Wonderful Week in Review

Ah! So I have been slacking on blogging this week, but I have just been busy having so much to do, I just haven't sat down to write!! But I wanted to give a day-by-day recap of what has been happening in my life! So here goes:

Monday: I had my Politics 321 final this day, so most of the morning and afternoon were spent in class and studying. The test went well, and I think I clinched a good grade for the course! Later that night I went to the Bible Study that Kelly leads. I actually am not so religiously inclined that I feel this was really for me, but I mostly wanted to go to show support for my friend Kelly. It turned out to be really laid back and relaxed and I enjoyed just chatting with several girls from the program. After the study, I made an appearance at Das Boot, that turned out to be hanging out with Cody and his friends for quite some time. A group of them all came here together and I have become pretty close with them!

Tuesday: I had class in the morning and that afternoon I went for a walk with my friend Allie (confession: our several times a week walks often include stops at the 1 euro/1 scoop gelato place in Differdange) after lunch. I had really been wanting to go into Lux city for an afternoon, but sadly I was the only one of my friends who didnt have class, and I couldnt find anyone to go with me. I decided to just be brave, however, and go by myself. It turned out to be so fun! The weather was perfect, like high 60s/low 70s, and I first headed to the city center. I walked all around and browsed in a ton of cute boutiques I had never known existed. I went to my favorite European store, Zara, and bought a great pair of blue strappy shoes that would match both my prom dress and dress for Mike's wedding that I just couldn't resist. I also found a large carnival/fair thing going on near the city center in honor of the upcoming holiday (May 1st- National Worker's Day- is a big deal here) and I walked around and took in all the sites and sounds. On my way back to the train station, I found a little trail that lead down to this park and the Grund, the area of Lux City in the valley that is down below most of the city. I walked on the trail for awhile, and found a bench in a gorgeous setting, where I just sat and took it all in. It was a great afternoon, and I found myself appreciating Lux City so much more. Seeing it in the spring in nice weather when everything is in bloom is so different than the brutally cold winter, and I find myself falling more and more in love with it each time. I have been wanting to explore the city more, and I am so glad I took Tuesday to do it and hope I can visit a few more times before I leave. That night, I gave myself a pedicure and manicure in anticipation for the next days prom and watched a movie with my roommates. Fun times.

Wednesday: This day was largely devoted to one of the best activities of the year: MUDEC prom! So. much. fun. I went home right after class, and got ready with my one roommate. I wore this dress I bought in the fall from Anthropologie that is quite spring and fun and looked quite lovely if I do say so myself with my new Zara heels. I had a lovely date in my dear friend Cody who is adorable and asked me via a facebook event entitled "will you go to mudec prom with Cody?" Sadly, I didn't actually see the event (this is why you should not ignore facebook events) but Cody told me about it right when we arrived and we immediately decided to be dates! We had a blast together and I am going to miss him dearly next year! Prom began by taking a few pics at the chateau, then we headed to a river boat cruise on the Moselle River. It was amazing and just the perfect beginning to the night. The weather was gorgeous, everyone looked great all spifed up, and the wine was flowing. I just mingled and had so much fun talking to all these people I have come to know so well! People joke about how MUDEC is very high school all the time, and while it can be a bad thing, it is also so cool how close everyone has become. I am going to miss them so much! But anyway, from the boat cruise, we then went to a fancy restaurant outside Differdange for dinner and an awards banquet. They awarded about 6 scholarships, and I was so happy when they announced the first one and Cody was the winner! I was shocked when they gave away the other one in that category (for academic achievement and admirable Luxembourg citizenship) and I won! I really had not been expecting it and was just thrilled! Its kind of a blur when I went up to receive the award, I just remembering smiling a ton, shaking the deans hands, and laughing when the whole room burst into the chorus of "Sweet Caroline." For some reason, everyone loves that song here, and I get serenaded at least once a week- even more when I go out to the boot at night haha! Anyway, it was a pretty special moment and I am so thankful for the committee for choosing me! After the awards, we ate a delicious dinner, chatted with everyone, and I thanked my two professors who I had a strong suspicion nominated me for the awards. Then, we headed downstairs where there was a bar and huge dance floor! The rest of the night was pretty wild, and may have rivaled my actual prom in how fun it was (only thing missing was the famous Kyle). We danced up a storm and had so much fun!! Ill always remember that night as a great ending to my wonderful semester!!

Thursday: Luckily I did not have class this day, and I think most people were happy about this. I did come into the chateau for lunch and then stayed most of the afternoon to work on my museum box that I wrote about earlier. I am happy with the way it turned out and will have to show it to you guys when I get home! Last night, I went out to dinner with Margaret, Ali (my roommate), and Kelly to the Italian place in Differdange that is really nice! We had a fun time laughing about and recapping all the craziness from Prom the night before. I did some homework when I got home and relaxed.

Friday- That is today! I had class this morning and now am just hanging out in the cave writing this blog. I am thinking about going out in the city tonight, but I have not made a decision- I need to be rested up in store for Beer Olympics which is taking place tomorrow. Yes, MUDEC is having beer olympics in a Luxembourg park, and yes, I will be representing and honoring my Virginia heritage as a member of the Confederacy team wearing all the Southern clothes I own.

Wish me luck.....

Care

Last Weekend Traveling Post!!

We started off by splitting up and each visiting a museum we had not seen before on our previous Parisian adventures- Kel went to Musee D’Orsay and I went to L’Orangerie, a museum that had been recommended to me by many Paris experts including my friend Bridget. The Orangerie is a small, lesser known museum near the Tuliers Gardens that permanently houses Claude Monet’s famous water lilies, some of the most famous paintings on earth. Monet’s waterlilies are a huge favorite of my grandmother’s, and I have always associated them with her. In my travels through Europe, I have realized that I really love and connect most with impressionist and postimpressionist art, and Monet’s paintings are right up my alley. I was extremely lucky because I got there right when the museum opened (Kel and I got up literally at 4:30 am to make our 6am train to Paris so we got there by 8:30 and to the museums by 9) and had time to take in the waterlilies without huge crowds! I was even able to sit in one of the rooms (8 huge works line 2 oval shaped rooms) and just stare at the incredible colors and details of one of the works for quite sometime with only one other person. It is amazing how big the paintings are, their size alone makes them masterpieces. I think Monet was a genius and his paintings are so powerful. I spent most of my time in the Orangerie just sitting in front of the waterlilies (I decided the one with the willow tree is my favorite), but I also went downstairs and saw their temporary exhibition, which housed the works of abstract modern artist Paul Klee. Although Klee’s art wasn’t really up my alley, it was an interesting exhibit. Klee was one of the German intellectuals who was fired from his academic position and exiled from the Third Reich under the Nazi regime, and I enjoyed reading about his struggle. Overall, I highly recommend the L’Orangerie (especially if you can get there when it is not crowded) and am thankful I had the chance to go back to Paris to visit.

After my visit, I had a little bit of time before Kel and I were supposed to meet back up, so I strolled through the Tuliers Gardens, up to the Place de la Concorde, and up the Champs D’Elysee. I got a coffee and a crossaint- because I was in Paris and why the heck not- and just took it all in. It is amazing what a few warm weeks will do, this was Paris in full spring bloom and it was fantastic. There were flowers and greenery everywhere, and I am so so glad I got to see the love of my life at this time of year, which I have heard is one of the best.

Kel and I met back up at 11:30 and headed over to the Marais district for some shopping and a lovely lunch date. The Marais district, which is near the George Pompidou center and used to be the Old Jewish Quarter, is an up and coming Paris district that reminds me a bit of Soho in New York, and was supposed to have great shopping. I was looking for a dress for my cousin Mike’s wedding (which I am going to literally the day after I land in the US next week) and Kel and I spent a considerable amount of time browsing the cute boutiques for the perfect outfit. Unfortuantely, I never found anything that was quite right (or within my budget) but it was a ton of fun browsing, and I picked up one more cute souvenirs for my lovely sisters at home. We had an excellent lunch at an outdoor café- a crepe for Kel, a “ceasar” salad that was definitely not a real ceasar but nonetheless delicious for me- and just chatted about all of our times together. Kelly has for sure become one of my closest friends here at MUDEC, and I am going to miss her dearly when I depart! A digression, but it is really sad for me because I am one of the only non-Miami people in my program, and when they all leave they at least know they will see each other next semester, while I will be quite isolated down in good old Virginia. I am just realizing how close I have gotten with some people- Kelly being a primary figure in this group- and I will be really sad to say goodbye next week! But anyway, after a few hours in the Marais, we took the metro to Champs D’Elysee for one last stroll and shopping attempt, and although no clothes were purchased, I did manage to find a Paris Christmas Ornament, something I have looked for on all three of my trips and had yet to find. The one I got is extraordinarily cheesy, but I love it! At this time, I would like to briefly mention three of the very strange things Kel and I witnessed on our Parisian day just so I don’t forget, and you can ask them about me later. In our travels we saw a strange model photoshoot with a model in haute couture pretending to give directions to touristy American men, a crazed looking lady selling a Brazilian t-shirt and we also think herself, and a very realistic bird caller. These sights all made this trip to Paris quite unique, and provided a great deal of comic relief!

At 4, Kel and I had to take the train back to Lux, and we arrived at our homes by 7. Both my roommates were going out that night in Lux city, and despite their best attempts to talk me into it, the two nights of partying and 4:30 am wake up had finally caught up with me, and I just had to say no. I ended up watching Marley and Me on my roommates computer (shed many tears of course) and falling asleep really early! I was glad to finally catch up on rest!

The next morning, I woke up semi-early with plans to pack, get my roommates together (I am unofficially the Mom figure of our “home”), and meet Kel at the train station by 9 to head on our overnight trip to the Belgian coast. Right when I arose, however, my roommate Ali burst into my room to give me the news that she was talking to Kel on Skype and we did not have a hotel or hostel booked for that very night. Kel was going to book it when we got home from Paris, but her planned 20 minute power nap, turned into an all night of sleep, and when she woke up at 5am, the hostel we had planned on booking was full. It took some serious googling and skype chatting, as well as quick consultation with my roommates who with their hangovers and tired selves were voting to just go back to bed, to find a place and figure it out, but we did it! We booked a hotel and met at the train station only an hour later than planned despite the hiccup.

The overnight trip turned out to be great fun, and I think my roommates were glad I convinced them to come along. I had never traveled with both of them, and it was a nice sort of final bonding activity before we will leave each other and most likely never live together again! It was also cool because my first weekend trip had been to Belgium (it seems like only a second ago but also so long ago at the same time) and it was nice to come full circle with my traveling. This time, we visited Oostend, Belgium, a coastal town on the North Sea that the mean Esch man (the guy that sells you train tickets at one of the stations in Lux, had recommended that is about 20 miles away from Bruges, the famous medieval town I had visited way back when. Oostend was about a 4 hour train ride away from Lux, so we arrived there in mid-afternoon and checked into our hotel after getting strange directions in a mix of Flemish/French outside the train station from an elderly couple. Our hotel was really nice, and only about 50 meters from the beach and the main shopping drag. We spent that afternoon browsing the Belgian stores, eating chocolate gelato, and attempting to sit on the beach but it was somewhat windy and cold. The stores closed pretty early, but we still had a lovely afternoon. We headed back to the hotel after closure, and enjoyed some cheap wine and champagne. Then we went out to a really nice dinner at a restaurant on the water. On the way, we stopped and took some gorgeous pictures of the sunset, which was fantastic. Our dinner was quite lively, and we had some really interesting talks as well as delicious food- I got a salad with seared ahi tuna and thought of my brother in law- Co Temp! Kelly is a really devout Christian, and although we have briefly talked about religion, we have never had an in-depth conversation like we did that night, and it was really interesting to hear her perspective on something so personal. After dinner, upon recommendation from our young waiter, we went out to some bars along the main drag of Oostend. It was not the craziest city I have ever been too, but it was a lot of fun and just a good night with people who have become close friends!

The next day, we slept in a little, ate a hostel breakfast, and then shopped for a few more hours. Ali, my roommate who is vehemently opposed to all things girly, actually caved under my constant peer pressure, and bought a gorgeous little black dress for MUDEC prom- I couldn't of been prouder! I bought lots of Belgian chocolate to bring home to family and friends, ate one last Belgian waffle, and also found the PERFECT dress for Mike and Caroline’s wedding at long last. It is blue and white flower pattern and just fits really well- I love! We headed back to Luxembourg in late afternoon, just as it was starting to rain. We thought about stopping in Bruges, but the fact that we had already visited, and the rainy sky, prevented us. I had an exam the next day, and I took some time on the train ride to study (but lets be honest, I really just talked and laughed with my friends 85% of the time, and studied the other 15%).

A fun last weekend, and in the end made me think- "who needs Barcelona when Belgium and Paris are so nearby?"

Love you,

Care

PROM NIGHT!!

Hi! Ah I am sorry I have not posted anything on the weekend yet, I have been trying to write my recap but I have been so busy and just having so much fun with everything that has been going on I just haven't had time!! I wanted to post what I had written so far though and say a few things too.....

1. Today is MUDEC PROM!! I am so excited, I am about to start getting ready now. We are going on a boat cruise on the Moselle River, then dinner and an awards ceremony at a fancy restaurant, then dancing until the wee hours of the morning! Its going to be pretty awesome and I am excited to see everyone all spiffed up. I am also excited to wear my super cute dress and new heels!

2. CONGRATULATIONS TO MY BEST FRIEND EVER- DANA- who got engaged Monday!! I am so excited for her and Scott, they are going to have a great life together! Cant wait to see them when I get home and say congrats in person!!

Ok, here is what I have recapped so far...


Despite volcanic ash thwarting my original plan to go to Barcelona, I still managed to have a fun last traveling weekend of my semester! It was a disappointment to not see Spain, but I realized I had no control over the situation and stressing or worrying about it would not do anything. Instead, I just saw it as a chance to enjoy some places close by to Luxembourg and spend time with as many MUDEC people as possible. I have mentioned this before, but I think the greatest way I have changed over here is a serious decline in my stressed out level, I have learned how to go with the flow and not be so high strung! I saw that in myself this past week when I was able to cancel my trip, plan some new ones, and just go on with life, rather than getting totally upset and stressed out about a freak weather accident. Hooray!


I was supposed to leave for Barcelona on Wednesday, so I will start recapping there. I had class in the morning, went running, showered, and then went back to the chateau in the early evening. Our last Wednesday orientation activity was a concert with Tom Garcia, a music professor here who has performance degrees from Duke and Juilliard. He specializes in Latin American music and played a concert for us of traditional and popular Brazilian music. It was a little random, but I enjoyed it. From there, I headed to the Differedange park with my two roommates and a few friends for a picnic dinner. The park is in the main square of our little town of Diff, and now that it is FINALLY spring here, the park is gorgeous. There are tons of flowers, trees, grass, and fountains, and it is just a nice place to sit in and relax. It has become a bit of a tradition in the past few weeks for MUDECers to go to the park after class in the evenings and drink wine and hang out before a night at bars. Its quite fun really, and that night we joined in the tradition and added food. We ate a very French meal of bread, cheese, chocolate, and grapes, and drank a sufficient quantity of wine! It was a lot of fun, and that night at Das Boot turned out to be as crazy as ever. We even had a beer pong table set up in the bar somehow, and I played and learned that I am quite rusty after 3 months of inactivity…haha


The next morning, I was struggling (read:hungover) somewhat, but managed to make it to the Chateau for lunch. That day, our Student Activities Coordinator organized a group trip to Luxembourg’s own Bofferding Brewery, and after Barcelona was cancelled, I decided to sign up. Although I was in no shape to drink beer, it was a ton of fun. A huge group of us went and had our own private tour of their factory. Bofferding is I think the only beer brewed in Lux, and its slogan is that it is the “Secret of Luxembourg.” It is pretty decent and quite cheap so we MUDEC students have discovered the secret and drink our fare share of it, the boot must go through so many cans every Wednesday night! I have been on a few beer tours in Europe, and while this one wasn’t as high tech and intense as the Heineken or Gunniess ones, it was a lot more intimate, and we walked through the actual factory where beer was being brewed, rather than just a massive museum/advertisment like the other places. At the end of the tour, we had about an hour or so in the bar to enjoy UNLIMITED beer (people were pretty excited about this) and shop for souvenirs! I picked up a couple of shirts (one for myself and some for the special men in my life) and was glad to own a souvenir from Luxembourg, the place I live!

After the tour, I returned to the Chateau, where I, despite my partying ways in recent days, managed to write a paper that was due the following day. It was a pretty quick assignment for my museums class and did not take long at all. Later that night there was a concert organized for MUDECers at this local Portugese bar we sometimes go for Kareoke. Some guys in my program had met this guitar player on one of their first weekends traveling in Switzerland, and had convinced our student activities coordinator to book him for a concert in Differdange! I was on the fence about going, but decided to use my “JUST GO” policy and headed over there right before it started. It turned out to be great! The singer was an American guy who had apparently dropped out of the army and just travels around Europe now playing gigs. He played a bunch of really fun covers of American music, and it was nice to just sit back, relax and chat with friends while listening to his songs. I had every intention of going back to my house pretty early that night in anticipation of an early morning the next day but somewhere I got caught up in the music, drinks, and dancing, and before I knew it, my roommate and I were deciding to take the 11:30 train home- meaning we get home at midnight. (Sidenote: For all my UVA friends who go out at that time, and are laughing that I say 11:30 is late, remember this is Luxembourg, where I must rely on public transportation, and going out at 8 pm is late! Haha) Despite the fatigue I knew I would endure the next day, I had a really fun night and was so glad I had just gone with it.

Friday, was the last day of a wonderful, rich affair that I have been carrying on throughout my time abroad, not with a man, but with my favorite city ever, PARIS. I think I explained this before, but I had one day on my Eurorail left and sicne I had already prepared to skip class, I decided to just go for it and visit Paris for the day. When else in my life am I going to be able to just go to Paris FOR THE DAY!?! Sadly, probably never, so I decided to take advantage with my friend Kelly! It turned out to be a perfect day! We started off by visiting…..

Going to have to leave you hanging! Ill try to finish tomorrow!

Love you,
Care

I need your help!

Hey guys! I am going to write and update you about my weekend soon, but I just wanted to write this quick post and ask for your help on something. For my museums class, our final project is to make an exhibit about some aspect of our experience abroad in a post office box which we can ultimately send home to ourselves. I have chosen to do mine about the power of what words can convey, what they can describe, and what they can't. Obviously, I have been inspired by my blog, which I started on a whim and has become a hugely influential part of my trip. I am wondering, for those who read what I write, for which of my experiences did my blog really work? What read like it was easy to describe and really took you to the place? What came off as more challenging for me to convey? What could words just not describe, and pictures were better?

If you have any thoughts send me an facebook message or a comment on here! I just want to get some readers experiences of how my own words read.

Thanks and hope everyone is well!

Care

Seizing the Day in Lux!

Just wanted to write a quick post so I can remember today. Today started out like any regular day. I woke up, got ready, ate breakfast, and went to French class. I ate some of the icky school lunch they provide us. Then, since I had the whole day free and it is gorgeous out, I decided to go back to Bettembourg to run. I have a bit of a cold, so I wanted to take it easy, and when I started my run, I just wasn’t in to it. I made it to the absolutely lovely trail I found a few weeks ago, and thought “why not just take a walk so I can really take in this nice scenery that sadly I won’t be able to see in a few weeks?” I started power walking and found it quite agreeable. My ipod was playing a great mix, and before I knew it, I was doing a strange combination of walking, dancing, and singing all at once. I was the only one for miles on this huge trail that runs through the Lux countryside (although there were a few goats and cows) and I had a great time singing at the top of my lungs and busting out my hot dance moves (they are almost as good as my Dads ☺) while alternatively running, walking, and skipping. It was a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon in Luxembourg. Sometimes running is just too intense. On those days, why not do as Lady Gaga says and “just dance?”

Hahah I can just imagine my friends- for some reason Noelle comes to mind- laughing their heads off at this. Probably won’t ever be able to live it down but oh well.

Gotta go get pretty and buy stuff for my park picnic!

Have a good day!

Care

A change in plans...

Hey guys!

So, as you know from the beginning of my last post, a volcano in Iceland is wrecking havoc in Europe and causing mass chaos for air travel. People in my program who left last Wed for weekend trips are still stuck, and are likely not coming back until Friday!

I was really hoping I would still be able to make it to Barcelona, but sadly our flight was canceled today. We looked into a ton of options to get there- renting a car, taking a looong overnight train, anther flight- but nothing was working out and we just decided it didn't make sense to try to go somewhere that was impossible to get to! I am really sad, but have come to terms with it! I have seen and done so much, I really cant complain and now this just gives me an excuse to come back to Europe ASAP preferably with my sister Jackie to see Barcelona with my own tour guide.

Today when we (by we I mean me and my friend Kelly who I was supposed to go with) learned our trip wasn't going to happen, we decided to try and plan something else. We could stay in Lux, but we will be doing that for our last week and a half and knew if we wanted to travel one last time, this was our chance. We floated ideas for Munich and Switzerland, both places I hadn't been but wanted to go. Kel had already been to Switzerland, however, and the real draw for me to go there is skiing, and I just didn't think it would work out this weekend. I asked around to some teachers and our student activities coordinators for suggestions for weekend/day trips and a lot of them suggested places in Belgium (Antwerp) and the Netherlands (Maasterich). Kel and I decided to look into all of these many options- Belgium, Netherlands, and Munich- at the train station where you purchase your tickets and the employees can look up schedules for you. Complicating the situtation was our Eurorail pass scenario- I have one day I can use to go anywhere left and Kelly has two- so basically wherever I go (unless its all in one day) I have to buy a train ticket home. Plus, Kels pass expires Sunday, so we need to do our traveling by then. We were already planning to miss class Friday (and we both don't have class Thursday) so we decided to just check what was open in the next few days, especially since trains are super packed right now because of air chaos.

We were a little scared because we had so many questions, but luckily the nicest lady ever at the train station helped us and was so so nice!! First, we asked about Munich but then ruled it out because we wouldn't be guaranteed a seat on a train and the ride is a painfully long 9 hours which just seems like way too much at this point in the semester when I am tired and getting a bit sick of traveling. Then we asked about Belgium, and learned that you can get a ticket roundtrip from anywhere in Lux to anywhere in Belgium for 18 euro, what a great deal!! We decided this was an excellent option and kept it in mind, it was especially good because if my eurorail ran up and I had to buy a return ticket, it was extremely cheap and easy!

Then, we asked one more question just for the heck of it. Essentially, if you have a Eurorail pass you can travel on any train for the amount of days you have, with some exceptions. For the busiest, fastest trains you need to book seat reservations quite early, sometimes months in advance, just to have a place where you can use your eurorail. The train from Lux to Paris is one of these trains, and normally books up way ahead of time. I know what you are thinking, "Care you have been to Paris twice and once was for a week!" But I'm sorry, I can't resist it and I especially couldn't resist the idea of one last day there in the gorgeous spring weather (temps are finally in the 60s here in Europe). Also, I had planned on doing major shopping in Barcelona, and since I won't be there, I figure the next best place to shop is def Pareee! And,if I could go in one day, I could use my last Eurorail day and get a great value for my money (without eurorail roundtrip would be 180 euro)! Plus, Paris is only 2 hours by train, so it is a quick and easy trip! (Now that I have justified my Paris obsession I will move on haha.) The very nice lady at the train station was super accommodating and looked up every day in the next 5 to see if there was any small chance we could get reservations to and from Paris for a one day trip....it looked like nothing was available until she checked Friday and we got extremely lucky- there it was- two seats together leaving on an early morning train and coming back late afternoon! Woo hoo, it was fate I think. So, in summary, here is my plan for the next few days...


Wed- go to French class, then enjoy the lovely weather in Differdange. Eat cheese and bread for dinner in the park while drinking wine, then enjoy a night out at Das Boot.

Thurs- Spend my free day exploring Lux City even more! I have visited the city pretty frequently, but still don't feel I know it as well as I could! I am excited to walk around all day, act like a tourist, and take it in. I may even go on one of those open air bus hop on/hop off tours. Go to a concert that night that the school is putting on.

Friday- Wake up at the crack of dawn and go to Paris for one last day with one of my closest friends! She wants to visit Mussee D'Orsay, and I want to check out Musee D'Orangerie, so we may split to do that. Then we are going to spend the afternoon shopping, eating crepes, and exclaiming about how "belle" everything is while wearing berets.

Saturday-Sunday- Take advantage of the cheap tickets to Belgium and go for our last overnight trip. We haven't decided where we are going yet, but we think we may do Antwerp or the Belgian Coast on the North Sea. We are leaning towards the Coast, because on the way we could stop in Bruges. Bruges is the first place I visited this semester, and it was great, but super cold. It would be fitting if it was the last place I visited too. We plan to have a relaxing, girls weekend in Belgium filled with lots of chocolate, frites, and beer! So fun.

In the end, I am sad about Barcelona, but pretty excited about how nice all these plans came together! Its like the old saying goes, when life gives you Volcanic ash, go to Paris and the North Sea....


XO

Care

Amsterdam Recap!!

Hey Everyone!

So despite the craziness that is currently European travel, I am back in Lux! I am so lucky that I chose to go to Amsterdam on the train this weekend, it was easy and quick and I had no trouble at all getting there and returning at the times I planned. Other people from my program were not so lucky, and everyone’s flights were cancelled Thursday and Friday. People who left on Wednesday made it to there various destinations- Barcelona, Oslo, Dublin- but they are currently stuck there and wont be making it home until the end of the week! They have to miss a whole week of classes, which I am so thrilled I am not doing, that would make for stress and make up work which are not fun. I cant believe a random volcano in Iceland is doing so much damage!! Cross your fingers that by Wed night airspace will be operating normally! I have my last trip of the semester plan- I am supposed to fly to Barcelona on Wed night and stay til Sunday. Barcelona was/is one of my absolute CANNOT MISS cities, and I will be beyond sad if I miss it. My sister, who spent a semester there, will also be devastated if I don’t make it. Today, I am going to go to the train station to check into alternative ways to get there in case my flights are cancelled! Wish me luck!

But now, I want to tell you about Amsterdam! Right off the bat, I just want to say Amsterdam surprised me! Obviously, it is a city with a reputation that is not always positive! Many people think drugs and prostitution (both of which are legal) define the city, but take it from me, it is so much more than that! I found Amsterdam to be gorgeous, friendly, fun, and full of great things to see, eat, and do! I loved it, and would say it was one of the most unique and vibrant places I have been! I highly recommend it!

My trip started Friday afternoon. I had classes in the morning and right after had to head to Lux city to pick up my passport from the Ministry! I have had all kinds of problems with the process of getting my visa from them, and I was worried I would face another glitch and not be able to make it in time for my 2:20 train. Luckily, everything went smoothly and I got my passport- with my visa stamp inside it (its pretty cool)- with time to spare. I was going on this weekend trip with a friend from Miami named Cody, and we were meeting up with some of my UVa friends once we got there. I was so thankful Cody was coming along, originally I was going with my friend Kelly but she cancelled at the last minute and luckily Cody was able to fill her spot. Before this blog starts rumors, just want to clarify Cody is just a friend and absolutely no romance between us (he is actually not interested in anyone of my gender to be clear) and I am still happily dating that boy in Roanoke, VA.

So Cody and I boarded the 2:20 and headed to the Netherlands. It was about a 6.5 hour journey in total, we had to go to Brussels and change trains halfway through. The trip really didn’t seem that long (I must be getting used to trains) and it went by quickly. I bought an English novel at the train station and spent a good chunk of the ride reading. (Its weird, English paperbacks aren’t that expensive, but magazines are ridiculous! It would of cost me the same to buy either, so I went for the book). I also chatted with Cody a lot, he is a history major and pre-law too, so we have a lot in common!

We got into Amsterdam around 9pm and I called my friend Clare to meet up. Clare is the friend who I went to Dublin with and visited in Lyon. Originally we had planned to meet up in Amsterdam once during the semester, but then luckily all the other visits/trips worked out too! I cant believe we managed to meet up 3 times, I wasn’t even sure if we would be able to work out one! It has been so fun and I am so glad I did! We had some trouble meeting Clare- there was confusion about which station we had come into- but in the end it worked out. She had gotten there earlier and found our hostel so was able to guide us there. It was a bit of a walk- 20 or 30 minutes- but it was nice because we were able to see the city a little bit, even in the dark. Despite its reputation, Amsterdam is quite beautiful, and very unique from other cities I have visited. It is full of two things- canals and bikes. The canals are wider than in Venice and there are streets as well- but the canals run everywhere and I loved to look at all the small boats and houseboats that line them. Biking is the preferred mode of transportation, and I am not lying when I say they are everywhere. On our walk back we decided Amsterdam was a good place to get hit by some kind of vehicle- there are lots of options including bikes, scooters, trams, buses, and cars- so we better watch out. Clare also told us on the way that there had been a problem with our hostel booking- something went wrong on hostelworld.com- and we would all three in different rooms tonight. Apparently though, we would be put in a private 3 bedroom the next night to make up for the confusion. We agreed this would be fine, as long as we had a place to sleep! We checked in and put our stuff down- each in our separate rooms- then decided to explore the town. As we were walking and comparing notes on our room, Cody and I realized we had probably been switched- my roommates appeared to be guys and his girls- but decided not to worry about it since we had already locked our stuff in a locker in our rooms and didn’t want to make a fuss that night.

That night, we set out to explore the city and decided to make a trip to the Red Light District. We weren’t going there to engage in all the craziness that goes on there, we just wanted to see it with our own eyes- everyone told us it was an experience that you just had to witness yourself. I would agree with this. I would never want to stay there, or probably even go back, but I am glad I saw it. Basically it is a few blocks full of sex shops, coffee shops (where they sell marijuana and other soft drugs), and windows where real prostitutes stand in skimpy outfits and attempt to lure in customers. The women in the windows were the worst part to see, I couldn’t help but wonder what their story was- how did they get there and how did they feel about their job? Were they really happy? What made them enter into that profession? And what kind of men really visited them? It was pretty disgusting to see and I mostly felt sorry for the girls. After awhile of wondering, our feet got tired and we decided to take a rest in a bar/coffeshop. We had a beer- Heineken of course- and just talked. We were all pretty tired and knew we had a full day the next day, so we called it a night after a little bit. I went back and slept in my all male dorm- ha- but luckily none of my roommates were there when I returned so I had some privacy.

The next day, we got up early and began our journey to the most famous tulip gardens in the world- Kukenhof. The park is outside of the city and we had to take two buses to get there, but it wasn’t a difficult trip and probably took about 45 minutes. We were boarding the second bus when outside the window in line we saw our friend Diana, another tri-sig from UVA who is studying in Paris! We had planned on meeting up with her and the two friends from her program that she was with at some point this weekend, and although we both were going to the gardens in the morning, we didn’t expect our rendez-vous to be so easy! We rode the bus together and were able to catch up a ton. Both of Diana’s friends also go to UVa, and it was great to be with a group of UVa people, just talking about life and gossip back in cville. We also talked a lot about their semester so far in Paris, they absolutely love the City of Lights just like me, and it was cool to here about the experience of living there! We chatted all the way to the park, and when we arrived, explored the grounds together. It was so beautiful. I adore tulips, and this was the place for me. We were lucky enough to be there during the prime season of tulip bloom, literally mi-April is prime season, so all the flowers were in glorious, peak form. I was surprised by how big the gardens are, you could literally wander through the grounds for hours and not be bored. There were rows are rows of gorgeous flowers, mostly tulips but with other types mixed in as well. My favorite part was the arrangement of different types and colors of flowers, there would be rows of deep, vivid purple, next to a bright, vibrant red, next to a pure, serene white. I loved it all and most definitely plan to use these tulips in my wedding one day, so I better remember to get married in spring, when the tulips are in peak form! This is something that no matter how much I describe it, I can’t do it justice, so check out my photos on fbook!

After visiting the gardens for several hours, climbing to the top of a model windmill on the grounds, and buying a little miniature pair of wooden clogs (its tiny and I couldn’t resist), we headed back to the city center for the afternoon. It was getting close to 2pm and we soon realized we were starving for lunch. After wandering a little bit, we decided to have lunch at a place that advertised itself as a “pancake house.” I’m not sure what traditional Dutch food is, but apparently pancakes and bagels are huge in the Netherlands, we saw restaurants selling them everywhere! All of us were really excited by this taste of America, and were fantasizing about a stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes covered in syrup. We were a little surprised when we read the menu and saw the EXTENSIVE, and boy do I mean extensive collection of pancakes they offered – they had everything from banana and chocolate to bacon, cheese, and pineapple to chorizo pizza- but we still were optimistic. I chose one with chicken, cheese, pineapple, and raisins. Random I know, but it sounded intriguing and I was craving something both salty and sweet so I just went for it. In the end, it was good, but it was a far cry from a pancake stack. It was more like a huge thick, semi fluffy but odd crepe. The cheese and pineapple combo was good though, and we were all so hungry we scarfed down those strange dough things!

We then walked through the city center to a quite famous Amsterdam landmark, the Heineken Factory! I had visited the Guinness Factory in Dublin and really enjoyed it even though I don’t really like Guinness, so since I actually enjoy Heineken, I was uber excited for this tour! It was pretty similar to its Irish counterpart, but perhaps had more interactive, technology based exhibits. You basically walk through rooms with fun exhibits, games, and displays, and learn as much as you can about what the Dutch believe is the best beer ever. A highlight was when Clare, Diana, and I made a video on this one program. It records whatever you want and then sends the video to any person of your choice through email. We decided to send it to not just one but over a hundred people- our whole sorority (we have a list serve that makes it possible to send one email to this many people). It was a funny time and I hope it gave them a laugh, I miss those lovely tri sigs!

The best part of tour came at the end, of course, because that is where they reward your attention with FREE BEER! Each person gets a wrist band with two tokens that they are theoretically supposed to redeem for two beers. We were told by our friends however, that you could definitely turn two tokens into many more beers, especially if you used your charms on the young and attractive male bartenders. We did that, and we must have been very charming because we got quite a few free brews! It was also one of Diana’s friends bdays on Sundays, so we milked that to our advantage. In the end, I am proud to say they had to repeatedly tell us to leave when the bar was closing at seven, we just were having too much fun with our free beer! Feeling substantially happier, we eventually left and made our way back to the hostel to freshen up before the night.

At the hostel, we were slightly annoyed (ok, more than slightly but I don’t dwell on the negative) to learn that the room situation hadn’t been fixed and we would be sleeping in different rooms again. We finally managed to convince them of their wrongdoing, and they put me and Clare in a 4 girl dorm and Cody in a private. It ended up working out because we could just store all of our stuff in Cody’s room and not worry about a locker, but it was still lame. Overall, this is the worst experience with a hostel I have had in Europe, so that is saying something about how awesome my accommodations have been! I really can’t complain, I have had great luck so far!

That night, we enjoyed the craziness that is Amsterdam’s nightlife. We hopped around the bustling main square that was full of fun bars, coffeeshops, and clubs and just took it in. We were pretty relaxed and spent most of the night talking and people watching rather than dancing, but it was just what we needed after a busy day. We had some delicious eats during our night out as well, for dinner we went to a place called Wok to Walk, basically a “fast food” Asian place where you pick your noodles, sauce, and toppings and they make a personal stir fry right there for you. It was sooo good, thinking of it right now is making me hungry!! Also, several hours later in the wee hours of the morning we got “birthday mcflurries” to celebrate it being our friends actual birthday. This one was quite delicious, it had waffle cone pieces and caramel swirled in, and I inhaled it. Yum! Overall, a really fun night! I am so glad Cody got to meet my friends from UVa and that they got along so well! We made a good group!

The next morning, we were pretty tired, but squeezed in some more activities before we had to leave mid afternoon. After a quick hostel breakfast, we headed to the Anne Frank House, a place I had really been looking forward to visiting. It is a museum housed in the actual secret annex where Anne and her family hid during the war. I read the book quite a long time ago, but I remember really enjoying it and thinking Anne was a very brave young girl. The museum was really interesting and it was fascinating to learn more about her and her family’s lives. Tragically, all of the 8 people living in the annex, except Anne’s father, were killed during the Holocaust. Although Auschwitz had a greater impact on me emotionally, this museum really highlighted the personal suffering caused by the war and Final Solution and was moving in its own way. I am really glad I was able to visit it!

After the tour, we stopped for lunch at another place that had been recommended – Bagels and Beans- an adorable coffee and bagel chain found around Amsterdam. This time, the food did not disappoint! I had a whole wheat bagel with aged Dutch cheese, pickles, sweet mustard, and warm pine nuts. Sounds random I know, but it was incredible. The aged cheese was awesome and you could taste how fresh it was. I could almost imagine the quaint Dutch cow it had come from. The mustard was very good too and just added an extra burst of flavor. I am still craving bagels from Panera and Bodos and cant wait to eat them when I get home, but this was a great Euro spin on one of my favorite foods, and I really enjoyed it. The restaurant itself also just had a nice atmosphere and a warm, sunny vibe. Clare and I also loved that we could order LARGE coffees (a rare species in Europe) that came in huge mugs along with a huge basket of various sugar cubs and gumdrops! If you go to Amsterdam, check this place out I tell you!

After lunch, it was time to board our train. The journey home was about six hours, but this time it went even faster than before. Cody and I talked a lot again, and I got to know him so well it was great! I also read my book (the new novel by the author of the Shopaholic series) and it was excellent. I was home and settled in by 9!

Overall, a great weekend filled with new and old friends, yummy food, gorgeous flowers, tasty beer, more canals and bikes than I can count, and some history thrown in. So glad I got to go to Amsterdam, it was such a pleasant surprise!

Hope you are well!
Going to do a separate post about my plans for this weekend, which have changed drastically but are still good (I wrote the beginning of this post Monday morning and now it is Tuesday night).

Love you guys!


Care

Study Tour Part II

Ok so I am going to continue now...

Friday was the day we visited the concentration camp at Auschwitz, probably the most famous site of the Holocaust in the world. I think part of the reason I have been slow with blogging this week is that I just don't want to face and process everything we saw, but I know I really need to. Our teacher offered us the chance to write a paper on our experience for extra credit, and I am going to do that using what I write for my blog, so I need to get on it. I have started this post about a million times this week, and I am really struggling with how to organize it/lay it out. Ok, so here goes nothing...

On Friday, April 8, I visited Auschwitz concentration camp with my class “The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler.” I was very anxious to visit a place where some of the worst atrocities of all time were committed, and I was quite nervous about how I would react. To begin with, I am generally a very emotional person, and often even trivial or small things can make me cry and get upset. On top of that, being abroad and away from everything and everyone I love has heightened my sensitivity to some degree, and just saying goodbye to my parents had increased this homesickness and perhaps made me even more emotionally charged than usual. In addition, I have studied the Holocaust to a significant level, and feel that I am relatively knowledgeable on the subject. I feared that the high level of information I had on the topic would make the journey even more difficult for me than perhaps others who had less of an idea what exactly went on there. I called Kyle (the bf) for a few minutes on Thursday night and he encouraged me to stay strong and reminded me that my entire class would be experiencing the same thing and I could talk to my friends there if I needed. This advice was comforting and I tried to keep it in mind the next morning.

Before I get into the specifics of the day, I think it would be helpful if I gave some overall impressions of the camp. That night, I took down a few notes to remember how I felt, and the one word that clearly summarized my mood was “drained.” I had felt so many things at once- I was overwhelmed, disgusted, shocked, horrified, sad, worried, and lonely- that I was completely ravaged and exhausted from it all. Despite this feeling of fatigue, I also felt glad to have experienced the day and seen for my own eyes what I had read about for so many years. Although not an enjoyable experience, going to Auschwitz or another concentration camp is important, and I think every human should be required to visit. We need to see and recognize the potential evil we can do to one another and the catastrophic consequences that hatred can bring. There are a lot of myths surrounding the Holocaust that Auschwitz proves are completely false. One of the most troubling to me is the idea that the genocide was carried out by Hitler himself, who is portrayed as a completely evil lunatic, and a relatively small group of his top followers - Hitler, Himmler, Goering, Eichmann etc- who many believe killed 6 million Jews with their own hands. Another idea people use to explain the Holocaust is that Hitler and these Nazis brainwashed all of Germany, and the population became “robots” who would thoughtlessly follow any order. Both of these ideas are completely wrong and please, if you take anything from this blog, I hope you remember this. The Holocaust was carried out by ordinary people and was really not only the product of Hitler’s evil or brainwashing.

Of course, I am not suggesting that he should in any way be exonerated of his guilt; it was his crazy racist ideology and determination to exterminate the Jewish population in order to make room for the Aryan race that started and drove the Holocaust. I am just trying to emphasize that we must not think it was only Hitler who should be held responsible. Thousands on the ground across Germany and Eastern Europe were carrying out his plans, or in some way allowing them to go on uninterrupted. We must realize that regular people, like ourselves, in certain circumstances and conditions, can and will do evil. In the Auschwitz book, a Jewish survivor named Toivi who lived through Auschwitz because he gained a position as a “helper” to the Nazis in which he sheared the heads of women about to be gassed, is interviewed and comes to this conclusion. He told the author that “Nobody knows themselves, all of us could be good or bad people in different situations.” Rees, the author of the book I read who has interviewed nearly 100 survivors and perpetrators, wrote “what these survivors has taught me (and if I am honest, what the perpetrators have taught me as well), is that human behavior is fragile and unpredictable and often at the mercy of the situation…perhaps above all…Auschwitz and the Nazi’s Final Solution demonstrate the overwhelming power of the situation to influence behavior.” I am not saying I completely agree with this in everyday life, and I believe that even in the most extreme situations, everyone still has the power to make choices. I hope to think that if in an extreme situation, I would stand up, and make the choice to do the “right” thing. I do not know for sure though, if I would.

This lesson illustrates an important part of what happened in Auschwitz, in an extreme world where regular social norms and rules were completely abandoned. The case of these camps teaches something to us all, even when we are living far away in a world completely different than Auschwitz. We must try to really KNOW OURSELVES, and always make the conscious choice to do what is right. If we lose ourselves, there is no telling what can happen.

Another thing that struck me from the book that the camp brought to life for me is the extremely cold-blooded and calculated way that the murders were carried out. Although many Jews and victims of the Holocaust were shot or killed in moments of frenzy or chaos the great majority were gassed in crematorium-gas chambers built specifically for the purpose. What many people do not realize is that the Nazi state had a variety of different types of camps that served different purposes. Places like Dachau, which was in operation as early as 1933, were work camps, which housed political prisoners doing forced labor to serve the Reich. Other camps, the infamous ‘factories of death’ like Treblinka, established for the sole purpose of carrying out the Final Solution to massively murdering the Jewish population, were not built until the middle of the war. Auschwitz was a curious combination of these two types of camps. First set up in the 1940, Auschwitz 1, under the leadership of a real scumbag named Rudolph Hoss, was set up as a political prison and labor camp for Poles. Later in the war, when the Final Solution was established and the mass Holocaust began, a new complex 3 kilometers away, called Auschwitz-Birkneau, was created. Birkneau was built with the solely as a site for mass murder. I will tell you more about my visit to both of these in a little, but what I want to comment on now is the chilling calculation with which Birkneau and other camps were constructed. By 1943, 4 crematorium-gas chambers were in operation at Auschwitz, they had the capability to kill and burn the bodies of 4,400 people a day. It is simply despicable and horrific that I even have to write that sentence!! Can you imagine being a part of the planning and execution of this operation?! How could you ever sleep at night?! I don’t know!! Rees points out that while war and frenzied ethnic killing has sadly occurred throughout history, “this killing seems entirely new-the careful creation of places where human beings were to be murdered in an entirely cold-blooded manner. The calm, dispassionate, systematic nature of the process finds tangible expression in the neat red brick structure of the crematorium at Birkenau.” I saw the remains of these structures first hand, and it was chilling to imagine what went on inside them and just how many people spent their last seconds in such a horrific place.


I think some people wonder why I am so interested in studying the Holocaust. It is such a morbid and depressing event and I am not Jewish nor do I know of any family members who were in some ways involved. The things I have discussed above repulse me, but they also draw me to the topic. Somehow, it just seems right for me to study it, because I want to try to understand why and how. Why did this happen? Why were so many killed? How could so many people commit murder? How could people hate so much? How could no one have stopped it? These are all questions I want to study. I know I will never be able to find the answers, but I believe the exploration is worthwhile. Perhaps I can learn something in my studies, and I can begin to understand more about people, history, sacrifice, compassion, love, and hate, if I continue to study the Holocaust. If I do that, and share it with others, then I will feel like I am doing something to honor the memory of the victims and prevent something similar from happening again.


Whew, I really did intend to just make that a few general thoughts, but I just kept going! I think those were things I really needed to get off my chest. Ok, now onto the actual recap of the day.

We started our guided tour at Auschwitz 1, the original camp set up to house any Poles the Nazis considered to be a threat to the state. Because Auschwitz 1 held political prisoners, rather than “sub humans” (i.e. Jews), conditions were somewhat better than at Birkeneau, however they were still appalling and violated international legal standards about the treatment of prisoners of war. The barracks of Auschwitz one were brick buildings that were slightly bigger and more spacious than what I imagined. While one has been kept in the same state the Nazis left it in, the others have been transformed and together form a sort of museum that examines various aspects of the camp. We visited all of the exhibits within the barracks, and they were incredibly powerful. I will share with you several of the things I saw that have stuck with me…

• In one of the first buildings we went in, we saw a mini reconstructed model of the gas chamber-crematorium models that were active at Birkeneau. The precise, rigid process victims went through that it displayed was horrifying. They were told they would be taking showers and were forced to undress in a type of holding room. All of their clothes and belongings would be confiscated, but at the time prisoners believed they were being washed and they would be returned soon. The SS men and Kapos (prisoners who helped the SS and acted as guards) were reassuring, and did their best to maintain calm. One of the keys to the Nazi genocide was keeping it a secret from the victims until the last second. If victims found out what was happening to them, panic and chaos ensued and it was much more difficult and messy for the Nazis to carry out their plans. The highly impersonal nature of the murders was also helpful to the SS men; originally shooting squads had been used to commit mass killings, but the Nazi leadership found that it often had a harmful psychological impact on their soldiers (uh- duh?!). Experiments were done to find a more impersonal way that murder could be carried out on a huge, efficient scale, and gas chambers with crematorium attached were created. Seeing the model really brought this to life. We also walked through a to scale model of a gas chamber and crematorium, that was one of the hardest moments of the day for me. While the small model revealed the sadistic, bone-chilling element of the murders, being inside the chamber brought to life the deeply personal and individual sufferings of the victims. I just kept imagining what it would be like to be in this horrible place and suddenly realize that these are your last minutes on earth. I kept thinking of what you would think of in those final seconds and what you would do. I especially felt for those who were alone, and completely removed from family and friends. I am not a deeply praying person, but I found myself saying a lot of prayers that day. I prayed that those in the gas chamber who had to meet their end in such horrible circumstances had someone to stand with in the end, someone to comfort them, and that they too could comfort. I prayed that all of the victims had someone to hold their hand.

• Another portion of the museum revealed all the things that the victims had left behind. There were enormous piles of thousands and thousands of pairs of shoes, eyeglasses, suitcases, prosthetic limbs, hairbrushes, clothing etc. It was so sad to see the material pieces of the lives that were left behind. It was also horrible because so many of these people did not know what fate they would meet, they had all carefully written their names and addresses on their suitcases, confident that one day soon they would be returned. Of course, they never were. This part also illustrated the grotesque way that the Nazis were sure to exploit every last part of their victims, even their hair. Prisoners who made it past selection and were fit to work had their heads shaved upon arrival, and the corpses of those killed in the gas chambers were shaved after their death. All of this hair was then used in the Nazi war effort, as wire, string, etc. There was a case in the exhibits filled with two TONS of human hair; all found when the Soviets liberated the camp in January 1945. It was both overwhelmingly appalling and frightening to see this evidence of the Nazis crimes.

• One of the exhibits was devoted to the children of Auschwitz. This portion had a huge impact on me. There were baby prams that had been left behind, thousands of tiny kid shoes, and photographs of children so emaciated they looked like walking skeletons. This part of the genocide is to me the hardest to understand. I don’t think killing is ever justified, but I can understand the killing of one man by another, for hatred, revenge, greed etc. Sadly, this violence is a part of life. What I cannot understand though, is the planned murder of small, innocent children, who have not yet had a chance at life! How can you take that away from them!? How can anyone kill a child, an infant, a baby? I do not know. The Nazis did it though, 200,000 children were killed at Auschwitz, as well as countless pregnant women with life inside of them. I even learned that 700 babies were born in the camp, and less than 50 survived. My mom always has said that she thinks the hardest thing one could do is bury their own child, and I couldn’t help but think of all the parents who had to see their children murdered there. I am getting to an age where I am beginning to see myself as a mother one day, and since I have a niece who is perfect and adorable, I just couldn’t stand to think of poor children who suffered.

• Two barracks have been preserved in the way that they were found when the camp was liberated so visitors can see how the prisoners and SS guards lived. We first visited the infamous Block 11, the cell used to carry out torture on prisoners who had misbehaved and where many SS operated. It made me really angry to see the nice, comfortable office that the SS slept in while prisoners below them struggled in horrible conditions. There is a small memorial in one of the cells dedicated to a famous Polish priest who sacrificed his life for another man who was about to be murdered. His story has become well known, and I said a prayer at the little monument. I wondered how many other stories of compassion and love in the direst circumstances happened, but were lost when the voices that would have told them were silenced. We also saw another barrack that was preserved as a place where prisoners slept. It is amazing how many people they shoved into such a small space. We learned that the bottom bunks were the worst place to sleep because rats would attack at night. I truly cannot imagine.

• One barrack was dedicated to the Gypsies who were murdered at Auschwitz. I was really happy to see this exhibit, I had just been saying to my roommates the previous night I was somewhat confused about gypsies and their role in the Holocaust. This portion was really well done and provided a lot of information. I had not really understood what a “gypsy” was, I thought it was more about your actions-begging, traveling in groups- that made you a gypsy, rather than something racial. Sadly, in the crazy hierarchy of the Nazis, the gypsies were a sub-human race who only ranked slightly higher than the Jews, and deserved murder just for existing. 23,000 gypsies were deported from across Europe, and 20,000 were killed there, either from the horrific conditions and starvation, or inside the gas chambers. It is important that we remember these other groups, like the gypsies, who suffered during the Holocaust and lost so many lives. What struck me most about the exhibit were all of the family photographs, portraits of huge entire families who were completely liquidated. They looked so “normal,” just regular, happy families who had no idea of the fate that was to meet them in a few months.
• Another barrack had all of the photographs of political prisoners that were taken immediately upon their arrival lining one wall. Below each face were a name, birthday, date of arrival, and date of death. It was so sad to see some men and women who only lasted a few weeks in months in the hell that was Auschwitz. The looks on the faces were incredibly telling, and I spent awhile just staring into the eyes of some of the prisoners. They looked scared, and sad, and lost. One frame, on which a fresh yellow flower hung, held a picture of a very young man who had tears running down his face. I said a prayer and hoped that both he and whoever put the flower next to him could find comfort.

Overall, the morning at Auschwitz 1 was very informative and emotional. I was not expecting it to be converted into a museum, but I was very happy it was. It was helpful for providing information, yet had not become too commercialized or touristy. Even though Auschwitz is one of the most visited sites in Eastern Europe, I still felt that there was a feeling of seriousness and respect in the air which I really appreciated.

We took a quick break for lunch and then headed to the Auschwitz Birkeneau, the death camp set up exclusively to carry out the mass murder of the Jewish race. Rees estimates in his book that 1.3 million people were sent to Auschwitz, and 1.1 million died there. Of this, 90 percent were Jews, who committed only one crime that robbed them of their life- being Jewish. I learned from Rees book that of this 1 million, over 400,000 of the murdered were from Hungary, there was a massive killing frenzy that took place in the summer of 1944 when Hungarian ghettos were liquidated and massive numbers sent immediately to the gas chambers at Auschwitz. The next largest group was Polish Jews, followed by France, the Netherlands, and others. Literally Jews from every country in Europe came to Birkenau and met their end.

Birkeneau looks a bit more like the concentration camp that I expected, or at least what I had seen in photographs and pictures. It has largely been kept exactly as the Soviets found it, and visitors mostly just walk around the grounds, there are not exhibits to visit like at Auschwitz 1. I was very glad we had a tour guide, as well as our Professor with us, to show us around. The most striking thing initially about Birkenau it its size, it could hold five times the amount of prisoners as Auschwitz 1 (100,000 compared to 20,000). Everywhere you look, there are barrack style houses, lining the grass in uniform rows. We visited the inside of one, and the conditions within were astounding, just rows and rows of bare wooden bunk beds where thousands of prisoners were crowded surrounded by filth and waste. From a barrack, we then walked along the train tracks that many of you have likely seen in photographs and movies. We stood at the place where trains, filled with Jews exhausted and ravaged from traveling long distances in horrid conditions, arrived. The Jews were hustled off the trains and immediately separated into men and women. From there, selection began. One group, usually at least 70% and at times a great deal more, those deemed too old or unhealthy to do any meaningful work, was immediately sent to the crematorium for death. The other group, the lucky ones who were seen as fit to work, were sent to actual showers, where they were stripped off all personal belongings, shaved, showered, and tattooed. From there, they began work and just tried to stay alive in place that killed most within a few months. Selections were routine, and one of the most infamous parts of Auschwitz. It is incredible the way these Nazi doctors played God, and took so lightly their choice of who was to live and who died. I can’t imagine how they could do so.

From the train tracks, we walked and saw the remains of two of the crematoriums. The Nazis blew up the buildings just before the Soviets arrived and they fled in hopes of hiding the evidence of their crimes. The rubble from the explosions and parts of the building remains. We learned at this point that the ashes of the 1.1 million people killed remain on that very ground today, and we were standing on the largest mass grave on this earth. I couldn’t really believe I was standing on such a place, and again said a prayer for all those who perished there. We learned from our tour guide the importance of proper burial to the Jewish faith, and it is such a crime that all of these people did not get the resting place they deserve. Can you imagine having a family member who was killed there, and having no gravestone to visit and lay a flower or stone on? It really makes closure difficult I think.

As some constellation, there were two very poignant monuments marking this horrific sight, one had a stone in every language that those murdered people spoke, there must have been 20 stones. One was in English for international tourists and the inscription read, “Forever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning for to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one a half million men, women and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe.” I hope that is true.

From there, we walked to another part of the camp (it is huge) to the place nicknamed by prisoners “Canada.” Canada was the warehouse where all the possessions of the murdered were sorted and stored. It was called Canada because it was the best place to work, and prisoners likened to a place they imagined to be peaceful and safe. Working in Canada meant you were inside, free from trying physical labor, and had access to food that could sometimes be found in the belongings. The actual building does not remain, but on the grounds where it was, you can still find forks, jewelry, and other remnants of long lost lives scattered. Our last stop of the day was the shower complex where those selected to live were cleaned and stripped of their identities, to the Nazis here they ceased being people, and became the number that was tattooed on their wrist. We walked through a shower room and then ended in a place they have transformed into a little exhibit. Walls were covered in photographs and the stories of entire families of Jews were told. In most cases, almost all perished at Auschwitz.

Wow. I have written so much about this day, but I am really glad I got all of my thoughts down. I hope it wasn’t too depressing for you to read. I think it will be really helpful when I write my paper in a few weeks, I can probably just do some major copying and pasting.

After the visit, we drove 2 more hours to Krakow and had a couple of hours to relax before dinner. I ended up taking a bubble bath in the hotel, and that really made me feel better- I love baths! Then we went out to dinner in Krakow’s old Jewish quarter, where we had a traditional Jewish meal while listening to a live band. It was a nice meal (more meat and potatoes) and took my mind off what we had seen that day. I sat with some good friends, as well as this character on our trip named Dan Dowd. If anyone knows who Mr. Kmiec (my 9th student council advisor) is, Dan Dowd is Mr. Kmiec times ten million. Basically a big tool. He was kind of annoying, but comic relief.

Saturday

The next day we did major sightseeing in Krakow. This time we had a really great guy who stayed with us our entire time in Poland, he met us at Auschwitz and stayed with us until we boarded the plane home Sunday. His name was Philip and he was quite young, probably in his late 20s. He was very knowledgeable, but also down to earth, relaxed, and funny. Much better than the murse carrying Georges!

We began our tour at a very nondescript building in a random part of town. It was the headquarters of the Gestapo during WWII and had been transformed into a museum. It was really interesting and showed how extremely the Nazis monitored and supervised daily life in Krakow, even of the non-Jewish population. The Poles themselves suffered greatly during the war, and we should not forget how their civil liberties were violated during this time. We were in one of the torture cells- where prisoners last words that they had etched into the walls could still be seen- when our tour guide checked his phone which had been ringing and suddenly gave us extremely tragic news. The President and several top Polish officials had been killed in a plane crash on their way to Russia! It was such a strange moment, none of us knew the first thing about Polish politics, but we were overwhelmed being in a country going through such a tragic event. It is so sad! We found out more and more about the accident as the day went on, in total 97 people were killed. It was clear that people were upset and stressed, but things did not interrupt into mass chaos. It was more of a feeling of shock and mourning I think. We saw tons of people that afternoon heading to a mass in his honor, and there were candles and flowers burning in the President memory in every church we visited. Pray for Poland, I hope they can get through this time!

From the Gestapo cells, we then went to the old Jewish ghetto, where Krakow’s Jewish population was forced to live during the war. It was obvious that this was not a desirable area, it was a very industrial, run down, and dirty part of town. Unlike in Prague, the Jews of Krakow before the war were very much assimilated into society, and many were quite wealthy and prominent. It must have been such a humiliation and insult for them to move from their nice homes into this filthy, cramped ghetto. As I mentioned earlier, the film Schindler’s List took place in Krakow, and throughout our visit we saw many of the sights from the film. The main square of the ghetto that we saw first was key in several movie scenes, and were Jews had to register each day. Having a pass that said you were a valuable worker was absolutely essential, if you did not gain one, you faced immediate deportation, likely to Auschwitz. In the main square today is a modern art memorial, dozens and dozens of simple, straight-backed chairs are arranged throughout the square. They represent the Jews and all that they lost when they came to the ghetto. Most noticeably, they are empty, showing that almost no Jews left to reclaim their place. The statistics on Krakow are amazing, hundreds of thousands (im not sure the exact number) lived there before the war, and today the population is less than 200. Like Prague, a once huge and important part of the population (Jews made up 25% of Krakow) is gone. Poland had the biggest portion of Jews in Europe- over 3 million- before the war, and now there are almost none.

From the chair memorial, we went into a little museum in the old pharmacy. The pharmacy was run by a non-Jew but the Nazis allowed him to continue to operate inside the ghetto and he actually saved the lives of hundreds of Jews who he helped get work and shelter during the war. The museum was interesting, and I would really like to learn more about this pharmacist. He wrote a book about his experience, and I really want to order it online and read it. From there, we headed to the factory where Oscar Schindler employed 3,000 Jews and protected them from the Nazi’s mass extermination. The building was recently converted into a museum and is in the process of becoming a huge complex, for now it is just a small 2 room exhibition. The walls talked a lot about Schindler’s personal life and quest and it was learn more about the story and how it is different from the movie (although I think the movie sticks to it pretty well). Sadly, after his heroic acts in the war, Schindler failed in a series of business ventures and marriages, his only real success came during the war years. He is buried in Israel, where he is commemorated with a special tree that anyone who saved Jews in the Holocaust is given. Philip told us that thousands of people have trees dedicated to them in Israel, Schindler is just the most well known recipient. I would like to know about other recipients of this honor. After the factory, we stopped by a portion of the wall that used to surround the ghetto. At this point, Philip told us the story of Nicholas Polanksi, the director of the Pianist who escaped from the Krakow ghetto when he was ten. His mother was killed at Auschwitz. Although the film the Pianist is about the Warsaw ghetto (which was a lot bigger than Krakows) it was clear that Polanski’s own experience influenced his film (which is great and everyone should see).

From the factory, we head to the center of Krakow, which was much more picturesque and quaint than the ghetto area. We went on a tour of the library of the University of Krakow, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Eastern Europe. Its collection was pretty extraordinary, and we saw a lot of really interesting pieces, including a thing called a reading rack, which could hold six books open for you, in case you wanted to read that many at one time (a secret dream of mine). We learned about the two most famous alumni of the institution- Nicholas Coppernicus, the astronomer who first proposed a heliocentric universe where the Earth revolved around the sun and Pope John Paul II, who studied for one year before the Universtiy was closed during WWII and then secretly completed his schooling at night. I have taken a class on History of the Scientific Revolution, so it was really cool to see some of Coppernicus’ tools, including an astrolobe and globe. In the room devoted to him, there was even a picture of Earth, taken from the moon and signed by Neil Armstrong, who sent the University the photo to celebrate Copppernicus’ 500th birthday! Way to go USA!

After the tour, we had some free time for lunch. I grabbed some pizza with a few girls from class and then they talked me into getting a McFlurry! They are obsessed with them and say they are much better in Europe (something about swirling chocolate sauce and toppings in I think). It was good, but not great. I can’t wait for Archs and TCBY when I get home to get my soft serve fix.

After the break, we met back up in the main square and spent the afternoon exploring the area of Old Krakow. We went into the church that is the focal point of the city, St. Anne’s basilica! I know I say this a lot, but it was gorgeous inside, the alter is incredible and one of the most famous in the world. Already set on the alter was a photo of the lost President and candles, and many in church were clearly praying with him in mind. It gave a special poignancy to our visit to be there during such a hard time for the whole nation. We were scheduled to visit a few more churchs’ that afternoon, but many were closed to the public as a result of the President’ death, they were beginning their preparations for a week of national mourning. We did walk through a nice park, and saw several monuments to Pope John Paul II, who was born about 50 km from Krakow and considered it “his city.” He is a huge figure in Krakow and it is clear he means a great deal to the Polish people. I was surprised by just how Catholic and religious Krakow felt, although I probably shouldn’t have been, I just didn’t realize how Catholic of a county Poland is. Philip told me it is over 95% Catholic, and of those 70% regularly attend church! This is a huge figure, especially at a time when in the US and Europe church attendance is dwindling. A funny story, all day several rowdy boys in our group were playing a little game called “nun hunt” where, you guessed it, they counted nuns- whoever was the first one to spot one got a point. When I heard of it I thought it was pretty funny, but wasn’t sure if Prof. Haag and company would approve! Boy, was I wrong! When Haag heard about it, he thought it was hysterical and began playing. When he said, in his refined French accent, “those are mine” about some nuns that walked by, I almost died laughing! Later, when he recapped our trip, he said one thing that made our group unique and special was the “nun hunt” which was one of his highlights. I challenge you to a nun hunt next time you are in Poland!

In the afternoon, we also visited the national castle/cathedral (it is huge complex that fits both) that overlooks the city. It was really, really pretty and I enjoyed the views from the top. The actual building was closed because of the tragedy, but we were able to still walk around the grounds. It was sad, there were tons of news crews and vans outside, and when we left in late afternoon, the square was beginning to fill with Poles who were coming to mourn at the memorial service that would be held that night. I know most people preferred Prague, but I thought Krakow was fascinating and very nice. Prague is gorgeous, but I loved all the history of Krakow and would recommend a visit to anyone.

That night was the last of our study tour, and the Professors made it special for us! The composer Chopin is another famous Krakowian and since Professor Bachaus, Professor Hagge’s bff, is a music teacher, he arranged a concert for us. It was in an old palace in the city center and was super classy. The room was gorgeous and only held about 10 other people in addition to our group. A young girl (only few years older than us) played Chopin for us on the piano and I really enjoyed it. I am a big fan of piano, and I don’t know much about composers, but Chopin sounded good to me. His music is very expressive, you could feel the intense emotion behind all the pieces and the pianist who played was great! We all got dressed up for the occasion, and it was just a nice evening. After, a big group of us went to a traditional Polish restaurant for dinner. I had perogies, because I knew if I didn’t my bff Natalie would kill me- she is obsessed with them! They are little dumpling like things filled with cheese and potatoes. I’ll admit, Nat is right for once, they are delicious! I was glad I tried them and had the “authentic” food even though I was getting sick of Eastern Europe’s cuisine.

Sunday morning we only had an hour or so for sightseeing before we left. We went to the Old Jewish Quarter (the nice neighborhood they prospered in, not the ghetto they were forced to live) and visited several synagogues and a Jewish graveyard. Even though everyone was tired and ready to go home, I’m glad we stopped there, I had never been inside a synagogue and it was really neat to see. From there, we took a bus to an airport in Krakow and headed back to Lux. The traveling wasn’t too bad and I was home relatively early!

Whoa, this has been such a long post! It has taken me forever to write, but I’m really glad I did it, I think I’ll be thankful later when I look back and I have all these thoughts down on paper.


My week this week was ok, but to be honest, not my best. After so much travel, it was just hard to get into the swing of school and Lux life again. Just seeing my parents was so great, and I think actually made me miss and appreciate them more than I had before. It is getting close to the end, and as much as I love love my life here, I am getting somewhat ready to be home. I just want to see everyone! I knew the best way to combat stress/homesickness was to keep busy, so I really tried to do that this week! I went to the gym, went to a movie (I saw Date Night- its funny!), went on walks with my friend Allie, and went out to Das Boot last night, and today went to Metz, France with my French class for the afternoon! All these activities did the trick, and I have felt a lot better. Just looking forward to some of my favorite people and the comforts of home that I will be enjoying in a few weeks.

Ah, but this weekend I will be doing something so exciting, going to Amsterdam!! One friend from Lux is going with me, and I am meeting my sorority sisters Clare (who I have traveled with and visited) and Diana (who I have not seen yet). I’m really excited because, as you know drugs and prostitution are two of my favorite activities and they are quite popular- and legal- in Amsterdam. Kidding! Actually, I am really excited for the tulips- it is prime time for them to be in bloom- and they are my favorite flower!!
Woo, cant wait!

Have a great weekend all!!
Love you.

Study Tour Part One!

Hey guys. I hope everyone liked my Dad’s post (which is below) as well as my photos on fbook. I think my Dad did a great job, just wanted to say thanks to him on here! Your writings captured our trip perfectly.

Ok, so its time for me to write this post about my study tour. I planned on doing it yesterday, but life just kind of caught up with me. On Sunday night and all day yesterday, I ran around trying to get stuff together and just generally stressing. I had a presentation in politics class, I had to deal with stuff at the Lux ministry (I still technically don’t have a visa- I will be hopefully getting it Friday when I pick up my passport), and I had to figure out what classes to take back at UVa next semester (I sign up today). On top of all this, I just had to get back to life at home, buy some groceries, figure out laundry, homework, unpacking, etc. I kind of stressed all day yesterday, and when I got home last night around dinnertime, I knew trying to blog and stuff would just be too much (I love writing these posts, but when I’m not in the mood, it can feel like homework). I decided to just veg out, read a book (a comedy one by Chelsea Handler- its my roommaes and the only book available- it was sort of funny but a bit crude for me), and go to bed early. I’m really glad I did, I feel a ton better today and like I can focus more. Ok, sorry to complain about that, I know its no big deal nad I shouldn’t worry, but just wanted to let you know where I stood. Coming back from 17 days of travel can be a bit overwhelming haha!

But so the study tour, which was for my class “The Rise and Fall of Hitler.” It was a really, really interesting experience. I really have enjoyed the class throughout the semester and as I mentioned before, it is one of the main reasons I selected the program I am currently on. For those that don’t know, I am a Distinguished History Major at UVa, which basically means I have to write an extra long (think 70-100 pages) thesis next year doing some kind of original research. I am not positive what I want it to be about, but I know I want it to be from World War II/the Holocaust. Therefore, this class is really important to me, not just because it is fascinating, but because it will be directly relevant to my work next year. I have been looking for topics this entire trip, and I think after the study tour, I have several. The class here is taught by a prominent Luxembourg historian named Dr. Emile Haag, who has been teaching at MUDEC for many, many years (some people in my class parents were taught by him). He is just the perfect definition of a distinguished and classy European man. He can never be found without a beret style hat and Lacoste cardigan. Each class his lectures provide an intense amount of material, he is clearly extremely knowledgeable about the Hitler’s life and the period of the Second World War. We had one exam in his class thus far, and he proved to be a tough, but fair grader. His quite serious and at times slightly intimidating, but on this trip he really loosened up and I felt like I got to know him a bit better. In addition to him, we were accompanied by three other chaperones, a music professor and Haags’ bff Dr. George Backas (who is never seen without Prada shoes), our Assistant Dean Raymond Manes, and then another random older gentleman who was a friend of all the guys and named George. Basically, they were all having a great guys weekend and were excellent, laid back but informative guides. There level of class determined our accommodations and meals, which meant they were of course excellent! Bachas and Haag would never sleep in a hostel, and as a result, we stayed in great, quite comfy hotels and had several lovely dinners.

Ok, so know that you have the background, I will begin the recap. The tour began on Tuesday, which for me was a day of travel. I woke up early in Nice with Jill and we headed to the airport. She caught a 7:00 flight to Geneva, and I waited a bit and then boarded an 8:30 to Paris. In Paris a little after 10, I then had to wait until 2:30 for my flight to Prague. Unfortunately, Easy Jet (the budget airline I flew which turned out to be a lot better than Ryan Air- just less hectic) does not do connection flights and transfer luggage, so I had to claim my checked bag in Paris and then go through security again and recheck it. This sounded like a pain, but turned out not to be bad at all, all Easy Jet flights are confined to a small region of Charles De Gaulle airport, and everything went smoothly. I used the couple of hours to write my entire Paris with my parents blog, and paid a few Euro for an hour of internet so I could catch up on emails and facebook. Before I knew it, I was on the flight, headed to Prague. It was quick and easy, and once in the Prague airport I changed a bit of money into the Czech currency- koruna - they are in the EU but not yet on the Euro. Then I grabbed a cab to my hotel, since I was alone and had a bunch of stuff, I just didn’t want to deal with public transport. It worked out in the end, but when I first was approached by a cab man as I exited, I got a little worried. He was driving more of a town car, and I knew my parents had had a bad experience with a fake cabbie, plus scenes from the movie Taken were flashing in my mind. I know Prague is quite touristy and developed, but I hadn’t yet been in Eastern Europe, and was just slightly more nervous than usual. I told the cabbie I wanted a yellow taxi, but then he showed me his badges, list of prices, and that he just had a fixed rate to my hotel. It was the same price as what the lady at the money changer told me, so I knew he was legit and got in. He turned out to be quite nice, and spent the entire time telling me about the city and his daughter, a girl my age who was studying in Zurich. Anyway, he dropped me safely at my hotel, and I checked in and found my room. I was staying with a girl I am not super close with but who I knew was very nice named Jamie. She was already in our room, so we chatted a bit, then I took a power nap and quick shower before dinner. At 7:30, it was time to meet the group in the hotel lobby. Our class is composed of about 42 students and it was good to see everyone after a week and a half of being completely removed from MUDEC. Ill admit, it was nice to just get away from my program and everyone for awhile, but I was eager to see some of them. I am pretty close with my roommate Ali, and my friends Kate, Margaret, and Cody, who were all there. It was great to hang out and catch up on our trips, everyone had been to so many interesting stories, it was nice to hear about their adventures. We went to a group dinner that night, one of many which was organized for us and “free” (actually not really because we paid in tuition, so really on our parents tab haha). We went to a local Czech place that served us family style, for each course we had a huge plate to share between a group of 5-6 of us. I have to say right here that Czech and Polish food is not my favorite, it is quite heavy on the meat, meat, and more meat, with some potatoes thrown in. Despite my love for the occasional hamburger or steak, meat is not my thing and I really don’t eat it much at all, except of course when I am in Eastern Europe (when in Rome I guess, as my funny boyfriend would put it). This food was quite good despite my prejudices! I especially enjoyed the cheeses and peppers that came with the appetizer plate and the roast chicken on the main course one. The main course one literally had a whole roast duck on it, as well as slices of tongue (I tried the duck but just couldn’t do the tongue) it was crazy and so so much food! I was starving from a day of traveling and just eating some random airport food, so it was nice to have a big dinner with friends, eat my fill, and relax. We all crashed in the hotel after dinner.

The next day was our big day of sightseeing in Prague. We had a walking tour scheduled from 9am to 6pm! Everyone was slightly intimidated/unsure of this adventure, that is a looooong walking tour!! In the end though, it turned out to be really informative and overall enjoyable despite its length (I’m not going to lie, it still was too long and our guide just too verbose). Our guide was a guy named George, and the first thing I noticed about him was his epic MURSE. For those of you who don’t know about male European fashion trends, a MURSE is a MAN PURSE. Let me tell you, they are all the rage over here in Europe, I have no idea why! They are like fannypacks which went out of style when I was about six, only worse. But men here seem to think they are really cool (this is one of the primary reasons I am so glad my boyfriend is a blue blooded American boy). Anyway, Georges had a Murse that was decorated with a map of Prague. He would often whip it around his body to point out (with his umbrella which he brought def as a pointer since it was not raining at all, it was a beautiful day) where we were. I couldn’t help laughing slightly each time and I did manage to take a pic of this fashion statement.

Ok, so sorry for the digression. Despite his fashion inadequacies, Georges was a very good tour guide for the most part. He was very knowledgeable and told us a ton about Prague’s rich culture. He was especially keen on the city’s architecture and pointed out how it has changed throughout the centuries and the way that almost every major architectural movement since the middle ages is represented in some region of Prague. We started out in the main square of old town, and saw the famous bell tower and its clock, as well as the temporary Easter Markets, which were in full swing peddling food and souvenirs, especially those tiny painted eggs that are a specialty here. We then walked throughout the Old Town, down Prague’s quaint cobblestone streets. We wound throughout the town in the morning, and I can’t tell you exactly which buildings we saw, it was so windy and a Georges gave us so much information it was hard to keep track! It was beautiful though, Prague definitely lives up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. During World War II, Prague was very lucky, and experienced very little bombing. As a result, much of the old city looks as it did hundreds of years ago. The roofs in Prague are mostly an orange, reddish color, and the buildings remind me a bit of the colorful ones I have seen in German towns like Trier and Speyer. It has a very nice effect!

As I said, Georges gave us a ton of info in the morning and I can’t (nor do I really want- it may be boring for you) to recount it all. However, two interesting things I did learn was that Charles IV (whose son Charles V would later rule over half of Europe- I remember him from AP Euro), the second King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, was a key figure in Prague history. He made Prague the imperial capital of his lands, and transformed the city so that under him it experienced its Golden Age. He built the University, a famed and beautiful bridge, and a prominent square, all of which now bear his name in remembrance. Essentially, he made Prague the place to be in the 14th century and is responsible for a lot of its beauty even today! The other cool thing I learned is that Good King Wenceslaus is a real person who ruled in Prague in the 10th century! That Christmas carol is not made up, he really was a nice guy!

We took a break midday for lunch (lunch was meat and potatoes of course), and then stopped by the Jewish quarter quickly in the afternoon. Sadly, Prague does not have a tolerant history in terms of its relationship with the Jewish population. For nearly ten centuries (from Pragues’ beginnings in the 900s to the 1840s) Jews living in Prague were confined to a small ghetto. They lacked many basic civil liberties, and were unable to leave the ghetto after certain hours and had to wear identification. I think a big part of the Holocaust is the very very deep rooted anti-Semitism that was present in a lot of the areas where the Nazis implemented the Final Solution, and Prague really revealed this. In 1848, after revolutionary movements and civil rights fever swept across Europe, the Jews were granted much more freedom and assimilated into Prague’s society more than ever. Sadly, these reforms did not last, and when the Nazis invaded Prague and began rounding up Jews and again confining them to the small and unlivable (it was far, far too small to fit all the Jews), the non Jewish population did little to stop them. One of the things I learned on the trip that sticks out most to me is just how much the Nazi’s Final Solution (which means their plan to exterminate all the Jews in Europe) actually was successful, and literally cleared all the Jews out of these areas in Eastern Europe. We learned that in Prague before the war, their were 700,000 Jews. Now, the population is less than 500! This is crazy!!! I cant believe such a thriving, important community is just gone from the city. It is the same in Crakow. Those who were lucky enough to survive mostly emigrated to American or Israel. I don’t blame them, why would you want to live in a country where all of your family and friends were killed?!

After the stop, we boarded a bus for a quick ride up to Prague castle. We spent the afternoon walking around the entire area of the city around the Castle, I think it is called New Town (it is on the other side of Charles bridge and overlooks Old Town). It was really pretty and had great views, seeing Prague from above was one of my favorite parts of the trip! I got a bunch of great pictures. We also walked throughout the gardens surrounding the Senate building, they were quite nice as well and even had some peacocks wandering around. Sadly we were unable to go into the actual Prague Castle because of a tiny man named Barack Obama, who happened to be in Prague meeting the Russian President and signing a major nuclear arms reduction treaty. Oh Obama! Haha, it was actually cool that he was there and I am sad we didn’t get to meet up (he wanted to come on the pub crawl we went to but Michelle said no). Security all around the castle area was heightened the day we visited, they were prepping for the actually signing the next day, so we weren’t able to go in, but that is ok. After a coffee break, we continued and walked to the Imagine Wall- a wall of graffiti dedicated to John Lennon that was started when he was shot- and then crossed the Charles Bridge, which is probably Prague’s most well known land mark and gorgeous. It has great views of the city and was bustling with people on this busy day! Georges then walked us back to our hotel in Old Town and said goodbye. A long tour, but really interesting, and I felt like I saw all major points of the city and got to know Prague a great deal!

That night, I was able to meet up with my friend and roommate from last semester, Kelly, who is studying in Prague! She stopped by my hotel to pick me up and then we went out for dinner. Since being in Europe, I have really wanted to try Indian food, I know it is kind of random but it is super popular over here and I have heard great things about it! I told Kelly I was not in the mood for traditional Prague food (meat and potatoes) and since she is a vegetarian, she felt the same. We decided on an Indian place near the hotel, and it turned out to be great. We split two veggie dishes in different sauces, plus some rice and nan bread! I really enjoyed it and will most def be getting Indian food again! So spicy and tasty. Kelly and I talked non stop and were able to catch up a ton! One of the best lessons I have learned from traveling is if you know someone in a city you are visiting, even if you aren’t bffs, call them up when you visit and meet up!! It really changes your experience to talk to someone who actually lives in a place, and you are able to get a much better feel for it!! I have met up with way more friends across Europe then I expected, and I am so happy I have. It is also just so nice to see a familiar face sometimes. Kel and I talked a bunch about our different experiences and traveling stories, it was great to compare notes. Kelly had been to Auschwitz already and she was able to tell me about her reaction, which was really helpful, I think it made me more prepared for what I would see in a few days.

After dinner, I was planning to meet up with a bunch of people from my class for a pub crawl, which everyone who had been to Prague suggested we go on and claimed it was the best one in all of Europe. I invited Kelly to come along, and I was so glad she joined us. She had been to some of the bars before, but I think she had a lot of fun meeting my friends and just letting loose! We went to four bars and then a dance club, and I am happy to report I was one of the select few (maybe 8 out of like 30) to make it to the end! Kelly too! Hooray for UVa for training us to drink and dance like champs! A great night and day in Prague!

Thursday
The next day was intended to be a full day of travel and I think a lot of the hard partying and staying up late on behalf of our group had been in anticipation of a day only consisting of a long bus ride. We were scheduled to leave at 11, and me and my friend Margaret woke up pretty early so we could get some shopping done. We were tired, but took a few hours to wander the Easter market and shops of old town square, and I got some nice souvenirs! We reported back at 11 ready for the bus, only to find our bus delayed and our teacher telling us to be back in 3 hours when we would now leave! We laughed at the irony of our waking up early, but decided to look on the bright side and take advantage of more time in gorgeous Prague on a perfect sunny day! We walked down to Charles Bridge again to take in the view, and then made a spur of the minute decision to hop on a boat tour! We were so glad we decided to go. I had learned in Paris that boat cruises really give you a different view of a city, and this was true again in Prague. Our captain’s sailor costume and commentary were both a bit cheesy, but that didn’t matter. With out tickets, we got a free ice cream and drink so that was great! We had originally bought Subway for the bus ride, so we ate that on the boat. American I know, but it tasted great and was the first time I have had turkey on this trip! Anyway, we just vegged on the boat, enjoyed lunch, and took in the sights! It was a great surprising way to take advantage of our extra time!

The rest of Thursday was spent on a bus, it was about a 6 hour ride to Auschwitz. I got a bit of a cat nap in, and also spent some time finishing reading the book about Auschwitz that we were assigned for class. It is called Auschwitz and is by the British journalist Lawrence Rees (it accompanied a BBC documentary made on the camp) and if you are interested in the topic, I highly recommend it. It is full of first hand accounts of the camps horrors, and despite being emotionally challenging to get through, in terms of writing style, is well done and easy to follow. Check it out if you would like. Also on the bus, we watched Schindler’s List, which I am sure many of you have seen and I will not therefore give you a summary. I had not seen it yet and I thought it was a great, great movie. It is such an incredible story. As you know, it is based on the life of Oscar Schindler, who lived and operated in Cracow, where we were going after Aushcwitz. I’ll tell you in Cracow about all the sights we saw that were in the movie and a part of Schindlers’ life including his actual factory. But the movie was excellent and a great way to prepare us for what we would see in the next few days.

We arrived at our hotel, which was a few hours from Auschwitz, around 8 and had a nice dinner in their restaurant. Then everyone was pretty tired and just trying to get ready for the next day. I did a little reading and then hit the hay.

Ok, I am going slow on this and will be back later with more about the rest of my trip!

Care