And so it begins...
Updated: May 2, 2023
Day 1: Perth to Belgium.
I hadn’t anticipated that getting used to international travel and being in foreign climes again would be too challenging having done plenty of it in my time. And yet my arrival in Europe and first full day in Belgium were a rollercoaster of excitement – discomfort – delight – anxiety – invigoration – fatigue – mental expansion (although the food here could result in more than just mental expansion if I’m not careful!)
The travel to get here was relatively smooth, until I ignored all the cues to change trains at Antwerp – almost EVERYONE else got off the very crowded train when we got to Antwerp an hour and a half after leaving Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. After 5 or 10 minutes of delighting in the newfound seat and space in the carriage, a gnawing feeling that something was amiss started to brew. Fumbling hurriedly for my phone, I discovered that my yet-to-be-activated global eSIM would have to wait and the cost of global roaming/data would be the least of my concerns in working out where I would need to disembark, turn around and get back on track (pun intended) to Ghent.
An extra hour and a half of travel? What did it matter after 24 on the go already?! My main concern, that I’d be navigating the unfamiliar streets of Ghent in the dark, was unfounded – the wonders of daylight saving (take heed, Western Australia!!) I still had hours of light when I finally made it to Sint Pieters, central train station in the beautiful historic university city of Ghent (Gent to the Flemish).
Despite dragging more substantially weighted luggage than I’d hoped to achieve, it was still a lovely hump through the streets and gardens of the city to get to my new home for the week. Tulips were in bloom, the chilly remnants of a European winter still hanging in the clear air, sounds of students starting to gather and reconnect after their spring break that was drawing to a close. But it’s fair to say the new suitcase wheels were definitely getting their first real test run on cobbles, old pavements & through crumbly park paths!
Arriving tired and more than a little stiff from the combo of flights, standing and seated train journeys (I know, some people are just never happy!) and lugging 23+kgs uphill through the city, I could only hope that the steepest, narrowest staircase I have ever encountered (with NO balustrade!!!) would not prove to be a metaphor for my stay here.
Suffice to say, the 23kg suitcase had a dedicated journey to the top! And it certainly has me hesitate before leaving my studio apartment to ‘pop out’ for anything.
Tip of the day – download Google Translate app BEFORE you go shopping in a Flemish-speaking region to avoid ending up with buttermilk in your tea and some sort of cottage cheese-cream cheese alternative for yoghurt! (Oh for an emoji or two to insert here!) Belgium-2, Meg-0.
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