Cambridge – Page 21 – Valpo Voyager

Category: Cambridge (page 21 of 26)

All posts from students studying abroad in Cambridge, England

Sushi Similies – How Japanese food taught me about Cambridge, England

February 1, 2012 / davidcyze / 0 Comments

I’m currently sitting in the Anglia Ruskin library. The library personnel, unfortunately, don’t allow eating here. If the brown paper bag beside me contained chips*, I would be secretly snacking away instead of informing the world about the mind-bendingly draconian food policies at this university**. If that sounds harsh, please believe that if you had a brown paper bag containing some of the finest scrumptious slabs of seafood which sail on sticky simple sugars you too would complain.

Click this picture to check out the restaurant responsible for the “Jo Platter.” Delicious.

Eating with chopsticks is loads of fun. I have yet to find a culinary experience that satisfies like delicately placing ginger on bite-size, sea-derived delicacies and topping it off with a bit of wasabi. The process requires an attention to detail that transforms satisfying a basic human need into an act of meditation. Preparing sushi works in the same way. I’m almost certain the chef who prepared my sushi ascended to nirvana shortly after serving my food. After putting such massive attention into pieces of food that take only a matter of seconds to eat, I don’t see how this could not be the case. I only hope that his experience of bliss is not reliant on my finishing the food in a short period of time. Because when I leave this library and eat his sushi, I’m going to take my time and savour every bite.

My experience with sushi is very similar to my experience abroad. While I wish I were able to live in a constant state of enjoying the delicacies in the city around me***, there are times when I would be better off just staying at the centre. Watching a movie, playing a game or just fast-forwarding through those two and getting straight to talking is the wasabi that completes the Cambridge cultural sushi.

This is a ping pong ball run, and also wasabi.

Here’s a video.

*To all my British readers, I mean potato chips, which you call crisps. I don’t mean French fries, which you call chips.

**Anglia Ruskin is great. I’ve been here one week, had only one class and I’ve already been invited to a house party. I just hope I can finish my food before Becca, one of my British friends, comes to get me. Who brings food to a party?

*** Delicacies here refers to the million different ways the British can tie their scarves. I have no idea how some of these multi-layered, face-cradling, wool knots are even possible. The only conclusion is that, upon birth, in addition to a birth certificate, each British person receives a custom made scarf complete with its own certificate of authenticity.

View my photos on Google+!

Settling Into Cambridge

Welcome back! Now that I’ve been in Cambridge for nearly a week I thought I’d check back and update you with what has been going on. Much of the week has been spent exploring the city and getting acquainted with living in it. Luckily, the weather has been very abnormal so far. Instead of the quintessential English wet, there have only been two or three days of rain so far. Another thing to keep in mind when walking around the city: daylight is limited in Cambridge. The sun comes up around 8:00 and sets around 16:30. While Cambridge is a very safe and nice place at night, the lack of sunlight was really a surprise for me.

The Student Centre: Our home in Cambridge

The city of Cambridge has an extremely rich history surrounding it. Central to this history are the colleges, 34 in total. Personally, my study abroad program is affiliated with Anglia Ruskin University. Anglia is one of the newer colleges situated on the eastern side of Cambridge and away from the River Cam like many of the older establishments are. The older and larger colleges have beautiful grounds adjacent to the river and are tourist attractions in themselves. The history of Cambridge goes further back than the famous colleges though. One of the few high points in town, Castle Hill, has history from long before America had even been discovered. As the namesake castle is now long gone, today the hill is a popular spot for taking pictures of the town.

St. John's College

Getting to know the local stores and brands is a large part of moving into another location. Some US things, like Zip-lock bags, are nonexistent in the UK. On the other hand, some things are very comparable. For example, Boots is a chain of stores very similar to Walgreens. One of the more noticeable differences is the lack of a completely consumer-driven attitude. Store employees here are happy to help you, but you have to approach them first. No one will ask if you need assistance finding what you are looking for. Generally I prefer this. However, when you’re looking for something not common in Britain (like most things related to baking) it can be a pain (although there are entire isles of mushy peas). Also, stores close very early. The largest mall in the area completely shuts down at 17:30 – weekends included. These differences can be difficult to straighten out occasionally: it took 5 of us over an hour to choose a phone service for our time here.

Some of the most noticeable changes in culture are related to technology. In an afternoon of walking around Cambridge you will only see 1 or 2 people at the most on their cell phones. Internet service is generally slower than in the US (at the time of writing this the Student Centre has had no Internet for a day and a half). However, this lack of persistent technology really adds to the relaxed atmosphere. There are no people continually checking their phones for a text, no cacophony of yelling into phones, and a lot of simply hanging out and having a good time with friends.

The River Cam near Jesus Green

Take a look at more photos on Picasa at: https://picasaweb.google.com/112463823006344854498/London?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Follow what’s happening on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/#!/CambridgeUKJohn

Told you so.

January 19, 2012 / davidcyze / 0 Comments

Everything they said was right. This is going to be the best experience of my life, I’m going to get extremely close with everyone here and I won’t ever want to leave. If someone told me that after seven days I would have already gotten lost in London after meeting and exchanging numbers with three Germans and a Spaniard, planned a trip to upper Scotland to see the Loch Ness monster, won £10,000 from the Cambridge lottery and gone to a club for the first time, I would have laughed politely and subtly expressed my disbelief. And, this sly behaviour would have been canon fodder for one of the most gratifying, memorable “I told you so” moments ever experienced. All of these things happened.*

Come to Cambridge! I’ll be leaving my copious amounts of lottery winnings at the centre.**

Two weeks prior to coming to Cambridge I began to slowly modify my sleeping schedule each night so as to avoid jet lag. By the time I took off for Cambridge, I was waking up at 4:30am each day, 10:30am Cambridge time. This did really help avoid jet lag and I’m glad I did it. But, it certainly wasn’t necessary. No one else did this***, and after a few days they seemed fine.

You have these huge engines to look forward to. Cool.

The town of Cambridge is beautiful, and yes, British accents are even cooler in person. Surprisingly though, the first few days I had a bit of difficulty understanding people here. When you’re in the states, hearing a British accent is usually only happens when your friends try to imitate the British, or maybe you’ve heard the accent on TV from time to time. What you don’t realize is that when a British accent gets combined with a vernacular style of speaking, the words seem to come out so fast that you lose track of what is being said. Ordering food from a pub can be a bit confusing when you have to translate “chips” into “french-fries,” “mate” into “friend,” “wuht” into “what,” and “cheers” into “thank you.” The slang words really add up, and if you fall behind it can be tough to catch up. But, have no fears, after only a few days you’ll fit right in.****

* Okay, so I didn’t win the lottery. But I swear the rest actually happened.

**Note: I won’t be playing the lottery.

*** No one ever has. It’s really not necessary. But, if you enjoy being super prepared, give yourself three weeks to adjust and make sure you get used to waking up around 7am Cambridge time. That’s what time you’ll be getting up at the first few days.

**** That’s a lie. You’re still American, but unless you’re too obnoxiously loud, the English won’t have a problem with you. Having English professors really helps, because they come to you in a non-threatening environment, and one of them spends the first 15 minutes of class discussing English culture and answering any questions you have about it.

Follow me on twitter: @CambridgeDavid

View my photos on Google+!

Arriving and London

January 17, 2012 / John McCutchan / 1 Comment

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

All 17 of us in front of Big Ben

My adventure started last year when I switched majors from engineering to nursing. With the change came the opportunity to study abroad. I’ve always loved English culture, and because a nursing professor had recently filled the position of director, I selected the Cambridge program.

So, I am officially in Cambridge, England! Technically, I’m on my 5th day here, but at this point I’ve spent nearly as long in London as in Cambridge, so I have a little catching up to do. Packing was an adventure in itself. However, I was able to stuff everything in my suitcase and not only stay under the weight limit, but also leave myself a little room for souvenirs on the return trip. All 17 Valpo students studying at Cambridge this semester flew out on the same flight. The flight itself was very smooth with no major turbulence or delays, and we weren’t even out of the London airport before being bombarded by the change of culture: the crosswalks are painted with “LOOK RIGHT →”!

After somehow fitting 17 students (each packed for 4 months!) into an extremely small coach, we arrived at the Valparaiso University Student Centre in Cambridge. One of our first meals on English soil was at The Eagle – the famous pub where Watson & Crick discussed the structure of DNA. We were barely unpacked and acquainted with our new home before all 17 of us left to spend the weekend in London!

Buckingham Palace

After catching an early train through the fog into the city, we checked into our hostel and set out. During the following two days we attempted to hit as many major landmarks as we could. We started out at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Although the sun was in my eyes making it difficult to see the actual ceremony, I was able to get some good pictures of the palace itself. Afterwards, we continued towards the Horse Guards Parade, which will soon host volleyball during the upcoming Olympics. We stopped for photos at the ever-popular Big Ben, saw the beautiful Westminster Abbey, and had lunch in Trafalgar Square.

Going to Hogwarts from Kings Cross

That afternoon we took a bus tour around the city and saw The Mousetrap in London’s theatre district. We soon discovered getting restaurant or pub seats for all of us on a busy night in London would be impossible, so we split into smaller groups to eat and wander around the city. The next day we started with a cruise down the Thames River. The cruise stopped at the Tower of London, where the rest of the day was spent. Then, we were on our own to find our way back through the Underground to Kings Cross and catch a train back to Cambridge.

The journey back was really one of the most memorable sections of my London trip. Instead of being told what to do, or at least given step-by-step directions, it was up to me to take responsibility for finding routes back through London and to Cambridge in time for a speaker at 19:00 that night. It was kind of intimidating having not even been in the country long enough to get over my jet lag. However, it was more than a little exhilarating too! I am really excited to continue this feeling during the next 4 months. I hope you’ll continue to follow me for more of my upcoming adventures!

Follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/#!/CambridgeUKJohn

See more photos on Picasa at: https://picasaweb.google.com/112463823006344854498/London?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Luckiest Girl in the World

April 25, 2011 / hannahbauer / 0 Comments

One Example of Breathtaking Scenery: Wicklow

According to ABC News, “More than 85% of the American public flies infrequently if at all. More than seven in 10 can be described as infrequent fliers, flying once or twice a year or less; and 14 percent have never flown.” I, however, have boarded 9 flights in 2011 alone and will board one more to return to the US in less than 3 weeks. Also in 2011, thus far, I have been in 12 different countries or territories and have been in 14 my whole life. I know that I am lucky. Throughout my travels I have had amazing times and more difficult times; but throughout it all, traveling around the UK and Europe has challenged me to see life through a different lens. I have loved learning the different ways people have lived life throughout the past and how they continue to differ today. In addition to the people, I have also really enjoyed seeing so many breathtaking buildings and landscapes. A lot of people will never get the opportunity to say they’ve seen as much of the world as I have and I’m only 20. I’m so blessed.

Is this a trick?

My most recent expedition has been to Ireland! Thursday after class we took a taxi to London Stansted and got on the shortest flight ever (ding, you can turn on your electronics… two minutes later… ding, please prepare for landing). When we got there we had no trouble finding our hostel and getting settled in. Then we ventured over to the Temple Bar area which was just bubbling with music and excitement. After wondering the streets for a short amount of time we noticed signs pointing to the Leprechaun museum! Hanna insisted we find it, but sadly all the signs pointed directly into buildings! I started to wonder if perhaps this was a joke being played on us innocent tourists; but alas, after some Googling later on we found out that it was real.

Eating at "Hannah's" Yay!

The next day while Hanna and Chelsea enjoyed the giant furniture at the Leprechaun museum, Lauren, Mike, and I did some shopping because Dublin had a Forever 21! Now this is a HUGE difference from England, Forever 21!! I was ecstatic. I ended up only buying some t-shirts to accommodate England’s surprisingly warm weather of late, but the shopping was just amazing. The rest of the day we wondered around Dublin, hitting the spots Murphy recommended to us. We did have some troubles because a lot of things were closed because it was Good Friday. We couldn’t go in most places, but we scoped out the sights from the outside and made plans for the rest of our time there. How the Irish celebrated Good Friday and then Easter two days later, is a good example of the different importance of religion to the Irish as opposed to the English. Religion was much more prominent in Ireland than England.

Our "Easter Egg Hunt" Beach

The next day was my favorite day in Ireland by far. We took the train from Dublin to the small coastal town of Wicklow. The town was perfect and quaint with the main road leading you directly to the old castle ruins which stood on high cliffs plunging into the ocean below. Unlike the cool overcast weather in Dublin, the sun was bright and shining in Wicklow and it was just lovely. After lunch at “Hannah’s”, we spent our afternoon climbing cliffs, castles, and canons. In honor of Easter we did an “Easter Egg Hunt” on the beach where we all looked for sea glass and cool rocks. On that same beach we got attacked while we were lying out by a very friendly puppy that happily covered us with his muddy paw prints. Then we found the perfect spot of land overlooking the ocean and it was covered in plush grass, so we laid down and took almost an hour long nap. It was just spectacular. We grabbed a pub meal before heading back into Dublin and hitting the hay.

The Most Perfect Napping Place in All the World

Easter Sunday

The next morning we got dressed up as nicely as we could in our traveling state and went to Easter service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The service was really nice, opening up with one of my favorite Easter hymns ever (“Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia. Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia.”) It was nice to hear something so triumphant and familiar, it was an amazing reminder that across the world people can be joyful and grateful for the love of Christ that surpasses all distances.

After church we got some food and then went and visited the castle. It was interesting that it was closed on Good Friday but open on Easter, but we took advantage of the situation and got a good tour of the Dublin Castle. After that, we went back to the hostel to get our stuff and change into more comfortable clothes for the flight home. After experiencing the one and two week trips, this weekend did seem to go by pretty fast. However, I was so grateful to get to spend one more weekend abroad seeing something completely new. It was especially nice to spend Easter in such a glorified place, it truly is a blessing to see a huge cathedral filled with people to come hear the same glorious news that I came there to hear. We even got to hear the choir boys do a short rendition of The Alleluia Chorus.

Alleluia!

Our trip home was late, but we got back. I’m tired but again, can’t help but believe I am the luckiest girl in the world. I didn’t have to go to Ireland to get the luck I have! I have a God who rose for me, a family at home who loves me, friends here that have come to be like a family, and I’ve had the ability to see so much of God’s creation and the people inhabiting it. I hope that travel is always a major part of my life, because even though having a home isn’t something I would give up for anything, there is so much of the world to see! This semester has given me the chance, the unique opportunity, to see so much and know that I am not wasting a second of this precious life that I have been given. Alleluia!

Enjoy the rest of my pictures and keep checking back for my last couple blogs before this world traveler goes home!

Life of a Blogger

April 19, 2011 / hannahbauer / 0 Comments

So here is the most interesting thing about being a blogger: the more you have to blog about, the less time you have to blog! Thus is my life lately, but since I have loved every minute of it, I am not complaining. Since I have last reported, I have been to 7 castles, 3 countries, and countless new cities. I have also taken on the task of cooking another common meal (5th as a cooker and 3rd as an organizer, not that anyone’s counting), this one being an Easter feast for 17 people! And with finals right around the corner, I’ve been fairly busy. However, I’m going to try to give you the highlights of everything I’ve seen and most likely the majority of that will be through pictures because I have seen and done so much! But hopefully, through a little explanation of each one you can see about some of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. If you have any more questions about any place or anything about studying abroad while at Valparaiso or in general, feel free to email me at Hannah.Bauer@valpo.edu.

Castle Numero Uno!

Kenilworth Castle in England was the very first castle we visited on our group trip. The castle fit the stereotype of an old castle because it was mostly in ruins. By far, the most interesting part of the castle’s history is that the majority of it was built for Queen Elizabeth I by Robert Dudley for the Queen’s visit where she planned to stay for less than one month!

Second Castle: Warwick

Next we visited the Renaissance-festival-esque castle of Warwick. With (sometimes very attractive) people in costumes and various shows running throughout the day, it’s hard to beat Warwick. I got to see four HUGE birds up very closely and I saw a flaming trebuchet get fired. Now that’s what I call a day at the castle.

The Roman Baths of Bath

The city of Bath is famous for, wouldn’t ya have guessed, the old Roman Baths! What makes these baths different from the public baths located in many old cities is that this water came from a mineral hot springs. The water was such a gift to the city, that the Romans believed the spring to be a gift from Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. There was a temple erected and a huge bath facility set up, all with huge religious significance. It gave me a very interesting view into daily and religious life of the time period. Also, for Jane Austen fans, the Bath house is connected to the famous pump room where her characters came to drink the famous water!

Valpo Students at Stonehenge

Although mysterious and interesting, Stonehenge is mainly a glorified photo-op. But as you can see here, we took advantage of the situation to pose for Valpo!

Windsor: the Queen's OTHER Castle

Windsor Castle, the part time residence of the Royal Family, was lovely to see. It is large, lavish, and lively yet also retains its iconic castle-ness. Although we were pretty wiped out by this part of our trip, it was still pretty cool to see a place where the Queen may have been just down the hall… probably not, but you never know.

The Beach in Keri

Overlook from Keri Lighthouse

The Greek Ionian island of Zakynthos was Hanna and my little slice of heaven for three lovely days! We were literally the only tourists on the island and stayed in the only open hotel and were the only guests there. The owners were AMAZING and acted like our foster parents. It was fantastic. I got a tan. Go me.

Athens: I Spy the Parthenon!

Beachin' It!

Temple of Poseidon

Athens. What to say about Athens. The Acropolis/Parthenon is cool. The Temple of Poseidon is REALLY cool. Plus, it had the advantage of having a beach (pictured right above it) right next to it! I continued to tan and it was lovely. Really, if you go to Athens, it is worth the hour bus ride out of the city.

My Family in Cambridge!

The final week of my two week break, I had the wonderful honor of spending with my mom, dad, and younger siblings touring the United Kingdom country side. We covered London, Hampton Court Palace, Cambridge, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Raglan, Lacock…. I know, I’m just listing now. But every new place was a new discovery. I finally got to see Wales, which I’m glad I didn’t leave the UK without seeing. Their castles were fierce (they had moats, what else could you need!), their culture was unique (who knew that Welsh was still a spoken language? Not me!), and the land was just lovely. It was hard to see my family leave, but I know that I will be home and missing Europe far too soon. But for now, just wish me luck on cooking Easter dinner for 17 people!

I've already finished the adorable Nest Cookies!

Look at the rest of my pictures and I look forward to telling you about Ireland when I return to prepare for a Royal Wedding!

Non et Oui a Paris!

March 21, 2011 / hannahbauer / 0 Comments

Translation: (more or less…) What to Do and What Not to Do in Paris!

The Eiffel Tower!

DO
Definitely see all the big Paris sites! The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Moulin Rouge are easy to see in one day as none of them take a very long time to see the majority of and take lots of lovely pictures! You can walk between most of them or, if you are not much of a walker, the underground is pretty cheap and easy to use.

The Palace of Versailles

DON’T
Don’t pay entrance fees! Seriously. If you are a student or under 26 you can almost always get in to places for free or reduced rates. We got into the Musee d’Orsay for a reduced price and into the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles for free. Plus, there are so many things that are free to everyone including Notre Dame, Sacre Coer, and the Montmatre overlook.

Cutest Village Ever

DO
Take advantage of Paris’ awesome sandwiches and crepes! A sit down meal can easily cost you anywhere from 15 to 100 Euros in Paris if you are not careful. But all through the city are stands and patisseries selling many yummy meals for relatively cheap. Save your money for all of the really cute Paris souvenirs!

The Eiffel Tower sparkling!

DON’T
Don’t waste your money drinking. Well, not at pubs or restaurants. A pint on St. Patrick’s day ran me 7 Euro 50, that’s like 10 US dollars to have a pint of cider. If you still have a hankering, it’s much easier on your budget if you buy from the grocery store. An entire bottle of wine runs for half of what my one pint cost me.

DO
Do take the time to go see Versailles. The Palace is stunning and the Hall of Mirrors is famous! Plus the estate is huge and beautiful. There are lots of buildings to look at, including the cutest village I’ve ever seen. We ended up spending almost an entire day there wondering around the estate. And I bet it is even prettier in spring or summer when they have the fountains running.

DON’T
Don’t miss seeing everything at night! Paris really lights up and looks gorgeous at night. All of the beautiful sights that you go to during the day are worth a see at night. Some of my favorite pictures from the whole trip I took after the sun set.

View from Montmatre at night

DON’T
Don’t overpay. I have one word for you: barter. The souvenirs are much more expensive at stores than they are from the vendors. Although those people selling mini Eiffel Towers are super annoying, something that you may find for 15 Euros in the store they are selling for 7. And it’s not difficult to make them cut that in half. Just say no thank you when they ask for 7 and then they will ask you how much you will pay for it and you can say something ridiculously low like 2 or 3. When they say no, just walk away. They will come after you and sell it to you for what you ask, go you!

Moulin Rouge lit up

DO
Take the chunnel! It is so easy! Plus, if you buy your tickets early you can get them for cheaper than even the cheapest flights to Paris.
Needless to say, I learned all of this on my most recent excursion to the continent. I had a blast and I hope that all of you get the time in your life to say the same! Check out all my pictures here!

Ich Liebe Dich!

March 16, 2011 / hannahbauer / 0 Comments

The Old Bridge in Lucerne, Switzerland

I can’t say a lot in German, but I did know how to say “Hello,” “Goodbye,” “Please,” “Thank You,” and “I love you.” I tried to throw these out as much as possible and “Ich liebe dich” or “I love you” kept coming up. Mostly in reference to the places we were visiting! When we got to Lucerne I immediately noticed the largest difference from England from the entire trip. And that was that Swiss people are so nice, like so, so nice. On the train, a couple overheard us talking about our hostel and they offered directions and helpful bits of advice for our trip without us even asking. Then on the walk to our hostel we stopped to check a map and within the minute a man—dressed as a revolutionary as it was still Mardi Gras—offered us directions yet again! The entire time we had spent in England, I’ve never met such outwardly friendly people.

Gorgeous Lucerne!

Thanks to all the help, we had no trouble finding our hostel where we crashed for the night. The next morning when we emerged from our hostel we were all dumbfounded by the amazing surroundings we hadn’t noticed because of how dark it was when we got in the night before. Lucerne’s quaint buildings and houses were nestled around a cool alpine lake surrounded by the Alps. The water was full of elegant swans and friendly ducks. The mountains rose suddenly, taking bits of the town up with them, into stunning snow covered peaks. We spent the day wondering the streets then sitting, then wandering around the lake then sitting, then hiking in the mountains then sitting. It was a pretty fantastic way to see Lucerne actually.

The Gutsch!!

The highlight of the day by far was when we saw “The Gutsch” (a huge palace like hotel perched high on a mountain side) and decided to walk to it. The walk wasn’t near as bad as expected and the path gave way to a beautiful forest whose trail was marked with a fresh water spring which we all used to quench our thirst. Side note—you can drink all the water from the springs in Switzerland unless specifically noted. The Gutsch offered a stunning panorama of the city, the lake, and the Alps; it really was breathtaking. The biggest drawback to Switzerland was by far the price of food. If I thought food in England was expensive, a quick trip to Switzerland would clear that matter right up.

Pretty Flowers at our picnic spot in Zurich

The next day as we sat on the lake-side stoop we had claimed as our own and ate breakfast, I knew it would be so hard to leave Lucerne. However, I reassured myself that I would be back one day and that I would treat myself to a night at The Gutsch. We got on our train to Zurich and spent the majority of the day there. Zurich was not nearly as pretty or interesting as Lucerne, but it reminded me a lot of Denver and nothing of England. The cars were big like America, not small and “smart” like England and Italy. We ended up eating dinner in a park with food we bought from a grocery store because Swiss food turned out to be too expensive, yet again.

After our make-shift picnic, we got on a train to Munich where we arrived somewhat disheveled but still managed to find our way to the hostel because it was really close to the train station. The next morning, we were dumbfounded by the bus system but eventually figured out how to take the metro/bus to get to Duchau concentration camp. Public transportation in Germany is so much cheaper than England! We got unlimited day transportation for 3.80 Euros a piece, whereas one ride on the London Tube is around 1.80 pounds! So that was awesome. Duchau was sad and humbling. It is hard to believe that human kind could ever have been that heartless and it made me pray that nothing like that will ever happen again.

After returning from Duchau we stopped into a very cute and very authentic German restaurant and had a (relatively inexpensive!) Bavarian style meal! There were men in lederhosen and children drinking beer (ok, apple juice from a beer stein… we think…) and everyone just seemed really happy. It made me very proud of my hair-itage (as I say this as I touch my hair, in honor of the band Lost & Found).

Haufbrauhaus, see my initials!?

We spent the rest of the day exploring Munich until we had all you can eat fajitas (because Europe has Mexican restaurants and England doesn’t!) for dinner and then we went to the Haufbrauhaus. Now, before I go into this, I need to explain to you two things: 1) I hate beer. 2) I love the Haufbrauhaus because it makes me proud to be German and my initials (HB) are one everything. These conflicting feelings made me anxious to go because I wanted to drink beer out of one of their huge awesome steins! But I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand it. What we ended up doing was my friend Lauren and I split one and actually managed— small sips at a time—to finish the whole thing. Go us.

View from the castle!

Neuschwanstein!!

The next day may have been my favorite day of the whole trip, jury is still out. We woke up relatively early and got on a train that took us into the Alps (yay!) to the town of Fussen to see the famous Neuschwanstein castle that inspired Disney’s Cinderella castle. I expected to love the castle, but a couple things caught me off guard. First of all, this place looked so much like my home! The greenery was similar, the mountains were similar, it was just amazing. The second thing was that usually the insides of castles are disappointing. I always expect them to feel grand and lavish, but usually they are cold and stony. Neuschwanstein, however, was absolutely no disappointment. Everything was ornate and decorated and everything there was still originals.

After hiking around the castle, we returned to Munich and met up with Sabrina, a friend of Lauren’s who had studied abroad and stayed at their house some years earlier. Sabrina and her fiancé treated us to my favorite meal of the whole trip. I had an amazing Bavarian meal smothered in mushroom sauce and seemingly endless rounds of drinks (turns out beer is pretty good mixed with lemonade). But the best part by far was the camaraderie, they taught us how to toast like a German (“Prost!”) and told many highly entertaining stories. The brewery was nothing like pubs in England where people tend to keep to themselves and things never seem to be too crowded or too out of hand. This brewery had long tables and you sat and ate and toasted with people you didn’t know. It was so much fun and I really never have been prouder to be a Bauer (which is on many-a signs in Germany) and German. Check out the rest of my pictures here and I look forward to reporting back again soon after Paris this weekend!

When In Rome!

March 15, 2011 / hannahbauer / 0 Comments

Leaving England for Ten Days!

From the ground it already appeared to be night time, but as our plane rose steadily above the clouds the sun was just dipping below the curve of the earth and out of our view. The city lights below sparkled amidst the land below, black like spilled ink, and above us the deep blue of twilight was lit by one single star. In between the two, the sun gave its last appeal for daytime and bathed the horizon line in light the color of nectarines still dangling from their branches. And there, on our cheap RyanAir flight, began ten of some of the most beautiful days I have ever experienced.

The Spanish Steps

Our flight got in pretty late so we went straight to our hostel. We had some trouble with the workers not having correct change, but after getting that straightened out and a free drink at the hostel bar we crashed. The next five days were a whirl-wind of Italian craziness! Both days in Rome we walked at least twenty miles to try to get in as many of the sights as we could. Rome is much more spread out than a lot of the towns I’ve visited in the UK and, unlike the London Tube, Rome’s Metro was very limited. We started by seeing the ruins at Palatine Hill which got us a ticket into the Coliseum as well. After that, just as night was falling we visited the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain. It was so pretty because the rain finally let up but the wet streets were reflecting back all of the cities colorful lights. The next day we did the Vatican and walked through a park to an overlook of Rome. What struck me about Rome, and Pompeii the next day, was how old it was. England feels significantly older than America, but Rome is just so much older.

The Ruins at Palatine Hill

The Coliseum

Trevi Fountain

Rome at Night! That lit up building is the Vatican!

Some of the MANY ruins at Pompeii

The Leaning Tower of Pisa!

After Pompeii the next day, we took a train to Florence where we stayed in the most adorable hostel ever. If you could even call it a hostel, it reminded me much more of staying the night at my grandparents’ house. And Marta, the owner, reminded me of someone’s adorable and eccentric grandmother. After sweet dreams of my own grandparents, I woke up and went along with my traveling group to Pisa mostly just to take the cliché, but oh-so iconic, leaning tower pictures. Pisa turned out to be an adorable and picturesque Italian town and I loved it! After returning from Pisa, we walked around Florence and saw many churches and even hiked to a stunning scenic overlook. The hills and overlooks of Europe were a wonderful change from the basic flatness of England.

A Canal of Venice!

Our last day in Italy was quite the experience! After a two hour train from Florence to Venice we realized instantly the sheer number of people there and most of them in costume! Ashamedly, it took us a walk all the way across the city and through the famous square before we started to realize there was no way this was a normal day in Venice during off-season. After a while of contemplating it occurred to me that we were traveling on Ash Wednesday, making that day Mardi Gras! And we were in Venice! I don’t think we could have planned it that well if we had tried! We quickly bought some masks and walked around the city fitting right in. Venice is like a whole different world from England, with no motor cars, only tiny winding streets for walking and grand canals with stately gondolas. After our lovely day enjoying the sun and gelato in Venice we got on a very nice train which took us all the way to Lucerne, Switzerland, kicking off a whole new chapter of our travels with an entirely different kind of beauty. Check back and I will be posting blogs about Switzerland and Germany! And check out all of my pictures here!

Overlook of Florence

Before I Leave the Country…

March 2, 2011 / hannahbauer / 0 Comments

A lot has happened since my last post, I have slowly but surely been trying to put my life together. Living off of borrowed money has been hard, but now that I once again have access to my bank account things are starting to look up. WAY up actually. Tomorrow I leave for my longest trip of the semester. Over the span of ten days I will be visiting Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, hitting cities like Rome, Florence, Venice, Lucerne, Zurich, and Munich. Needless to say, I’m pretty pumped. But before I leave I decided that my blogs are not accurately showing you how much fun we have just hanging around Cambridge! So I decided to post some pictures so that you have a better idea of my life here: