So Much to Do, So Little Time

Today was by far the most exhausting day I've had in Paris since my arrival. We walked all day starting from 9:30am until 7pm. For breakfast, I ate a raspberry croissant from a popular bakery around the corner from my hotel. After that we went to the Louvre, where we walked through the surrounding garden. The weather was hot today, so it was so relaxing sitting beside the garden's water fountain. Our first stop was at the Orangerie, where we got to see Claude Monet's Water Lilies. My personal favorite was definitely the day version, since it had more colors and details.

As a quick snack we stopped by a macaroon shop, called Pierre Herme, afterwards. They had so many colorful and unique flavors, and I ended up getting the apricot and pistachio flavor and the lychee, rose and passion fruit flavor. Along the way we walked throughout the Palais Royal area, where we saw so many luxury department stores, like Chanel. My professor also introduced us to the oldest coffee shop in Paris where Coco Chanel used to go to. There, they have a very rare Indonesian coffee for the cheapest price, so I plan on trying that one of these days. 

Once we got free time the girls and I went back to the Louvre garden to grab some flower-shaped gelato. I treated myself to the grapefruit, passion fruit and cherry flavors. The highlight of my day was when we visited a carnival in the garden, which had several fun rides. Because the prices were so expensive, we decided to only pay 5 euros to go on the swing carousel, which was so much fun. From up there, we got to see a spectacular view of Paris and some of its most popular monuments, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. 

At 4:30 we had to visit our professor at the Moulin Rouge stadium, and from there we walked to Montemartre, which is the highest hill in Paris. It had the most beautiful view I've ever seen, and there, I got to see a skyscraper view of the city. All I could make out were thousands of white rooftop buildings. At the very top of the hill was a gorgeous bleach white church that was surrounded by many cute little shops. I had the chance to try a chocolate and banana crepe, which was my very last activity for the day. As much as I loved this area I was so exhausted by that time that I just wanted to go home. I wanted so badly to have enough energy to further explore the area. However, I unfortunately have to visit again another time when my schedule isn't so jam-packed. So far, I can safely say that I love Paris so much, and it definitely stole my heart more than London!

Scavenger Hunt

June 17th was my first day of classes at London College of Fashion (LCF) and I had so much fun. The course of the day was called, "Historical and Contemporary Fashion Research Studies," and it lasted the entire day. Our first class was split up into two sections, and it began with brief power point lectures about London, followed by a short activity. For the activity we got treated to samples of typical English snacks, like Twiglets, Jelly Babies and Jammie Dodgers. 

After the lectures and mini activity we were split up into groups of three to go on a scavenger hunt throughout the city. So far I love how interactive this class is, since it teaches us street smart and real life experiences, rather than just sticking to lectures and readings. We had the opportunity to be adventurous and visit places we've never seen before. Our very first task was to cross the Waterloo Bridge, where we ended up at Southbank Centre. There, we saw so many exciting things, like two giant slides, a hang gliding ride, a skate park filled with colorful graffiti and much more. 

After that we continued on to our next destination, which was Covent Garden. Covent Garden is probably my favorite place I've visited so far, since the architecture was so cute and old fashioned. We stopped by so many little shops with interesting window displays, like Venchi, Whittard and Paperchase. My group tried almost all of the tea samples at a teashop called Whittard. Then I bought a delicious cone of cappuccino and stracciatella gelato at a dessert shop called Venchi. At the end of our exploration we walked back to campus, where LCF treated us with a refreshing cup of champagne. Overall, the day was so fulfilling and I'm so glad that I got to see new parts of London that I haven't seen before.

 

Day One in London

It's day one in London, and my homesickness has already eased. Right when I got off my flight I saw a familiar face and realized that another girl from my program had taken the same flight as me. By coincidence, a second girl from my program had landed near the same time as us, so we all decided to split a cab to our flat. I was beyond relieved that I never got lost nor had to lug my huge suitcase around town in attempt to find my flat by myself. Right when I walked into our flat I knew that this journey was worth it. Our kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms were more than what I expected. We were so lucky to have been supplied with so many amenities, like toilet paper, cooking utensils, appliances, hangers and bedding. I was in awe with how extremely clean and chic everything was. Even when I walked into my bedroom, I saw an FIE tote bag filled with mini traveling brochures and books to guide me throughout my stay.

Immediately after we arrived, we decided to take a quick stroll throughout town to familiarize ourselves with the area, buy some last-minute toiletries and grab a small brunch. This affluent area is so quaint and beautiful. Like our flat, the rest of the neighborhood was extremely clean and safe. There were so many pretty and petite white buildings, vintage-styled cabs and various bushes of flowers and greenery. Our very first meal in London was at Cote Bistro, where we each ordered salad. After that we went back to the flat to unpack our luggage and freshen up. We all ended up having dinner at Da Mario, which happens to be one of Princess Diana's favorite restaurants. I treated myself to shrimp, wine and canolli, and I definitely want to revisit this place again before I leave to try another new dish. My first day in London was definitely fulfilling, and now I can't wait to sleep in my comfortable bed and slowly wash away my jet lag.

The Charles Bridge

The time has finally come- this week marks my last few days in Prague! Our program officially ended about three weeks ago, but those weeks and even the past two months have absolutely flown by. I'm exceptionally grateful to have had to opportunity to travel beyond the borders of the Czech Republic to Rome, Budapest, Berlin, and Vienna just this past weekend. I've hosted several friends and been able to play tour guide, testing the knowledge I've obtained over my classes this summer. I think my architecture instructor would be proud of the way I can rattle off hallmarks of the Art Nouveau style as exhibited in Prague architecture. That being said, I'm ready to move on to my next adventure, one that will take me to Amsterdam, Paris, and London! Before I leave I'll have three days to show my friend, who I will be travelling with, highlights of the city, and our first stop will likely be the Charles Bridge.

The Charles Bridge is one of Prague's most iconic structures. The bridge was initiated by King Charles IV to replace a previous bridge that was destroyed when the Vltava River flooded. Crossing the bridge will take you from just outside of Old Town over the river to Mala Strana, or Lesser Town. The bridge was originally designed in the Gothic style, elements of which can be seen in the three towers that rise up at either end. The 30 statues that now decorate the sides of the bridge are all replicas that have replaced the damaged originals.

The bridge is a magnet for tourists and therefore a magnet for vendors. The artists and street performers you'll find there all have a document on display that serves as permits, and the Charles Bridge Artists Association is a "civic non-profit organization" that works to "preserve Charles Bridge's traditional atmosphere of an open-air gallery."

The bridge is crowded most hours of the day, and even if you visit the bridge in the early hours of the morning you'll find a choice few wandering across the stones. My favorite time to go, mostly for the sake of photographs, is just before the sunset. The crowds have usually dwindled and the light is stunning.

I won't miss the hoards of tourists who wander into my frames, bump into my shoulder, or stop abruptly to take pose-y vacation photos, but maybe once I'm gone those aspects will fall to wayside and I'll miss the historic atmosphere and old-world charm.

Letná Park

One of our favorite places in Prague to visit as a group was Letná Park at sunset, where a lot of the younger locals would hang out. The spectacular views one can witness from the park is certainly no secret, but I have found it to be devoid of the tourist raucous one would encounter at a place like Petřín Tower. Letná Park (in Czech Letenské sady) is situated on an embankment high above the Vltava River. It was on this concrete pedestal that a monumental statue to Joseph Stalin was erected in 1955 and then destroyed in 1962. In its place sits a giant functioning metronome, and during the day one can watch it go back and forth from as far away as Old Town Square. The metronome is supposed to symbolize positive progress in the Czech Republic after the fall of communism and is representative of a bright future. Now the park is a popular place for skateboarders, break-dancers, and it is even used as a concert venue.


 Last week I was lucky enough to find the metronome working at night! There was a giant tent set up not too far away in the park, so it's likely the metronome was turned on in for an event.

From the edge of the plinth you can look straight down Parizka (Paris Street) and see Old Town Square...

...not to mention Charles Bridge and Petřín Hill way in the back! The view is absolutely unparalleled.

In Berlin!

Last weekend I had a difficult decision to make: Florence or Berlin? I had originally been invited to visit Florence with some students who planned to make their way across Italy, France, and end in Barcelona. I've aspired to see Florence for years, but when a different group of friends invited me to go with them to Berlin, I had to reconsider my options. I had already spent a wonderful weekend in Rome, and the likelihood that I would be able to come back to Germany any time soon is rather slim. So one 5-hour bus ride later, I was on my way to Berlin!

In front of the Brandenburg Gate in Pariser Platz

I met my friends at the hostel on Sunday, but our tourist itinerary wasn't set into motion until early Monday. We downloaded a self-guided walking tour of Mitte, the historical district, from the Berlin TripAdvisor app which I would absolutely recommend! In one afternoon we saw Pariser Platz, the Reichstag parliament building, the Holocaust memorial, Treptower Park, Tiergarten, and Berliner Dom.

Under the architrave of the Reichstag is enscribed "Dem Deustchen Volke," which means "To the German people." We also registered to visit the Reichstag Dome, a large glass done that gives one a 360-degree view of central Berlin, but I registered for the wrong day!

The Holocaust Memorial consists of over 2,700 concrete slabs on a sloping ground. Our guide noted that it appropriately gave "an uneasy sense of order." The ground slopes in such a way that towards the center of the monument, stelae that once were short enough to sit on tower over you and encapsulate you in their massive gray shadows.

On Tuesday we spent a relaxing morning exploring our neighborhood. Our hostel was in the middle of Kreuzberg-Fredrichschain, which is packed with cool restaurants, quaint bars, and a handful of edgy, independently owned shops. Just across the river was the East Side Gallery where artists had been commissioned to decorate the remains of the Berlin Wall. 

Our second day of fervent tourism was capped off with a visit to Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall Museum. Checkpoint Charlie, which refers to the phonetic alphabet used by the U.S. military, was the most trafficked point between East and West Berlin while the wall was still standing. The Berlin Wall museum had a strange and rather unofficial set-up, but my friend pointed out a sign that noted the museum was opened shortly after the wall was erected as a monument to human rights. The museum holds tons of newspaper articles highlighting the series of political events that led to the construction of the wall, stories of people who escaped both successfully, and those who were persecuted when they tried to escape. The resourcefulness of certain individuals was both amusing and frightening, and some people went to great measures to escape from their walled-in capital. One of my favorite contraptions was a hot air balloon that two families flew over the wall in the middle of the night.

Berlin, you were both beautiful and intriguing, and I am counting the days until I get to see you again!

Buda + Pest

While I won't be venturing back to the States until mid-September, most of the other friends I've made on this program will have left to go home as soon by the time this post goes up. Taking advantage of Prague's central location during our last weekend on the program, several groups of us took the opportunity to travel to Budapest, Hungary!

As silly as it sounds, three different groups of students traveled separately and each with a different itinerary to the same city...on the same weekend. Three students flew out of Prague shortly after our classes ended on Friday and spent the weekend at a giant music festival held in on of Budapest's thermal bath complexes. A second group rented a couple of cars and drove across several nation's borders. Finally, favoring the least expensive option, a friend and myself booked two tickets for a night train that left Prague at midnight on Friday. When we woke up on Saturday morning, we were in Budapest!

The most advantageous part of taking the night train was that we awoke well-rested, ready to explore a new city, and we didn't have to pay for an extra night in a hostel. Our accommodations were in a rather central location just off of Andrassy Avenue, so after dropping of our bags we walked down to Heroes Square and the art museum (which is featured in the first picture of this post!). We escaped the overwhelming heat that plagued Budapest that weekend in the art museum, and then we mustered up the courage to explore City Park. The park is home to Vajdahunyad Castle, a zoo, a transportation museum, and the Széchenyi Thermal Baths.

Later that night we explored the nightlight on Margaret Island, which is located in the middle of the Danube River. The river used to divide what is now Budapest into two separate cities, Buda and Pest, until they were united by the Chain Bridge. 

The next day's weather was just as sweltering, so we ended up abandoning our original plans to explore Buda Castle and parliament. Instead we strolled through the shopping district, sat in the shade in parks along the river, and walked through one of the many markets that were being held in the city on that weekend. The highlight of our trip? The Kürtőskalác! Known as a Trdelník in the Czech Republic, this desert of Hungarian origin is is a thin pastry whose dough is wrapped around a cylinder, baked, and then sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon. 

Two days was not nearly enough time to explore Budapest or to eat as many kürtőskalác as I would have liked, but this is just an excuse to pay the city another visit! Next up for me? Relocating to my new apartment in Prague, then another excursion to Berlin!

St. Nicholas Church

Prague is home to 3 different churches of St. Nicholas, the largest of which is found in Lesser Town Square (Malostranské náměstí). During our second week of classes, we had the privilege of having our architecture lecture conducted in the nave of this very church!

It is important to note that while St. Nicholas in Mala Strana is a cathedral, its counterpart in Old Town Square is merely a church. The differentiation between these two places of worship lies in their most basic structure. A cathedral plan has very specific characteristics, including a central nave with flanking aisles, a transept, crossing, and choir. 

Entrance to the church is free, but in order to walk through the aisles that surround the nave you have to purchase a ticket. When we registered for our classes we payed a fee that was meant to cover the costs for most of our class excursions, so when we arrived our tickets had already been purchased and set aside for us. I, along with most of the other students in the architecture course, agreed that the trips we took during our class time were the highlight of our study abroad classroom experience. Carol, our instructor, has been teaching this summer course for 13 years and even studied at Charles University in Prague when she was a graduate student. Instead of spending most sessions in the classroom building, we had the opportunity to walk around the city and visit monuments that were both popular tourist attractions and culturally significant.

Our tickets granted us access to the upper gallery where one gets an incomparable view of the ornate interior of Prague's most substantial baroque building. The baroque period was characterized by an almost chaotic utilization of ornamentation with gilded ceiling, dynamic statuary and trompe l'oeil ceiling paintings. After exploring the church we sat in the pews and sketched the interior for 10 minutes for an assignment that was to capture elements of the building that we felt best characterized its baroque style.

This trip ended up being especially beneficial for my other class, a special topics photography course where I took my favorite shot of the term. Check out our classroom's blog that we've kept updated with our weekly assignments over at People & Places: Prague.

When in Trastavere...

Anyone who knows me can vouch that I have been dreaming of traveling to Italy for years. This past weekend, while most of the American students in Prague took a train ride to Vienna, Sam and I made a tiny detour...to Rome!

Our apartment ended up being located in what was touted as the perfect neighborhood, Trastavere. Trastavere is on the southwest side of the Tiber River, below Vatican City, and it consists of several universities and an eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, shops, churches, cafes, and local Roman residents.

On our first night we found an aperitif bar that was just around the corner. At L'aperitivo, one pays around 8 euros for an aperitif, or an alcoholic drink that is normally consumed before one's meal. Then, with the show of your receipt, you have access to a delicious and variant antipasto buffet. Freni e Frizioni was apparently appeared to be the most favored bar in the neighborhood, with groups of younger local patrons and tourists alike spilling out of the small locale and into the square along the main street.

Despite being intrigued by the nightlife that was peaking all around us, we collapsed in our beds soon after dinner, weary from our day of traveling, and woke up early the next morning when our tourist endeavors ensued!

The Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Sistine Chapel - we saw it all. The fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome, and the Pantheon is extremely well preserved and has been in used consistently since its construction. Sam was an awesome tour guide and, having been to Rome before, she managed to map out some pretty efficient routes. Over the course of just less than 3 full days we were able to witness a striking collection of some of the most significant remaining architectural and historical structures that are still standing today. Watching slides of the Pantheon flash before your eyes during an Architectecture & Society lecture more than pales in comparison to seeing these structures in person.

What struck me the most about Rome is how condensed the city way. The historic center especially has several monuments packed into such a small area, with modern building having sprung up around every corner. I can only imagine living and working in a city where you pass the Fontana di Trevi every morning when you ride your moped to work.

And on our way to the airport on Sunday, only minutes before we caught the Metro to Termini Station, we stopped to take in the Spanish Steps at the Piazza di Spagna.