Euroferia 2009, Atomium, Brussels
Friday, June 5, 2009/Saturday, June 6, 2009
10:00 pm/8:00 pm

Well this is kind of out of order, but it was definitely the highlight of my weekend, so I saved it for last.

Friday night I had a meeting at the church and then hung out with a friend in the kitchen while everyone else did some kind of salsa or something dance lessons in the gym, which a lady from church teaches every Friday. After the dance lessons were over, a Brazilion couple mentioned that they were going over to this Spanish festival at the Atomium. (I'd seen posters for it all over Brussels the whole time I've been here.)

Well, the fair was actually incredible. To be honest, I hadn't really cared that much if I ever saw the Atomium while I was here or not--it looks cool enough in pictures, but I thought a picture was good enough for me. In person, though, it is way bigger than I imagined, and it is AMAZING at night!

The first huge section of the festival we passed was all just dance booths and food--crazy food that I never thought I would consider but looked and smelled pretty good, like huge shallow pans (like four or five feet in diameter) of rice, massive shrimp, and mussels. (Some of them were so long and so pale they didn't look like shrimp--they were like six inch long monsters!)

Everything there seemed so foreign at first, mostly because I never paid attention to or had any interested in Spanish culture. The more I saw, though, the more I thought it was pretty cool. I told my friends after just five minutes that I had never had any interest in visiting Spain but I was really reconsidering; now I would love to go.

Anyway, the food and music places went right up to the Atomium, when it all switched over to--my favorite thing ever--a CARNIVAL!! There was a huge ferris wheel lit up that looked so cool next to the Atomium, and then just tons of rides, games, skill contests, etc. All in all, the atmosphere was awesome!

I didn't get home until 1:30 am on Friday, but I kept cursing myself the whole night for not having my camera, so Saturday night after the adult session of stake conference, I went back again with Sinoui as well as with Tyler and Calese, who hadn't gone on Friday and saw it for the first time. I was pretty tired by the time I got home Saturday night, but it was worth it. Eurofair was easily the most fun thing I've done in Brussels so far!

Most of the booths just looked like this, although some were way more intricate, like island themed grass huts, or had big dance parties, full of smoke and disco balls.

Wearing my suit after stake conference, but worth it to be able to get pictures!