Valpo Voyager

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Realizations

April 9, 2013 / Lauren Zomparelli / 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!

Chuffed to Bits (Cheers, England!)

April 8, 2013 / Emily DeVries / 0 Comments

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)

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!

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.

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 / Emily Hardesty / 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

The whole gang with our amazing program director, Shelley

French Wine Tasting

March 29, 2013 / Emily Hardesty / 0 Comments

The group with our host

France is known for having wonderful food, such as cheese and bread, but it is also known for its amazing wine. This week I had the chance to try a few different types of French wine with my program at a private wine tasting. The event was at a small restaurant called Tours de Cuisine in the eleventh district, where the owner taught us how to taste and examine wine properly. Overall, we tried three white wines and two red.

Each wine was served with a different type of food that was meant to complement the wine perfectly. For instance, with the first white wine called Revilly, we ate chevre (goat) cheese; with a red wine called La Mule, we ate a pâté spread with bread. Our host explained that French wine is always supposed to accompany food. Each region of France is known for one distinct type of wine and cheese, so if you are looking for something to eat with a certain type of wine, your best bet is to go with the type of cheese or other food that that region is known for! When I asked my program director more about this topic, she told me that the French will always serve food with wine, even plain potato chips. The point is that the food is supposed to be tasted directly with wine, giving it a completely different flavor.

The whole gang with our amazing program director, Shelley

Before this wine tasting, I had never realized how many different types of wine were made in France. Each region creates a totally unique flavor of wine by using different kinds of grapes and growing the grapes in a unique climate and soil. And each wine has its own distinct combination of look, smell, and taste! Our host taught us how to evaluate the wine by examining its color, clarity, and smell. He even taught us how to taste wine properly; apparently just drinking the wine isn’t enough! After you take a sip, you slurp the wine carefully in your mouth (while making a funny sound, of course). This creates oxygen in the wine, giving it a different taste than before.

After being exposed to really good French wine, it’ll be hard to go back to drinking cheap wine that you can find at the grocery store! I’m grateful that I was able to learn more about French gastronomy since eating food is France’s favorite passtime.

Digging Deeper into Spain’s Holy Week

March 26, 2013 / Emily DeVries / 0 Comments

On Palm Sunday, street vendors sell elaborate palm sculptures. They're a big hit with the local kids!

On Palm Sunday, street vendors all over Spain sell elaborate palm sculptures. They're a big hit with the local children!

Every once in a while, there’s a moment when I realize just how American I am, despite the fact that I sometimes like to convince myself that I’m slowly becoming Spanish. For example, yesterday in class, we were discussing Easter traditions. It was pretty funny when we tried describing the purpose of the Easter Bunny to our international classmates and our Spanish professor, and honestly couldn’t find a real reason why we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection with a giant, egg-bearing rabbit. Luckily, though, America isn’t the only nation that celebrates this time of year with traditions that seem a bit strange to other cultures. Some of the primary elements of Spain’s take on Easter are equally (if not more) surprising, especially when seen through American eyes.

The Paso depicting Jesus being led to Pilate by the Romans. It was carried from underneath by around 30 people.

The Paso depicting Jesus being led to Pilate by the Romans. It was carried from underneath on the necks of around 30 people.

Being a nation that declares itself primarily Catholic, one of the most important weeks of the Spanish calendar is the Semana Santa, or as we know it in the States, Holy Week. The seven days leading up to the resurrection of Jesus Christ are celebrated much more publicly here than they are in America, and range in extravagance depending on the region of the country that you’re in. For example, in Zamora (central-northwest Spain), members of religious brotherhoods can be seen throughout the week re-enacting the crucifixion of Jesus or performing public acts of penance, complete with wearing shackles and wailing in the street, until Easter Sunday. In Málaga (southern Spain), the week is much less somber, often filled with flamenco music, tourists, and cause for daily celebration. Zaragoza’s Semana Santa is more of a “happy medium” between the two extremes, and is a good representation of what a generally traditional Spanish Semana Santa consists of.

The Paso depicting the Virgin Mary, which I loved. It was stunning, covered in sparkling white accents.

The Virgin Mary Paso, which I loved. It was stunning, covered in sparkling white accents.

Throughout the week, there are a number of massive processions consisting of anywhere between 100 and 400 people that wind through the streets and draw huge crowds. The grand jewel of each individual procession is the Paso: an expansive, heavy wooden float depicting either Jesus or the Virgin Mary (or both), usually covered in flowers, beads, candles, and rich fabric. Sometimes these tributes to Christ are rolled on wheels, but other times they’re carried from underneath by large groups of local men, who rest the burden on the backs of their necks as a representation of Jesus carrying his cross to Calvary. The Paso is usually accompanied by different groups of people involved in the procession, including priests bearing incense, trumpeters and other brass instrumentalists, and of course, hundreds of Nazarenos.

Nazarenos. Toldja they were freaky.

This is the part where I get to explain what I meant earlier about how there are just some Spanish Easter traditions that will always seem strange to an American. In fact, if you don’t know much about the history and significance behind the Nazarenos, you’re likely inclined to find them downright terrifying. In the bluntest of terms, they look eerily like more colorful members of the Ku Klux Klan, and seeing them gave me a serious case of the heebie-jeebies. Usually made up of members of a religious brotherhood, the Nazarenos march in the processions during the Semana Santa cloaked from head to toe in tunics and capirotes, (pointed hoods that cover their faces entirely and only have eye holes cut out) as part of a tradition that dates back to the middle ages. The purpose of the KKK-esque getup was originally to show reverence for Christ’s crucifixion without glorifying their individual identities, and it’s still continued in that manner today throughout the country.

The procession of the Nazarenos into the Catedral La Seo (Click here)

The majority of the Nazarenos play a forceful drumming routine as they proceed throughout the city, and it’s both a haunting and intriguing thing to see in person. When I got to witness a number of these processions on Sunday, I was with one of my friends who has lived in Zaragoza all of his life, and he kept cracking jokes about how much the Nazarenos scare Americans. (He also taught me the majority of the information that I put in this post… so thanks for the education on the Semana Santa, amigo!) Overall, if I took anything away from learning about the Semana Santa, it’s how amazing it is to really take note of the meaning behind tradition. For example, it’s crazy to see that something SO offensive and negatively associated in the States (like the pointed hood of the Nazarenos) is considered to be a sacred, incredibly important historical and religious symbol elsewhere. Just one more example of how fascinating cultural differences can be, from the Easter Bunny to the streets of Spain, and everywhere in between.

Aix-en-Provence

March 20, 2013 / Emily Hardesty / 0 Comments

Last weekend, my program went on a weekend trip to Aix-en-Provence, which is a small town in the southern part of France. We left early Friday morning on a TGV train, which took a little over three hours to get to our destination. I had never taken a train before in my life, so I was pretty excited to see what it was like. The TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse = high-speed train) was just as cool as I’d expected. I was really surprised how fast the train went and how far we went in such a short amount of time. Let me put it this way: the TGV trains regularly reach up to 200 mph, which makes it the world’s fastest train system. I can’t wait until I take the TGV on my next weekend trip. The only downside to the train ride was that my ears kept popping when we went though tunnels, which happened to be pretty often.

When we arrived, I was immediately blown away by the view of the mountains from the train station. Aix-en-Provence is a very beautiful city that is tucked into a plain in a mountain range. The buildings looked pretty ancient, as do most of the buildings in France, and you can really sense the history of the city. One thing I really liked about Aix-en-Provence was the little pedestrian streets lined with shops, which reminded me of Brussels, Belgium. My group took a guided tour through the downtown area, and we saw a lot of old architecture and artwork from the 18th century inside every day buildings such as a bank and a grocery store.

One thing that really made Aix-en-Provence stand out from other European cities I’ve seen so far is its landscape. On Saturday, my group went for a hike up a mountain near the city, and boy, did we choose a beautiful day to be outside. I had been used to wearing a winter jacket, scarf, and hat in Paris since spring has not seemed to sprung yet (it snowed days after my last post about the great weather). On the mountain, the temperature definitely warmed up a little with the bright sun, and I was finally able to take off my jacket for a short time. Something that really surprised me this day was the number of “Bonjour”s that we heard as we were hiking. I just could not get over the fact that more than one stranger said hello to us! This simply isn’t done in Paris, where no one dares to make eye contact in a public area. It felt refreshing to see that the French are more similar to Americans than I thought.

During my stay in Aix-en-Provence, my group also got the chance to hear a reading called “L’Art et la Révolte by French rapper Abd al Malik. The show was essentially a poetry reading based on the work of Albert Camus (a French philosopher) accompanied by hip-hop/jazz music. I did enjoy listening to the music, but the reading was extremely hard to follow. Malik spoke French very quickly, and I could only catch a few words here and there. Overall, I’m glad that I was able to see his performance and do not regret attending the show.

Although the weather did not stay nice the entire weekend, I had a great time in the South of France. I especially loved bonding with my group and being surrounded by nature, which is pretty hard to find in Paris besides in a park.

Girls dressed in the traditional Valencian costumes for Las Fallas

There’s Something in the Air in Valencia

March 19, 2013 / Emily DeVries / 0 Comments

Valencia, home of paella!

Hundreds of thousands of people filling the streets. Bottle rockets popping and screeching on every corner. 30-foot-tall statues that look like they wandered out of cartoons. The smell of churros drifting from striped tents and of paella coming from restaurants. Kids running around with sparklers. Dozens of parades made up of people dressed in traditional Valencian clothing. A midday pyrotechnic show that shakes the very earth beneath you. Plazas filled with music, and people dancing late into the night underneath a sky full of fireworks. Put it all together, and you’ve got the festival of Las Fallas. Throw 165 international students who are studying in Zaragoza into the mix, and you’ve got an amazing whirlwind of a day that will live on in my heart forever.

My favorite Falla. Stood well over 30 feet and was absolutely beautiful.

My favorite Ninot. Stood well over 30 feet and was absolutely beautiful.

Las Fallas is a massive five-day festival that takes place each year in Valencia, on the northeast coast of Spain (about a 4 hour bus ride from Zaragoza. We packed three buses full of students to go down to enjoy the celebration!) The festival celebrates two key events: the beginning of Spring and the celebration of Saint Joseph, (the carpenter who was Jesus’ Earthly father). It’s essentially a pyromaniac’s dream – the name “falla” derives from the Latin word for torch, and the celebration certainly lives up to the name. Not only does the sound of firecrackers continue endlessly throughout the city from dawn till dusk, but the 30-foot-high statues (called Ninots) that are created by each neighborhood during the course of the year are burned as a symbol of cleansing and deeply rooted tradition. During the middle ages, at the start of the spring equinox, farmers would burn the old wood from the winter in large bonfires. Over the centuries, the tradition has evolved into the construction of the elaborate Ninots, many of them with political or historical themes. It’s kind of a shame that they burn them, in my opinion, because many of the Ninots are incredible to look at. However, during Las Fallas, the city of Valencia essentially becomes a hub for dozens of massive bonfires, and it’s a spectacle that’s anticipated all over Europe as one of the most unique and breathtaking celebrations in Spain.

Girls dressed in the traditional Valencian costumes for Las Fallas

Along with the Ninots and the stunning pyrotechnics, the traditional element of the celebration that I found to be most beautiful were the miniature parades that wound through the city during the better part of the afternoon. Made up of anywhere between 10 and 100 people, these little processions are composed of men, women, and children dressed in traditional Valencian clothing from different important eras in Valencia’s history. Each outfit is unique, and appears almost as its own work of art. The parades are tailed by small groups of drummers and trumpeters, and could be heard and seen on every street in the city during the hours before sundown. The dresses especially reminded me of the kind of thing you might see a Disney Princess wearing (if there was ever a Spanish Disney Princess), and just added an extra dose of fantasy to the already dream-like atmosphere of the festival.

The Valpo kids! (And a classic photobomb from our friend from the UK...)

I think what I love most about festivals (because, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, I also fell in love with the Fiesta de San Valero in Zaragoza) is the way in which the community rallies to celebrate together. Yes, we do have our holidays and celebrations in the United States, but there’s something in the air here that is so rich and invigorating, and it buzzes throughout the people in the city with an energy all of its own. Maybe it’s the element of larger-than-life fantasy, or maybe it’s the tradition. Maybe it’s just the fumes from all the sulfur in the fireworks. Either way, Las Fallas especially has got a life of its own, and it’s beautiful to be a part of. Tourists from all over the world walk side by side with locals, thousands of people of all ages and races marvel together at the sights, sounds, and smells of it all, and for just a moment, you’re allowed a glimpse of a world in which our differences are overlooked and we are simply allowed to enjoy the beauty of community and tradition. It’s a deeply moving thing, and is an experience that I am so grateful to have had alongside my friends from all over the globe.

Religion in the UK

March 19, 2013 / Lauren Zomparelli / 0 Comments

When we first arrived in the UK, something we learned within the first couple weeks of history class was that the majority of the English population did not believe God. (We were actually told that if we ever wanted to get rid of a guy who was talking to us, that we should tell him we have church in the morning and we would surely be left alone.) Most Brits actually believed that it is a dated belief and that Americans are very Victorian because we still do believe in God. It was in the Victorian Age when the English were very religious, but after changing over into the Edwardian period, science took over and Charles Darwin’s beliefs of evaluation replaced the belief of God.

In my opinion, it is more pronounced that God isn’t a strong belief due to the actions of people more so than just witnessing people who are going to church. An example of this would be how many of the guys act in the pubs and clubs at night. However, we have gone to a few different kinds of services in Cambridge and at each one, the churches were completely filled with people. After talking to a Cambridge student after a bible study, he did say that the percentage of people in the nation who believe in God is increasing. He also told me how different churches of England range from being very conservation to being quite contemporary, such as the church we had just attended. Much like at home, there is a wide range, the main difference is, in England, all of the churches are Anglican. However, there is still a wide variety of churches from different religions spread throughout Cambridge such as Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Methodist and Lutheran.

We have gone to services in different countries as well, such as when we were in France we went to Notre Dame. It was interesting due to the fact that even though the mass was in French, because it was a Catholic mass, everything followed the exact same order and I knew exactly what was going on at all times. The only part that I really could not relate or understand at all was the homily. I am very curious to see how the mass in Cambridge, which actually had the readings read in French that day, the mass in France, and when we go to Italy, the mass at the Vatican are all similar and what differences they are share.

Another huge difference between churches back home and cathedrals in Europe is that the cathedrals in Europe are absolutely breathtaking. Anytime you walk past one, you should go inside because you never know what wonder lies behind the doorway. We have gone into Cathedrals in every country we have gone to and some are over 1000 years old. You definitely can’t find those in America.

Overall, from my observation, it does seem that the UK is the least religious country in Europe. Many other countries still have a pronounced religion, such as Catholicism in Ireland and Lutheranism in Germany. It is interesting how beliefs and levels of belief varies so greatly in such a small continent. Though I know back home we have that too, I don’t think it’s like here where the UK is not religious and right next store Ireland is whereas I don’t feel like back home one state is very religious and the next isn’t at all.

All in all, if you come to England and want to find a church that suits you, you will be able to find one. Most of the people in our group really enjoy going to Holy Trinity because it is very similar to Celebrate back at Valpo. There is also the Lutheran church right in our backyard that our Lutheran members enjoy going to as well as the conservative Catholic church across town. In my opinion, that aspect is very similar to back home.

Auschwitz, Birkenau and the Jewish Quarters

March 17, 2013 / Lauren Zomparelli / 0 Comments

During our one week break, three of the places we went to visit were Krakow, Poland, Auschwitz and Birkenau Concentration Camps, and Berlin, Germany. All of these places hold a lot of history and are places that I have always wanted to visit to be able to gain a better understanding of the Holocaust and the tragedies that occurred there. We have learned about the Holocaust ever since seventh grade, but learning about it in a textbook or reading a novel about it, and physically being there to witness the place where millions were murdered, give two totally different affects.

Our first trip was to Auschwitz early Friday morning. It was about an hour’s drive outside of Krakow. Once we arrived, it definitely was not what I imagined it to be. I expected Auschwitz to be more like Birkenau was. In reality, Auschwitz had more multistory brick buildings, rather than one level barracks, which is what I was expecting. We toured the rooms, seeing huge amounts of shoes and luggage, that in reality was only from one day’s worth of prisoners. The amounts of personal belongings are unbelievable.

As we toured, there was a large amount of Jewish people who were in different areas of the concentration camp saying prayers. Today, the only gas chamber that is still standing from WWII is in Auschwitz. While we were there, we had the opportunity to go inside the chamber. While walking through, there were a group of Jewish people saying prayers inside. It was a bit of an eerie feeling, hearing the prayers and being inside. It really made me think about what it must have been like for the Jews then, knowing that they were going to die and staying their final prayers. The prayers echoed throughout the chamber making the experience quite unreal.

After Auschwitz, we headed over to Birkenau and witnessed the ruins that were left. When the war was coming to an end and the Nazis knew they were going to lose, they bombed their gas chambers and many of the barracks to hide the evidence. There are many memorials around the grounds in remembrance of the lives that were taken and the ashes that are scattered throughout. In the barracks, we were able to see exactly what the living conditions were for the Jews. Not only could we see how small the bunks were but also all of the names and words carved into the walls. One person wrote, “We will never die” on one of the walls. Seeing that in itself, was a huge realization and eye opener as well.

Back in Krakow, there was a free tour that took us around the Jewish Quarters. We saw a lot of the places that were used to film Schindler’s List and we learned about how life really was back then for the Jewish people in Poland. Even today there is a large population of Jewish people that live in that area of Krakow, though nowhere near the amount that lived there back in the 1930s. As we were walking through and looking at all of these historic locations as well as different synagogues, I felt that we were not very welcomed or wanted by the current Jewish residents. I felt almost as if we were trespassing in their area and that we should not be there.

The trip itself was very rewarding and a great learning experience. There were many other places that we visited, such as the Topography of Terror Museum in Berlin, and many other places that we could have seen, but chose not to. At some point, there was just a limit about how much we could handle and witness because many of the days that we spent at the different concentration camps and museums did take a toll on our emotional state. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I do believe that it is important to visit these places to really understand what happened during WWII to the prisoners of the concentration camps.

Relaxation is a must!

March 17, 2013 / maryanncraft / 0 Comments

Over the past weekend I have done a lot of lounging around, but it was well worth it. On Friday a friend of mine and I went to the town of Bad Urach. Bad Urach is known for its hot springs so we were gonna head up there to relax. We left around noon and upon arrival decided to head toward the waterfall. Looking back on it now, it was a good idea but for the wrong day. It took us a while to get there because the ground was kind of soggy from the snow melting. What should have taken a total of about 45 minutes ended up taking us almost two hours to go to the waterfall and back. This was because we did something we had decided at the beginning we were not going to do: climb up the side of the waterfall.

We had reached the waterfall and done the touristy thing, you know, taken pictures. We saw the steps leading up the side up the waterfall and saw they were covered with snow and ice and decided that it was probably not a good idea to go up them. This older man had come up and politely offered to take our picture. After taking the picture, he said to us that we need to climb up. I thought he was joking so I smiled and said that we were fine on the ground. I realized that he was not joking. The way that he was talking to us, he was telling us that we needed to go up these stairs. My friend and I didn’t know how to get out of the situation, so we did the only thing that we could: we started climbing the stairs. Needless to say, that old man left us in the dust.

About half-way up we decided to stop and take some more pictures. We were standing beside the waterfall, so all we could hear was the running water. We looked up and saw that the man was yelling something down at us, but I had no idea what he was saying. We assumed that he had told us to keep going, so up we went. Once we started passing the bigger obstacles, like the icy steps or the steep inclines, I started realizing that we would need to go back down the way we came. We didn’t see the old man anymore and so we decided to start the climb back down.

Part way down, my friend slipped but since I was ahead all I heard was the thump of her hitting the stairs. I turned around and wondered why she was sitting in the snow. After getting her cleaned off, we started the walk back down the waterfall. Needless to say, it took us a while because we were very cautious. Once we got back to solid ground, my friend looked back and noticed that the man was heading back down the stairs and was close to us, so she told me to get walking. We did NOT want to talk to that man again. I know it wasn’t his fault that my friend fell, but we felt better blaming him for having made us go up the treacherous steps that would lead her to her fall.

Once we headed back into town, we found the way to the hot spring quite easily. The water was so warm. We first went into the outside pool. We spent some time out there, but decided to go inside after realizing that though our bodies were warm, our faces were freezing. Once inside, the other pool was just as warm, but the inside kept our faces warm as well. This place was almost like a giant hot tub. We found a spot inside the pool that you could lay on these metal bars and there were bubbles coming out that massaged your back and actually moved up and down. Yup, I fell asleep. It was soooo comfortable. I would highly recommend going.

So basically, not including the hike to and up the side of the waterfall, my day was pretty relaxing and I’m not complaining. I got to sleep in a little and take a day trip where I basically fell asleep in a giant hot tub that massaged me the entire time. I would say that it was the life. For a moment, I had no worries, until we got home that night and I remembered all of my homework and tests that I needed to study for this past weekend :/ Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

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