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Sick…Not fun!!

April 2, 2011 / Lydia Mertz / 0 Comments

Hello dear readers,

I knew it was going to happen. It was going to happen SOMETIME!

And “that” is being sick. Somebody once told me last semester that it is not possible to travel and live abroad without getting sick at least once. I tried to fight it but shoot, I am battling an inflammed colon and intestines right now. I won’t go into details but yeah being sick abroad is part of the experience.

What to do? Go to the doctor, drink tea, do NOT eat spicy tacos and just relax…..besides it’ll pass and remember to be grateful for all your blessings…in the good and bad times!

Saludos!

Always an Adventure Part III: Spring Break!

April 1, 2011 / Molly Kestner / 0 Comments

The final installment of my adventure blog is about my rafting trip on the Orange River! Sorry this took so long!

CGE allows us just over a week to do our own traveling wherever we may want to go. Most people in our group headed to Zimbabwe and Botswana to see Victoria Falls. That was the trip I had originally planned on taking, but when we discussed our Spring Break options, a few relaxing days on a river just seemed to call to me. Truthfully, I really want to go to Vic Falls when I can sit in the pool on the edge, but that’s not an option in this extra-rainy season!

Myself and two Clark University students, Amanda Major and Katie McGonagle, drove all the way to the South to reach the Orange which forms the border between South Africa and Namibia. As usual, the landscape continually amazes me and this trip was no exception. While we were in the North, we saw flat, flooded, grassy lands. Now we were seeing the exact opposite. The lands became desert, like on our trip to Swakopmund, but this time the land seemed more orange than brown. Eventually we hit a long series of plateaus that seemed so out of place. After 9 or so hours, we reached the border in over 90 degree heat!

We thought there would be other students on our trip because it was a special student price, but it ended up just being the three of us and our rafting guides! Pine was a 40 something stereotypical adventure guide and Frans was 24 and new to being a rafting guide. Pine also brought his crazy girlfriend Kelly. The three of them made for a great time! We woke up the next day and had to go back to the border post and stamp back into Namibia since our trip would be ending on the opposite side of the river. We finally set out on our trip and I knew it was going to be great – the water was warm and calm and the scenery was beautiful. We spent the next 3 days navigating the Orange while swimming or drinking whenever we pleased and sleeping under the stars and the full moon. Talking to our guides about their lives in South Africa was also a highlight of the trip. Pine had been in the forces fighting against the Namibian freedom fighters in the 80s, so it was definitely interesting to get his perspective since we’ve been studying so much Namibia history.

When it comes to deciding on your own travel, I say go wherever your heart desires! I still would love to go to Victoria Falls someday, but rafting called to me as soon as I heard about it. And I don’t regret it one bit! It was nice to get away from the big group for a while and I had an amazing time!

OH! I forgot to mention before that my friends and I got our picture in the Namibian, the newspaper here! We were at an Elemotho concert at a local restaurant (he’s pretty good, by the way!) when they took our picture, and sure enough it turned up in the “Faces and Places” section the next week! We all thought it was pretty exciting.

Our free weekends are dwindling in numbers, so I’m off to find something new to do in this place before I run out of time!

My Mexican Playlist Part 1

Me at the infamous Unit with some of my Mexican friends. Yes, Johnny, la gente está muy loca.

Most of the Mexican students at UDLAP keep a constantly running playlist of the same music. Club music rules here. If you’re not listening to the latest David Guetta track or Katy Perry’s new hit single, then you’re nothing more than a poser. Although I’ve grown tired of listening to these I-can’t-get-these-out-of-my-head-tracks-no-matter-how-hard-I-try, I thought I would share some with you all. So here’s my top 5 Mexico Playlist of Spring Semester 2011:

5. She’s a neo-liberal’s dream with her catchy tune that praises the underdog in all of us. It’s Katy Perry’s “Firework.” Don’t be surprised if you see actual fireworks going off in Kurandera when this song comes on.

4. Are you feeling sentimental? Want to tell that special someone how you really feel about them? Check out Reik’s “Inolvidable.” It comes on in the clubs at about 2am when it’s time to take a breather from all that hard-core rocking out. So grab a partner and dance the night away.

3. Americans love her, Mexicans worship her, and people named Alejandro probably hate her. Coming in at #3 is Lady Gaga with “Alejandro.” After spending nearly a semester in this country, I can attest to the fact that Gaga got it right when she said Alejandro was “hot like Mexico.”

2. What’s that? You think Barbara Streisand is a washed-out, has-been from the 80s who’s completely irrelevant to contemporary pop culture. Well guess again! At number #2, here’s Ducksauce with “Barbra Streisand.” Do Do Do dooo dooo doo doo do. Be careful with this one. It’s been known to stay in people’s heads for weeks at a time.

1. You’ve seen people eat pizza with ketchup. You’ve heard Mexican hipsters hopelessly trying to use their Nextels at Bambukos while the music was blaring. And you’ve felt sweaty people awkwardly rub up against you at Unit. Do you ever just have those moments when you want to say, “Johnny, la gente está muy loca.” Topping off this unofficial chart at #1 is Sak Noel’s “Loca People” aka the official theme song of my semester in Mexico.

Always an Adventure Part II: I SAW AN ELEPHANT!

March 25, 2011 / Molly Kestner / 0 Comments

Only one, but I had been starting to lose hope about seeing any, and then finally it was right there, eating a tree! It was wonderful. Some friends headed to Botswana later and were able to see a lot more, but since I didn’t, I was happy to see any at all!

I should backtrack and say that this happened in Etosha National Park which is where we spent the last two days of our trip to the North. It’s one of the best places for wildlife viewing in Southern Africa and we saw plenty of zebras and giraffes and everything else you can imagine that you probably saw in The Lion King. It was amazing.

The best way to share my experience is through pictures, so I’ll post a few here and the rest on my Picasa! The pictures really don’t do the animals justice; it really is something you have to see for yourself. Going to Disney’s Animal Kingdom is pretty cool, but it doesn’t get nearly as good as seeing these animals in their true environment!

I could have watched these giraffes all day long.

So if you look very closely under the tree on the left, you can see lions relaxing underneath. We watched this giraffe and his friends play chicken with these lions for a good 20 minutes. This was really all the farther the giraffes got, but we couldn’t figure out why they would want to get that close at all!

One of my favorite photos of zebras at a water hole.

This was all I truly wanted to see!

Vultures snackin' on some giraffe.

Needless to say, Etosha was breathtaking and certainly something I’ll never forget! Now I’m going to donate my laptop to the good of the house so we can relax and watch a movie, but I’ll provide a summary of my spring break trip on the Orange River soon!

Always an Adventure Part I: Exploring the North

March 24, 2011 / Molly Kestner / 0 Comments

I do not even know where to start, so these past 2 1/2 weeks will be split into 3 posts.

I am now back in Windhoek after 12 days in the Northern regions of the country and another 5 days in the South on the Orange River. Some of us drove the length of Namibia in two days and it was all worth it. This first post is all about the first week or so in the North where we did a rural homestay and traveled around to different schools and speakers.

Some highlights: Ruacana Falls. Cattle in the road. Juiced marula fruits. Donkeys in the road. Ate a caterpillar. Goats in the road. Woke to the sound of roosters. Slept under mosquito nets. Wore more bug spray than ever. Sat through an 8 hour bishop installation service. Saw President Pohamba in person. Stepped foot in Angola. Learned how to pound and cook mahangu. Witnessed multiple beautiful sunsets and sunrises. And saw SO MANY amazing animals!

My homestay was a good experience; my family was warm and welcoming and I stayed in a home that was an

The Marula Fruit!

interesting mix between traditional and modern. It was actually the biggest house I have stayed in yet, but their homestead also included traditional huts and buildings for cooking and storage. My parents and one of my sisters spoke english pretty well, but another woman in the house knew little more than “good morning.” However, I felt very accomplished when we were able to communicate while working together even if we didn’t understand the language. I

Traditional storage hut at my homestay.

was really excited to help them juice the marula fruits which are only ripe and ready at this time of year and I was even more excited when I got to drink the juice we made! I was also taught how to pound a very popular grain called mahangu which is a staple in the diet of the Ovambo people. Pounding it is a workout and I only did it for a few minutes! Afterwards, they usually make it into a porridge using boiling water and some flour and it is served with almost every meal.

Yes, I did say I ate a caterpillar. They are popular here and it wasn’t just a little thing, it was a fat juicy green one. They cook and season them, but I still couldn’t quite handle it. One bite was enough for me, I gave the rest back to my host mother! At least I can say I tried it…

Everyday really was an adventure. Aside from the streets of Windhoek and the main roads through the country, the majority of other roads are informal and unpaved. This meant that getting to our homes in the rainy season required maneuvering through fields and puddles and hitting some major bumps. We liked to cheer on our CGE drivers every time they made it through a difficult spot; and of course my homestay family was equally skilled in driving through the dirt and mud. The livestock in the North kind of graze freely and that often meant that they decided to stand in the middle of the road, creating yet another obstacle for drivers. We all found it pretty humorous though.

Our time in the North was definitely a different experience for all of us. We all learned some lessons in traditional Namibian life like the importance of extended family and how to deal with gender roles. In my home, there were about 6 people under the age of 20 but none of them were my immediate brothers and sisters; they were all what we consider extended family. They are treated just the same though. It was also clear in my house that women fulfilled a very traditional role when it came to cooking and housework and that this was just the norm for them. It was not difficult to take part in, but it was definitely a change from what most of us are used to at home.

Sunset overlooking my homestay.

I could go on, but as usual, I could go on forever. So if you have more questions about what we saw or did then feel free to ask! Next up is Etosha National Park…

Just and Update

March 22, 2011 / Hayden O'Shaughnessy / 0 Comments

I haven’t written in a while; so, I thought I’d give ya’ll an update. Germany is amazing; it was a little iffy there for a while when I had a few bouts of homesickness…though I had a few instigating factors. One instigator was when my professor gave me a B+ on a 3-page paper because it “wasn’t enough like a newspaper article.” W.T.Heck?! There is no such thing as a 3-page newspaper article! In my almost 8 years of journalism I have learned enough to know that your editor would KILL you if you wrote a 3-page article. Then, I hurt my back and couldn’t walk. I went to the doctor and he gave me a script for 600mg of Ibuprofen and a shot of what I am pretty sure was saline. Thanks, Doc, I keep 200mg of Ibuprofen in my purse, and I know how to multiply. Then, we had a few conflicts with in the R-87 group, but we’ve worked it out. Tension within the group always happens during this time of the semester; people just get tired of each other. To future study abroad students, it’s okay to want to kick your fellow classmates in the teeth. People are generally obnoxious creatures, (with the exception of myself, of course) and spending almost all of your time together doesn’t help matters. I found that venting really helps. If you are looking for someone to vent to, you can always Skype with me. My screen name is digginfordollars. Also, taking a nice long walk always helps ease stress.

Don’t worry things have definitely improved since my bout of homesickness. We recently activated our Eurail passes, and we have been making quite good use of them. That is partly the reason why I haven’t posted in a while. So far I have traveled to Budapest, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Spain. They all were amazing!

I finished both my Beer and Wine degrees, and I am thinking about putting it on my resume right next to the part where I mention that I am a Reverend. Don’t believe me? I have the certificate to prove it! My friend Hanna came for the weekend and we got a diploma together; she got her wine and I got my beer. We ended up playing Go Fish with coasters that night, and the funny part is that it actually worked! We both have keen imaginations.

Bethany in Barcelona

Since my last post, I have also acquired a pet duck named Bethany, and I love her. We have been traveling the world together. Get ready for some amazing pictures. She is currently sitting next to me while I write this little blurb. (Don’t worry she’s a stuffed animal.)

Let see, what else can I tell you…I started reading Catcher in the Rye again. I love Holden Caulfield. I really do. I identify with him. I feel bad for not actually reading it in high school. Sorry, Mr. Hill. It’s not that I didn’t like you; I just didn’t like being told what to read. I think I might have Oppositional Defiance Disorder. It’s a real disorder look it up on Google. I’ve always wanted to use that as an excuse. “I’m sorry I didn’t finish the homework professor, I have a ODD.” How far do you think that would get me? I’ve also always wanted to ask a teacher how to spell a word during a spelling test. What do you think they’d do? Now I am off track. I hate it when I do that. I was telling you about life in Germany. Like I said before, Germany is pretty much amazing. I have discovered 3 new addictions: Bretzels, Haribo candy, and Rittersport. And that is pretty much the summary of the Life of Hayden at the moment. Stay tuned for more in the days to come. Ciao!

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!

You Know You’ve Studied Abroad in México (or You’re the Jealous Friend) When…

March 16, 2011 / Lydia Mertz / 0 Comments

Enjoy these little phrases that somewhat define the Mexican study abroad experience. 😉

Anoop (United Kingdom)

You’ve realized there’s more to Mexican food than tacos

Mari (Norway)

You think one dollar for a beer is expensive

Yvonne (Germany)

When you appreciate hot salsa on your Pizza

When you are able to distinguish Cumbia from Salsa

Courtney (USA)

You went an entire winter without seeing any snow

Your hometown and college town survived snowpocalypse 2011 and you didn’t see one flake of snow

Shelly (USA)

Your name is gringa

Amie (USA)

Your classes never start on time

You’ve probably accidentally failed a greeting kiss

You’ve realized the INTENSELY fast speed you probably used in your home country

You’ve learned more Justin Bieber songs than you EVER imagined (or wanted…)

You know what ahorita and al rato mean

Erin Moeller (USA)

You come back to the states and find you still have little to no regard for other drivers on the road.

Alexandra Moralez (USA)

When you can explain to someone what “Mexican time” is

When shrimp in your beer makes sense

When 7 or 8 of your friends want to go somewhere and try to decide which two cars to take and your first instinct is “we can all fit”

Chris Oversluizen ‎(New Zealand)

You have an appreciation for busses in your home town

When agreeing on a meeting time means absolutely nothing!!!!!

Tim Kneuss (USA)

You use salsa inglesa and catsup on your pizza

Paige Snyder (USA)

You know you’ll never be able to eat American Mexican food again

There are some words you can only say in espanol because you’ve forgotten how to say them in English

You wiggle your pointer finger at people when you agree with them or saying yes

Beth Anne Lopez (USA)

When you know what it means to ask for “limon” or “jamaica” at a Pemex

When it is necessary to eat half a kilo of carne al pastor after a night out

When you don’t even blink when you see armed guards

Emily Beatty (USA)

When youre talking with friends and you say weyyy at the end of each sentence

Lydia (USA)

When you’re so much more relaxed about life

You’ve had one freaking amazing study abroad experience!

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

Student Stories from Around the World