Where Have I Been Living?

Europe » Belgium » East Flanders » Gent
January 24th 2006

Published: February 20th 2006

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Brian in Belgium

Hostel De Draecke

The lobby of the hostel.

OK, so I've been over here for almost three weeks now, and I bet you are wondering where I've been sleeping all this time. Well, I'm currently on my third dominion, and I'll try to describe each of them to you now.

My first two weeks in Gent were spent in the Hostel De Draecke (see journal entry "Biorenewable Materials Intensive Program" for more details).

While I was staying at the hostel I was looking for a more permanent place to live. Fortunately I found an apartment relatively quickly, but I was not able to move in until a few days after I left the hostel. I could have stayed at the hostel for a few more nights, but I was getting sick of rooming with three other people. Luckily I met someone who had a friend, who had a friend, who had a...you get the idea. Anyway, this friend had a home in Gent and occasionally rented out a room to wayward travelers while they were looking for a place to live. So I ended up staying with Kristel for a few nights. She was very nice and had a cozy home quite near the university. She let

My Room in the Hostel

There's the door.

me stay on the top floor of her house, and even made me some tea one night. It was really nice to finally get a little bit of privacy, but I still wasn't settled. I still had all of my worldly possessions in a duffel bag/suitcase.

Which was why I was very happy to to move into my apartment. I could finally unpack my luggage, put away my clothes (living out of a suitcase sucks), relax, and get settled. I really like my place. It has wood floors, high ceilings, and a nice bay window with a view out over a small park. The only downside is that while I have my own shower, I share a common toilet with some of the other residents. Let me explain a little. Many of the homes in Gent, especially in the city center, are very tall and narrow. There can be anywhere from 3-5 floors with a room on each. A lot of these buildings, like the one I live in, have been turned into rental property. People like me rent out a single room, and share some common facilities such as a kitchen, bathroom, etc., with some of the other

My Room in the Hostel

There's where Scott and Kerry slept.

tenants.

I really like the area of the city where I'm living. I have a bus stop about 20 feet from my front door, and the bus goes directly to the train station (which is extremely convenient for my commute to Brussels). The public library is about a half a mile away, and is directly across from a big shopping center. The University building where I have my classes is only about a 15 minute bike ride away. Overpoortstraat, where all the students hang out, is only about 5 minutes away. And the older, more quaint part of the city is about 10-15 minutes away.

I think it's funny that I live on...I'm not going to post my address on the web. But I'll give you a hint. Out of all the streets in Gent, I find it ironic that I end up living on a street named after an American President. Maybe it was meant to be.

P.S. - The photos of my apartment are from right after I moved in. I have since rearranged the furniture, and acquired a bed frame, so things are a little more cozy. I'll update the pictures as soon as