Valpo Voyager

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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.

The Luck of the Irish

March 17, 2013 / Abby / 0 Comments

This weekend, Lauren, Caiti, Jess and I went to Ireland. Now, when you think Ireland, you think of Dublin, or Galway. No, we flew into Shannon, Ireland. Possibly the smallest city in Ireland. It was the cheapest flight we found and we figured it would be OK, there would be things to do, and we were right! But what an adventure. The town was so mall, it didn’t even have a main road. It had a McDonald’s (which we ate at 3 times) a gas station, a night club, and a single hotel where we stayed.
The Oak wood Arms hotel in and of itself was an experience because it was so fancy. Being poor college students, every time we travel, we have to book, hostels, hostels, and more hostels, but there was no hostel in Shannon, and only one hotel, so that narrowed our options to none. But man oh man, was it worth it! This hotel, compared to where we have been staying was absolute heaven! We had 2 rooms that were connected an they were so nice. We had two bathrooms (which means two showers) for 4 people when usually, its one bathroom for a whole hostel. Other perks you might ask? FREE breakfast, a pub, and complimentary sauna and steam bath. How awesome is that? Of course, we utilized all these benefits. We said it was our holiday away from our holiday, our one nice relaxing weekend away from it all.
Friday we went down to Bunratty Castle and to Limerick City to spend a day seeing a little of Ireland. Bunratty Castle was amazing,(as all castles are), and it was connected to something called Folk Park which was a miniature village that one could explore and see how the Irish lived around the time of the castle. It was very cool, there were pigs, and cows, and deer and I felt like I was back at home. Very nostalgic! There was also the biggest dogs you will ever see. I took some pictures but the pictures do not do them justice. They were called wolfhounds and when one of them was standing he came up to Caiti’s shoulder. He was literally around or over 4 feet, and when he had his paws up on the fence, he was massive! Very scary, and I was glad they were behind a fence!
After Bunratty we made our way to Limerick which is a cute city. We shopped around and took our time.
Saturday, we had decided to go up to Galway to see the Cliffs of Moher (or so we thought) but it turns out, Galway is a good hour away from the Cliffs. Our taxi driver that was dropping us off at the airport where we were supposed to get on the bus to Galway told us that to take a taxi to the Cliffs from Galway would have been an astronomical price and not worth our money, so he offered to drive us up to the Cliffs and see 5 other beautiful places in Ireland, for half of what we would have been paying for just the Cliffs. We hopped on that deal, and our taxi driver turned tour guide started us on our way. We went to a castle turned hotel first where 4 of our presidents, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, and many others had stayed the night. We toured the gardens and fed the ducks before moving along. Next he took us to the beaches of the Atlantic ocean. It was strange thinking that I was on the opposite side of the Atlantic that I am usually on and staring off the where America is, 3000 miles away. It was a beautiful day to be on the beach, and even though the water was freezing, there were still tons of surfers. After the beach, he took us to a small fishing village and we saw the bots that go out in the summer and catch all the crab, lobsters, shrimp, and fish that are supplied to the local restaurants daily. It was so cool! Finally, after we had seen all that, he dropped us at the Cliffs of Moher and gave us one hour. Let me just tell you, one hour is not near enough time to take in this scene. The cliffs are absolutely massive, and you could walk then for hours and always get a different view of them. We didn’t get to walk along all of it because we didn’t have time, but the views we saw were spectacular. I did not want to leave at all. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the weather was perfect. It was so amazing! The Cliffs were so indescribably beautiful. If you ever get the chance, most definitely go there, it is very worth it. Parts of Princess Bride, Harry Potter, Leap Year, and P.S. I Love You were filmed on these cliffs. After the Cliffs he took us to Doolin which is the most western point of Ireland and we had a beautiful view of the Cliffs in the distance and ocean and the waves. It was fabulous! And finally, he took us on the most picturesque drive in Ireland through eh Burren, and on the corkscrew road up the hills where we had beautiful views of Ireland. We really could not have asked for a better day. It was absolutely perfect! The whole tour lasted six hours and it was so much more than we had imagined we would see of Ireland. So incredible!

The Seine River

Just an Average Day in Paris

March 14, 2013 / Emily Hardesty / 0 Comments

The Pantheon

So much time has passed since I first stepped off a plane and into Paris, but sadly, for most of that time Paris has been covered with gloomy, grey skies combined with a somewhat nice day here and there. Miraculously, last Saturday the clouds parted and let the sun shine throughout the entire day! I couldn’t wait to shed my winter coat, run into the sunlight, and feel its warmth for the first time in months. I absolutely love spring. Not only is my birthday during this season, but it’s also because I enjoy watching nature come back to life after a seemingly endless winter.

To take advantage such nice weather, my friend and I decided to take a long walk around Paris. We had heard of a demonstration going on all around the city and thought it might be cool to participate. One thing that the French are known for is their demonstrations. Almost every week, you can find a huge crowd causing a scene on the streets with their slogans and picketing; Parisian’s always seem to find something to protest about. In January, a demonstration made headlines around the world due to the thousands of people protesting gay marriage. Just after I arrived in Paris, there was even a counter-rally in favor of gay marriage. (This was days before the government voted on legalizing gay marriage, which passed.)

The Seine River

The demonstration that I went to was called the Chaine Humaine (Human Chain in English) thats purpose was to protest the use of nuclear energy. From a nuclear power plant just to the West of Paris all the way to the East side of the city, there were people holding hands to form a human chain. We didn’t stay for long, but it was really cool to see so many people fighting for the same cause.

After grabbing a Nutella crepe, we left the Pantheon and headed West to stroll along the Seine. As we were walking, I couldn’t help but notice how familiar the scene before me seemed. I kicked the thought around for a minute and suddenly realized that that same moment had been shown in so many films before: the perfect sunny day in Paris along the river. Before I knew it, I heard an accordion in the distance. I smiled and thought, “So this is Paris.” I had finally stumbled upon that perfect day in Paris that everyone dreams about. A day that captures all every good stereotype about a place, and you just feel so happy to be in that spot at that very moment. Perfect weather, a warm crepe, the sounds of an accordion as you look over the Seine. How could it possibly get better than that?

Of course I do not live in a perfect world, and this did not turn out to be a perfect day. My friend and I ended up walking 4 1/2 hours around Paris, and by the time the sun set, my feet were killing me. We walked all the way to the Eiffel Tower to climb it for the first time, but of course the line was incredibly long since it was a Saturday. So while that perfect day in Paris may not be realistic, there are those special moments that I find myself pausing and realizing how lucky I am to be living here in one of the greatest cities in the world. Hopefully I’ll be able to find more of these moments as spring starts to head our way 🙂

Pont Alexandre III

The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music

March 12, 2013 / Abby / 0 Comments

This week we went on our spring break/ one week break from school. We traveled all around Europe. We hit Krakow, Poland; Auschwitz-Birkenau; Prague, Czech Republic; Berlin, Germany; Munich, Germany; and Salzburg, Austria. But of all those places we saw, my absolute favorite thing we saw was the Alps. They were by far the most beautiful, breathtaking views I have ever seen. We really saw the Alps in three different places; the first time we saw the Alps we were on a train on our way to Neuschwanstein Castle in Füssen, Germany, in the region of Bavaria. Alongside the Alps, the castle was my absolute favorite place on our trip. It has been my dream since I was a freshman in high school to see this castle. It is absolutely everything I dreamed it would be, the mountains were towering over it on 3 sides, and everything around me just dwarfed me and I felt so insignificant next to all God’s creations and masterpieces. It was most definitely the perfect day for me. We went to go up to the bridge for a view of the castle, but it said it was closed because of the snow and it was dangerous. We really wanted to go to this bridge so, we did what any college traveler would do… we slipped around the barriers and signs, and hiked up the Alps, to the bridge where there is the most beautiful view of the castle nestled into the Alps. It is stunning. I legitimately did not want to leave at all. Jess, Lauren and Emelie had to convince me to leave.

After Neuschwanstein castle, where I thought the mountains could not be any more beautiful than what I had seen there, we saw another part of the Alps in Salzburg, Austria. They were so amazing and breathtaking. We went to the top of the observatory tower, at the top of the fortress, at the top of Monk Mountain in Salzburg and stared at the mountains.

I felt like I was on top of the world. After about fifteen minutes our tour guide told us we had to leave and go back down and I was so sad we had to leave. I felt so close to God when I was at the top of the tower, looking at all his creation as far as the eye could see. I loved everything about it. After we had to leave the tower, we went down a little lower where we could stay as long as we wanted and I stood and stared at the mountains for literally thirty minutes. It was literally the perfect day; the sun was shining as bright as could be, it was 65 degrees out, the sky was a prefect blue with puffy white clouds, and I didn’t even need my coat. I was wearing just a t-shirt. I could have stayed up there forever, but the other girls told me that we had to leave and go find Emelie.

The next day, we went on the Sound of Music Tour and we literally were driven an hour up into the mountains and it was the most breathtaking views, and I know I’ve already said that but this was seriously amazing. I literally cried I was so happy, and everyone made fun of me. I wanted to climb the mountain and pick some edelweiss all while singing the song “Edelweiss” out loud for all the mountains to hear. I was seriously in my element the entire time I was in the mountains. I hope someday I have an opportunity to go back there. It was absolutely amazing.

Breath-Taking Beauty of Austria

March 11, 2013 / Lauren Zomparelli / 0 Comments

I feel like Austria is one of those places that I really have never heard all that much about. I mean, I knew it had its difficulties throughout the WWII era but I don’t really ever remember having heard of it as a place to travel to, a place you wanted to make sure to see on your trip to Europe, like Rome and Paris. Over our one week break, after traveling through Poland and Germany, our group ended in Salzburg, Austria, home of The Sound of Music. The train ride into the country was enough for me to wonder why haven’t people been talking about this place more! It is, by far, the most beautiful place that I have ever been to in my life.

In Salzburg, the Alps are surrounding you. Walking out of the train station, in a beautiful 63 degree weather, the Alps greeted us with just barely snowcapped mountains in the distance. It was the most beautiful, breath-taking sight that I had the luxury to view for the next two days. Walking around Salzburg, we found cute shops and stores and immediately saw The Fortress that overlooked the entire city. That was our first destination. After dropping off our items at the hostel (and walking outside to a beautiful view of the Alps) we headed off to The Fortress. Most of our excursions are just wandering and knowing that eventually we will get to where we want to end up. That was much how our Fortress excursion went. We kept walking around, and around, looking up at the great castle beside us, wondering just how to get up.

After a while we came to a market where several little booths were held. A few booths had souvenirs and one had many different kinds of pretzels, from hazelnut covered pretzels to cream filled pretzels and apple filled pretzels. We made a pack that after we climbed to The Fortress we would reward our trip with one of these delicious snacks, and delicious they were! Eventually we did find out way to a very steep hill and many, many stairs leading up to The Fortress. After a bit of a workout, especially in such wonderful weather, we made it to the top and found a free audio tour. The tour led us to the highest point of The Fortress that overlooked the entire city of Salzburg. It was the most beautiful sight. There weren’t any buildings to obstruct your view and all you could see for miles in the clear blue skies were the mountains protruding up in the distance.

Being up there and overlooking the city, a sense of peace and serenity washed over me. It was the most calming place I think I may have ever been to (it even beats relaxing on the beach). The city below was filled with cute little buildings and shops, structured so much differently than they are back home.

Later that day we found that a lot of people were sitting in the grass along the river that ran through the city, so we decided to join them and find a spot to lay on. We relaxed along the river, looking to the left and seeing the Alps in the distance, behind a bridge that crossed the river. We could have stayed there all day in the perfect weather and clear blue skies, but there was more of Salzburg to see.

The next day we decided to take a Sound of Music Tour that led us to many of the places the film was made and even some of the locations that the real Maria and Captain Von Trapp were at, such as the place they were married. We saw the houses that were used to film the outside of the Von Trapp house, the different gazebos used in the film (there were two), and even the church where Maria and the Captain got married in the film that was about an hour outside of Salzburg in Mondsee. The drive through the mountains to Mondsee was unbelievable as well. Pictures that we took really don’t even do the view justice. We passed lakes of clear, bright blue water that was clean enough to drink, and ventured through the mountains. I really don’t know how to get across how much I absolutely loved driving through the mountains and all of the natural beauty that surrounded me those two days.

I honestly believe that Austria was my favorite place that I have been to so far in my life. I wish that I could have stayed longer and honestly did not want to leave on Sunday morning. I wish I could go back sometime during this trip, though I doubt I’ll be able to, but I can say for a fact that I will visit again one day in the future and highly recommend to anyone to go and visit there. I didn’t get a chance to go to Vienna, but hear that it is absolutely gorgeous there as well, and look forward to a trip there in the future.

Doesn't get any more delicious than that...

All You Need is Love (and Waffles)

March 9, 2013 / Emily DeVries / 0 Comments

Doesn't get any more delicious than that...

When I told my host family a few weeks ago that I had booked a trip to Belgium, the first thing that they said to me was “Why Belgium?” It’s not like it’s a massively popular tourist destination. The weather is less than friendly, they don’t speak English or Spanish, and though there are a few well-known monuments and museums, it’s not a common vacation destination, especially during the rainy/snowy period of the year when the weather doesn’t know if it wants to be winter or spring. In fact, up until I got there, I was pretty unsure about it myself.

The reason I chose to go to Belgium is because my grandma’s two brothers live there with their wives, kids, and grandkids. 7 years ago, the Belgian side of the family came out to the States for a summer, and we got along fantastically. However, there are some pretty extreme language barriers between myself and these members of my family. They speak primarily French and Italian (because they’re from Sicily), and when they came to visit Chicago, my mom was able to translate for me. This time, I was on my own and was super nervous that the trip was going to be a complete flop because of communication problems.

The Butte du Lion at Waterloo. 241 steps to the top... climbed them all!

The Cathedral of Saint Michel, in Brussels

How very wrong I was. The freezing temperatures and sleet did nothing to dampen the true joy that comes with family reunions, and despite the fact that the language barrier was at times frustrating, communication was possible through a combination of English, Spanish, French, Italian, and laughter.

During my four days in Belgium, I got to experience a whirlwind of Belgian “must-do” activities with my cousins. Among these were sightseeing in Brussels, visiting Waterloo (the site of the battle where Napoleon’s army fell), seeing the famous Atomium from the 1958 world expo, and of course indulging in the Belgian food staples: french fries, beer, chocolate, and waffles. Definitely wasn’t a health trip, but every calorie was well worth it!

My favorite part of sightseeing during my little excursion to Belgium, however, was the day trip to Brugge. About an hour drive from Brussels, Brugge is a popular tourist destination because of its beautifully preserved medieval architecture and its “Venice of Nord” charm (there are 16 kilometers of canals running through the city.) It’s like stepping back into the middle ages, and is one of those cities that you can easily just choose to get lost in. The architecture of Belgium as a whole (not just Brugge) is very different than that of Spain – beautiful in its own way. Each building is distinct, and I fell in love with the way that they all are squished up against one another.

The beautiful city of Brugge

My cousin and I

As wonderful as sightseeing was, the best part about being in Belgium was easily reconnecting with my family. Enjoying homemade Italian meals together, playing card games, Skyping with family from the States, looking at old photo albums, even simply sitting around and chatting (as difficult as it sometimes was!) – all of those elements together gave me the priceless gift of many memories that helped to eliminate the “homesickness blues” and that will last for a lifetime.

Among the many things that I’m learning about myself and about the world around me while I’m in Europe, one of the common threads that I continue to reflect upon is the value of deep relationships. Whether it’s my immediate family, my extended family, my friends both near and far, or my host family, I’ve really seen what a gift it is to have so many different loving and supportive people in my life. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to have loved ones all across the globe, and I consider myself incredibly blessed to be able to experience the joy of connecting once again with my European relatives. (For Easter, I’ll be going to England to visit another set of cousins, along with my godmother, who I haven’t seen in 12 years! So excited to experience another reconnection!) In a perfect world, I’d pack them all in my suitcase and bring them back to the States with me in May. But I’ve gotten to enjoy the next best thing, and can confidently say that this unique blessing is one of the most wonderful parts about my European experience as a whole.

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