April 2015 – Valpo Voyager

Month: April 2015 (page 1 of 3)

Along the Cam, Down the Backs

April 30, 2015 / mstoughton / 0 Comments

Director Ringenberg took us on our highly-anticipated punting class trip! It was a beautiful, warm spring (summer?) day. Our guide, who was originally from Romania, gave us a brief history of the buildings and colleges as we punted down the river. Many of the buildings date back to the 13th and 14th centuries! It was a great time and Brendan and I both learned how to punt! Apart from running our punt through two willow trees and crashing into a bridge, I think I did alright!

Cambridge, England

Cambridge, England
Left to Right: (Emily P., Brendan, Sarah, Stephanie)

Cambridge, England

Mathematical Bridge, Queen’s College, Cambridge, England

Cambridge, England

Last Days in London

London is an amazing city. There are so many things to do and places to see. Some people say that if you get bored in London, that means you’re bored with life, just because there’s so much to explore. I could never get tired of London. Even now, after living her for almost nine months, there is still a list of things that I haven’t seen yet that I want to see.

Greenwich, London

On a sunny Saturday, I attempted to cross some of these things off my list. Brendan and I headed to London for the afternoon. Our first stop was Greenwich to see the Queen’s Palace and the astronomy tower where the Prime Meridian is. It was a gorgeous day outside, so the walk up to the astronomy tower didn’t seem so bad. We sat up on top of the hill for awhile, talked, and looked out over London.

The Monument at Trafalgar Square

Our next stop was Trafalgar Square. I have been to London dozens of times, but believe it or not, I had never stopped and walked around Trafalgar Square before. We took some time and walked around the lion statues before stepping inside the National Gallery. Our art professor had recommended going into an art museum and staring at a piece of art for ten minutes, and then leave. The purpose is to try and find a piece of art that speaks to us, and see what we observe. We decided to try it, and only spent a few minutes in the National Gallery, looking for art that spoke to us. For me, any painting that has the ocean or water of some kind is something I gravitate to.

MI6

London from MI6

From Trafalgar Square, we walked down to Westminster Palace and Westminster Abbey. Then we walked along the river to see MI6. Brendan and I are both fans of James Bond, and seeing MI6 was pretty cool. Obviously, we couldn’t go in, because it’s so heavily guarded and has lots of barbed wire around it. We just enjoyed seeing the building.

Regent’s Park

We finished our day with a trip to see 221B Baker Street and a walk through Regent’s Park. 221B Baker street was just a door with a sign referencing Sherlock Holmes, but it was still cool to see where he was written to have lived. We walked through Regent’s Park near sunset, so it was glowing in the light, and it was so pretty.

There are still more things that I want to do in London, but this was a start at completing my list. I had a lot of fun walking around with Brendan, and I can’t wait to go back to London for one final time before I leave in May!

Another London Trip

April 27, 2015 / mstoughton / 0 Comments

As some of my friends were off on the continent of Europe, I decided to stay back and go to London. I just love the city so much. I saw my favorite places and I even swam in the London Olympic Pool!

London, England

St. James Park, London

Buckingham Palace, London

London Olympic Aquatic Centre – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Reunion in the Caribe: Manzanillo

April 25, 2015 / Navy Browning / 0 Comments

After being separated by our different internships, some of our Valpo group went on a very eventful camping trip on the Souther Caribbean Coast in Punta Uva and Manzanillo. It was amazing to be around such amazing people in such a beautiful and exotic place. Great memories!

A Walk to Grantchester

April 23, 2015 / mstoughton / 0 Comments

If you stroll along the river Cam towards the south for about two miles or so, you run into the lovely village of Grantchester. It is beautiful to walk along the fields and see the country side. We even had to make our way through several cows as they grazed along the path. It was lovely to see a village that is less commercial and truly more British.

On the way to Grantchester

Tea Garden in Grantchester

Grantchester, England

Mom and Me: My Mother’s Visit to England

April 23, 2015 / stephanieblack / 0 Comments

During the second part of second break, my mom flew overseas to stay with me for a week. I have currently been abroad for eight months, and have not seen any member of my family until she came, so it was nice to see someone after only using FaceTime for eight months. I got the chance to show her where I live and the things that I do for fun, which was really exciting.

St. Paul’s Cathedral over Millennium Bridge

On one day she was here, we travelled to London for the day. We lucked out and had absolutely beautiful weather when we were there. It was sunny, with just a few clouds in the sky, albeit a little windy. Our first stop of the day was to take the Tube to Black Friars, and walk over Millennium Bridge. The last time my mother was in London, Millennium Bridge didn’t even exist, so this was a first for her. I love it when you cross the bridge to the other side and see St. Paul’s Cathedral on the other side.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

We called it our day of theatre, because everything we did related to theatre in some way or another. We went and visited Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. I have never been there, and, again, the last time my mother was in London, the reconstruction of the Globe did not exist either, so this was a first for both of us. It was a lot smaller on the inside than I had expected, but I really liked how it looked very much like it belonged during the Tudor period, and how exact they were with those details. If I had more time (and money), I would love to go see a play performed there.

Our other theatre-related event of the day was to see Wicked. I have already seen it once, but I loved it so much that I knew that I had to take my mom to see it. She had wanted to see it a long time ago, and never got the chance, so this was the perfect opportunity. We enjoyed an afternoon matinee of witches and munchkins and the Land of Oz, which was even better than the first time that I saw it.

Burghley House

On the last full day of my mother’s time in England, we travelled up to Stamford and visited Burghley House. It is one of the largest Elizabethan houses in England, and it was used as the setting for Rosings Park in the 2005 version of “Pride and Prejudice.” It was a two mile walk from the train station, which, after not being used to walking everywhere, made my mother very tired, but it was totally worth it. The outside of the house is beautiful, and the inside holds a lot of really interesting art, and a room dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I.

I had a good time with my mom, but her visiting me reminded me that I’m going to be going home soon, which I am not quite ready for. I’ve been here a long time, so long that it’s my home now, and so going back to the US is going to be very strange. But before then, I’m going to make the most of my days here!

So what do you really think of Paris

April 22, 2015 / jzemke / 0 Comments

As I near the end of my semester, I hear more and more frequently this question: what do you think of Paris? At work, I feel obliged to say to all the tourists that I love it here, this perfect city of love. Now don’t get me wrong, Paris is a cool city with lots of things to do and see, like any other visitor here will tell you. Instead, here is an opinion from someone who lives and works, not just passing through.

Each morning when I get up for work, I feel a mixture of dread and excitement. I dread the idea of squeezing into a packed metro car and the seemingly constant delays which happen no matter how much time you leave yourself. Yet, once you’re off the metro and walking through the streets of old architecture, chic stores, and smell of fresh bread, you remember why you like the city.

There are some days at work which are great. Polite and funny clients, good food, and not too difficult of projects, but others where you leave work tired and frustrated with a pounding headache. These days you have to work hard to see the beauty. After those days, I pretend I’m just a tourist, going to the iconic places such as the Eiffel Tower and thrive in the greatness of speaking my own language without fear of judgement. It makes the entire day better.

And then there’s the weekends. I love weekend day trips. The Chantilly Castle, medieval villages, Versailles, museums, it’s great and makes it all worth it.

So truthfully, I enjoy Paris. It is not all the perfect city tourists see when they visit, my favorite places are the “real” Parisian spots like gardens or little cafes within the neighborhoods. It is easy to get caught up in the stress, rush through and not appreciate the beauty. Just step back for a moment and re-find the magic which drew you in.

Life Lessons in Paris

April 22, 2015 / jzemke / 0 Comments

As I near the end of my semester, I realized while writing myinternship report that I had not taken time to reflect on my experiences. Sure I had told the stories, but what have I actually learned through my experiences? So I compiled a list:

Be as curious as a child:

In my daily life, take those new pathways in the city, explore a new park, or try that French restaurant down the road. It seems small, but the little moments can add up quickly. Give into your curiosity and see what’s hiding all around us.

Take a solo trip:

I always thought trips were best in groups, but traveling alone through Europe was a wonderful eye-opening experience. You meet new people, blunder through other foreign languages, visit new places, and discover more about yourself. I noticed that my choice of locations truly showed my inner motivation: nature.

Take time to know yourself:

Don’t stress as much about life, and don’t feel bad about taking small time-outs for yourself. Know your stress levels, figure out what inspires you, and do the things that feel right in your gut. Feel like reading a book instead of going out for one evening? Do it. Buy some wine and macaroons and curl up with that book. If you don’t know or take care of yourself, no one will.

We are all humans:

Yes it is easy to point out differences or make generalizations, but underneath the cultural differences, we are all people. We all have friends, family, job stress, and come with unique life experiences to share. Be open with people, for you can learn a great deal more by acknowledging similarities and listening to their experiences.

Rathaus in Bremen

Top 3 Places to Visit While in Germany

April 21, 2015 / apittman / 0 Comments

Hello everyone. I hope everything is quite well back in Valpo or wherever you are reading this post. Sorry for the long gap between posts. I got a little lazy I admit it. However I did have a great spring break traveling to 6 different countries and 9 cities in our 2 week spring break. It was tough, but beyond worth it! The semester is coming to an end! Let the lack of motivation and cramming begin! For R-95 however, besides getting ready for finals, we have to start preparing to pack our things back up and head home. Our days are limited here in Germany and that got me reflecting on what some of my favorite places were in Germany. So without further adieu I’ll give a quick list of my top 3 places in Germany that I have visited:

3. Leipzig

My reasoning for choosing Leipzig can basically be summed up in one word: music. Anyone who has visited Europe knows that in the bigger cities there always seem to be street performers with accordions, violins, or any other instrument they can find. However in Leipzig it was not just the street performers who were excellent, but also because of the musical history that surrounds the city. Musical powerhouse names such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Gustav Mahler, Richard Wagner, and many others have made their way through this city. Any music lover would have a field day here with the amount of museums dedicated to various artists and churches where Bach or Wagner worked and composed. Two of the most famous, for example, are the St Thomas Kirche and St Nikolai Kirche where Bach performed his great works centeries ago.

St Thomas Kirche

However, Leipzig is not just for your classical music lover. Leipzig was also where the battle of nations took place in 1813. The combined forces of Austria, Germany, and Sweden helped push Napoleon out of Germany after his retreat from Russia. Today you can visit the monument and museum. This would be a great thing to do for half a day in my opinion. The monument itself lies about an hour and a half walk from the city center and is near some other museums.

Battle of Nations Monument

More recently, Leipzig is also a location of many protests within East Germany during communist control. Leipzig is a place where people with all different interests can come together and find something interesting to do. Overall, Leipzig was very interesting to experience. The city was safe and fairly nice to English speakers if you are not fluent in German. I highly recomend giving Leipzig a visit.

2. Bremen/Munich

I should just be honest with you, Bremen, Munich, and the number 1 are all really tied for number 1, but I thought that would be nasty to have a three way tie. After much thought, sweating, and blood letting, Bremen and Munich rank number 2 on my list!

Bremen is a place that I would love to visit again. At first glance, Bremen is not a megga city with a population over 1 million, but let me tell you, with the amount of things to do there, it sure does seem like it. From visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Rathaus in the old town center, climbing up the spires in the St Peter’s Cathedral that originaly dates back 500 plus years, visiting the old windmill, walking along the River Weser, eating at Rathskeller restaurant which houses the largest selection of wine in Germany, or just walking down the shopping district and finding a nice cafe to sip some great coffee. Along with the numerous things to do, Bremen was also home to the friendliest people I have ever met in Germany.

Rathaus in Bremen

Whether you are lost in the middle of the night with 100 dollar bills tapped to you while handcuffed, someone will make sure to point you in the direction of a bank, place to stay, and a mental institution because you are crazy if you tape 100 dollar bills to yourself while handcuffed. In all seriousness though, Bremen has some of the most down to earth and overall general nice people. They will go out of their way to say hello to you, ask to offer help if you look lost, give you suggestions on places to see, eat, or visit. People from Bremen are proud of their city and they rightly should be. Bremen comes in 2nd place because of the ability to see most everything in the city in about 2 days visit, but is tremendously increased because of the people. They really made the experience special there for us.

Munich on the other hand, is just a wee bit bigger than Bremen. By a wee bit I mean its more than double the size of Bremen. With a population of over 1 million and during Oktoberfest up to 3 million, you can always find something to do in Munich. Munich is truly the city where it is totaly normal to see a man in lederhosen eating a pretzel and drinking a mass of beer (1 liter mug). Home to some great sites, cool museums, and great food! When you imagine Germany, you are most likely thinking of Munich. From the famous glockenspiel to Oktoberfest to the original Hofbrauhaus, Munich is home to many Bavarian traditions that are cool to take in.

Marienplatz in Munich

Now, the time you have all been waiting for. THE number one place (in my opinion) to visit in Germany. Well you are about to find out. After this long article post, you will walk away knowing a great place to visit. Knowing what to see and just a couple of things to do. The time is now, the city you have all been waiting for. The place is……………….Going to be given to you in the next blog post because this one is pretty long already.

Thank you all for reading! Let me just say though, every place I have been to in Germany has been fabulous and I highly recomend traveling outside of my recomendations. Anywhere you go you will find some sort of history to discover. I challenge everyone to come visit Germany and make your own top 3 list! Find out my number 1 city and possibly a list of my favorite cities outside of Germany to visit next week. Thanks again for reading and I will see you all sooner than we both know!

Sweden Part 2

April 21, 2015 / mstoughton / 0 Comments

I felt like a mariner on the second have of my Swedish adventure. I spent a couple days out sailing in the Stockholm Archipelago, visiting beautiful islands. This is a top vacation destination in the summertime. Stockholm is also lovely while covered in fresh snow!