Author: Marie A Gleason

Submitted by April Pappas on the 2022 spring semester program in Salzburg, Austria…

This past weekend, everyone in my program traveled to the town of Hallstadt in Austria. Hallstatt is a village on Lake Hallstatt’s western shore in Austria’s mountainous Salzkammergut region. Its 16th-century Alpine houses and alleyways are home to cafes and shops. Hallstatt is best known for the production of salt, dating back to prehistoric times. Social media images of Hallstatt captioned “the most Instagrammable town in the world,” went viral worldwide and especially in Southeast Asia. In 2020, the town had a population of 780, and an estimate of 10,000 to nearly 30,000 tourists per day, coming primarily via bus tours which bring tourists briefly into the town for photo opportunities, then quickly move on. Our group wandered through the town and ate lunch right on the water. Taking the funicular up gives you great views of the town and mountains.

Submitted by Lauren Brooks on the 2022 spring semester program in Paris, France…

Last week, midterms ended and our week of spring break began! After some searching and intense consideration, my Blue Hen roommate and I decided to take a trip to Strasbourg and Colmar. These two towns are located in the Grand Est (or Alsace) region close to the German border. Scanning the pictures, we were captivated by the vastly different architectural style of the towns compared to Parisian architecture. I notified my internship supervisor of my trip, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that he had family in the region. He was kind enough to send us a list of places we should visit, and of course, where to eat!

We spent two full days in each town. Strasbourg is akin to a medium-sized European city while Colmar is a small village about an hour from Strasbourg. While perusing the cobblestone streets and passing down riverside walkways, we would pass by cute storefronts, restaurants, cafes, and cultural sites. From our self-guided walking tour of Petite France in Strasbourg to our boat tour through La Petite Venise in Colmar, we tried soaking in as many views as we could.

Something we found very interesting while we were ordering (primarily in French might I add!) was the amount of German influence in cuisine. I’ve come to recognize words in French by reading menus and eating at restaurants. However, there were quite a few German words that appeared to be mixed in. The Grand Est region has a rich history surrounding it and its borders from previous wars and conquests. Knowing a bit of this context helped us understand the fusion of both French and German culture in these areas. We enjoyed a dish my supervisor recommended to us called Flammekueche, a thin-crusted dough traditionally topped with fromage blanc (white cheese), onions, and lardons (bacon bits). We’d also been lucky enough to find a vegan version so that my roommate could enjoy this traditional dish as well.

Of course, it wouldn’t be spring break without some surprises. Unfortunately, we found out that our train home had been canceled soon after arriving at the train station. As a result, we had to stay the night in a nearby hotel to take another train at sunrise. However, we made it through, and we were able to come back safely the next morning. We’ll just consider it a surprise roommate bonding experience.

If you’re a student that’s looking forward to studying abroad for a session, don’t forget to find the hidden gems in your host country! Although COVID restrictions are still in place for our program, we were able to make the most of our time and see something new, even getting a peek into German culture. If you have the means, definitely get to know your host country and its culture to a fuller extent.

Submitted by Dara McNally on the 2022 spring semester program in Athens, Greece…

This past weekend was Delphi and another unusual bout of snowfall. This trip was delayed since January due to snow because of road closures. Turns out Delphi and Arachova are still quite beautiful even in the snow! Though, I have been informed that snow and cold this close to spring is unusual. Hopefully, as March wraps up, it’ll get warmer! But back to Delphi… I am constantly reminded that in Greece you are surrounded by history at all times. It is truly something marvelous to walk among the relics. This is absolutely not something you can experience much of back home, if at all. People lived here long ago and used the buildings back in their prime and that’s just fascinating to imagine.

As for foods I would recommend: if you like gyros, try skepasti! It’s got all the elements of a gyro, but rather than all wrapped up, it’s like a panini pizza (strictly in terms of shape, it does not taste like pizza, it tastes like a gyro, but flat)! Perfect for sharing or for leftovers the next day!

Submitted by Caroline Knotts on the 2022 spring semester program in London, England…

One of the reasons I love studying abroad is having the opportunity to visit locations with my classes that I would not normally have visited. For my class Exploring the Global City London, we often have classes on-site in many significant places throughout the city. Last week, my class traveled to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which was the site of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

I loved learning about the history of the park and all the work that goes into selecting and preparing a city for the Olympics. We saw many of the different athletic centers that were built specifically for the park and learned how they have gone on to benefit the community in numerous ways long after the Olympics have ended. This was a super interesting field study and being able to do things like this as a part of my classes is one of the reasons why I love studying abroad.

Submitted by Jade Schlegel on the 2022 spring semester program in Madrid, Spain…

This week’s topic: weather. Before coming to Spain, I researched fashion, food and culture to make sure I was prepared to live in this new country for 4 months. You know what I didn’t research? The weather. Don’t get me wrong, I looked at the climate so I knew what the temperature was going to be during my time here. I also planned for the occasional rain because as someone from the East Coast, I knew I didn’t want to have a soggy walk to class, but the weather is something I didn’t anticipate being that different from home. I can tell you now, Spain is dry. My first two months here were clear skies without a single drop of rain. March is different; we have entered the rainy season and it will rain all day. The sky remains gray and it will just drizzle the entire day. Then this morning, we woke up to an orange sky at 4:00 am and later went out to discover everything covered in a coating of dust brought over the Mediterranean from the Sahara Desert. With the worst air quality rating the air can possibly receive and muddy rain, I can tell you, I never expected to see mud fall from the sky or be able to taste the dust when breathing in. Of course, this isn’t a common occurrence, but it’s still something very strange to experience! When getting ready to come abroad, make sure you’re ready for what the weather will throw at you. Keep in mind that you can’t prepare for everything, but at least have enough shoes in case a pair gets wet and has to dry for a bit!

 

 

Submitted by Hannah Kirby on the 2022 spring semester program in Athens, Greece…

Out of all the weeks I get to spend in Greece’s paradise, this is the one I most looked forward to. My family has finally arrived for their visit, and I couldn’t be more elated. I underestimated how hard it would be to be away from home for so long, but they are a breath of fresh air that will power me through the last month of my studies. It’s hard to describe what it feels like to show them my current home in this foreign country. I’ve created a routine here that hasn’t included them, other than the occasional phone call, and I can only hope that they are proud of what I have accomplished. I know this week will go by faster than I want it to, but I’m certainly grasping onto every second with them.

Submitted by Jade Schlegel on the 2022 spring semester program in Madrid, Spain…

A recurring lesson you will learn abroad is that things will go wrong, especially when you are traveling so much. Over the weekend, I and a few friends took a trip to Seville for my birthday which resulted in a few hiccups. When we arrived at our Airbnb, the person who checked us in was going to send us the code to the automatic lock on the door. Long story short, we never got the code. So after 45 minutes of alarms and 2 hours of waiting, we got the code and could finally explore Seville. We were then welcomed to the city with pouring rain. These situations can be very stressful especially when you are learning to travel on your own, but they hold very valuable lessons in how to use your resources and get help to fix the situation you may be in. Although rain isn’t something that is easily fixed, you can still shift plans around to make the most of your time. During the downpour, I climbed La Giralda and saw the gorgeous interior of the Seville Cathedral. I even ventured out into the rain to take some amazing pictures at Palacio de Pilatos. In these stressful times, remember that it will all work out. It may be different than expected (or rainier), but take a moment to enjoy some churros con chocolate, watch for puddles, and remember this is truly a once in a lifetime experience. At the end of the day, you still get to say you saw an amazing city even if your original plans change!

Submitted by Hannah Kirby on the 2022 spring semester program in Athens, Greece…

This weekend, we visited the wonder that is Meteora. Meteora are the massive rock formations located in Kalabaka, Greece that has been home to hermits and monks alike who have devoted their lives to the Eastern Orthodox church. The monasteries that sit upon these rock formations are now tourist attractions after the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only and the hit TV show Game of Thrones showed the scenery in all of its glory.

While I am truly grateful for the experience to have visited such an extraordinary space, I am also saddened. The largest monastery of the six remaining is The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron. It is truly beautiful and can house a multitude of monks, however, only three choose to reside there for just four days out of the year. Due to the millions of tourists invading their sanctuary, they opt to leave the holy grounds of Meteora and live up North in a male only community. I understand that money makes the world go round, but must we trample on such a beautiful history in the process? Maybe I’m just naïve, but there must be a better way.

Submitted by April Pappas on the 2022 spring semester program in Salzburg, Austria…

This past weekend, some other students from the program and I traveled to Munich. We took the train and traveled about 2 hours away from where I’m staying in Salzburg. Once there, we walked to Marienplatz and saw the breathtaking Neues Rathaus. The Neues Rathaus is known for its beautiful Gothic façade as well as the famous glockenspiel show. Marienplatz is the place to be for tourists looking for shopping, sightseeing, and watching the city go by. We walked by Saint Peter’s Church which is one of Munich’s oldest churches first built at the end of the 1100s, but was destroyed by fire in 1347. There are many museums all within walking distance of each other within the city. If you go on a Sunday, many of the museums offer free admission or only one Euro admission. My group visited the Stadt Museum.