First, the story of my room. I finally got the keys this morning. My building is on the East side of the city; the location is beautiful, right near one of the canals. I'm on the top floor (which was a pain later on in the day when my luggage finally arrived and I had to drag it four flights of stairs...) The room is small, and it would be very quaint if it wasn't for the interesting paint job. See for yourself:



This was my initial reaction:



So I thought and I thought...



And I decided that I will cover it up with photos and posters and anything else I can find. I will update you soon. I just have to mention that I have met some of my housemates, and everyone is really friendly. We are sharing the kitchen and three of us are also sharing the shower facilities (the other lucky ones have showers in their rooms). They are all in exam mode right now, so are mostly hiding away in their rooms, but I think we'll have some fun when that's over with!

And now, for some photos of Ghent. It's an absolutely beautiful city, filled with little cobblestone streets, castles (the one below dates back to the 12th century), churches, winding canals. I can't believe I'm here! Here is just a taste of what I saw today: