food was really, really good!

IMG_3968 IMG_3971 Today we’re exploring Brussels before taking the train to Bruges, a storybook Flemish town about an hour from here.

If you were at a bar that served over 2,000 different beers which one would you choose?

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ashleyd /

DuoLingo – A Fun Way to Learn A Language

This week I was in London for 36 hours due to a business meeting on Thursday in Weybridge. It worked out perfectly that I could take the train from Marylebone versus staying in a hotel. Seeing Bo and our flat on a weeknight is such a nice treat! The journey via the tube and then the railroad was pretty seamless, especially in the morning. 

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In order to make the train time past quicker, I spent the hour studying French using Duolingo, a new to me App. Over the past 2 days of traveling I have spent more than 3 hours using the app on my iPad and am really enjoying it! One of my friends suggested that I download it as it is a convenient way to study French while I’m commuting to work or traveling each week.  Each week I spend an average of four hours traveling in one way or another (tram, bus, tube, or plane) which can add up to a lot of wasted time if I don’t make it a priority to use the time wisely. While some people enjoy reading during this type of time, I have a hard time focusing on a book especially if I am standing on a crowded bus or tram.

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Since Duolingo is more like a game, I can spend time practicing my French on any mode of transportation.  The app includes multiple levels ranging from Basics 1 all the way through conjunctions, conjugations and various tenses. The sections are short enough that I can accomplish one each day within 30 minutes. The trick to this program versus a few others I have tried is that you can’t work on a new skill until you unlock it by successfully completing the previous skill set. This ensures that I don’t skip a tedious section or one that is causing my difficulty. Instead, I’m forced to continue reviewing it until I pass.

The program also takes into consideration different settings during which users may be using the app. For example, when commuting or traveling I will rarely be in a situation where I can speak. The app allows you to turn off the “speaking” portion and focus on typing, matching and translating exercises instead. Then, when I’m back in a setting that allows speaking I can focus on the verbal aspects.

If you have even the slightest desire to learn a new language or brush up on your skills before a trip, I highly recommend downloading Duolingo. Even better – it’s 100% free which means you have zero risk!

What’s your foreign language of choice? Did you study a language in school or are you learning for the first time? I minored in Spanish in college and even studied abroad in Cadiz for a Summer but haven’t used it much since graduation!

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