Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World

Month: April 2013 (page 2 of 2)

Palm Sunday with Pope Francis

April 9, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Palm Sunday was the last day that I spent in Rome, and where is a better place to spend it than in Vatican City in St. Peter’s Square.  At 8:30am I made my way through the crowds of people and into the square.  Though it was all in Italian, it wasn’t impossible to follow the mass along, though I do feel like it was slightly different from a regular mass.

Palms were being handed out as you walked into the square and there were screens showing the priest and choir up in the front.  By the time communion was being handed out, the entire square was filled with people and there was security making sure more people could not enter.  People pushed and shoved their way to receive communion, and once the priest ran out, some cried and pleaded him for a blessing.  It was a very unreal experience.  I was lucky enough to receive one of the last communions from a priest.

After mass was over, around noon, the new pope, Pope Francis, came out in his “pope mobile”, which is actually a jeep, and came out into the crowd after blessing everyone in the crowd.  People were throwing their infant children at him to bless them.  He patted children on the head as he passed by.  I stood about 20 feet away from where he was.  Everyone was going crazy, pushing and shoving as he passed by the section where we were standing.  It was such an exciting experience! I can now officially check seeing the pope off my bucket list!

As we were leaving, we could see that the entire street was filled with people who were not allowed into the square.  There had to be somewhere between 10,000-15,000 people in the square and on the street that day.  It was crazy but I feel so incredibly lucky to have been able to actually be in the square that day.  A fun, random fact we found out the day before was that Pope Francis was having lunch with the old Pope.  I will forever be curious about what two popes talk about during lunch together.

Realizations

April 9, 2013 / / 0 Comments

During the past 18 days, I have been fortunate enough to be able to travel to four different countries and nine different cities.  I started out in Rome, Italy, and, of course, visited Vatican City (which is its’ own country), then went up to Florence, Venice, stopped over in Milan for a few hours on my way to Cinque Terre, from which I went to Nice, France, over to Barcelona and Madrid, Spain, and finally ended my travels in Lisbon, Portugal.  It was such an amazing experience, but all the while I had many conflicting feelings.

Of course I was ecstatic to be where I was.  I was in some of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen.  On Easter morning I was sitting on the beach in Cannes, France over looking the Mediterranean Sea while eating a crepe, it was awesome. Venice and Cinque Terre are also two of my favorite places on earth and two places that I absolutely have to visit again.  However, as the days went by and I explored more and more places that I began to fall in love with, I realized that I really might never be able to come back to visit again, realistically that is.

 

At each city we were in, we may have stayed, longest two and a half days.  Other cities we were only in for a few short hours.  I thought of this break as a chance to see places and scope out everywhere that I will want to return in future years in more depth, since really, we only were able to break the surface on most of the cities.  Thinking about it on those long train rides from place to place, however, I realized that I might not ever have the funds to be able to come back to Europe so many times to actually be in Venice for a week or Cinque Terre for another week.  I probably won’t be able to come back a third time and visit Nice to go scuba diving and cave diving.

Now, don’t get me wrong, if I had the chance to study abroad again or even do my two week break again, I would in a heartbeat.  And, maybe really that’s the whole point.  Right now, in my college years, I have the chance to see all of these amazing places and experience all of these amazing things.  We have this opportunity to live in a country so different from our own and travel anywhere we really want to.  It’s almost like a bitter-sweet feeling now, because I loved every moment of my break, but I’m sad to admit and to come to the realization that I might not be able to relive it and experience Italy and France and Spain again in the way I have.

Leaving some places, such as Barcelona, I found that I was extremely sad to leave because I met so many new amazing people that I would probably never have the chance to see again.  However, the conversations that I had and everything I learned about them, their cultures and their different ways of life I will forever have with me, and that really is the reason for studying abroad.  It’s really about the experiences and knowledge to take back home with you.  As much as I do not want to go home in five short weeks, I am excited to share my stories and experiences with my friends and family and hope that maybe they can help convince others to one day study abroad and travel the world like I am.

Reunited with Dia and Becca from Reutlingen!

Reunited with Dia and Becca from Reutlingen!

Chuffed to Bits (Cheers, England!)

April 8, 2013 / / 0 Comments
Reunited with Dia and Becca from Reutlingen!

Reunited in London with Dia and Becca from the Reutlingen program!

Who’d have ever thought that I’d wish for a translator while speaking my own native language? Despite the fact that the British speak English, there were so many instances during my ten-day excursion to the UK in which I felt like I was listening to a completely foreign language. Okay, maybe that’s a BIT of an exaggeration. But when pants are “trousers” and underwear is “pants”, or when potato chips are “crisps” and french fries are “chips”,  (not to mention the fact that everyone drives on the other side of the road), it’s not hard for a Yankee to get a little confused.

All joking matters aside though, I truly fell in love with England during my time there. As was the case with my trip to Belgium back in February, I’m incredibly fortunate to have family living in Leicester (a city about two hours north of London) who took me in with open arms, and gave me the full “British Experience.” If you’re wondering what that entails…

  • Harry Potter fans, recognize this place? (Christ Church in Oxford)

    Harry Potter fans, recognize this place? (Christ Church in Oxford)

    Fish and chips, more Cadbury’s chocolate than I care to admit, a number of English ales and ciders, pork pies, sausage rolls, crumpets, scones, and lots of tea

  • Taking a day trip to Oxford, where we saw the gorgeous University buildings, took a tour on an open-air double-decker bus, and walked through Christ Church… also known as the set of the Great Hall from the Harry Potter movies
  • Spending a day at a refurbished medieval castle, climbing hundreds of stone steps and taking in the amazing views of the English countryside from the tops of the towers
  • Participating firsthand in the Grand National horse race (everyone in the family bet one pound on a horse, and my cousins took me to the “bookie” to place the bets before we all watched the race together)
  • Exploring the old English countryside, where one of my cousins grew up amidst the endless miles of sheep farms, centuries-old stone churches, boating canals, and of course, the classic old-fashioned neighborhood pub
Doesn't get any more medieval than this!

Doesn't get any more medieval than this!

Along with all of that, I got to spend four (chilly!) days in London, which (despite the weather) was endlessly beautiful to me. I’ve heard from a number of people who have been to London that it’s a city you will either hate or love, and it is with great confidence that I can say that I’m part of the latter group. I don’t know how anyone could find it to be a disappointment – there’s so much rich history, distinct culture, and exciting energy buzzing in the air there. Not to mention the fact that my London experience was highlighted by a fantastic reunion: I met up with my good friends Becca and Dia, who are currently in the Reutlingen, Germany program. We spent our time together covering every last corner of the city on foot, from the River Thames to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by lots of Cadbury’s chocolate, peanut butter and honey sandwiches (nothing like living on a college kid’s budget!) and the joy of catching up and swapping travel stories.

Last time I saw these guys, they were all babies! It was so wonderful getting to reconnect with them.

Last time I saw these guys, they were all babies! It was so wonderful getting to reconnect with them.

Though the unique range of traveling I had during my stay in England was vast and punctuated by dozens of fascinating sights, I think the overall theme of my journey in the UK was the wonderful experience of reconnecting. Getting to spend time with my friends from back in Valpo while in London was like a breath of fresh air – there’s nothing like picking back up where you left off with old friends. On the other side of things, I haven’t seen my British family in twelve years, and going to visit those cousins was like receiving a long-overdue gift. Along with the many adventures that they took me on, I’m never going to forget the “regular” moments: sitting around the dinner table telling stories, poring over old photos of my grandparents, parents, and other relatives when they were young, playing on the Wii with my younger cousins (in the picture on the right), or my daily “British vocabulary lessons”.

In all, this trip was a wonderful gift, and I’m “well chuffed” that I was able to experience all the things that I did. Years from now, just the thought of England is going to warm my heart with dozens of happy memories of family, friends, and adventures. I’m so blessed, and England was just another example of the many reasons I have to be thankful.

My cousins and I in the Alps

Easter in the Alps

April 7, 2013 / / 0 Comments

This year’s Easter weekend was one of the most memorable in my life so far. I hopped on a TGV train by myself and went to visit my cousin and her husband in the East of France. They live in a very small town called Challex, which is right on the border of France and Switzerland. Challex is absolutely adorable. It is completely surrounded by the Jura mountains and the Alps, so there is never a dull view anywhere you look around. Challex also makes its own wine, so there are also many vineyards surrounding it. Even though the vineyards were bare and I couldn’t see much of the mountains, I really loved the atmosphere Challex gave off. It was so refreshing to be in a small town again, enclosed by complete silence and beautiful landscapes. My cousins moved to the area four years ago and absolutely love it. After spending a few days with them, I can absolutley understand why they don’t want to leave!

Chateau de Chillon

When I arrived on Saturday morning, we left straight from the airport in Geneva, Switzerland to go see a castle in Montreux. I had never visited a castle before, so I was really excited to explore Châteaux de Chillon. The castle was built in the 12th century and is located on an island on Lake Geneva. It was made popular by Lord Byron’s poem The Prisoner of Chillon (1816) about a monk who was imprisoned there. Châteaux de Chillon is quite large, and it took a few hours to see the whole thing. My favorite parts of the castle were the dungeon, the chapel, and the weapons room. This castle is my cousins’ favorite to visit, and I would definitely recommend seeing it to anyone traveling to Switzerland.

I had no idea that I would be touring Switzerland for a whole day, so I was very happy to see Montreux and a completely different traditional Swiss town called Gruyères. This small town is home to the famous Gruyère cheese, which I tried for the first time and loved. My cousins believe that this town is the most beautiful they have ever seen, and I may have to agree with them. The town is situated a little higher into the mountains than Montreux, so I was amazed by how perfect the view of the mountains was. Gruyères is the perfect example of a postcard town. For dinner, we ate fondue and crème brûlée. This was another first for me, and I just fell in love with fondue. I’m already a big lover of cheese, so I’m not surprised that melting it just made me love it more.

Annecy

On Easter Sunday, we drove to a lovely town called Annecy, which is just south of Lake Geneva. Once again, I was shocked by the beautiful view in this town. Annecy is just North of Lake Annecy, and lining the lake are gorgeous mountains. To top it off, there is a castle downtown. What more could you possibly ask for? We spent the day taking in the sights around town and enjoying the little bit of sun while we could. Since it was Easter, I learned a little bit about how the French celebrate this holiday. Instead of the Easter bunny bringing eggs to the children during the night, the bells from Rome fly to France and bring them instead. How this is possible, I don’t know, but I like the creativity! Apparently French children also make nests outside of their homes for the bells to put the eggs in.

Another fun holiday that happened to be the next day was April Fool’s Day, and boy, do the French like celebrating that holiday. Somehow in Annecy, we stumbled upon a Poisson d’Avril festival. Basically on April 1st, the French (mainly children) go around secretly sticking paper fish on the backs of unsuspecting people. When the person finds the fish, they are called the Poisson d’Avril or the April Fish. Legend has it that in the 16th century, King Charles XIV changed the French calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Before this change, New Year’s Eve had been celebrated from March 25th to April 1st according to the Roman calendar. Those who hadn’t heard about the change and continued to celebrate New Year’s on April 1st were made fun of and called April Fish. I think this legend is hilarious, and I wish we celebrated this in the U.S. At the festival, they gave out fish stickers, and we had fun watching children slyly stick them on adults’ backs.

My cousins and I in the Alps

On my final day with my cousins, they took me to a town called Les Houches in the French Alps to see the mountains a little closer. We put on our snow shoes and hiked along the ski trails for hours. It was surprisingly warm up in the Alps because of the direct sunlight and the reflection off of the snow, and I ended up with a sunburn on my hands and the bottom half of my face. One thing that I’ll never forget is how we climbed a summit of a mountain. Although I’m not that great with heights and had to inch my way both up and down, I can proudly say that I’ve climbed a mountain. (Maybe not all the way up by myself, but I still climbed the summit of a mountain!) Before I went to the Alps, I thought that I had already seen some amazing sights that weekend. It wasn’t until I got up the mountain and looked up at Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in Europe and the 11th tallest in the world) that I knew I had seen something extraordinary. I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful the view was from the top of that mountain, and I know that I’ll remember that moment for the rest of my life. The mountains have absolutely captured my attention, and I’m already dying to return as soon as possible.

I had such a wonderful time with my cousins Easter weekend. I experienced so many new and exciting things, and I’m very grateful that I was able to spend Easter with my family. I can’t wait for my next visit to Challex and the Alps! Maybe next time I’ll have the nerve to try my hand at skiing.

French Alps

Gruyères

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