Mol, Belgium

We ventured a short ways from the Netherlands to the neighboring country of Belgium. I don't think any of us were ready to leave the Netherlands just yet, but we were off to Belgium anyway! I had a short bus date with Miss Jessica P. from Mexico, but 1) I was SUPER tired from not getting much sleep the night before and 2) the bus ride was super short (like 1.5 hours), so before we knew it, we arrived in Oud-Turnhout (1 of 2 cities this week) and Jessica had to get off the bus while I had to stay put, so we didn't get a picture together =(

We had some free time in Mol once we arrived, and we enjoyed a quick bite of ice cream from a local shop. I got a scoop of Speculoos ice cream, which is VERY Belgian. Mention Speculoos to any Belgian and they'll start drooling...it's strange. For those who don't know, Speculoos is a type of cookie (or biscuit, as they say here) that is like a gingersnap type thing...or it kind of tastes like Teddy Grahams. They also have a Speculoos spread that's great on bread or crepes, which is what this ice cream was made with.

With one of my favorite girls, Diana (CA, USA)

We had our host pick up shortly thereafter, and all of our codes were Belgian beers. I had never heard of mine, but apparently Krieg is a very famous cherry beer (I've since tried it, and for a girl who hates beer, it's actually quite tasty). My host parents for the week were Jos and Lisette, an adorable couple who love biking, their grandchildren, and spending time together (They're SO cute!).

I lived in an absolutely stunning home this week, with the most amazing landscaping I've ever seen! Check out the backyard, for heaven's sake!

 Jos and Lisette's daughter, Kathleen, and her family (Wim, Mies, and Niel) were also hosting, so we enjoyed a lot of time with Simone (Denmark) and Celine (Belgium) throughout the week. We liked eating dinner on the huge, gorgeous covered patio!

Study abroad day was very successful in getting work done and enjoying free time. And the weather decided to spoil us! It was SO warm and sunny, so we enjoyed some treats at a cafe outside. Hello warm appletorte! So yummy!

Enjoying the sunshine with my Colorado girls Abbey and Tara!

 That day was simply full of treat after treat! At the end of the day, the staff surprised us with a trip to get fresh Belgian waffles. I shared mine with Simone. YUM! I've been asked if Belgian waffles are the same as what we call Belgian waffles in the States. Yes and no. They are small rectangle waffles and are best when eaten plain right off the iron. They have little beads of sugar in them so you get hints of sweetness as you eat them. You can also get them with chocolate or other toppings, but they aren't quite like the Belgian waffles we eat. They are much better.

 We had a 4 shows total in Mol and Oud-Turnhout, but we were given a host family day in between cities. Thursday and Friday shows in Mol, host family day on Saturday, and then a double show day in Oud-Turnhout on Sunday. For host family day, Jos, Lisette, Simone, Celine, and I ventured to the nearby city of Antwerp (Antwerpen, in Dutch) to explore.

At the Antwerp train station, which is gorgeous!

 

At our show on Sunday, Mallory and I got to see a special visitor! We both separately hosted Clara when she toured in Cast A 2012, so it was fun seeing her again! We'll get to spend some more time with her in Brussels, but it was fun showing her our show, since it's a completely new show from when she traveled last year!

Mallory, Clara, and me

After a great week, it was time to say goodbye to Lisette and Jos. Off to the next Belgian city!