"I am just a Little Lady" #HogsAbroad in Belgium

After a long work-week full of lectures and excursions to three very interesting biotechnological institutions (which I will touch on in a later blog), we packed up a small backpack and headed to the Oostende on the Belgian coast. We began our trip with guided tour around a nature reserve outside of the city. Our tour guide, Herman, was very informational and passionate about the dunes that we traveled across, but in comparison to Arkansas’s wildlife, the competition was scarce. The wildlife we ran across just ended up being one butterfly, but Herman pointed out many plants native to the area and the histories behind them. Most were used in herbal remedies, but one even ended up being a dead white asparagus plant, which is my personal favorite vegetable! However, Herman did say we did not have the appropriate amount of time to see most of the land, so there is a possibility that the actual dunes themselves were more prevalent in other parts of the reserve. Overall, I feel as if it can be confidently deduced that Arkansans excels more at all things outdoorsy, and the Belgians should stick to chocolate and land yachting, which we were not very good at.

Following the nature tour, we found ourselves at a land yacht club. Land yachting is a recreational sport on the Belgian coast that resembles a cross between sailing on a sail boat and go-karting. Before embarking on that adventure, we ate a picnic lunch of a sandwich of our preference. This was unique because the sandwiches were delivered to the yacht club in a small van and were really just a large baguette with a spread of your preference. My spread of choice had a chicken curry spread, which would never be found at the typically Arkansan sandwich shop. Also, at all Belgian restaurants, one must always order tap water and even at cost as high as coke. I’ve also noticed that it is very common here to go out for drinks before almost any event.

Next, with full bellies, our yachting coach took us down to the beach in what resembled astronaut suits, and she proceeded to demonstrate the track we would be following on the shoreline. She was a very small woman (hence the title) but I immediately was impressed with not only her motor skills but also her feistiness. She seemed like one tough cookie. I cannot tell you that our land yachting trip was a success, but I am not sure if it was operator error or lack of control of the wind. Since the morning, the wind had continuously died down, which would obviously cause our land yachts to just stop moving in the sand. Although it sounds like a

rough time, it was hilarious watching everyone push their carts through the sand and water once stuck. While on the beach, I got the chance to talk a little more with our coach, which has become a favorite pastime of mine. I really enjoy getting the chance to talk with the locals on their origin and life history because since Europe is in such a central location on Earth, most locals have quite the travel history. It is much easier for them to quickly pack up and experience different cultures than most in America. For example, our coach was originally from Belgium, but she sails around the Caribbean and Europe with her older
brother. Additionally, she has taken multiple backpacking trips all by herself and continues to do so today. I found her as a woman I would look up to very much if I knew her better because of her independency, even though she is “just a little lady,” (probably around five foot tall).

After land yachting, we had a lovely three course dinner in which each course was at a different restaurant. Again, we began with drinks and a very petite appetizer. The main course included my favorite meal (zoodles!!) but was also some of the best fish I have ever had. I feel as if the culture here is much more likely to consume less red meat (which is decidedly the worst farmed meat for the environment) and more “healthier” meats such as fish because they are so fresh. Fresh fish is much harder to come by in the land-locked state of Arkansas. If I lived in almost any European country I could easily be a full-blown pescatarian.

Sunday morning we split up into teams of four and had a scavenger hunt where we had to answer historical questions about the city while driving to various locations. The only catch was that we were actually driving in a four person bike, which is another recreational activity in Belgium never-before seen in Arkansas. My team, the Oostende Mafia, ended up in second place, but the bike hunt was definitely a
fun and unique way to tour a whole city in an hour and a half. The biking worked up quite an appetite, so we had lunch at a local pasta restaurant that served the best vegetarian spaghetti that I have ever consumed. Likewise, along with the concept of eating less red meat being more easily acceptable here, it is also more accesible. Every restaurant offers vegetarian options of its main dishes, and I love it.

Finally, we packed up one last time and took a short train ride to Bruges. Because of its size, traveling through Belgium takes very little time, and is easier for locals than for me to travel home from college. Public transportation such as buses and trams are extremely well-kept and do not have the negative connotation that American public transportation can sometimes have. The train from Oostende to Bruges took around fifteen minutes, and the train from Bruges back home in Gent took around thirty minutes with multiple stops. Easy access to beautiful historic cities such as Bruges is extremely lovely. Bruges was actually constructed with a moat around the city walls, and we got the chance to go on a canal tour while we were there. The canal was surrounded by apartments and a riverwalk which were breathtaking, but the city as a whole seemed very tourist-minded as opposed to our home in Gent.

One other cultural difference between America and Belgium that I have noticed in every city is the style of the locals. For example, I have yet to see a female student at the University of Gent wearing jean shorts, but instead, most wear sun dresses or lose pants. Men (and even college students) also seem to dress much more professional here, usually wearing jeans and a nicer top with a hat or scarf. Personally, I am a fan of this trend because one can easily express their own style. In America, and especially at the University of Arkansas, a common stereotype is that “everyone looks the exact same,” and where is the fun in that?
Lastly, never fear mom and dad, my next blog post will be much more educational and informational.


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Eleanor, a Biological Engineering major, studied abroad with our U of A Faculty-Led: Sustainability in the Euro Food System program.
Read more from Eleanor at https://you.uark.edu/egh001/
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/