I've been home for over a week now. 9 days, to be exact. Its been kind of weird, though the weirdest has to be when I stepped onto the campus of KU last Tuesday. Being home has made me realize just how different Europe is from home. I've had tons of time to reflect on what I've learned and experienced these past six months. To start off with, here are a few things I've learned in general.
1. Doner kebab places are everywhere. No, but really.
2. English students fit the stereotype of American students travelling through Europe.
3. English students party like the world is going to end. Every single day. Thus resulting in number 2.
4. In Europe, you can wear tights with anything, no matter the weather.
5. The scariest thing when walking the streets is being mugged, not being killed.
6. Every country has its own twist on just about everything. Wine, beer, music, architecture, food, dancing, rules...you name it.
7. Just about everything people tell you to expect from Europe is pretty dead wrong.
8. If you aren't in a touristy area of the UK, American accents cause a wide range of interesting responses, including, but not limited to, weird looks, extreme excitement, and general confusion.
9. People walk everywhere. And if they aren't walking, they're taking public transport.
10. Getting around without a car is a breeze. Between planes, trains, buses, and even ferries, there's always a way to get where you need without forking over a ridiculous amount of money.
11. In every city there are pigeons.
12. In every city there are those crazy people selling things no one wants.
13. Tax is included in everything. (And boy do I miss it.)
14. Due to a different view on alcohol, people my age go out to a pub, have a drink or two, and just relax and talk with friends. Its a beautiful concept I wish more college students in the states participated in.
15. You work to live. You don't live to work. Even in school.
16. Because its so inexpensive and easy to travel to other places and see other cultures, Europeans seem to have a wider perspective on the world.
17. Just because you know same language doesn't mean you speak the same language.
18. Its possible to turn a building into something completely different. Churches can become clubs.
19. Europeans think we all have guns. And that all us college kids get completely drunk all the time. Oh, and we all eat PB&J and Lucky Charms.
20. Things come in smaller sizes. Buildings, food portions, grocery stores, the number toilet paper rolls packaged together.
Being home has also made me realize just how different things are between the states and the Europe. People do things different and have different ways of thinking about things. As I've been adjusting back to life in the states, I've began to realize that I kind of like the way Europeans do a lot of things more. I love being able to walk everywhere. In Leeds I walked to campus, the gym, stores, and restaurants. The city was set up so walking was easy. And even though Leeds isn't huge, if you didn't feel like walking, the bus can get you just about anywhere for cheap. At least where I live, walking to and from the grocery store would be ridiculous. Its quite a distance and there isn't a good, safe way to walk back home. I also loved that I felt completely safe walking through a city with my bag of groceries. I was never afraid someone was going to come up with a gun and threaten to shoot me if I don't give them all my stuff. On my walks through cities like Bologna, Athens and Nice, people sat outside at lovely sidewalk cafes. Others were resting in their house with the windows or balcony doors ajar to allow the fresh air to glide into their house. It was lovely. I also loved the idea of little, family-owned shops that you walk into for a sandwich or snack freshly prepared right in front of you.
But not everything is better. For example, everywhere I went in mainland Europe charged you for water at a restaurant. There was no tap water, only bottled. I also desperately craved a real burger (real meaning they don't cook it all the way through and Mexican food (the lack of this ethnicity was completely mind boggling. I also really missed skyscrapers. Most European cities, since they are so old, lack large and extensive amounts of skyscrapers. In Paris, there is even a height limit on buildings. Growing up in the states, a city, to me, include a great number of towering structures.
I've come to the realization that I absolutely want to live in a city. Travelling to so many different cities has allowed me to set some standards to where I want to live. Here are my rules:
1. It must have a metro. I quite like metros. They're easy, cheap ways to get around a city, not to mention eco-friendly.
2. I'd prefer a city with a river. They are beautiful and add character and an extra something to cities.
3. I want to be able to be somewhere that is scooter-friendly.
4. I want to live somewhere with character. It has to have its own something that makes it unique and not just another city.
5. I have to love the architecture. A few places I visited had bland architecture, or lacked uniqueness in its buildings. Being someone who, at this point, has been brainwashed to analyze just about every building I see, I'm not sure I could handle living somewhere that architecturally doesn't impress me.
6. The food has to be good. (Pastry shops are a plus, too.)
I feel like I could talk about this experience forever. Its been one that has completely changed my life and opened up my eyes to so many new and different things. Its altered my opinion on so many issues, changed the direction I plan to move forward in during my life, and allowed me to better understand so many things in my global world. I now have this passion and desire to go out and learn all that I can about so many difference types of people. I want to know all about how people live, how they think, how they dream. And now that I've travelled like this once, I know I won't, and can't, stop. I will continue to explore and discover.
And now I feel like I'm rambling because I know the minute I hit the publish post button its over. But the next adventure will begin. And I look forward to making it completely amazing. And sharing it with all of you.
A whole new me,
Jessica
Monday, June 13, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Paris Holds the Key to My Heart
So Friday around 8 I headed to Parkinson steps to meet for my last Don't be a Tourist trip to PARIS! So we boarded the bus and headed to Dover to cross the English Channel on a ferry. We got into Dover around 2 am. At this moment I had at very little sleep. It was an interesting hour and half ferry ride, mostly full of sleep deprived walking about. We finally made it to France, I hopped back on the bus, and got a bit of sleep. Around 9:30 we arrived in Paris. We got in, checked into the hostel, and went straight to a pastry shop to get a bit of deliciousness. It then off onto the Metro to catch our first walking tour. We first toured around one of the richest neighborhoods in the city, seeing the opera and the jewellery street (the most expensive street in the city). We also made a stop at the place where they showed the first motion picture. Apparently the first motion picture was of a train pulling into the station. The people sat down, the show started, and as the train began to move at them, they all freaked out and ran out of the theatre.
After our tour, we ended in at the Louvre. We went in and first went to see the Mona Lisa, just to kind of get it out of the way. On the way we saw some other Leonardo Da Vinci pieces along with some other Renaissance paintings. Once we got to the Mona Lisa, there was a giant crowd around the Mona Lisa. I actually kind of found it amusing. We then went to go see some Greek and Egyptian artefacts and art, including the Venus di Milo. We then headed upstairs to take a gander at some French paintings, which was pretty cool to see.
Afterwards we had some free time to check out some sites. We first headed to the Latin quarter to grab some food. The Latin quarter is where the students live, around the universities and what not. There was this cool area where there were tons of restaurants, shops, and art galleries. I liked it a lot. We grabbed some lunch, and then headed to Notre Dame. Sadly, after seeing Sagrada Familia and St. Peter's Basilica, it wasn't quite as impressive. However, the buttresses on the side, along with the stained glass windows, were rather spectacular. They were also having mass, which was interesting to see inside the cathedral.
After Notre Dame, we headed to the Champs Elysees, Paris's equivalent to Chicago's Michigan Avenue. The Champs Elysees ends right at the Arc de Triomphe, so we got a quick look at that, and headed to the Eiffel tower to catch it at sunset. On our walk over, we passed a crepe stand. My friend and I split a chicken and cheese crepe and nutella crepe. It was delicious. We then got some shots of the Eiffel tower. After, it was time to meet our group for Champagne at the park right next to the tower to watch the light show they have once it gets dark. It was wonderful sitting there, sipping on champagne with friends, and looking at the sparkling lights all over the Eiffel tower.
Afterwards, we headed back to our hostel, which was in Bastille. We met up, and found a nice little bar where I enjoyed a glass of white wine. Afterwards we headed to a club. I didn't stay out too late, though, because I was exhausted. I got back and the minute my head hit the pillow, I passed out.
The next day I woke up, got some breakfast at the hostel (baguettes...yum!), and hopped on the bus off to Versailles. We got there an hour or so later, and I was instantly in awe at the enormous size of the palace. Because I'm a EU student, we got in for free, which was awesome. We roamed around the palace, which was full of beautiful chandeliers, an insane amount of thrones, and enormous beds. It was spectacular. Afterwards, we headed to the gardens, which were gigantic. It was crazy. I can only imagine how the revolutionists must have felt when they stormed into the castle and saw how the king and queen were living. It was truly insane and beautiful.
After Versailles, we headed to Montmarte. We took a tour, seeing the Moulin Rouge, the places where artists like Van Gogh, Edith Piaf and Picasso used to live, and sites where scenes from Amelie (one of my favorite films) were filmed. We ended at Sacre Couer. I found Montmarte to be one of the loveliest and unique areas of Paris. I really enjoyed it.
After our tour in Montmarte, we tried to go up the Eiffel tower, but by the time we got there, it was too late. We got there, took a few pictures, and then headed to Rosa Bonheur area for a nice French meal. I'm not exactly sure what I got, since it was all in French. But I recognized the word salmon, so that's what I picked. It was DELICIOUS! It was like smoked salmon with some salad. After dinner, we finally got up to the Eiffel tower. It was a gorgeous view at night. I stood there for so long simply overlooking the city. I truly think the Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it was truly remarkable at night. By the time we got down and took the Metro back to our hostel, I was wiped and ready to go home.
The next morning I woke bright and early and headed with a new a friend to go look at some Impressionist art (my favorite). The Museum D'Orsay was closed, so we headed to a smaller one, the Museum D'Orangia. there I saw eight large water lilies done by Monet, along with works by Renior, Cezanne, Rousseau, Modigliani, Picasso, Laurencin, Matisse, Derain, Utrillo and Soutine. I absolutely loved it. I was so happy looking at the pieces. So excited! We then jumped back on the metro, I grabbed some pastries and a spinach and salmon quiche, and hopped onto the bus back towards England.
We were running a bit early, so we stopped at an important Canadian site. On this site is the first place all the provinces of Canada joined together to fight. In World War I they fought to and won their battle. At this site they still have the trenches and tunnels in tact. The landscape also still held the craters from where bombs had exploded. It was pretty cool. We then hopped onto the ferry and headed back to England. I was sad to leave, but what can you do?
Dans l'amour avec Paris,
Jessica
After our tour, we ended in at the Louvre. We went in and first went to see the Mona Lisa, just to kind of get it out of the way. On the way we saw some other Leonardo Da Vinci pieces along with some other Renaissance paintings. Once we got to the Mona Lisa, there was a giant crowd around the Mona Lisa. I actually kind of found it amusing. We then went to go see some Greek and Egyptian artefacts and art, including the Venus di Milo. We then headed upstairs to take a gander at some French paintings, which was pretty cool to see.
Afterwards we had some free time to check out some sites. We first headed to the Latin quarter to grab some food. The Latin quarter is where the students live, around the universities and what not. There was this cool area where there were tons of restaurants, shops, and art galleries. I liked it a lot. We grabbed some lunch, and then headed to Notre Dame. Sadly, after seeing Sagrada Familia and St. Peter's Basilica, it wasn't quite as impressive. However, the buttresses on the side, along with the stained glass windows, were rather spectacular. They were also having mass, which was interesting to see inside the cathedral.
After Notre Dame, we headed to the Champs Elysees, Paris's equivalent to Chicago's Michigan Avenue. The Champs Elysees ends right at the Arc de Triomphe, so we got a quick look at that, and headed to the Eiffel tower to catch it at sunset. On our walk over, we passed a crepe stand. My friend and I split a chicken and cheese crepe and nutella crepe. It was delicious. We then got some shots of the Eiffel tower. After, it was time to meet our group for Champagne at the park right next to the tower to watch the light show they have once it gets dark. It was wonderful sitting there, sipping on champagne with friends, and looking at the sparkling lights all over the Eiffel tower.
Afterwards, we headed back to our hostel, which was in Bastille. We met up, and found a nice little bar where I enjoyed a glass of white wine. Afterwards we headed to a club. I didn't stay out too late, though, because I was exhausted. I got back and the minute my head hit the pillow, I passed out.
The next day I woke up, got some breakfast at the hostel (baguettes...yum!), and hopped on the bus off to Versailles. We got there an hour or so later, and I was instantly in awe at the enormous size of the palace. Because I'm a EU student, we got in for free, which was awesome. We roamed around the palace, which was full of beautiful chandeliers, an insane amount of thrones, and enormous beds. It was spectacular. Afterwards, we headed to the gardens, which were gigantic. It was crazy. I can only imagine how the revolutionists must have felt when they stormed into the castle and saw how the king and queen were living. It was truly insane and beautiful.
After Versailles, we headed to Montmarte. We took a tour, seeing the Moulin Rouge, the places where artists like Van Gogh, Edith Piaf and Picasso used to live, and sites where scenes from Amelie (one of my favorite films) were filmed. We ended at Sacre Couer. I found Montmarte to be one of the loveliest and unique areas of Paris. I really enjoyed it.
After our tour in Montmarte, we tried to go up the Eiffel tower, but by the time we got there, it was too late. We got there, took a few pictures, and then headed to Rosa Bonheur area for a nice French meal. I'm not exactly sure what I got, since it was all in French. But I recognized the word salmon, so that's what I picked. It was DELICIOUS! It was like smoked salmon with some salad. After dinner, we finally got up to the Eiffel tower. It was a gorgeous view at night. I stood there for so long simply overlooking the city. I truly think the Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it was truly remarkable at night. By the time we got down and took the Metro back to our hostel, I was wiped and ready to go home.
The next morning I woke bright and early and headed with a new a friend to go look at some Impressionist art (my favorite). The Museum D'Orsay was closed, so we headed to a smaller one, the Museum D'Orangia. there I saw eight large water lilies done by Monet, along with works by Renior, Cezanne, Rousseau, Modigliani, Picasso, Laurencin, Matisse, Derain, Utrillo and Soutine. I absolutely loved it. I was so happy looking at the pieces. So excited! We then jumped back on the metro, I grabbed some pastries and a spinach and salmon quiche, and hopped onto the bus back towards England.
We were running a bit early, so we stopped at an important Canadian site. On this site is the first place all the provinces of Canada joined together to fight. In World War I they fought to and won their battle. At this site they still have the trenches and tunnels in tact. The landscape also still held the craters from where bombs had exploded. It was pretty cool. We then hopped onto the ferry and headed back to England. I was sad to leave, but what can you do?
Dans l'amour avec Paris,
Jessica
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