Category: Europe

Submitted by Bridget Blandi on the 2024 Winter HLTH program in Rome, Italy…

After a long second week of shadowing in the hospital, I decided to take a weekend trip with my friends to Florence, Italy.  Florence was absolutely stunning and had so many beautiful sights, such as the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio.  The Duomo functions as a reminder of that period of prosperity that Florence experienced in the medieval era, which made the city into the metropolis it is today, and as an artifact that displays to all the history of the city and where it came from.  The Ponte Vecchio is the most famous bridge in Florence and it is noted for the shops built along it.  I did some shopping on the Ponte Vecchio and bought a necklace for myself that will always remind me of my time spent here because it has the symbol of the lily on it.  The lily has always been one of the most representative symbols of Florence. This flower has a long and meaningful history for my city dating back to Roman times. Florence has been nicknamed the ‘City of Lilies’ due to the abundance of this flower that grew in the area surrounding the city.

I loved Florence because everything was within walking distance and I did not have to use any type of public transportation, like I have to in Rome.  It was nice to live right in the center of the city and be in close proximity to all of the restaurants, shopping and historical sights that Florence has to offer.  Although I was only able to go for a short two days, I had an amazing time in Florence and I definitely plan to return one day and discover more of its beauty. (Submitted on January 22, 2024)

Submitted by James Fasy on the 2024 Winter FINC program in Italy …

We started our week by heading to Florence and we were able to see the Duomo and many of the historic sites. Being able to see all of the renaissance buildings and sculptures in person was very cool and was a memorable experience. After Florence we arrived in Venice where I was able to see the grand canal which was beautiful and I got the opportunity to ride a gondola under the Rialto bridge. . (Submitted on January 22, 2024)

Submitted by Erin Ritchie on the 2024 Winter ETE program in Barcelona…

On January 19, my study abroad group and I went to La Sagrada Familia. The weather was very rainy and cold but the views inside the church were beautiful. Our tour began by looking towards what the future holds for the construction of the church. Construction began in 1882 and is still ongoing today even over one hundred years later. The church was first designed by Antoni Gaudí. 

Our tour continued by looking at the exterior design. The one side of the building is completely covered with carved statues of various people and angels from the story of Jesus’s birth. The design is divided into three sections; representing Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The statues were created by taking plaster models of local volunteers and then sculpting their designs into the building. We continued on to the interior of the church. The walls featured large stained glass windows. On a sunnier day, we would have been able to see the church lit up by the colors from the stained glass windows. The interior was also lined with large columns. These columns were specifically designed to mimic the look of trees. This combined with the natural lighting created a real sense of natural beauty. 

The other side of the building featured hand carved images depicting the death of Jesus. These 2-D images contrasted with the 3-D sculptures featured on the other side. Overall I found the experience very beautiful and educational. I would definitely recommend coming on a sunnier day to enjoy the full colors of the stained glass windows but nonetheless it was still a great experience. (Submitted on January 22, 2024)

Submitted by Angelo Remia on the 2024 Winter BUAD program in Paris, France…

After another successful week in Paris, I have come to appreciate the city even more than my first week. In terms of the activities we did, it was jam packed with sights, food, new experiences, and more! Some sights included the Louvre, tours of Epernay, amazing new restaurants, as well as visits with individuals from the American Chamber of Commerce, the Human Technology Foundation, and more! The food is another level of delicious, specifically we tried a new restaurant called Ober Mamma. The truffle pasta was the hit of the night, served in the pot that it is cooked in. At home I am not a big fan of truffles in general, but this was one of the most amazing dishes of pasta I’ve ever had. The Louvre was another big hit in regards to making memories. The artwork, paintings, decor, and general aurora was on another level. The Mona Lisa of course was a sight to see in itself, but it was truly a great day for so many other reasons as well. We ended the week by going to a winery! Here we learned about the process of where they turn wine in champagne, and we had a tasting to follow. With about 35+ people at the table, it was a great bonding moment for the group along with learning a thing or two about the famous champagne region. It’s so sad to realize that we only have one week left, but this week has been even better than the last! (Submitted on January 22, 2024)

Submitted by Christie Giammarino on the 2024 Winter BISC program in Paris…

This week has been full of friends, food, and fun! This trip has been flying by and I am so sad that it is the last week! We tried a sushi place called Miss Ko for my roommate’s birthday and the food was amazing. We visited the Palais Garnier and it was very interesting to see the huge auditorium and the place that inspired the Phantom of the Opera. Broadway is one of my biggest interests so I enjoyed this excursion. I tried escargot this week! It is a French staple and I wanted to try it at least once. It wasn’t bad but I don’t know if I would order it again. We visited Chateau de Fontainebleau which was so beautiful and was sort of similar to the Palace of Versailles. I love seeing these historical buildings where the people we learn about used to live. I visited the Dior Galerie yesterday and that was so much fun! I love fashion and I was able to see how this brand was created a long time ago! We visited Montmartre which is a cute town in the 18th arrondissement. We saw the Sacre-Coeur and walked around and did some gift shopping. This was my favorite town we have been in so far! This was a great week and I am excited for the next few days! (Submitted on January 22, 2024)

Submitted by Sophie DeCoite on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in Netherlands…

This week was jam packed, visiting new countries and hiking through national parks. Last Sunday we ventured out to Brussels, Belgium. As soon as we got out of the train station, you could see how Belgium was different from the Netherlands. Different architecture, food, and cultures. In Belgium we ate fries, waffles, and chocolate. Everything was delicious. We went around to the touristy sites, making our way through the city. We ended the night at a famous 3 story bar. They are famous for their beer, which is very popular in belgium. 

During the week we visited two national parks, each had a vastly different perspective on how to run their park. The first park was insistent on having more control of how every section of the park was working. In different sections of the park, they kept trees at different stages of life to promote biodiversity. As opposed to the second park, which let nature run its course. They did not tamper with the animals or the trees. 

On Saturday, a few classmates and I made our way to Germany to explore more of europe. Where we are staying, in Arnhem, Netherlands, is close to the border of Germany, we visited two cities Cologne and Dusseldorf. These cities seemed to have less tourists in the morning, which could be because of the weather or the fact that it was early in the morning. Nonetheless, we still had a great time visiting markets and trying German food. We are pretzels, beer cheese, chocolate, and grillwurst. (Submitted on January 22, 2024)

Submitted by Josh Leonetti on the 2024 Winter LLCU program in Athens…

On January 15th, my program along with the English program took a visit to a Monastery in Thebes, Greece and were able to look at the intricate designs of the Church, as well as the spiritual significance of the Crypt buried below. The vineyards which lined the mountainous area behind the Monastery were absolutely beautiful, and I could only imagine how it blossoms during its proper season! We were even able to see the living quarters of those religious figures who lived in this area, which brought an entire perspective to light, and truly described the commitment to religion in these times and how much value it held. 

Our group has continued to bond as we have assimilated into Greek culture, and I personally feel we have a good sense of everything, and have even been able to properly communicate with locals using the Greek we learned in our first week of classes! Thank you CGS, excited to check in next week with more updates. (Submitted on January 22, 2024)

Submitted by Nia Johnson on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in London…

On Friday the 19th, my professor took the class to Oxford University for the day.  Exploring one of the world’s oldest open universities was beyond exciting, especially since two of my favorite classical authors studied there (C.S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll).  Walking the grounds of Oxford, I kept thinking no university in our country can compare in age to Oxford.  The buildings are older than the United States; the thought reminded me that the U.S. is young and could change for the better.

Throughout the tour, we were given information about life at Oxford.  When we were first told that there were thirty-nine campuses, I imagined each campus was the size of UD’s main campus, but each campus is really only a couple buildings.  And each campus isn’t even far apart from each other.  The education system and the resources that are provided to students blew my mind: multiple private libraries and a tighter-knit community.  That day at Oxford is really making me want to apply for a Master’s. (Submitted on January 21, 2024)

Submitted by Antoinette Collazo on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in Netherlands…

This week we ventured to De Hogue Veluwe National Park in Arnhem to discuss the park’s strategies being used to combat the impacts of climate change. This park specifically, works to maintain regions of their land that contain each stage of ecological succession. Because of this, it is easy to see how climate change, and other issues the park encounters, can harm all phases of an ecosystem. Our guide also informed us of the importance of the Mouflon, a type of sheep native to the area, and how the park’s population had been hunted nearly to extinction by an invasive wolf pack. The pack of wolves is suspected to have invaded the park via holes in the perimeter fences due to vandalization. With wolves being a protected endangered species in the Netherlands, resolving this issue became very complicated but the park still has found ways to protect their remaining Muoflon flock from these predators. This photo was taken of our class during our hike through the park. (Submitted on January 21, 2024)

Submitted by Gabriella Dunay on the 2024 Winter HLTH program in Rome…

For the past two weeks, I have been shadowing doctors at Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri in Rome! During this time, I have shadowed in three departments: dermatology, sarcomas & rare tumors, and orthopedics. While orthopedics was my personal favorite, each of these departments gave me an invaluable experience in learning more about cancer treatment, interventions, surgeries, and the Italian healthcare system.

In Italy, healthcare is free for patients and although this seems favorable given the high cost of health insurance in the United States, there are hardships with this system as well. Hospitals only have medical doctors as primary care providers, compared to the U.S. having physician assistants and nurse practitioners as well. With healthcare being free, the system is overpacked with patients in need and doctors try their best to fit in as many patients as they can every day. During my experience, I have seen doctors see almost 30 patients in the day clinic and perform 6 surgeries in just one day. I am excited to spend my last week shadowing in plastic surgery to wrap up this experience that has given me a broad outlook on global healthcare. (Submitted on January 21, 2024)