Refreshed from a good night’s sleep, my fellow travellers and I emerged from our hotel this morning ready for our first full day in Belgium.

It was an overall beautiful day, with the weather and the sights we were able to see.

We began by visiting the University of Leuven’s library, a gorgeous building that recognizes the University of Illinois on its outside wall for its contributions to its construction.

 

 

 

The tour included a trip up several flights of winding spiral staircases to make it to the top of the bell tower, which offered us an incredible view of the city paired with a perfect blue sky.

 

 

We then visited Michaël Opgenhaffen for a lecture on social media and journalism. He explained how social media can help journalists find eyewitnesses and experts on news topics using sites such as Facebook and Twitter as well as other tools. Social media can also give us insight on how stories spread and are made known. 

Following the lecture, the group made a beeline for an afternoon snack, and you can only imagine what we decided to get.