This past weekend my roommate, Yarden, and I took a spontaneous trip to Granada, Spain. After a 5 hour bus-ride we arrived at our hostel in the Arab district, which was absolutely phenomenal. The streets leading to the hostel were cobblestone and lined with many little Arab vendor shops with leather goods, mosaic tiles, jewelry, hookah, and henna. The first day we enjoyed tapas and tinto (wine and Sprite) at a little restaurant called Babel. After, we explored the city and stopped by a monastery with beautiful grounds that overlook the city and mountains. We then walked around the grounds of the Arab castle Alhambra, but not before having a glass of sangria at the Alhambra terrace. We also climbed to Mirador San Nicolas, a famous lookout point, and watched the sun set over the city and behind Alhambra. Sitting there and enjoying this beautiful sight was definitely one of the highlights of the weekend. We were also fortunate enough to be able to visit Alhambra and explored inside and around the grounds of the castle. There is a huge garden attached, called Generalife, and is a terrace of plants and flowers atop the mountain. That night, we climbed to the highest peak of the city to a church, which is another common lookout point for sunset lovers. The cobblestone/all stairs hike was a workout, but being able to see the sunset over the mountains and the entirety of the city was an incredible reward. The night before we left we went out with Yarden’s two friends who were visiting Granada as well and had tapas, sangria, and a fishbowl. Every time I ordered something, I would stare in amazement at the low cost of the receipt.

My favorite meal of the trip was a falafel and shawarma pita with yogurt sauce in the Arab nation. How I missed out on trying this savory meal before is beyond me…

The most interesting meal I have had while abroad was in Granada. Yarden and I split a meal of prime rib strips. The strips were served raw with fatty strips of meat accompanying them on a hot platter, and we had to “grease” the hot platter with the fatty strips of meat and then place the prime rib cuts onto the pan and flip them as they cooked. We had to work for our meal, but it was extra satisfying when the steak finally cooked. The prime rib was mouthwatering.

Things I have learned:

-Getting lost is part of the fun.

-Not having a plan is also part of the fun.

-Granada is FILLED with young people, and is similar to a college town.

-Spaniards have no sense of sidewalk space- They walk SLOW, with linked arms, making it almost impossible to pass.

-Time is going by too fast. In about a month I will be home.

Sometimes I start to feel homesick and decide I’m ready to go home and see my family; but then other times, like today, I realize how amazing I feel here and how many great opportunities I’m experiencing!

I spent the weekend of the 7th-9th exploring Barcelona with Catie. On our first night we experienced the Spanish night life, which was definitely a cultural difference. After a pub crawl sponsored by our hostel, we went to a popular night club for a while. Around 3:00am we decided to head out, and as we were leaving there was still a huge line of people waiting to get in! I could never just be going somewhere at 3am, that’s just crazy. The next day we spent the whole afternoon laying on the beach and walking along the beachfront. That night we went to the city center for some shopping and dinner – seafood paella! It was great. On our last day we went on a walking tour around Barcelona and visited the Sagrada Familia. The weather was great, and it was very refreshing to see a beach and blue skies after 2 months in London.

I was worried about Dallas all week. He got bit by a spider or something in Brazil and had to go to the hospital. I just hope he’s better by December!

This past month I went on a trip with a tour group to Amsterdam and Bruges. Both places seemed surreal. Amsterdam, in particular, was unlike anywhere else. Some parts were gorgeous with huge houses lining the canals. We got to go on a canal boat tour one night and it was very very cool. Yet, the rest of the city was noticeably dirty and smelly. We walked through the infamous red light district and ate some famous Dutch pancakes. The next day we went to a very rural area and saw beautiful windmills, a cheese factory, and a clog factory. Then in the afternoon I visited the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank House. Both were awesome!

The following day we drove to Bruges in Belguim. The whole place felt like a scene out of a medieval fairy tale. I ate a Belgian waffle and frites (French fries), which are actually Belgian but the first American to see them heard the Belgians speaking French and assumed they were a French thing. Silly Americans. I also got some of their famous Belgian lace and chocolate!

I’m going to try to be very productive with my schoolwork this week. I already wrote a 1500 word paper today! Tomorrow I’m going a show sponsored by USAC with all the other students in the program. It should be good.

Next weekend I’m heading to Vienna and Prague. It’ll be my first trip completely on my own, but I’m used to getting around now so I think I’ll be okay.

Only 5 more week to make memories! Time has really flown by.

I apologize to those of you who actually read my blog that it has been a month since my last update! Let me share with you everywhere I have been! I have been to Segovia, Spain, Lisbon, Portugal, Barcelona, Spain, and La Mancha, Spain. It has been an amazing couple of months so far in Europe. The last three places I visited were just breathtaking.

Lisbon, Portugal is built on 7 hills. This Texas, born and bred, girl thinks that hills are small and easy to climb over. Hills in Europe are like mini mountains. I got the best workout ever those three days in Portugal. I saw castles built by the moors, tasted my first nata (a cream filled pastry, kind of like custard) it’s heaven in a pastry, and I bought a Longchamp bag (fashion is my secret passion in life)! Of course I have to do a little shopping while in Europe. The pictures below are of the view from one of the castles I saw and the amazingly delicious Nata!

 

After Portugal I was off to Barcelona for a little adventure in my own back yard. Barcelona is located in the autonomous region of Catalunya in Spain. The first language of this area is Catalan, not spanish. Again this created some interesting interactions with locals like in Portugal. I spent much of the weekend in the land of spanglish, a nice mix of both spanish and english. Barcelona is a beautiful city with a perfect mix of urban-ness and beach. My favorite site in Barcelona was the Sagrada Familia. This basilica was designed by Gaudi and after a fire it was reconstructed and much of it is still be renovated today. The amount of detail on the outside alone could keep you looking for hours. Compared to the outside the inside is quite simple with the focus on the many stained glass windows. It’s hard to keep your attention away from all the colors coming inside. I also visited Park Güel, a park in Barcelona that showcases many smaller designs by Gaudi and the picture perfect views of Barcelona. Below are two different views of the Sagrada Familia.

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following weekend after Barcelona I visited Chinchón and La Mancha, two small towns near Madrid. La Mancha was my favorite of the two towns. For those that don’t know, La Mancha is the setting for one of the chapters in the book Don Quijote de La Mancha. This is a novel written by Miguel de Cervantes about an old many who believes he is a knight. It tells about him and the trouble he finds himself in. La Mancha is the site of many large windmills. In the story don Quijote believes these windmills are giants that he must battle to protect his town and beloved Dulcinea. I have read several chapters of the over 1,000 page novel several times and was thrilled to reenact the fight with the windmills. Check them out below, they’re HUGE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been pretty blessed so far in Europe and I couldn’t be more excited for the adventures ahead.

Check back to find out what I did for 9 days by myself in Europe!

 

Fall break was upon us here in Madrid, as some students prepared to go on the group trip to San Sebastian and Bilbao others were prepping for Ireland, London, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Paris, Rome, and more and I was prepping for the trip of a lifetime.

On Saturday October 19th I packed up my duffel and set out for my first ever solo trip. My first stop was Munich, Germany. I spent two days exploring the city and venturing outside of it to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. This was about a 2 hour train ride outside of Munich and was built beginning in 1868 and was ready to be lived in by the end of 1873 though renovations were continuous. Settled on the mountains, it was a retreat for King Ludwig II who did not like to be around people. The hike up to the castle could take quite a while but I enjoyed a trip in a horse drawn carriage up to the top to see the castle below.

The next day I got to see the Glockenspiel in the centre of the city. The Glockenspiel in a huge cuckoo clock that chimes at every hour. At 11 am everyday the chimes are special. Once the clock stokes 11 the music starts, and the figurines around the clock begin to move. I have known about the Glockenspiel for quite some time now and was ecstatic to watch the show. Although I’m 21 for about 5 minutes I felt like I was 4, it was really enjoyable. After the glockenspiel finished I enjoyed my first authentic German pretzel and visited a number of churches in the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That night I was on my way to Oswiecim,Poland. I took my first ever night train, let me give you a little advice: never take a night train that arrives at your destination at 4:45 in the MORNING! Yes, I arrived in Oswiecim, Poland at 4:45 in the morning and waited till Auschwitz was open for tours. World War II is the time period in history that intrigues me most. Everyone has history that they love to read and watch movies about and WWII is mine. I have always wanted to go to Auschwitz since the moment I first learned about it. My second piece of advice comes now: don’t go to a nazi concentration camp by yourself. There is a lot to process throughout the experience and it can be nice to talk about it with a friend. It took me two days to really process everything I saw. Auschwitz was an awful place but it holds so much history. It was weird to think that I stood in the same place as thousands of people who were persecuted for the most absurd reasons. I stood where thousands upon thousands of people died… I can never forget that. The image is burned in my brain. I have so much to be thankful for and so much that I take for granted everyday. Below are just a couple images of the entrance to the camp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After I left Auschwitz, I headed to Krakow to catch my night train to Vienna Austria. It was the beginning of the the end for my week of travels. Austria has always been a place that I wanted to visit and I couldn’t wait to get it started. Vienna is the city of music, of Mozart and more. I enjoyed sitting in the outdoor cafes listening to the quartets play away to those passing. I saw several churches, theatres, and walked through the major park in the city. Vienna is definitely one of the prettiest places I have ever been.

To end my 9 day journey I hopped on a train to Salzburg. This was the moment I was waiting for, the cream of the crop, the holy grail of european cities; I was entering the city where my favourite movie EVER was filmed and historically took place, The Sound of Music. Salzburg is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I visited every significant site from the movie. I walked up the mountain that the city is built out of, I ate schnitzel and bratwurst, and I rode a bike. To be specific I participated in the Fraulein Maria Bike Tour, it was easily the best experience I have ever had; if I felt like a 4 year old at the Glockenspiel, I felt like a kid in a candy shop for two and a half days while I was in Salzburg. My hostel even showed the movie every night at 7, and yes I watched The Sound of Music 3 nights in a row. Even though I spent such a short time in Salzburg I  know it is the place for me! I can’t wait to go back some day. Enjoy the photos of my favorite place! And, check back to see where the end of my semester takes me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Firgun” : (Hebrew) The act of sharing in or even contributing to someone else’s pleasure or fortune, with a purely generous heart and without jealousy; or of sharing credit fairly.

This last weekend I traveled all the way to Londra (London), where I fell in love with everything and everyone around me. I know earlier I said something about Parigi (Paris) being the city of love, but Londra is the real city of love. Not just the kind of love that comes between two people who are enamored with each other, but a love and respect for everything out there that is good and beautiful.

Now, this may sound like an exaggeration, but it is. It’s an exaggeration (which I often make if you haven’t noticed) that is important to shed light on how life-changing traveling can be. I am making a promise now that some day I will live and London and that’s because it ignited a spark in me (again, which had first started in Poland) to do something to change the world.

Yes, I did all of the typical touristy things while I was there and yes, I did miss my flight coming back home because I just had to have that last Chipotle burrito before returning to the land of pasta, but more than that I started planning my future for good.

When any of you travel you need to keep those places you find that you love close to your heart and never let them go. Let them be a sign to you that your future is bright and full of amazing opportunities. With the optimism that this trip filled me with I feel I can do anything in the world, mainly because that’s the way a lot of people in Londra think like!

Here are some cool pictures from my trip:

Here is one important trip advice I have: if you have friends studying/living/staying in any part of Europe that you are traveling to – stay with them! I stayed with my friend Rachel Newton, who I met three years ago during a trip to New Zealand and I had the best time. We not only were tourists for a day but real Londoners for the rest of the weekend as well.

Cheers!
Megan

 

It’s the night before I depart for Rome and I could not be more excited! In order to prepare, I went out for Italian food with my family while my younger brother, the family scholar, lectured us on the history of Rome and early Christianity. A little bit off the topic of what we’re going to study but it got me back into the educational mindset after two weeks off of school.

I think the best part of this course is the unique combination of cultural experiences and social education. We’re going to be visiting famous landmarks in Rome, as well as the less well known tourist attractions in Malta. At the same time, we are going to be learning about justice and human rights in the context of migrants/refugees that have flooded both Malta and Italy and the political, economic and social implications. This is an intense topic to cover in just two short weeks, but I am really looking forward to the immersion that this course offers. The next two weeks will be packed and exhausting and I can’t wait to get started!

Welcome!

I am a junior at Loyola, majoring in English and International Studies.  I was so excited to have the opportunity to travel to Rome/Malta and learn about human rights and refugee issues.  My long-term career interests are in this direction, so when I heard about this J-term section I jumped on it immediately.  I knew next to nothing about Malta when I heard about the course, and still know very little, so I trust that I will learn a great deal over the course of this trip!

From the little that I have read, the refugee situation is becoming an increasingly pressing concern for European nations, and in particular southern Europe.  Malta is an island located in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, south of Sicily.  Refugees from northern African nations, middle eastern countries, etc., attempt to enter Europe by way of ships to Malta and other small northern Mediterranean islands, creating social and economic pressures on local governments.  Here is a recent article reporting on treatment of refugees at the detainment facilities where refugees are held: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25423032.

Time to board my flight, so more to come soon!

Wow!  These first few days in Rome have already been so packed full of experiences that I feel overwhelmed in deciding where to start and what to tell.  We arrived at the Fiumicino airport Monday morning, pretty tired from the flight but happy to finally be here!  The weather was cold and wet, but of course, compared to the frigid weather we left behind in Chicago, this is practically summer.  We scoffed at the Romans wearing gloves, hats and scarves in 40 degree weather, but soon found ourselves bundling up too!  It must be the combination of cold and damp, and the buildings are definitely not as well insulated.  But enough with the weather.

We met our professor from Malta, Edward, and his wife Carmen in the afternoon, and walked to the Institute of Medieval Literature where our first lecture was held.  After learning about ethnographic research and receiving some introductory information on asylum seekers in Europe, we headed off to dinner.

The following day, our group made its way to the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center at St. Paul’s Within the Walls, which is run by the American Episcopalian Church.  It specifically provides basic necessities for political asylum seekers (versus economic), and hosts approximately 200-250 men, many of whom are Afghani, Pakistani, and some Syrian, in addition to many from different African nations currently in upheaval.  This visit was strongly impactful for me, as we were able to go into the center and engage in various activities with the refugees for a period of time.  Some gathered around a game of cribbage, while others sculpted with clay, chatted, or waited in the supply line to receive razors, soap, and other basic items the center is able to supply as much as funding permits.   Our group engaged in discussion with a smaller group of leaders from the JNRC before and after our visit, centered around our current knowledge of what it means to be a political refugee, and reflection upon what we learned following our experience meeting and spending time in the center.  The stories we learned about some of the men were very moving and disheartening, though the work of the center provided us a glimpse of something good in their lives.  We learned that during the process of seeking status as a political refugee in Italy, refugees are afforded “housing” (which are in some cases simply tents) for 12 hours at night.  At 8:00 am they must leave, and cannot come back until 7 or 8pm.  Most are not able to find much work, both because the Italian economy is weak, and because there are bureaucratic barriers which make it extremely difficult to become legally employed, not to mention the inherent disadvantage of not speaking the native language, etc.  Thus, the JNRC provides a place that refugees can come to get a small breakfast, supplies, learn English and Italian, and find assistance in determining what skills they have that can be utilized rather than wander the streets of Rome until evening.  Although this was the most substantial and moving part of the day, I am not posting any photos as we were not allowed to take any for obvious reasons.

After our visit to the center, we toured the Roman Forum, ending at the Colosseum.  How amazing!  It is mind-blowing to think that all of the Roman Emperors walked in this area, and to see ruins still standing from the time of such a vast and influential empire as Rome.  I will put together a photo album and link to it in a later blog, so stay tuned for that!

Our New Years’ celebration was fantastic and totally ideal.  We enjoyed some champagne meters from the Roman Colosseum amidst a merry crowd of people from all over the world.  A laser countdown was projected onto the Colosseum, and when we reached zero, bottles of champagne came flying open from all sides and we were absolutely drenched.  Everyone was shouting, smiling, laughing, hugging strangers and wishing one another a happy 2014.  It was wonderful.

After a late night, we had an early early start today to attend the New Years Day Papal Mass at the Vatican.  It was held in the Basilica, and wow! was that an experience.  I’ll write in full about it and post some great photos in my next entry, so stay tuned!

I can’t believe I got to spend my first day of the year in Rome! 2014 is off to a great start. My last moments of 2013 were spent drinking prosecco in front of the colosseum surrounded by new friends and hundreds of drunk Italians shooting off fireworks. To say it was amazing is an understatement. It was surreal to be ringing in the new year under the shadow of a 2,000 year old monument. Another highlight of the new year was the papal mass we attended in St. Peter’s Basilica inside the Vatican. I was literally 5 feet away from the pope; absolutely amazing!

We had a more serious day on New Year’s Eve though. On Tuesday morning we visited the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center. The Center helps recently arrived political refugees to develop and hone skills they can use in order to get a job. They also provide them with basic things like toiletry items and clothes. While we were there we actually talked to some of the men there and heard a little about their lives. It was heartbreaking to hear about some of their hardships and to know that these young men no longer have a home country and are not welcome in the one they are in. The most difficult aspect is to know that two of the men we met no longer have a place to sleep as of tonight because they were only allowed to stay at their shelter for one year. With that being said, everyone there was so full of hope. For the men there, the most important thing that we could do for them was to tell their story and raise awareness because so few people know about the refugee crisis in the world today.

Pictures won’t load so hopefully I’ll be able to put some up next time!