Hola Barcelona: A Weekend Away from London

This past week was the end of our first two classes followed by a lovely "holiday" in Barcelona for me and a few friends. By Thursday, our final papers and tests had been taken and it was time to get ready for our Barcelona excursion. The good thing about London is that it is not too far from European countries and so we are able to travel many different places while we are studying here. The trip to Barcelona was my first time leaving London and it came at a perfect time. The weather has been unusually hot as I've mentioned before but when we left for Spain on Friday, it was starting to rain so we were able to get away and enjoy Spain's naturally hot climate and then return to a cooled down London.

We arrived in Barcelona at about 6:30pm, it is an hour ahead of London so that makes it six hours ahead of America! We had a delicious dinner of various tapas including chorizo and risotto along with artichoke chips; those were the best thing I have ever eaten! Although it was pretty late by the time we settled into the hostel and went to eat, the restaurants were still crowded because they eat so late there. Afterwards, we went to a beach bar and were informed that people tend to stay out all night. The beach was packed with people, some swimming, some just hanging out. I had a sort of eye opening moment that night when I realized that I was in Spain and I just relished in the thought that I had never thought I would end up there. It was one of those moments that you just think about the rest of the world and all the people in it and I felt that a lot of things became clear to me. Part of the reason that I had this moment is the fact that Spain is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Each site that we visited was more beautiful than the next. London is amazing and historic, but Spain has so many amazing views and places that really make you think.

Crowded Barcelona beach at 4am.

On Saturday morning, we went to a local market near our hostel and grabbed some food for a picnic on the beach. We got to the beach and it was already pretty packed but luckily we found an umbrella and were able to enjoy our picnic. Realizing that we were in Europe quite quickly based on the fact that some women were topless and completely nonchalant about it. The ocean water is so blue that it seems almost unreal. It was funny to think that we were on that very same beach not too many hours prior and the only difference was that the sun wasn't out, there were just as many people.

The same beach as 4am, now at noon.

Gaudi Museum.

After enjoying our stay on the beach, we went to the Gaudi museum. Anyone who has seen Vicky Christina Barcelona (I watched it for the first time in preparation of my trip) would recognize the artist's remarkable work. Many buildings in Spain were designed by him and he has a distinct style of making his works look almost like they're melting. The tour of the museum starts at the very top where you can look over the city and it is amazing. It was there that the four of us decided that we never wanted to leave. That night we had a dinner of tapas once again!

Sunday was a full day for us! We started out eating an amazing brunch and then made our way to Park Montjuic, it is a mountain with a castle on top that has the most amazing view that I have ever seen. We took a cable railway, known in Barcelona as a funicular, up the mountain and were able to look out onto the city as well as the beautiful water. Every time I turned around or walked a few more feet, I had a better few than where I was before. After that, we went to the Sagrada Famila, a church designed by Gaudi. The church is still under construction, but the inside was quite impressive. The stain glass windows were nothing short of impeccable and the ceilings were so high that when I looked up, I felt like they went on forever. That night we had paella on the beach, to say that it was delicious would be an understatement. I am not a very daring person when it comes to trying new things but I am very happy that I was brave and ordered this dish!

View from Montjuic 

           

                                Left: Stained Glass Windows Inside- Right: Outside Sagrada Familia

Monday we didn't have class so we were able to walk around and go shopping at Las Ramblas where there are some international stores such as Zara but there were also local Spanish designers. Luckily, I took Spanish in high school so I was able to navigate my way around but surprisingly enough, most people were able to speak English. Monday afternoon was our flight back to London and I have to admit I was pretty happy to be coming back. It took a trip out of the country to realize that after five weeks, I am starting to think of this place as a second home. When we got back, it was nice and cool out, I've been waiting for this weather since four weeks ago when it started getting hot!

Our last night in Barcelona! Enjoying what we can of the beach, there were even fireworks!

Yesterday, we started our new classes. It is crazy to think that in a short five weeks, we will be back in the US! Today I have my first class of Food Society and Culture in Britain, yesterday was History of Modern Design. We went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and were able to look at actual pieces of work from the period we were learning about; it was a very helpful aid in fully learning what we are being taught. I look forward to what these next five weeks and two new classes will bring!

(London is Like a) Heat Wave

Once again, I had to go there and quote a song to express what London feels like right now. Instead of the famous Motown song "(Love is like a) Heatwave," London is actually experiencing a heat wave right now. When I tell you the temperature is in the 80s here, you probably wouldn't think twice because it is somewhere near a blistering 95 degrees in Philadelphia; however, London rarely sees temperatures above the 70s and so they are calling this a heat wave right now. It hasn't even rained in a week! Apparently, London hasn't seen sunny skies and temperatures such as these in seven years! Lucky me...

Despite the heat and lack of air conditioning in this country, I have continued to go out and explore. Last week was our first trip to Shakespeare's Globe theater with my Shakespeare and Elizabethan English class. We went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream. Staying true to typical Shakespearean times, we stood for the entire play. I am happy that we did because we were right near the stage to see and hear everything that was going on. Before going to see the show, the only knowledge I had about it was the part America Ferrera played in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. I came to find out a great deal more after watching the play and seeing how the characters interacted. They even made the audience get involved! The atmosphere was much different than any play I've ever been to before, mostly because there was no roof (actors had to adjust to the outside sounds such as planes and birds flying overhead) and the building was shaped like a circle. Yesterday, we went back to the Globe with our other class, but instead of seeing a play we went on a tour. We were informed about the history of the globe and learned how Shakespeare would have conducted his plays. During his time, the cast would be made up solely of males and rather than having copies of the play to hand out, each actor only got the lines of their character written on a scroll and rolled up, this is why their part is called a "role."

Last Wednesday, after discussing the play we saw the previous day, two of us decided to go to Brick Lane. From the very first day that we met British people here, they were telling us to go to Brick lane for Indian Cuisine. It may be hard to believe, it was for me at least, but Chicken Tikka Masala is actually the favorite dish of the Brits, not fish and chips! We took the tube to the Aldgate stop and had a minor set back when we could not figure out where Brick lane was in relation to us, but luckily we have been trained to always have our maps with us! On our journey from the tube to Brick lane, we stumbled upon “Petticoat Lane Market” which was actually a magnificent find! We spent some time walking around the market and taking in the different shops and kiosks that were set up there. After a little while, we decided to continue our journey and we found even cuter little shops! By the time we reached Brick lane, we were famished and so ready to have some Indian food. One of the unique things about Brick lane is that men line the street trying to get people to eat at their restaurants. The way that we chose were to eat was based on the amount of people in the restaurant, so we ate at the most crowded place and let me tell you it was delicious! It was my first time trying Indian food and I was not disappointed. After dinner, we shopped a little bit more and we discovered the mecca of vintage stores; it is called Blitz. They had everything from refurbished Converse to old records and even older books. Unlike many other vintage stores I’ve been in before in Philly and New York, there was not that distinct smell of used clothing. Instead it smelled fresh and clean as if the clothing didn’t have years of history and memories attached to them.

Thursday was the fourth of July and I was a bit hesitant about celebrating our independence from the country that I am currently in. Nevertheless, I decided to wear my Free People American flag scarf. Before class, we went to take pictures at the infamous Platform “9 ¾” from Harry Potter. I have only ever seen the first movie, but I went along with my flat mates because as a tourist I felt like I just had to! Then we had class and after class, we went to Selfridges. We went on a day where Free People was having a pop up shop in the department store, so that was comforting to see a familiar brand in a store that I have never been in. My fear about being “too American” was squashed when two girls who worked at Selfridges started talking to me about how cool New York is and then proceeded to wish me a happy 4^th of July. That night, we went to a bar called Bar Rumba which to my surprised was packed with Americans, some wearing American flags as capes…that to me was a little bit much, but it was kind of nice to almost feel like I was at home on the 4^th, minus a firework display.

On Friday, we went to Parliament for a tour. It was a beautiful day to see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. During our tour we learned all about the Royal family and how decisions are made in Parliament. While we were in the House of Lords, our tour guide explained that the four seats in the front of the room would possibly one day be filled by Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and then the Royal baby whether it is a boy or a girl! Our tour guide also filled us in on all of the traditions that parliament members still engage in today such as bowing before they enter the room to vote because back in the day, members of Parliament would send their servants to vote on their behalf but by bowing, one could tell if the member is wearing a wig or not by checking the back of their neck. Members of Parliament would always be wearing a white wig and so if the person was not wearing a wig, they were not a MP (member of Parliament.) This practice is still done today obviously not because the MPs wear wigs, but just out of tradition. After Parliament, three of us went to a sushi dinner and then to see the Bling Ring movie that came out that day here. The movie theater was pitch black and it was difficult to see where we were going, the other strange thing was that there was nothing playing on the screen until 21:00 when the movie was set to start and that is when previews began playing. People also didn’t start coming into the theater until about then so for about fifteen minutes, we were the only three in whole theater.

On Saturday I decided to venture out on my own again. My friend who studied in London for five months told me that if I ever feel homesick to go to Westfield Mall and I would feel right at home. She was most definitely right! Westfield had stores like Zara, Urban Outfitters and Mango. It also had its fair share of stores customary to the UK that I enjoyed exploring. I spent about 4 hours there and only navigated the second floor! I got an iced coffee but it was more like a frapaccino because the ice was blended. That is one of the things that I am getting used to here—iced coffee is not a delicacy of theirs. I am happy to say that I navigated the tube on my own and had a lovely day shopping at the mall. I got a few books that were on sale. One was an Opening Ceremony book that features a catalog of Chloe Sevigny and her collection for OC. On Saturday night, almost all of us ventured into Camden to check out the nightlife. The bar we went to, The Monarch, does themed nights and luckily Saturday was “Soundtrack night.” That was right up my alley! I got to dance and sing along to songs from some of my favorite movies such as Grease and Dirty Dancing.

Athens Sightseeing

One of the best ways I have found to discover Athens is on a sightseeing bus. I recently went on a hop on hop off bus and got to see more of the city than ever before. The bus tour lasts around 90 minutes if you stay on the bus, but you are welcome to get off and get on any other of the company's buses throughout the day. The bus visits 15 sights and is only $30 if you purchase your tickets online and $34 on sight. The buses run every half hour from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily.

Photo Courtesy of Athens Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours

Sights visited:
-Syntagma Square
-Melina Mercouri Statue
-Acropolis Museum
-Acropolis & Parthenon
-Temple of Zeus
-National Gardens
-Benaki Museum/Museum of Cycladic Art
-Panathanaic Stadium
-Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
-National Library
-National Archaeological Museum
-Omonoia Square
-Karaiskaki Square
-Thession Station
-Kotzia Square

You are welcome to visit all of the sights or pick those that interest you most.

More information is found here.

Milan

Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea (PAC)

The PAC is a Contemporary Art Museum in Milan. It is currently showing Passports: A Journey with Art. The exhibit displays the best in British art from the last 75 years. The most highly acclaimed works of photography, painting, installations, and sculpture, are shown. The selected 40 works were selected from an original grouping of over 800 by the British Council of Art.
Artists include: Frank Auerbach, Damien Hirst, Bill Woodrow, Bridget Riley, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, and Anish Kapoor.

Rear view of the PAC from the gardens

The Chant of Blue. Anish Kapoor. 1983

More info on the exhibition is available on the British Council's site.

Entrance for students is 3euro, and 5euro for general admission.


Galleria d'Arte Moderna
Gallery of Modern Art


Located in the same place as the PAC, the Galleria d'Arte Moderna is a huge collection spanning four floors, and including works from artists such as Pablo Picasso, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Entrance to the museum and garden is free. When you go in, you will receive a small catalog of the collection identifying all of the pieces, as not all of them are marked on the wall.

How to get to both the PAC and the Galleria d'Arte Moderna:
Subway 1 Palestro Station, or Subway 3 Turati Station
14, Via Palestro, 20121 Milan

Duomo di Milano
The Duomo, or cathedral of Milan is the central point in the city.
It is open to the public everyday from 8:30am to 6:45pm - free of charge.
Subway 1 - Duomo Station

Duomo di Milano

Castello Sforzesco

Castello Sforzesco

Opening Hours:
Everyday 7am-6pm in winter -- 7am-7pm in summer
The castel itself is free of charge, however if you'd like to visit the museum within the castle, it will cost 3euro. There are some times during the week when the museum is available free of charge, more info here.
Subway 1 - Castello Station

Parco Sempione
The Parco Sempione is the large green space stretching between the Castello, and the Peace Arch. During the summer it hosts theatre performances and activities for children, as well as creates a great place to rest in the shade with a cool drink.

Parco Sempione - looking towards the Peace Arch

La Triennale de Milano

Triennale Design Museum

The Triennale is a museum of Italian design from the most prominant designers. Divided into sections by items that were experimental, produced only in a small number, small series, large series, high artisanship, personalized items, video, and technological research - the collection ranges from a shoe designed for Judy Garland, to an attempt to hybrid a car and a motorcyle.

Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday
10.30-20.30
Thursday 10.30-23.00
Last admission one hour before closing time
Monday closed

Subway 1 - Milano Cadorna Station

The Last Supper

The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci

Italy's most famous painting The Last Supper is by Leonardo da Vinci. The painting is in constant state of renovation, housed in Santa Maria della Grazie refectory. Due to the high demand to see the painting, reservations should be made up to two months in advance. Tickets can be reserved here.

Athens

Greetings from Athens, Greece. I came here after the program and will stay until September 10th with a few trips in between. Over the past few years since the 2004 Olympics, Athens has improved greatly and has become very easy for tourists to get around.
My favorite aspect of the city is visiting the many archaeological sites. This year the new Acropolis Museum opened. The museum holds nearly 4000 artifacts that were found on the site of the Acropolis. It is an unbelievable museum and sits close by to the Acropolis itself. It is a must see for any tourist or Greek.

The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 8am-8pm with the last admission at 7:30pm and the best part is that the museum's admission is only 1 Euro!
If you are ever in Greece, this is the first museum I suggest anyone visits - After climbing the Acropolis to see the 5th century BC Parthenon that is.

Acropolis Museum Website

Capri

Capri coastline

Faraglioni Rocks, Capri

This past weekend Jesse and I took a trip to Italy where we spent 4 days on the Amalfi Coast.  It was a beautiful get away and we are so thrilled we had the chance to get there.  During the program there are many planned weekend trips through UNO.  We decided to go on a search for cheap airfare and sure enough found it to Southern Italy.  We flew into Naples and spent 3 nights at a deluxe hostel in Sorrento.

My favorite part of the weekend was going to Capri Island.  I have never seen anything like it.  We took an easy 20 minute ferry ride from the port of Sorrento to get there.  Jesse and I explored the island (mostly by foot), swam and sunbathed under the towering Faraglioni rocks, and had a great meal.  Capri is wonderful but quite expensive.  I suggest you do what we did and stay in Sorrento and go on a day trip to the island.

Italy was a great little holiday.  We finally saw some of the sea after being locked in the middle of Europe in Prague.

So next time you are studying abroad make sure you search for cheap airfare and enjoy Europe!

Pompeii

Pompeii was a Roman city located near Naples in Italy. It was completely destroyed during the 79AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which covered the city in nearly 60 ft. of ash and pumice. Though the eruption caused total destruction of the city - it also preserved every aspect of the city - from the detailed frescoes on the buildings, to the furnishings and even jewelry of the city's inhabitants.

The city was rediscovered during excavations by the Spanish Military in 1748. Though only about 50% of the city has been fully excavated, it can take upward of 6 hours to see everything. When visiting the site, I suggest getting the audio tour and its accompanying map as it is relatively easy to get lost in the vastness of the space.

Reaching Pompeii is easy to do via the Circumvesuviana Napoli-Sorrento train line (the Pompei Scavi stop), which takes around 30-40 minutes from either Naples or Sorrento.

Visiting Pompeii:
Hours:
November - March, every day from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission 3.30 p.m.)
April - October, every day from 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. (last admission 6 p.m.)

Closed: 1st January, 1st May, 25th December

Tickets are valid for the full day and cost € 11.00

If you plan on visiting some of the other sites in the Bay of Naples, such as the Mt. Vesuvius National Park, and Herculaneum etc. It is definitely a good idea to get an ArteCard which will provide discounted entry fees.

I loved reading Pompeii: A Novel by Robert Harris. It is a fantastic blend of historical and fictional characters, set during the time of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

Széchenyi Baths: Budapest

Located in the northern part of the City Park - this bath complex contains one dozen thermal baths, three swimming pools, steam rooms and 'cabins' for rent. Each pool is a different temperature, ranging from cold, to medium, and then hot.
A pass for the day costs 3000 ft. and allows access to all areas.
Make sure to bring your own towel, or be prepared to pay extra to rent or buy one there. A lounge chair will also cost you: 500ft. for 3 hours, or 1000ft. for the whole day.

If you get tired of the baths, there is also a zoo, a park, and a funfair right outside.

Széchenyi Baths
Address: H-1146 Budapest, Állatkerti krt. 11.
Telephone: (36-1) 363-3210
Fax: (36-1) 363-3210/123

Černínský Palác

Černínský Palác

Černínský Palác, or Cernin Palace is the current home to Prague's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We were given a private tour which was a great opportunity since the building is not open to the public. Even if you cannot go inside, the building it definitely worth seeing, as it is Prague's largest baroque palace - the facade stretches 130m. Built in the 17th and 18th centuries for Count Černín's family, it remained a private residence for only a short while due to the family's financial instability. It was then occupied by French and Bavarian armies during the Austrian Succession war, and used as the SS headquarters from 1939 to 1945.

After the war, foreign minister Jan Masaryk lived in a flat on the top floor of the palace. On March 10, 1948 he was found dead in the courtyard below his window, and it is believed that he was defenestrated - but his murder has not been proven.

The bathroom window from which Jan Masaryk was defenestrated.

Every hour, a series of bells can be heard ringing to mark the time from the nearby bell tower.

The palace has gorgeous gardens, which we were also taken to see, a perfectly manicured lawn and two pools take up the space between the palace and the summer house.

The palace gardens and summer house.
View of the palace from the gardens

More Photos

Visit the Palace:
Not open to the public.
Map

Terezín

Today's rainy, miserable weather was quite appropriate for our day trip to Terezin Concentration Camp.  Terezin was a town built in the 1780s.  At the time the city was used as a fortress to protect Prague from northern invaders.  Ironically, during World War II this town became a ghetto and concentration camp where Hitler sent thousands of people.  The Nazis told the world that this town was built for the Jews and would protect them from the war.  Terezin was the only "show camp" in all of Europe. In order to cover up the concentration camp to the Red Cross, the Nazis spruced it up to look like a great place to be. 

On June 14, 1940 adults and children including notable leaders, writers, actors and other members of the elite began being sent to this town being told they were going to a spa town.  

Of the nearly 140,000 men, woman, and children who passed through Terezin, 34,000 died.  

Although today was quite depressing, it was a valuable experience to see a concentration camp in person.  It allowed me to really have a better understanding and a clearer picture in my head of what the Holocaust was really about.

Terezin is located about 1 hour outside of Prague.  If you are ever in Prague and want to take a day trip, I strongly suggest you visit this incredible memorial.

Terezin - The National Cemetary

Terezin - Small Fortress

Terezin - Small Fortress

Visiting hours: 

Open daily, all year around

November 1 - March 31: 8am-4:30pm

April 1 - October 31: 8am-6pm

Terezin Memorial, Principova alej 304

CZ-411 55 Terezin

More information at: www.pamatnik-terezin.cz

Valdštejnská Zahrada

Wallenstein Garden, Prague

Valdštejnská Zahrada, or the Wallenstein Palace Garden is the largest palace garden in Prague's Little Quarter. The garden was commissioned during the Thirty Years' War by Albrecht z Valdštejna. Renovated in the 1990's the garden features a large pond with a statue of Hercules in the center. The Palace was only briefly occupied by Valdštejna, and is now the seat of the Czech Senate. Peacocks roam the lawns, and statues built by Danish artist Adrian de Vries inspired by Greek mythology line the pathways. (The original statues were stolen by invading Swedish armies in 1648, and the replicas which stand there today were cast in the early 1900's.)
My favorite part of the garden, and definitely the most unique feature of the garden is wall of stalagmite-esque stucco drippings comprised of caves and holes. Hidden in the wall are also faces, and small carvings such as a frog and a snake. Built into the wall is a large aviary which is home to eagle owls, the larges bird in Europe. Our guide told us that the garden was in a Mannerist style, juxtaposing the natural with the un-natural.
To visit the garden:

The garden is free from April - October daily from 10am - 6pm. It is closed from November - March.
The garden can be easily accessed by taking the Malostranská stop on Metro line A.

Walking Tour of Prague

On our first afternoon here in beautiful Prague, we were lucky enough to go on a 2 hour walking tour with an absolutely wonderful tour guide, Milos.  We enjoyed Milos so much in that he did not take us to see the popular, touristy areas of Prague.  Instead, he allowed us to see some of the beauty of Prague that tourists usually don't get a chance to witness.

We began our walk in a park that was only minutes away from our dorm.  The park was filled with towering trees and perfectly cut grass.  Even though it was so close to the city, it felt as though we were in the quiet suburbs.

Continuing out of the park we walked into a charming little neighborhood known as the "New World".  The neighborhood was built in the mid 14th century and is made up of small, narrow streets lined with small colorful homes.  Years ago, castle workers lived in this neighborhood in order for them to be close to the castle.  Today, the area is quite expensive to live in and inhabited mostly by wealthy Czechs including famous writers and artists.  A bit further down from this neighborhood we were excited to see and take pictures of The Lennon Tribute Wall.

As we walked around we ended up outside of the Prague castle where there was the most breath-taking view of Prague.  This is what I had been waiting for!  The city did not suffer from much damage during World War II.  The buildings are mostly all in great condition.  Architecture in the city includes styles of Art-nouveau, Gothic, Baroque, as well as more modern structures.

Our tour continued down hilly streets from the castle to old town square where we finally ended up in one of my new favorite places, Valdstejn garden.  The garden is beautiful and includes many little paths, statues, and fountains that surround a large stunning pond.  It looked as though it was out of a movie.

I am so excited to be here and can't wait to share more soon.

Here are some pictures from the tour!

New World Neighborhood

View of Prague from the Castle Square

The Lennon Wall