Category: Europe

Submitted by Cierra Spruill on the 2018 winter session program in Siena, Italy sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures…

My name is CC Spruill and I am currently studying abroad in the quaint town of Siena, Italy. I have officially been in Italy for a week and I can now say that I truly do LOVE it here. The best part of my program so far has been meeting new people, and not just those in my class.

On the first day of class in Siena I met a student from South Africa, named Alessio. Alessio’s family was from Italy, but moved to South Africa before he was born and never taught him to speak Italian. Therefore, he took it upon himself to learn. We learned that Alessio has been living in Siena since September on his own while taking classes. Luckily for us, Alessio knew the best place to get lunch; “una salumeria.” “Salumeria” is the equivalent to an American deli where they have amazing foods. It has now been three days since we found this salumeria and some of my classmates and I have vowed to go almost every day because it is just that good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m extremely happy to have met Alessio and have gotten to know him better over lunch. People like Alessio are just another reason why Siena has stolen my heart so quickly.

 

Submitted by Kendall Barger on the 2014 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Philosophy…

Our group is having a blast exploring Italy! We left Rome and moved on to the beautiful city of Florence. This was a truly special place to visit, as there are many important sites associated with Galileo, who is the main subject of our science and religion class. We took a hike to find the observatory he used, explored the Galileo Museum, and saw the house owned by his son where he lived for one year. That was neat to see–the house still had the family’s coat of arms on the walls and a portrait of Galileo above the door. We had spent a lot of class time throughout the first week of the trip talking about Galileo, so to get to see pieces of his history in Florence really brought the class to life. In addition, we visited the Uffizi and the Academy. Both museums were filled with incredible artwork and showed how significant the city was to the growth of the Renaissance and Italy’s cultural history. We also walked along the Ponte Vecchio, the only bridge in Florence to have survived World War II. It’s filled with shops and vendors and overlooks the Arno River, providing some beautiful views.

One of the best parts of this program is that we get to see so many different places throughout Italy. It’s fascinating to compare our experiences in Rome with those in Florence. Rome is a giant city that is always busy and filled with people, whereas Florence is much smaller and more intimate. Today we have traveled from Florence to Volterra, a small town in Tuscany. It will certainly be nice to see a different side of Italy and we can’t wait to see what this piece of the program has in store! Ciao!

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

Going abroad for a month can be an intimidating idea. Even though I’ve traveled outside the United States before, I’ve never stayed in Europe alone or for a month. So naturally, after arriving in Paris, I was a bit culture-shocked. Surprisingly, one of the biggest shocks to me was money and not just because of the exchange rate. I was surprised to learn that at most places I have to pay to use the bathroom. This came as quite a shock to me because this concept does not exist in the United States. In addition, I was also a bit culture shocked about tipping in Europe. It is perfectly fine to leave a restaurant without tipping. While this is beneficial to a college student on a budget like me, it did feel weird leaving a restaurant without tipping the waiter. One of the best parts of being abroad so far is the food. I’ve been indulging in so many authentic desserts and treats, and dinners, too! However, one major culture shock I’ve adjusted to is the time of dinner in Paris versus the United States. People here eat so much later and often times when my friends and I headed out to eat dinner at 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm, restaurants wouldn’t be open! However we’ve definitely adjusted to this minor issue and have been indulging in endless crepes ever since. The photos are just examples of a few of the tasty treats I’ve awarded myself thus far.

 

Submitted by Robert Watchilla on the 2018 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of History…

This week I had the opportunity to explore the town of Florence, or Firenze in Italian. We walked to many different places such as the Piazza Vecchio, the Duomo, and the Academia (which has the real statue of David). So far, it has been a good week for me. I explored most of the town and the surrounding suburbs. I visited the soccer stadium of the local Serie A soccer team ACF Fiorentina. Ever since I have been here, I found it very useful to know Italian, which I can speak a little bit. I feel that when I ask the local Florentines questions in their native language, it makes me look less like a foreigner. It took me a day or two to get used to the eating cycle of the Italians, which involves dinner taking place at 8:oo pm. All in all, it has been a good experience for me so far.

 

Submitted by Melissa R. Vitale on the 2018 winter session program in Barcelona, Spain sponsored by the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship…

It is only week one and Barcelona has already stolen my heart. I have done so much, with little sleep and lots of adrenaline in the past five days and I could not be more content. The city is outstandingly beautiful with the great architectural and elegant buildings on every street corner you turn, the shopping is invigorating and the cuisine is just simply impeccable. I have not done much sightseeing yet since I have been juggling classes, day trips and an internship, but I have definitely made unforgettable memories thus far.

To start off, my internship is awesome, as I am helping a private travel company called ONA Tailored Travel Experiences improve on their social media and digital marketing. The tasks necessary for this position correlate well with the direction I would like to go into for my career in the future. It’s only the first week and I already have an opportunity to continue working for ONA after the program ends, which is why I chose this study abroad program as opposed to the others since I am making life long connections and getting real world experience.

Now, moving on to some excursions I have participated in, the other day we went to a famous food market to try Catalonia’s most famous cuisine. I tried things that I never thought I would try like sardines and chorizo and enjoyed everything so much that I don’t know how I will go back to eating food in the States. Along with the food tour, we also visited Fundació Alicia and the medieval monastery of Sant Benet. Fundació Alícia is a research centre devoted to technological innovation in cuisine, to the improvement of eating habits and to the evaluation of the food and
gastronomic heritage. The monastery is where we learned about the medieval history of the monks. I am not much of a history person, but I appreciated the history behind the magnificent monastery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To end the great first week, we witnessed the most amazing soccer game, in my eyes, between F.C. Barcelona and Celta Vigo where we witnessed Messi, one of the world’s best soccer players, score twice in a matter of five minutes. F.C. Barcelona won 5-0, so naturally being the first live soccer game I’ve watched in a stadium, I can’t complain. The Camp Nou stadium was remarkable and I cannot be more content with my experience there. Overall, I am super impressed with this microsession abroad program in Barcelona and excited to see what will be in store for me over the next two weeks!

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

My first week in London was absolutely amazing. As this was my first time being outside of the United States of America, I felt like I needed to take everything in. On the second day of class, our professor paired us into groups of three and sent us off on a five-hour scavenger hunt across London to get acquainted with the city and one another. We took the tube and the bus all around London and visited places such as Arsenal Stadium, Parliament Square, and local eateries.

After that, my group went out together to have our first fish and chips experience. Since then, we have visited Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and Parliament as a group. Parliament was my absolute favorite because I was able to compare and contrast the government of the United State’s with that of Britain. The tradition behind how the three elements of the British government  (House of Commons, House of Lords, and the Monarchy) interact with one another and have evolved was amazing to behold. Some structures in Parliament dated back as far as 1020 AD. London has shown me how valuable tradition can be.

Submitted by Lauren Saracen on the 2014 winter session study abroad program in Paris, France sponsored by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies…

One week of living my dream has already come to an end. I cannot believe that time is flying so quickly. However, my experience so far has been incredible to say the least. I have been to so many places such as boutiques, the Louvre, Alaia (Fashion Designer) Exhibit, Pierre Cardin (Fashion Designer) Museum, Le Ballet at the Opera National, along with others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have also visited famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc De Triomphe. When I first saw them, that was when it sunk in that I was in Paris living my dream! They were both breathtaking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every morning before French class or presentations by industry professionals, I grab a chocolate croissant at the bakery. Each bite of the croissant is just so tasty. If you go to Paris don’t miss out on the croissants! Honestly, I could not be more grateful for having this opportunity to be living in the “City Of Lights” for another three weeks! Au Revoir!

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

The past week has been an incredible experience of arriving in London and beginning to experience all that this amazing city has to offer.  After arriving in London on Sunday, the 6^th, we hit the ground running. We have been fortunate enough to visit Westminster Abbey, Parliament, the Tower of London, and most recently, Hampton Court Palace.  Hampton Court was just a train ride out of the Waterloo station, which can be reached by the tube.  After our half-hour ride, we were greeted with the beautiful sight of the grounds of Hampton Court. This was a stunning and impressive palace, constructed by Cardinal Wolsey and later occupied by Henry VIII, and William III and Mary II. We were able to walk through the rooms and grounds of this historic palace to learn about its former occupants and what life was like back during the Tudor period.  We explored the vast kitchen, wine cellar, and bedrooms that comprise the palace. The most magnificent aspect of Hampton Court, in my opinion, was the Privy Garden. The grounds are surrounded with multiple gardens, including a hedge maze and a fountain garden, which are all maintained today. The Privy Garden contains both a fountain and multiple statues, which is visible from many rooms of the palace. We were only able to visit the gardens for a short time due to the rain, but it made a lasting impression. This is a beautiful place to spend a day and I would love to return in the summer when the gardens are at their full glory!

Submitted by Arielle Linn on the 2014 winter session study abroad program in London, England sponsored by the Department of English and the Department of Theatre…

I have officially completed my first week in London and I am having an amazing time. After the first day of class, me and a few friends took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked around Covent Garden, which is a HUGE outdoor market with a bunch of jewelry, cutlery, fabrics,etc. On Tuesday, our entire program took a tour of the National Theatre where we got to see the “behind the scenes” action going on. We were shown props, how they are made, and even saw them being made. We also were told the  history of the theaters inside the theatre. After the tour, we  saw the play The Light Princess. It was a fairytale musical and was spectacular! The next day, we took a tour of the Wallace Collection, which is a famous collection inside of an art gallery and walked on Oxford street, a premier fashion shopping center. That night, we saw a comedy, 39 Steps and I got to sit in the second row! On Thursday, we toured the Guardian offices which is London’s version of the NY Times. It was so interesting to hear about all the time and effort that is put into making a newspaper. This weekend, me and a few friends took the Big Bus tour, which took us all around London. I got to see the London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament, Tower Bridge, London Tower, Harrods, and so much more. It was definitely a must in order to orient myself to the city. I am having lots of fun and am excited for this upcoming week!

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

On our third day in Vienna, Austria we traveled to Upper Austria to visit the historic concentration camp of Mauthausen. I had always been interested in studying the Holocaust and was both excited and nervous to be in a place where such horrors transpired. There was a thick fog enveloping the camp which gave the bunkers and cemeteries an eerie, but mystical feel. As we moved through the saddening historical site, it was both unnerving and awe-inspiring to remember that where I stood, people had suffered.  I was told by family members that my great-aunt from Slovenia suffered through the Holocaust in this very area; and within the hall of records, I was able to find one of my ancestor’s last names. Seeing my family name in this book was truly humbling and I was met with a rush of gratitude for the luxury of the beautiful life I lead, full of love, happiness, and opportunity.

At the conclusion of our trip, we were each presented with a small candle to light and place anywhere within the camp to commemorate all those who had suffered and perished in the Holocaust.

My candle rests above a memorial stone in remembrance of all Slovenians who perished and suffered at the camps.