So, I am a few days back from Istanbul and finally have shaken off my jetlag from the 13+ hour flight. I wanted to wait until I got back so I made sure my blog post included eeeverything! To begin, I (of course) had the time of my life and am already missing Istanbul and Turkey so so so much. Not to sound like a travel brochure, but the people and the city are so..exotic. So cultured and so..well, beautiful. The country is over 95% Muslim but secular, which offers so much cultural range. Turkey is also nestled right inbetween Europe and Asia, which leads to a melting pot of both cultures. Istanbul is actually divided by the Bosphorus into the “European” side and the “Asian” side. But enough with the facts, let’s talk about the fun things.

First and foremost — THE FOOD!! Although I am not one for meat, I could not pass up trying a fresh fish sandwich or a donor kabob. Both were sold for about 2 lira or about $1.20 — perfect! The desserts were also MORE than decadant. Turkish Delights, of course, dominated most of my diet. You could buy a huge piece of tiramisu or a small cake for about 4 lira ($2.40). I only saw regular ice cream about once or twice, but “dondurma” was EVERYWHERE! Dondurma is a very very stick ice cream, one that I can only guess is made from the combination of marshmallows and cream. The juice and tea was to die for too. Black tea is sold everywhere for about 60 cents. On boats, on street corners, in every single shop. I’ve had everyone from owners of a shoe store to people on the street offer me a cup of tea. And if a Turkish person offers you a cup of tea, you absolutely cannot turn them down. The best way to describe it is an offer to sit and drink tea is like them sending you a Facebook friend request. There is also fresh juice everywhere you go! On every corner, there is a juice stand. I got very spoiled starting my days with fresh squeezed orange or apple juice.

 Black tea in the traditional “tulip cup” — perfect after our long hike!

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fish sandwich with fried doughnuts

Tiramisu!

Dondurma!

The travel is also something that definitely made an impact. First and foremost, Istanbul has about 16 million people. I didn’t believe it when I went over there but as soon as I left the airport, I had no doubt in my mind. 16 million people and two sides of a city divided by a river with only 2 bridges and ferries to get across definitely poses…a problem. We only took the bridge twice, on our way from and to the airport. Every other time we took the ferry. The ferry itself was wonderful and I never got tired of taking it! But to get to the ferry was also a challenge. Yeditepe University was on the outskirts of town (this is the last year they are having the program there) so to get to the ferry we had to take about an hourlong public (very very crowded) bus ride. We were on the Asian side and not a whole lot goes on there, so almost everyday included a trip to the European/main side.

 

View from the ferry

And finally, I have to talk about THE SITES! From taking a weekend trip to Ephesus and Kusadasi, to the mosques and Hagia Sophia, to the Tokapi palace and everything inbetween, it was breath-taking. The city is on a foundation of so much history that there are still things I want to go back and see. Taking a Turkish bath in a 300-year-old bath house was definitely a highlight of the trip as was being let in to the Catholic churches by local monks. I cannot describe in words the beauty, so I will let the pictures.

 

View of the city from Tokapi Palace

Kusadasi

 Archeology Museum

Ephesus

Acropolis of Pergamum

View from top of Princes’ Islands

 Overall, the trip was incredible. I will go back to Istanbul. I think it needs to be on top of everyone’s lsit of must see places. Istanbul still has my heart and will always be a bittersweet but wonderful memory.

xoxo,

Irma

The last couple weeks, I have been fortunate enough to enjoy the fascinating city that is Berlin, Germany. Many recommend studying abroad, and for good reasons. I can now say that having the opportunity to live and learn in a foreign country has convinced me to advocate that everyone look at their chances of going abroad. I have had the time of my life the last several weeks while here, and I hope that discussing the study abroad experience a bit will give people a better idea of what studying abroad entails and how great of an experience you can make it!

In regards to advice for prospective study abroad students, I have a few things to emphasize:

1. Be open. When you travel to another country, you will be immersed in another culture that often does things differently than what we’ve become accustomed to. I have learned much about what is and isn’t socially accepted in Germany, from social norms to different laws. This is part of what makes studying abroad so fascinating, and something I very much enjoy. If you are able to study abroad, do so with an open mind on all fronts, so that you can acclimate yourself much quicker and fully appreciate the culture you are in.

2. Be safe. Different countries have different security concerns, and the most efficient way to avoid trouble is common sense. Always travel with groups (preferably 3 or more) and be aware of your surroundings. Be conscious of the situation you are in, and never take personal security for granted.

3. Be prepared. Studying up on what to expect in each culture and the general history of the nation you will be in always helps. Each nation has a few things that they do differently, and often the downside of not being aware of such differences can result in you being ripped off in one way or another. Having a familiarity with the language always helps, and understand that you’ll have to be flexible to get by on a day-to-day basis.

4. Have a basic plan. It is important that you have an idea about what you wish to do while you’re there. Doing preliminary research helps in this as well. When I travel places, I have a few things in mind that I’d like to do/see. However, don’t plan too much. Often, the most fun is when you get a bit lost or do something off the beaten path and you end up in a unique place that you didn’t expect. I’ve found that knowing some places I’d like to go and being flexible on how to get there is a great recipe for success. Planning everything will give you a better chance of accomplishing each thing you wished to, but being adventurous and just “winging it” appeals to me.

5. Pack smart (light). Taking too many things with you is cumbersome and unnecessary. For a month in Berlin, I packed a backpack and a small carry-on bag. I believe it was a total of 30 pounds of things, which is pretty light. You will likely have opportunities to do laundry, so packing lots of clothes is pointless. Plus, you will probably want to bring back a few souvenirs, so allowing for some extra space in your bag would be smart.

My time in Berlin has been a wonderful experience. I have been to countless museums and historical sights, many relevant to the Nazi era and division of Berlin that has been so impactful the last half-century. I have found that looking into the history of such regimes as the Nazis and Soviets (when they controlled East Berlin) has taught me a great deal about what I value as an individual. Each day something unexpected occurs, and I welcome it with open arms. The weather has been mild, the people have been warm, and the culture has been fascinating. Berlin is said by many to be the “new New York City” and after spending time here, I agree whole-heartedly. The German economy is booming, and as a business major, I see the advantages of familiarizing myself with the nation because of its importance to the global economy.

Hopefully, this has been useful to those who are contemplating studying abroad. No matter where you think about going, the 5 suggestions above apply. Regardless of what your focus is, I would highly recommend studying abroad to anyone who is interested and I hope many others will be able to have as great of an experience as I’m having!

I had debated on whether or not to even visit Belgium with so little time left. I feared that it would be so much like the Netherlands that it would be just like paying for a hostel to stay in the same country in which I had an apartment. I decided to go ahead for 3 days and now I’m really glad I did.

Brussels
My first stop was Brussels, which is only 2 hours and 23 euros away from Den Haag Holland Spoor. My little research had told me that there was a large, daily flea market called Place de Jeu de Balle in the city until 2 PM every day, so that was my first stop. It was a nice, big market with all sorts of old junk and maybe some treasures. Plus, the surrounding neighborhood is full of antique and vintage shops. Worth checking out if you are there before 2 PM. Next was the Gran Place, which is a very bland name for a big square where the market used to take place. Of course, packed with tourists and commercial chocolate shops. I didn’t stay long. I spent most of the day walking around the city center, which is surprisingly compact and easy to navigate, and eating chocolates and waffles as I came across them.

There are two types of Belgian waffles- the Leige and the Brussels. Leige is sweet, handheld street food that can be topped with various syrups and spreads. The Brussels is usually a more sit-down affair, not sweet in itself but topped with different kinds of sugar, butter, and fruits. Both delicious and worth your time.

Brussels impressed me as elegant and clean. Be aware that, although I think it is in Flemish territory, nearly everyone here speaks French and usually some English. Also, the prices are pretty high, so even though it is cheap to get to Belgium, you can probably expect to spend the same as many other trips. Shopping around a bit for food can bring down your costs, though.

I would also recommend a bar called Delirium. It is near the Gran Place, but you should look it up or plan on asking around to find it- it’s a little hidden. Beer is a big deal in Belgium, and this place stocks over 2,000, so it makes for a fun Belgian experience.

Brugge
The evening after exploring Brussels I headed to Brugge, an hour away, to check out that small town and because I found a hostel that was half the price of anything Brussels had to offer. Apparently this town wasn’t modified much between 1500 and 1900, so it has a really authentic feel. It is small enough to get a feel for in a day and you can easily see all of the sights in 1 or 2 days.
For me, this place was like a mini-Prague because of the way the entire town was like a single old relic. It was fun just to walk around in the back streets and get lost, since the place is so small and surrounded by a ring of canals. A note: They are speaking Flemish here, so any Dutch will help and their English is good, too.

Gent
Gent is between Brugge and Brussels, so I stopped there on my way back to the Netherlands via Brussels. It’s size is also between the two other cities and I think it is less touristic than either. While it has been modified somewhat more than Brugge, it still has a 12th century castle and at least 4 or 5 huge old grand churches. I was only there for about 6 hours, but it was enough time to walk around and look at the major sights and have a meal. If you want to do some more mainstream shopping, I think Gent is the place to be, since it has a good sized shopping street.

In the end, my Belgium trip ended up being a spectrum. Brussels is large, developed, multi-cultural and majestic. Brugge is tiny, quaint, medieval, and feels homey. Gent sits in the middle, with plenty of the old mixed in with some of the new and enough size to get lost but small enough to still walk the whole city. Belgian prices are similar to Dutch ones and the people may speak a similar language, but this place is definitely worth visiting if you have a weekend with no plans.

Still with my mother, we started off for 8 days in Portugal after a brief break in Den Haag. Based on recommendations and flight availability, we would be spending our time in 3 cities all along the west coast- Porto in the north, Lisbon for a day in the center, and then 3 nights in Lagos in the very south.

Porto

One of my friends from exchange had visited Porto and highly recommended it, as well as gave me her map marked up with places to eat, drink, and shop. The city is the home of Port wine- a strong and sweet liquor aged a little bit like bourbon, so it has 18 port houses, most of which offer a generous free tasting and tour. The city is very old and has some of its historic relics sprinkled throughout. It is also very hilly and makes for a hard hike with luggage over cobblestone streets. A river splits the city into 2 parts, but it is still welded together by 5 or 6 bridges.

The local dish is called franceshina, which is best described as a modified hot-brown sandwich (wasn’t that invented in Louisville?) and of course lots of port wine. We later learned that green wine comes from this region of the country, but we didn’t hear about it at all in Porto.
Again on a tip, we took a day trip to Aveiro, a better beach town about an hour south by train. It also has some wide canals and for only 5 euro you can get a tour, but no Venetian serenade. If you want some flatter walking and a nice beach, I would recommend Aveiro if you have time. We spent 3 nights in the city and were able to do everything we wanted to, but I think we could have easily hung around a day or two longer just looking around.

Lisbon

The train ride from Porto was about 3.5 hours, so travel took the better part of the day. By the time we checked into our hostel, it was time to search for dinner and hit the sack. Lisbon has a very modern feel compared to Porto, which was a little run-down (in a charming, vintage way). I think Lisbon is to Portugal as Milan is to Italy- more progressive, business focused, paved. Bacaulhao is another Portuguese dish that we tried here. I think it is just cod fish prepared in various ways. Paella is another one that I had, but I’m not sure if it was the traditional version. Rice and seafood are always involved, but mine was creamy, like a really thick gumbo. Delicious.

With only 24 hours or so in Lisbon, we took an open air bus tour around the city to check out its sights. It is a tourist-friendly place with pedestrianized shopping areas, monuments well preserved and some nice parks. One area of interest is called Belem, where a maritime museum, cultural center, and monastery all sit on the river. If you make it down there, ask around for a place to get a Pasteis de Belem- it’s a little like a crème brulee with a crust and is worth a try with some coffee.

A friend told me there wasn’t anything worth doing in Lisbon, so I didn’t book much time there. I wish I had stayed a bit longer to get a feel for the place. I did learn, to my regret, that there are bullfights on Sunday and Thursday nights. We were there on Wednesday. Portuguese bullfighting is different than the Spanish, as the bull isn’t killed. I think that Sunday and Thursday are the set nights, so plan accordingly if you want to experience that.

Lagos

Lagos is a beach city that you may have unknowingly seen pictures of before. It has brilliant blue water and huge rock outcrops in the ocean. For us, the weather was perfect- 85 or so during the day and 70 at night. If you want a place to hang out on the beach- head here. The seafood is cheap (like the rest of Portugal), the sun is shining and there are quite a few opportunities to have fun. We took a boat tour along the rocky coast and through some of the rock arches for about 40 minutes for 10 euro apiece. I also got to have a full day of surfing lessons for 55 euro. There were sea kayakers and snorkelers along with cliff jumpers and those just lying on the beach.
I ate great seafood, besides the grilled sardines, every night and the sangria flowed freely (well, cheaply) every afternoon. This is the kind of place to have long afternoon siestas, get sunburned, and then go out for drinks with the rest of the tourists (of which there were plenty, but not too many) at night. No museums or grand churches, but still a great time.

Mom and I really enjoyed Portugal. For me, the fine weather and fresh seafood were a big plus, so season may be a factor to think about to travel here. Also, everything was pretty inexpensive (a return to Averio was 9.20) so it was a good place for us to pick up souvenirs. Besides the Port wine, I don’t think that we encountered anything of international fame, but the local dishes, activities, and people provided us with a very relaxing week.

A note on the people: They are friendly and helpful, but don’t count on English, especially when you try the restaurant that the boat driver recommends. We got on fine, but there was plenty of pointing at menus and simplifying vocabulary.

I think Prague has been the most talked about destination that I’d never heard about a year ago. Over a dozen exchange students went on their spring break and I’ve constantly heard that it is the prettiest city, most quaint, etc. etc. so I decided it would be a place worth checking out. I was to meet my mother there, and she would travel with me for the next 2 weeks or so. We had 3 and a half days in Prague, so I told her to put together an itinerary (she went out and bought an entire book).

What people said was true- Prague is really majestic and beautiful. A castle looms over the whole city, which is made up of tiled roof homes, and a river splits it into two parts, each one with an old market square and plenty of churches, cobblestones, and statues.

On the other hand, thousands of other people had heard the same good things about Prague. Every attraction was full to the point of annoyance. We finally got away from the crowds when we did some day trips, but the city itself was covered with tourists ( I can’t complain too much, I am one).

We saw a castle a day on each of our full days, per Mom’s plan. She kept saying that she felt like she was in Disneyworld, and I guess I can’t argue that. The huge pastel colored buildings lining narrow streets with horse-drawn carriages on them while the sun goes down behind a castle is a pretty cool thing to experience. For us, this was a sight-seeing place, not one to just walk around and hang out in, but it was perfect for the amount of time we were there.

On the advice of a friend who told me Stockholm had been a “surprise favorite” for some of her other friends and my experience in Copenhagen, I decided to go on up to Stockholm for 4 days as the next stop on my trip. Stockholm Skvasta, where the budget airlines fly, is a solid 1.5 hour bus ride outside of the city, if any readers are considering that trip.

Stockholm is built on 14 islands and is close enough to the arctic circle to have around 18 hours of light a day in the summer. That alone made it an interesting place. I went out one night at 11:30 and it was dusk, and by 4 AM, you wouldn’t need your headlights anymore.
One of my major trips was Drottningholm Palace, 45 minutes or so from the city and called the Versailles of the North. It holds true to that name. The massive yellow palace sits on a huge lake and has finely manicured gardens for acres out behind it. If you are in Stockholm, I would really recommend this stop.

My hostel was on Sodermalm Island, which is the hip, young island with lots of independent shops and some flagship stores for brands making their way to the States. Accordingly, it was full of coffee shops and H&Ms (which is a Swedish brand). The Swedes have been called the most image-conscious people in the world, and the most beautiful (I was told that by a Danish woman). They are all really stylized from head to toe, so people watching gets more interesting up here.

Sweden runs on the kroner currency, so it was again difficult to figure what I was really paying for everything, but it was a little high to eat out and go for a drink. A little cooking pasta in the hostel will even everything out, though. Although rain and time kept me from most of it, there are a lot of fun, active things to do in this city, from kayaking the coast to rooftop hiking through the old town, which is one of the older preserved city centers in Europe, I believe.

I really liked Stockholm and Copenhagen. They have a lot different feel than other parts of Europe, the same way the Mediterranean countries do. Nobody talks much about Northern Europe, but I will definitely tell anyone that asks that a full tour of Europe isn’t complete without getting into the Scandinavian area- but don’t try it in the winter!

After a long delayed flight, I made it into Berlin at half past midnight. I’d called the hostel and asked for some advice, and they told me the trains should still run until 1. I made it within 1 connection to my hostel stop before I encountered locked doors at the train station I wanted to be inside. That left me with a hike with my 30+ pound pack through the city at 1:30. Needless to say, I slept late the next day.
A few people told me that Berlin was their favorite city, and I know one guy who has been at least 3 times during his study abroad. My hopes were high for a city with so much history. Unfortunately, my hostel map was about 8X6 inches, they didn’t know where I could get a better one, and the Berlin tourist information website was crashed. That left me with very little idea of what to see or where to go. I did make it to the Berlin Wall remnants, which ended up being my favorite sight of the whole city.

By the end of my 4.5 days in Berlin, I realized that I had probably approached the city all wrong, because it was different than most of the others I’d visited. With over 3 million residents, the city is not walkable. It doesn’t have a real center to see all of the major sights, so I ended up walking miles a day just to see a couple of things. I didn’t particularly get into most of the attractions, either. Alexanderplatz, which is ranked high on many lists, is a TV tower with an expensive (11 Euro?) panoramic view. The bottom line is that, for me, Berlin wasn’t a sight-seeing city, but one with a cool atmosphere. It has an anything-goes attitude and lots of young people and immigrants and the mixed culture that comes with them.

This is one city that I think would be better to do with friends (they are called the electronic music capital and have ample clubs) or with a local or someone who knew the place. I can recommend Kreuzberg as a city district that is eclectic and exciting, but I don’t recommend trying to tackle this entire sprawling metropolitan on foot without a plan- you’ll just end up dead tired and ready to leave.