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Submitted by Megan Zant on the 2014 winter session study abroad program in London, England sponsored by the Department of History…

Our final week in London has been bittersweet. We have spent this week soaking in all that London has to offer and have had many great activities planned for us. This week we visited the National Portrait Gallery, Greenwich, the British Library, and Buckingham Palace. Even with all of those incredible events, the highlight of this week for me was our farewell lunch. Throughout the week, we had been reading the novel, Brick Lane, by Monica Ali, and discussing its content. We learned about the Indian presence and culture in an area of London dubbed Brick Lane. After studying this topic of social issues and cultural differences all week, we were excited to learn that our farewell lunch would be at an Indian restaurant at the end of Brick Lane. I have never actually eaten Indian food before and was very excited to try something new with the advice and guidance from my peers and professor. We sampled various dishes of delicious Indian food and ate until we couldn’t possibly eat anymore. The class and myself were all excited to be eating in a location which we had studied and to make the connection between our classwork and our experiences in London. This was an exciting way to conclude our program as it summed up my experience in London. I am so lucky to be able to say that I spent this past month  learning about the culture and history of London, which I have grown to love so much and do not wish to leave!

Submitted by Harli Porcano on the 2018 winter session study abroad program France sponsored by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies…

In my second week in Parisl I traveled a lot, which was something I looked forward to the most about studying in Europe. On Monday, it was still part of our free weekend so I was in Amsterdam, which is easily my favorite city that I have ever been to. Besides the amazing scenery and atmosphere, everyone there was extremely nice and helpful. In France, not as many people speak English, often making it difficult to communicate in day-to-day life. However, in Amsterdam, pretty much everyone spoke English, which relieved me a lot. I was only there for less than 48 hours, yet I know it is always going to be one of my favorite places in the world. On Tuesday, our program went to Antwerp, Belgium. We visited a museum, shopped and of course, ate some Belgian waffles. Although my time in Amsterdam easily surpassed my time in Antwerp, it was still interesting to see the similarities and differences between the three European cities that I have visited so far. On Saturday, we went to Versailles, which is still in France, however, vastly different than the city of Paris. While Paris is a metropolitan city, Versailles is more countryside, which was something different than all of the other cities I had visited. The only way to describe the Palace of Versailles is extraordinary. It was so fascinating to go back in time and see how the French court lived hundreds of years ago. This week will undoubtedly be one of the best that I will spend abroad.

Submitted by Kerry Doring on the 2014 winter session study abroad program in Florence, Italy sponsored by the Department of Art…

Our program is winding down in Florence, as we prepare for our last week which will take place in Rome.  Though I am excited for a new city, it is difficult to leave this one behind.  With our cameras and sketchbooks, we have explored every nook and cranny of the city.  We stop to capture everything from the touristy photographs, to a sketch of a Michelangelo sculpture.  Walking down the streets, you are absorbing the culture, while testing your knowledge of two point perspective.  Florence is a condensed city of everything mesmerizing about Italy.  The art is jaw dropping, the food delicious, and day after day there is a new sight to take your breath away.

One day, we explored Pisa, which is, of course, most famous for its leaning tower.  We climbed to the top, and though we were dizzy from the spiral stone staircase, we reached the bells and were stunned by the views.  The Baptistry and Cathedral were almost as full of art as the museums.  Every column, wall, mosaic floor or stained glass window is adorned and embellished to an unbelievable extent.

On yet another excursion, we were introduced to the workings of a foundry.  Sculptures are abundant in Italy.  The art form requires true skill, craftsmanship and hard work.  The labor intensive process of making a bronze casting is fascinating.  The artist first has to make a three dimensional version of the final sculpture, make a mold with wax and plaster, and fill the mold with the bronze.  Next, teams of skilled sculptors grind, weld and polish the metal until the final product is fully realized.  Not only have we been introduced to some of the most famous and most influential works of art in the world, but we now have a better understanding and greater appreciation for the process.

Submitted by Amelia Ritter on the 2018 winter session study abroad program France sponsored by the Department of Art…

Having learned Italian in high school, the only French that I know is how to introduce myself and how to order ice cream.  Just the important things, of course. I’m trying to learn French, but it’s not going too well. The language barrier causes some problems, but mostly it’s okay.

This week, I went and bought some clementines from the little store down the street and interacted with a cute little Parisian lady who didn’t speak a lick of English and we had a whole conversation in hand signs and charades. She talked on and on in French and asked another man, if he understood what I was saying, but to no avail. However, the transaction was completed.

Similarly, I go to the cafe on the corner of my street almost once a day and we converse in broken English and French. There’s something so raw about not actually conversing with words that makes people so much more interesting. Maybe due to the fact that there’s little to understand from the vocals, you pay attention to the physical presence much more and it results in a deeper connection. One of the waiters refers to me exclusively as “girl” (like the Faceless Man in “Game of Thrones”) which is probably his translation of mademoiselle into English. A different waiter greets me enthusiastically every time he sees me and shouts out “Do you love Paris!” randomly to me every once in a while. So far, I’ve learned how to order in French with them, although I don’t pronounce a lot of the words correctly, but hopefully by the end of the month, I will be able to have a basic conversation in French with them!

Submitted by Jasneet Kaur on the 2014 winter session study abroad program in London, England sponsored by the Department of History…

The 3^rd week of the program was bittersweet. Bitter because our time abroad is rapidly coming to an end, but sweet because of all the new places and experiences that are to come our way. The first place we visited this week was Sir John Soane’s house. Sir John Soane was known for the houses he built back in the 1800s. He had these houses established as museums. The museum today features his projects and collections of paintings, drawings, and antiquities. The amount of sculptures and antiques and art that was in the place was remarkable. The architecture of the house on its own was very unique to its time. Windows were made to be large and planned to be put into locations that would allow the maximum amount of natural lighting into the house. The cautiousness with which everything has been kept is incredible. I love being able to see the authentic pieces with historical value and not just recreations of pieces. That being said, we also went to the British Museum that same week.

One artifact that really stuck out to me was the Rosetta Stone. Having heard of it all my life, I finally got to put it into context. I learned that the Stone is inscribed with a decree dating back to 196 BC; it represents one text in three scripts holding the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs. The museum basically features work originating from all over the world representing the story of human culture from the beginning of time. Another thing I will never forget was a body in a display case that was very well preserved. That was very interesting.

This week was very short due to the fact that we were given a somewhat long weekend which we all used to travel elsewhere for more of some change of culture. I went to the infamous, beautiful Barcelona. I can honestly say that 3 days were not enough. The weather did not compare to anything else (60 degrees in mid-January). The architecture was not only exquisite, but everything has a story behind it. The history behind everything makes the city and its significance that much more beautiful. We climbed two mountains in the span of 2 days, Montjuic and another to get to Park Guell, – with a design by a famous artist known as Gaudí. The activities were very exhausting, but so rewarding. Going up even 1 level allows you to see the most beautiful view of the city. It really is magnificent. I was excited for the shift in cultures that came with Barcelona. Living in London, as great as it has been, there really is no dramatic difference with the things people do, and how they live. Barcelona seemed to have something for everybody, which I appreciated. I would love to go back and spend a substantial amount of time there rather than a mere three days.

Submitted by Shelby Richard on the 2014 winter session program in Budapest, Hungary sponsored by the School of Education…

Wow, I know I say this every week, but I cannot believe how fast these weeks have gone by. We are heading back to the U.S. on Wednesday! This week has been just as amazing as the others. We spent most of the week in Eger, Hungary. While we were there, we visited secondary schools to see how American and Hungarian school systems differ. Going into it I was not very excited because I want to teach in the elementary grades, but our visits were incredible. I met so many wonderful students and staff, and I was able to see how their schools days are run. We sat in on lessons, went to the cafeteria (or canteen as the Hungarians call it) for lunch, and even participated in Hungarian folk dancing in the gym with the students. It was so much fun and everyone at the schools we visited were so welcoming and enthusiastic about our visit. At one point, I felt as if we were celebrities walking through the halls because everyone was staring and taking our pictures. It was nice to meet students that are closer in age to myself and to have the chance to ask them about life here in Hungary. They also had the opportunity to ask us tons of questions, and I’m even going to stay in touch with a few new friends I made. We only have three days left, and it’s so bittersweet. I have had an amazing time here and I’m so grateful for this opportunity. It’s been a blast.

Submitted by Zachary Allen on the 2018 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science and the Department of English…

On our day trip to Pisa, we visited the Piazza dei Miracoli, tightly packed with beautiful buildings which have an important role in Italian history, art, architecture and religion. The most famous by far is the leaning tower of Pisa, an eight story high tower which leans because of the unstable ground it was built on. Our tour guide explained that the five architectural wonders represent a person’s time on earth, the Baptistry of St. John, the Cathedral, the Camposanto, the hospital and the leaning tower. These five buildings represent birth, life, death, suffering and salvation respectively. Italy is a country with a long history of Catholicism, and this can be seen in nearly every aspect of life, including art and architecture. I was surprised by how much could be learned about a region by simply studying the buildings.

For most of the week, we stayed in the old quarter of Siena. It is mostly restricted to pedestrians and therefore allows easy access to most of the town. I was surprised to find that cars and people share the road in equal measure, and drivers never honk or yell at pedestrians. Siena is split into 17 different districts, each of which have their own unique fountain and animal. The children are baptized twice, once in a church and again in the district fountain. Each district also enters a horse in an annual race around the Piazza del Campo. The winner loses money while the rest earn money, but in this race winning is more important than anything else. Also located in Siena is the Duomo of Siena, which holds works by Donatello and Michelangelo.