WANDERN 2016
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The Europe Edition
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CREATED DURING A SEMESTER ABROAD IN EUROPE, WANDERN DOCUMENTS THE TRAVELS OF ELLA GORE IN SPRING 2016.
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BERLIN, GERMANY
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PENTECOST BREAK
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IBERIAN PENINSULA
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MOROCCO
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LONDON, ENGLAND
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COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
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ROME, FLORENCE & VENICE
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PARIS
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CROATIA & SLOVENIA
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BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
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METZ, FRANCE
10 INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS 1 DAY, 2 CITIES TRAVEL BY TRAIN & BUS
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METZ
METZ
OUR VERY FIRST JOURNEY WAS TO METZ, FRANCE. Our very first journey was to Metz, France. The start to the day was rocky. We arrived later than desired at the station and were forced to rush the ticket-buying process. Lesson learned: don’t trust the Spanish with time estimations. We finally made it to the bus, to Luxembourg City. Upon arriving in Luxembourg City, we realized we had missed the train. As a result, we spent an hour in the city walking around and crossing the high bridges in the valley. A city full of winding paths and bridges over the Mosel. Irma and Benedetta, all friends of ours from Trier. They
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We traveled with Erasmus students: Mario, Hector, Suneet,
A CITY FULL OF WINDING PATHS AND BRIDGES OVER THE MOSELLE.
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METZ and Benedetta. We are so lucky to have European friends who know the trains and how to navigate the systems. This trip acted as a bonding moment. It was the first time to Metz for all of us, and as such, placed us on an equal playing field. This experience was a good first encounter with the European rail system and a perfect introduction to our upcoming trip to Berlin.
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Michel Ney
5 AMERICAN GIRLS 4 DAYS, 1 CITY TRAVEL BY TRAIN
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BERLIN
Baushaus Museum & Library
WE SPENT FOUR DAYS IN BERLIN, GERMANY. I had been to Berlin three times before. As such, I really knew what I was getting into. I expected the wide streets in a grid system, something totally uncharacteristic for a European city. I expected the strange mesh of old with startling new. I did not expect how going with a brand new group of people would begin to shape my view of the city in a new way. Before, I had gone to the city with my parents who nearly always focus on architecture. This time, I was there as a tourist with people who know little about the city. This was a refreshing perspective and I was able to slow down and enjoy the sites anew. This was the first time traveling with the girls from KU. I was a little nervous because prior to this trip I really hadn’t traveled with anyone but my family and very close friends. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I believe this trip really set up the closeness we achieved at the end of the semester. Traveling with people forms a special bond you don’t get many other ways. When traveling together you spend nearly all your time together in the same spaces and are forced to compromise in line with everyone’s wishes. While difficult in some groups, this group was a good match between the 5 of us: me, Demore, Devon, Liz, and Kristin. We each had similar aims for the trip as well as similar interests. Berlin is huge and there is so much to see. We took advantage of the metro system to go and see the sites: Brandenburg
Gate,
Reichstag
Building,
Checkpoint
Charlie, Museum Island, Potsdamer Platz, and the Berlin Victory Column. My personal favorite afternoon in the city was spent at Cafe Am Neuen See drinking beer and eating 14
pretzels. We soaked up a little sunshine and went on to see
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BERLIN IS A CITY OF MONUMENTS.
much of the Tier garden on our way to see monuments. A somber experience, it is hard to forget about the lives lost in the great city. This focus on the history of the city rather than the architecture made for a new experience in the city. I would raise my bierstein in the air and say “Prost� to the good times had in Berlin if I were to have one now.
monuments: Kunst Museum,
Brandenberg Gate, Victory
Column, Soviet War Memorial
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BERLIN
TO EAT
Go to cafe am neuen see and get a beer, pretzel & weißwurst.
TO SEE
CITY GUIDE
When you’re full of sausage and beer walk through the tier-
Sit at one of the long green tables by the lake and spend two hours with friends and engage in conversation.
garten and head to the Berlin victory column. Pay the €2 entrance fee and go to the top. It’s a must. Then walk along the Straße des 17. Juni towards the Brandenberg Gate. It’s a long walk but there’s really no better way to see the city
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than by walking, don’t you know?
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BERLIN the view from our Airbnb
3 AMERICANS & 1 ITALIAN 6 DAYS, 6 CITIES TRAVEL BY TRAIN
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BREAK
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NUREMBERG
NUREMBERG WAS THE FIRST STOP ON OUR PENTECOST TRIP. The first stop on our Pentecost adventure was to the city of Nuremberg. A historical town, I expected it to feel not unlike Trier or Koblenz, but indeed I was wrong. A hilly city, Nuremberg was full of churches like much of Germany, but felt remarkably like Metz, France. This is something that I would have not anticipated, as the city is on the far east side of the country. This was due in large part to a number of canals that wove their way throughout the city. One of our first stops in the town was to the St. Lorenz favorite cathedrals of the semester because of a vast collec-
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Cathedral in the city center. This ended up being one of my
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NUREMBERG
St. Lorenz Cathedral tion of art within the space. After speaking to a tour guide of the church, we discovered that the cathedral had been seriously harmed during WWII. Because of an effort of the citizens of the area, much of the art was moved elsewhere to protect it from harm. Though our time in Nuremberg was short, I enjoyed seeing another city in the large country of berg.Â
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Germany, especially one that was as different as Nurem-
TO SEE
CITY GUIDE
Check out the St. Lorenz Cathedral. The art is incredible and the guides are incredibly helpful. The church has such a history that cannot be missed. Walk through the city up to the hill. On the way back down, visit the DĂźrer house. It is worth the â‚Ź3,00 charge.
St. Lorenz Cathedral
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NUREMBERG the view from Nuremberg Castle
PRAGUE IS UNLIKE ANY CITY I’D BEEN TO PREVIOUSLY. My preconception of Prague was quite different from its reality. I imagined castles and winding streets, which were true to an extent but my imagination couldn’t have picked up on the haunted feel of the city. Stepping off the bus was almost a bit scary as we were forced to walk along a highway and through dark streets to reach our hostel. I felt completely isolated and was so thankful to be with friends instead of alone. Of course in the daylight Prague becomes a much different city, not scary in the slightest. Unlike cities we had visited previously, Prague had a sense of Soviet era modesty. While beautiful in its own right, parts of the city felt a bit abandoned as if left in a forgotten time. For me, this is what made Prague such a unique experience. The next day, we headed out to explore the city by foot. We crossed over the bridge to the opposite side of the river and began to walk up the hill. Mistakenly we wandered into what appeared to be a Parliament building garden. In the garden there were peacocks and turtles, a separate world from the cobblestone streets outside. Continuing on our way we walked up winding roads up hills and witnessed spires rising up among buildings. Up on the top of the hill we overlooked the city and took in the castle behind us. While we didn’t go into the castle we did explore the areas around it. Emerging from the hill, we took a detour to find the famous Lennon wall where we wrote our names to join the art. Crossing back into the city across the Charles Bridge,
first true introduction to Eastern Europe and how different 28
the cities feel from classical Western Europe. Something
on the walk to
as we could in our short time. My time in Prague was my
Prague Castle
we continued our walk around the city to take in as much
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THE CITY OF ONE THOUSAND SPIRES.
COPPER STEEPLES ROSE TO THE SKY IN EVERY INTERSECTION.
about the Czech language creates a very different feel for the city. I think I had become so accustomed to German that I did not expect to be so completely unaware of what was happening around me. Language, especially written language, can change a place so completely for the viewer. In my continued explorations of new and different Eastern European cities I would begin to appreciate this more and 30
more instead of taking it as a culture shock of sorts.
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PRAGUE I love the mechanical signage
TO EAT
For lunch, get potatoes and bacon from outside of the castle
TO SEE
CITY GUIDE
You must see the view from the top of the hill. The view is
gates on the hill. And then later, for dinner, go to the underground restaurant Krcma for traditional Czech cuisine.
always worth the hike, trust me. One of the best things to do in Prague is to simply walk around. There are so many incredible buildings and small details of the city that you won’t see any other way.
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PRAGUE
BRNO WAS A NICE PLACE TO SPEND AN AFTERNOON. We arrived in Brno late morning. A bit sleepy, but ready to explore more of the Czech Republic, we were met at the train station by Benedetta’s dear friend Katka. They had lived together for a period at university in Italy and Katka was so kind to spend her day showing us around Brno. My first impression of the city were the hills. I was impressed by how many there were, especially after living in mostly flat places my entire life. We started off by going to the cathedral, a little walk up a hill. It seems that going to the biggest church is the most standard introduction to a new European city. While it does get old after a while, I’m still nevertheless impressed by
Brno train station
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BRNO
¨ BRUNO, BRUNN, BRUNA, BRNO.
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BRNO
looking on from the inside than they do from the outside. Katka showed us the view from behind the church. The view showed just how large the town was, despite it feeling rather small from the walk to the church. Luckily, we were able to further explore the city and towards the end, I realized exactly how big it really was. As we were all starving, we went to the city center for lunch. Katka recommended a place that sold traditional Czech food. Our meal was delicious. I had traditional roast pork with potatoes. It was delicious and definitely filling. Following lunch we continued our walk through the city. Katka and Benedetta had an opportunity to catch up after not seeing each other for a year. Devon, Liz, and I enjoyed the walk and were able to take as many photos as our hearts desired.
THERE WASN’T A TON TO DO IN BRNO BUT WALK AROUND.
One of my favorite parts of the city was the hike through a giant park up to the castle on the biggest hill in the city. The castle had an even better view than that of the cathedral and was a nice place to rest for a moment. This was another opportunity to get the lay of the land. From the viewpoint we could see not only the entire city but also far into the distance. It was a lovely way to end our time in the Czech Republic. On our way back to the train station to go on our way, we stopped for an ice cream cone. It’s always a good idea to go to a place with a line. It’s usually worth the wait. We walked back to the train station and said goodbye to Katka, an especially hard goodbye for Benedetta. We then boarded the train for Vienna.
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Brno Catheral
the interior spaces. They always seem much larger on the
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VIENNA Museumsquartier
VIENNA WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES TO VISIT. Vienna is easily one of my favorite cities visited during my semester. The wide streets and many parks create a beautiful, wide open city. I had visited when I was twelve and this probably contributed to some of my appreciation for the city. The first time I had been, however, was during the summer and thus was much warmer than the second time around. Despite the chill, we managed to enjoy our time in the Imperial City. Much of this was accomplished by finding places to go inside to warm up as well as enjoying done with as many public spaces as Vienna has to offer.
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the brief moments of sunshine as best we could. Easily
in the city center
Perhaps it was the sharp contrast from the Czech Republic back to a city more similar to Western Germany, but I was amazed at how much more I felt at home. Though I don’t speak German I was astonished to realize how much I had actually picked up in daily interactions with people and with signage throughout Trier. I could never hold a conversation in German, but I can say that upon reflection my knowledge of the German language and German culture has improved tenfold. I can even imagine attempting to 40
learn the language someday in earnest.Â
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VIENNA
When we arrived at the train station we walked to our hostel which was conveniently located near the Museumsquartier and a lovely pedestrian shopping district. This made it super easy to head straight to the museums in the morning. We went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum and then later to the Mumok. The Kunsthistorisches Museum was filled with beautiful art from all over the world. One of my favorite exhibits was one on ancient coins. It is interesting to think about coins as an art form since they serve such a practical this museum and taking the time to warm up after the brisk walk to the museum. The Mumok was another wonderful museum. I love modern art museums since they are so often housed in beautiful open spaces that take advantage of light. The Mumok is no exception.
LIKE BERLIN, VIENNA IS FULL OF HISTORY AND MEMORY. While we enjoyed the museums, the majority of our time in the city was spent walking around and taking in the elaborate buildings and bustling crowds. Vienna is a very clean city that is easy to get around. Thus, we managed to walk all the way to the Freud Museum. However, because of the cost and lack of time we skipped the museum and walked back into the city center. For dinner, we found a Mexican restaurant down the street from our hostel. Just like every other restaurant we found, though, the food was mediocre at best. It lacked flavor and the ingredients weren’t as fresh as you’d find at restaurants in the States. Despite this we enjoyed our meal complete with Piña Coladas and went to bed early in order to make it to the train for Salzburg on 42
time.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
purpose. We spent a good chunk of the morning exploring
VIENNA
TO EAT
Get the goulash at Am Nordpol 3. The restaurant is a cozy,
TO SEE
CITY GUIDE
Go to Museumsquartier. Check out Mumok and the
homey place to enjoy an Austrian classic. Perfect meal for a rainy day.
Kunsthistorisches Museum and wish that you had time to explore all of the museums in the area. Later that day, walk into the interior.
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through city center, pausing at the Loos American Bar to look
FOR THE AFTERNOON WE WERE IN THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Salzburg feels like the idealized version of what Austria is supposed to feel like. At almost every turn I expected to see women dressed in Dirndl singing Edelweiss. Even on a rainy day the town was bursting with beauty. Even in the middle of May most of the shops consisted of Christmas decor and ornaments. This, to me, seems to sum up Salzburg: vaguely Christmas-y. Everything from the snowy mountains to bright reds and greens emanated that feeling you get mid-December as Christmas approaches. I can only imagine this to be amplified come November. What a sight that would be to see. Like Germany, Austria was also at the tail end of Eastertide celebrations. As such we found many shops that were selling intricately decorated egg ornaments. The shops were dripping with beautiful ornaments and these shops became almost a decoration in the city themselves. The spots of bright color and twinkling lights created a sense of the holiday season in addition to the Christmas shops and brightened up the cold city. We continued our way through the city stopping only briefly for lunch at a Chinese buffet. Our goal, though we seemingly had no plans, was ultimately to arrive at the top of the hill to overlook the city center from on high. A great height, we succumbed to our aching feet and took the funicular up the hill to Hohensalzburg Castle. As we arrived at the top of the fortress the sun came out and dispelled all remnants of a cloudy day. We were welcomed with views of snow-capped peaks and the hope that comes with an early spring day. Though chilled to the bone, I was happy to be there on the hill overlooking Salzburg and the surrounding 44
Austrian countryside.
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SALZBURG
THE VIEW FROM THE FORTRESS IS BEAUTIFUL.
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SALZBURG Aside from the incredible views from the fortress, we also visited the museum that tells the history of the castle and surrounding town. As new as the castle felt I was astonished to learn that it had in fact been there for nearly one thousand years (though in different forms throughout the years). It was easy to see how the view from the top of the castle acted as a vantage point for the purpose of protecting Salzburg. You could see all the way to the alps and snowy hills as well as picking out details in the city itself. As a tourist, this was the perfect way to understand the layout of the city.
YOU COULD SEE THE ALPS FROM THE FORTRESS. On our way back through town we walked through winding streets full of bustling tourists, witnessed a group of old men playing chess on a man-sized chess set, and grew wary of a growing storm cloud. As we crossed the bridge back into the main part of town, we noticed a plaque on the end of the bridge. The inscription honored the slave laborers that built the Staatsbrücke during Nazi occupation. This plate served as a somber reminder of the atrocities committed all over Europe. While we may not think of it often, not so long ago the places we visit on our journeys were places of terror for many. Later, we walked to the train station to catch a train to Munich. We gathered a feast of pre-made sandwiches, juice, and chocolate at the station grocery store and arrived on the train just in time to grab seats before the oncoming crowds. Our time in Austria was fairly brief but the country only need to go back to experience Christmas in Salzburg.
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solidified itself as my favorite on our Pentecost trip. Now I
We didn’t have much time in the city, but the time we did have we used to the fullest. The most memorable part of Munich, like many other cities I visited, was our time spent exploring by foot. Though the city was beautiful, especially when walking through the Englischer Garten, it was frigidly cold. Because of this, it was beyond our belief to come across a group of people, not too much older than ourselves, surfing in the wakes of the river. Here we were, freezing, and there were people willingly getting into the cold water in their wet suits. After watching the surfers in the Eisbach for some time, we wondered through the Englischer Garten to find a place called Paradiso Cafe for
surfing in the
Englischer Garden
THE FINAL STOP ON OUR PENTECOST TOUR WAS MUNICH.
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MUNICH
BUILDINGS ROSE OUT OF THE PARKS & TREES AS IF OUT OF A FOREST. 50
MUNICH
MY FAVORITE PART OF MUNICH WAS THE DEUTSCHES MUSEUM.
a late lunch. We were starving but more than anything, we just wanted a warm place to get out of the wind. We ended our time in Munich with an hour or so at the Deutsches Museum, a museum of science and technology. We were so entranced by the physics exhibits and scale replicas of ships that we lost track of time and ended up having to run ended our Pentecost journey with snacks on the train.
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to the train station. Fortunately we made it on time and
5 KANSANS, 1 TEXAN 6 DAYS, 2 CITIES TRAVEL BY PLANE & BUS
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IBERIAN
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FARO
the view from our Airbnb
FARO IS THE PERFECT BEACHY VACATION SPOT. Upon arriving in Faro we began to search for our hostel in the blue and white streets, finally arriving through the twisting streets to Faroway hostel whereupon we were greeted by Jorge. Not only did he manage to pick the best possible hostel name, but he also was one of the most welcoming, hospitable people we met on any of our adventures. Upon arriving starving and ready to sit down for a meal, he took us to his restaurant A Venda. Here we learned a hard lesson in ordering tapas: one plate per person is simply not enough. Though absolutely delicious and decadent we walked away wishing for more. Luckily Jorge, the kind soul he is, provided us with more than enough apricots. Demore and I ate a combined eleven to hold us over until morning in combination with cups of cornflakes. The perfect beach town, Faro is filled with palm trees and sandy passageways. We enjoyed walking in the beautiful streets and travelled to the beach for an afternoon. Though a bit on the chilly side, we settled down at the Praia de Faro. We enjoyed small glimpses of sunshine and dined on salmon next to the beach. Between the six of us we shared three jars of sangria. Though I wished for a bit more time in the city, I am so glad to have been able to experience the first of the summer in such a lovely place. The impromptu trip was the perfect introduction to one of my favorite trips of the semester and we were all happy to have been routed through the town on our way to Seville. After visiting Faro, I wished that I had been able to see more of Portugal. If Faro is as beautiful as it is, I can only imagine the charm to be found in the rest of the country. I Lisbon or Porto to experience more of beautiful Portugal.
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will be back someday, hopefully to not only Faro but to also
SEVILLE WAS MY FAVORITE PLACE TO TRAVEL THUS FAR. Our time in Seville was split in two but that didn’t make it any less special. Seville is a lovely city with a bit of a violent history. I had not realized before visiting the bullfighting arena that a bull dies each round. It astonished me to find this out and it really made me question the seemingly romantic nature of the bullfight. Aside from the bloody side, the thing that struck me most about Seville was the easygoing, carefree attitude that we all took on. We became Spanish with afternoon siestas and late tapas. We slept late, stayed out late, and shed our Germany habits. It was 56
one of the more relaxing trips of our European semester.Â
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SEVILLE
THE CITY WAS ABUNDANT WITH SUNSHINE AND WARMTH.
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SEVILLE All the while, we also saw many sights. We climbed La Giralda, visited the Plaza de Toros, saw the cathedral, la Plaza de España, and Metropol Parasol. We also took a tour with Medy, a Spanish-Moroccan guide who walked us around the city and explained much of its history. He was the most interactive tour guide I’ve had, pulling people out of the group to explain part of the history. He constantly was pulling us back from inattention with a snap of his fingers
THERE WERE BITS AND PIECES OF YELLOW EVERYWHERE.
and “family, family”. Though it was warm and we were all tired by the day, we gleaned a lot of information from his lecture. We ended the night with €1 beers and dancing at a bar along the river with Medy and many new friends. We enjoyed some incredible meals while in Seville. At the top of my list is La Colonial. A tapas restaurant famous in the city for its incredible potato dishes and decadent sangria. We must have had three jars between the six of us. Not only did the food amaze me, but the prices also. We would usually each get one large tapas for us to share and it would fill us up completely. Spain is the perfect vacation for those that don’t have much to spend. Perfect for a group of college students half way through a semester abroad. Towards the end of the trip we were all exhausted from the heat and ready to move on to our next adventure in London. Though I wish I could have seen more of Spain, I was so happy to have seen Seville. I think the city was the perfect contrast from cold Trier and couldn’t have been a better change of pace at that time. This constant contrast Europe is a vast place with enormous variety.
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of culture and climate really solidified the idea for me that
I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE SEEN SEVILLE. 60
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palm trees = paradise
SEVILLE
5 KANSANS, 1 TEXAN 3 DAYS, 3 CITIES TRAVEL BY FERRY & BUS
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MOROCCO
THERE IS SOMETHING LOVELY ABOUT ARRIVING BY FERRY.
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MOROCCO
ARRIVING IN TANGIERS FELT LIKE ARRIVING IN AN ANCIENT CITY.
Morocco is one of those places that I had always wanted to see. I think my first introduction to the country was through National Geographic as a child. I was exposed to Europe as a child and so while I thoroughly enjoyed my time traveling the continent there was something incredibly special about seeing a whole new world. I can now say that an incredible feat and one that I didn’t accomplish without
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I have been to more continents than my parents, which is
feeling fortunate to be able to do so. It occurred to me again and again how very lucky we were over the semester to be able to travel and experience new things every day. Our time in Morocco was led by Discover Excursions, a tour group catered especially for students studying abroad in Europe. This was the best possible way for us to see Morocco and I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to try and organize a tour for ourselves. While not far away from Spain, the culture and customs could not be more 66
different. Going to Morocco was a bit like going back in
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MOROCCO the Blue City: Chefchaouen
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MOROCCO
in the city of Tetuan time. I got the sense that things have been the way they are for a long time. Most things in the country were written in three languages: Arabic, Spanish, and French. Before going to Morocco I had not realized that Spanish and French were spoken in the country. Our entire visit was of a dual nature. There would be men driving a horse drawn buggy down the street while talking on a cellphone. Women dressed in tight jeans and a tight top would be walking down the street with another woman dressed in traditional Muslim garb. It almost seemed as though the country had been so recently submerged in the 21st century that not everything had time to catch up.
NEVER BEFORE HAVE I SEEN SO MUCH BLUE IN ONE PLACE.
My favorite place to visit was Chefchaouen, the Blue City. I had seen many pictures of the city before, but never could have imagined the extent of the nickname. I have never been somewhere where literally every surface are shades of the same color. While almost every architectural surface was blue, there were also other bright pops of color. Winding through the narrow streets we stumbled upon bright bags of dye or colorful rugs. I got the sense that seeing giant tour groups was second nature to the citizens of the town, especially when we reached the market at the bottom of the hill. It wasn’t clear how the people viewed the Western visitor, but there were times when I felt a bit ashamed to be there, almost as if I were intruding into their lives and merely touring their culture. Which in a way, I was. That is parts of the world.
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the difficult responsibility that comes with exploring new
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LONDON
Brighton is the most perfect British beach side town that you could possibly imagine. Though I wouldn’t necessarily go for a warm summertime vacation, it is certainly the kind of place to go to escape the summer heat. The rocky beach was perfect for a low-key picnic on a sunny day. It is also right next to the pier, a most picturesque amusement park in which we spent some of our time. The rest of our day was spent shopping in the extensive shopping district. Cloudy and chilly as it was, the day felt like the perfect introduction to England. It felt straight out of a Harry Potter book with 72
the lovely signage and cloudy covering.
the amusement park
on Brighton Pier
BRIGHTON WAS JUST HOW I’D IMAGINED ENGLAND WOULD BE.
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BRIGHTON
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LONDON
LONDON IS A BUSTLING METROPOLIS, NOT UNLIKE NYC. Upon leaving Seville to arrive in London, I began to feel ill. I had contracted the stomach flu from Demore and much of my London trip was affected by the illness. While my time in Brighton was difficult, I was able to walk around the city and see the shops. Fortunately much of my pain had been the previous day, especially at dinner at Nando’s in London. While delicious, I would have enjoyed it much more had I not been incredibly sick. Following Brighton, however, I felt even better, though still not completely healed. One of my favorite stops on our brief London visit was to a little shop called Present & Correct. A lovely little design shop, Present & Correct had a wonderful collection of both vintage and modern design pieces. The collection includes a variety of writing tools, methods of organization, stickers & pins, prints, and various paper products. Sarah had directed me to the shop after showing me the website. I knew I would see her soon enough so I decided to get her a collection of objects for her birthday. I also got a couple of things for myself: a color wheel pin and a small tin for smaller objects. After Present & Correct we took a double decker bus to see even more of the city. London has an incredible transport system that made it super simple to travel by metro or by bus. This made it fairly simple to make our way to walk past Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and Hyde Park on our way to the British Museum. At this point in the day, I really was not feeling as my full self, and we soon headed back to the hostel. Our original plan was to get Indian food, but none of us quite felt like eating out. We across the way and stayed in for the night.
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grabbed bread and peanut butter at the convenience shop
Even the street signs are beautiful
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LONDON
TO EAT
Get the grilled chicken burger at Nando’s. Wonder at the fact
TO SEE
CITY GUIDE
See all the sights, but from the outside. London is just so
that they have tap water for free (and ice, too!!). Some other night get Chipotle but realize that it just doesn’t taste the same.
damn expensive and honestly, can the Tower of London really is free and has enough art to spend an entire day exploring.
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be worth the £25.00 to get in? However, the British Museum
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COPE
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COPENHAGEN
I HAD ALMOST ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO COPENHAGEN. During her time in college my mother studied abroad in Copenhagen for a semester. She has always reflected on her time there as a wonderful part of her life and indeed this time in her life played a large role in my desire to study abroad, too. Because of this and because of the incredible design culture in Denmark, I had always wanted to visit the city. When my very good friend Sarah decided to study in Italy for a few weeks, we decided this would be the perfect opportunity to travel somewhere together. Like me, Sarah to go for it and book our trip.
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has always been interested in Copenhagen, so we decided
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COPENHAGEN Copenhagen was as beautiful as I could have imagined. Almost every detail in the city is thought through and designed for the user. Even small shops seemed to have an inherent design sense. There is no lack of lovely places to find a vase or nice lamp. It really is the designer’s dream place to explore. The city is also incredibly eco-friendly. I have never seen so many bikes in my life. The first day I arrived I was amazed by all of the people commuting by bike. Not only working people, but entire families appeared to live on their bikes.
COPENHAGEN IS THE DESIGN HAVEN THAT I’VE DREAMED OF.
Once Sarah arrived, we explored Copenhagen together. Our favorite places included Bevars (a lovely bar/cafe combination that we went to twice), Louisiana art museum, and a kebab shop down the street from our Airbnb. We walked a lot because the city is so flat that it makes it a perfect place to explore. I very much enjoyed the city. I can almost interests so perfectly.
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see myself living there as it seemed to fit my desires and
TO EAT
CITY GUIDE
Go to Bevars, one of the loveliest cafe/bar combos I’ve ever seen. Get tea mid afternoon and then beer in the evening. Food in Copenhagen is very expensive, so you’ll most likely
TO SEE
end up eating things like kebabs almost every night. It’s cool. 110% go to see Louisiana just outside of Copenhagen. The museum is an incredible beauty, not only because of the amazing indoor spaces, but also because of the natural outdoor landscape and lovely gift shop. In general when in 84
Copenhagen, go to as many design shops as you can handle.
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COPENHAGEN Louisiana Museum outside of Copenhagen
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ITALY
AT EVERY TURN THERE WERE NEW THINGS TO SEE.
Italy is hot. So hot we forgot about our tans and stuck to the shadows like vampires. Upon arrival we had to stand in the blazing sunshine to wait for our bus to take us to Rome. At least the airport signage looked straight out of a Wes Anderson film. Complete with Futura lettering and everything. This was a wonderful introduction to the incredible reality of Italian signage. Almost every sign I 88
came across included beautiful vintage typography. I had
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ROME IS ONE MONUMENTALLY LOVELY CITY.
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ROME
the great Colosseum heard of the marvel that is Italian signage, but truly never understood the extent to which it is plastered all over the city. Worse than the tourists are the people hassling the tourists. Rome in particular is full of people selling cheap toys and bus tours. We must look like Americans because there was a constant stream of “come on a tour”, “english tours over here”, & “segway tours cheap”. We didn’t mind, though. Instead, we continued on our way to the tourist-y sites including the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, and Palatine Hill. There is so much to see and do in Rome that while we were there for several days, there was really no way to begin to see all of it. The city is filled with Roman monuments and ruins.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY ANCIENT RUINS IN MY LIFE. Italy is quite different from the Germany we experienced. There must be something about the heat to bring out personality because we found Spain to be the same. The streets are full of life and laughter. Our laughs didn’t feel out of place as they often do in Germany. Like Spain, too, we ate late and took afternoon naps to compensate for the heat. We had no lack of wonderful pizza and pastas. While I often got it because it is cheap, I truly began to enjoy pasta pomodoro. A super simple take on pasta, I find it refreshing and flavorful. Beware, however, of white shirts in Italy: it gets messy between slices of street pizza and tomato sauce. By the end we were ready to move on to a smaller town with less pressure to see the sites and to stop constantly moving in order to accomplish everything on the city for anything, however.
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imaginary list in my head. I wouldn’t trade my time in the
FLORENCE WAS BEST SEEN FROM THE TOP OF THE DUOMO. Coming from Rome, a fast-paced city with tons to see, Florence felt like a slower paced city in which we could just relax. Our very first stop after checking in to our hostel was to the Mercato Centrale. The market offers a vendor style market on the bottom floor and a gourmet food market up above. Filled with lovely graphics and incredible smells, I had one of the best dishes of the trip: collezione pasta with pomodoro sauce. I will try to replicate the meal in my own kitchen for a long time. Following lunch, we went on our merry way and stumbled across the incredible view that is the Duomo when you least expect it. I have never seen a church like it, and chances are I never will. The marble patchwork of the building is one that is not easily replicated, especially at such a large scale. We went up into the tower at the front of the church. It was an excellent view of the city, but not as good as the view the following day from the dome itself. We went first thing in the morning when the weather was nice and cool and there were fewer people than the day before. The climb to the top was difficult, but the pain was alleviated by the cool air and the fact that were inside the physical dome. I have never seen anything quite like that. Day two and the girls left for Venice while I stayed behind in Florence. I explored the city further, going to La Specola, a favorite of my father’s, to view the natural history exhibit and anatomical wax sculptures. On Sunday I was able to meet up with Brenna Castleberry, my childhood best friend. I hadn’t seen her for over a decade and it was incredible to see her again. Following our coffee date, I hurried back to grab my backpack and then headed off to the train station 92
to meet up with the girls once again.
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FLORENCE
TO EAT
Get lunch at the Mercato Centrale upon your arrival. My
TO SEE
CITY GUIDE
Definitely go to see the Duomo. Pay the €15, you’ll see a lot
recommendation if you’re trying to go cheap: collezione with pomodoro. Later, get an iced tea from the top of la Rinascente.
with this ticket including both the tower and duomo views as well as inside the church. Walk around the city, stopping to see the Ponte Vecchio. It’s pretty tourist-y and cheesy, but
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that’s exactly what you are.
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a view of the Duomo.
FLORENCE, FIRENZE, FIORENZA, FLORENTIA.
MY SECOND TIME TO VENICE WAS NO LESS ENCHANTING. Venice is unlike any other city I’ve visited. The tiny alleys and canal streets are difficult to explain and best experienced. I’d been to Venice once before with my father when I was twelve. Although my memory had captured the general enchanting nature of the city, it did not capture it in such high detail as I experienced it again eight years later. We stayed in a lovely Airbnb near the train station. With incredible terazzo floors and tall windows, it felt like the perfect Italian apartment to call our home. Most of our time in the city was spent wandering the streets. One of our days 96
was spent visiting Lido Beach and biking around the island.
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VENICE
I COULD GET USED TO THE LACK OF CARS IN A CITY.
As we returned, the canals were filled with boats going out to view the fireworks of the Festa del Redentore. We dined on salmon linguine and wine with crème brûlée for dessert. This evening was my favorite: walking along the canal with crowds of people going to see the fireworks. The streets were filled with music and laughter and twinkle lights set up for the festival led us back to our apartment. It was the 98
perfect way to end our time in Venice.
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VENICE
4 FAMILY MEMBERS 3 DAYS, 1 CITY TRAVEL BY TRAIN
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PARIS
PARIS IS ONE OF THOSE CLASSIC BEAUTIFUL CITIES.
This trip to Paris meant a lot to me. It was the first time to see my parents and sister in four months. I arrived at the Gare de Lyon station two hours before they were to arrive at Gare d’Est. I walked as fast as I could to the station, taking about an hour on the way, stopping to take photos at the river. I arrived at the station early and I don’t think I’ve ever been so anxious for someone to arrive. Four months 102
isn’t very long, but it was by far the longest I’ve gone with-
PARIS out seeing them. Having gone to college in my hometown, I have a very different experience than most college students. I am fortunate to have a loving family that are my Once we reunited (a bit tearful on my end), we set off to find lunch. We found a little bar for sandwiches and salads. The bar was the perfect reintroduction to Paris for me. The last time I had been to Paris I was twelve. For all my life, my dad had promised to take me to the city when I turned twelve and he held true to his promise. This trip was my last European trip and thus had structured my view of the continent and all it had to offer.
I AM SO GLAD I GOT TO SEE PARIS AGAIN WITH MY MOM.
We stayed in a lovely Airbnb right next to the Seine. Though a bit noisy at night, it was a lovely place to spend our time. From the apartment we were able to walk to most places in the city. However, we took advantage of the transit system to go to the more outer reaches of the city. From here, we were able to cross the river over to Île Saint-Louis. We did this on several occasions, going on the the other side of the river. The first night we went for a long walk to find Heureux Comme Alexandre, a place my dad and I had eaten 8 years before. At the restaurant, you cook your own meat and vegetables on a soapstone with a flame underneath it. They serve you potatoes along with your meal. It was a lovely meal with lovely people. The day before I left, we went to the Museum of Arts and Crafts and then dined at a sushi place with the Les Enfants Rouge covered market nearby. The market was absolutely lovely with many vendors and small restaurants. I
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a view of the Notre Dame Cathedral
from the Shakespeare & Co. bookshop
favorite people and favorite travel buddies.
outside of the Louvre.
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CITY OF LIGHTS, LA VILLE LUMIÈRE.
PARIS ordered the pork bento box which was possibly the best I’d had. Following lunch we walked along the shopping district nearby and headed toward the Louvre. While we didn’t go inside on this particular day, we walked around the gardens and enjoyed the shade. On my last day in the city we went to the Louvre. As much as I love art, I love art museums even more. Because of that, going to the Louvre was at the top of my list. The museum is huge and it would probably take days to go sped back to the Airbnb to grab my backpack and then caught the train at Gare de Lyon to go back to Trier.
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through and see everything, so we saw just a bit of it. I then
4 FAMILY MEMBERS 6 DAYS, 2 CITIES TRAVEL BY TRAIN & BUS
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YUGO
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ROVINJ
JODI AND I SPENT MOST OF THE SECOND DAY AT THE BEACH. Based purely on the drive through the Croatian countryside, I anticipated Rovinj to be more or less like the Southwestern United States. The view from the bus consisted of desert plants, a dry landscape, and many farms. However, upon reaching Rovinj, I was amazed to find a city that I imagine would fit perfectly in the movie Mama Mia. Easily comparable to a Greek seaside town, Rovinj was a lovely place to soak up the sun next to the water. And that’s when we weren’t walking around with our parents.
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essentially what Jodi and I spent much of our time doing
Upon our arrival our Airbnb host Vesna met us at the bus station. She walked us back to the lovely apartment at which she gave us home cooked mussels and fresh bread for a late dinner. We also made pesto pasta with Italian parmesan and settled down for a feast. I cannot imagine a warmer introduction to the country. The next morning, we awoke and found pastries and cafe lattes for our breakfast. Our next stop was to an open air market in the center of town. Lavender and honey were common items in the market. Indeed, for the rest of our time in both Croatia and Slovenia we found lavender everywhere for sale.
MARBLE STREETS: LOVELY IN THEORY, SLIPPERY IN REALITY. After perusing the market for a few minutes, we continued on our way. Rovinj is full of alleys lacing up the big hill peninsula. Sloped marble steps eventually lead up to the church on the hill and a remarkable view out to the ocean. While incredibly beautiful, the marble cobblestones in the streets are actually fairly dangerous. I was lucky to be wearing my tevas for most of our time, but those with less grip walk slowly and carefully. For the rest of the day, Jodi and I stayed mostly on the rocky beach soaking up the sunshine. When we weren’t at the beach, we were walking around and exploring the nooks and crannies of the hill. We dined on seafood for both lunch and dinner, and enjoyed the warmth of the city. The water, though cool at first, quickly warmed and became the perfect break from the hot sun. Though we only had one full day in Rovinj, we managed to get a little bit tanner. We left the next morning a little bit happier wishing for a little 112
more time in beautiful Rovinj.
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ROVINJ
I was expecting Slovenia to feel more or less like Croatia in both culture and scenery. However, what I found was a city that felt much more northern European. Of all the cities I visited, I think Ljubljana feels most like Copenhagen. Both cities have a strong design sense and presence. Ljubljana even has many “Danish” design shops. This, in large part, helped to contribute to my appreciation of the city. Towards the end, I only wished I had one more day to visit the graphic design museums. In our time in Ljubljana we spent much of it in the shopping areas along the river. Much of this was not only for peeking into shops, but also to eat. Because my parents are architects and because we spend much of our family vacations doing so, we also toured some of the city looking for hidden gems of architecture. Much of said work was created by Ljubljana resident Jože Plečnik, architect from the 30s and 40s. In fact, one of the sites I had visited in Prague, the Prague Castle, was in fact renovated by Plečnik. In Ljubljana we visited the site of his home. Now a museum, the space offered a greater understanding of Plečnik and his life as an architect. Afterwards, we visited the National and University Library but unfortunately were unable to go inside beyond the foyer. Upon reflection, I do believe some part of Ljubljana’s “design culture” comes from the residence of Plečnik in the city. One of my personal favorite visits during our time in Ljubljana was to tipoRenesansa, a local type shop. tipoRenesansa not only features work of local artists, but also has a large type workshop and a graphic design studio that runs out of the storefront. The space is run by Marko 114
Drpič who was more than willing to tell us about the space
down the street from
our Airbnb
LJUBLJANA REMINDED ME OF COPENHAGEN IN SOME WAYS.
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LJUBLJANA
TO EAT
CITY GUIDE
For lunch, go to Klobasarna and get the Kranjska Klobasa sausage with sauerkraut and mustard. Later, go to Cacao for ice cream. Keep in mind that I didn’t actually visit either of
TO SEE
these places, I just wish I had because they looked wonderful. The view from Ljubljana Castle is great. The funicular ride to the top is worth it. Climb the spiral staircase to the watch tower to overlook the city. Even if you’re scared of heights. But mostly just wander around the city to discover the hidden bits 116
for yourself. But definitely check out GUD shop.
LJUBLJANA
TIPORENESANSA IS WELL WORTH THE VISIT.
and also the work exhibited at the front of the store. Almost every piece had a story as to its creation and conception. Our time in Ljubljana was a reminder of the power of design and attention to public spaces. Every street was filled with people and it provided valuable insight into what dedication by city planners to the feel of the city contributed to much of my appreciation of the city.
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makes a city successful in terms of social spaces. This
4 FAMILY MEMBERS 4 DAYS, 1 CITY TRAVEL BY BUS
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HUNGARY
BUDAPEST WAS THE VERY LAST TRIP OF MY EUROPEAN SEMESTER.
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BUDAPEST
The Parliament building in Upon arriving in Budapest, we caught a cab at the bus station and then made our way to the Airbnb. We drove through the city, passing bridges filled with people and lit buildings rising up out of the ground. Budapest is beautiful, with a dramatic hill filled with castle-like structures on the Buda side and parliament buildings in Pest. The city is really what I imagined Prague to be like, with the peculiar combination of Western and Eastern worlds coming together. Arriving at night ended up being a perfect representation of the city. The nightlife is incredibly active in the city, creating a warm and inviting welcome. When we got to our Airbnb, we were simultaneously ripped off by the cabbie and greeted by our host. The apartment is beautiful and every member of my family fell in love with the bookshelves filled with books and comfortable couches. It was one of the better Airbnbs that I’ve stayed in. The next morning, we went for breakfast at a place that we ended up eating every single morning we were there. We walked up the giant hill to the church on the hill. There was an incredible castle viewpoint that seemed to come straight out of Lord of the Rings. One long afternoon was spent at Széchenyi Baths where we got massages and spent the day lounging in the various pools. It was a lovely day and an incredible relaxation after four long months of walking and carrying large backpacks. Afterwards, we went to Trófea Grill for a buffet style meal. We were able to eat decadent traditional foods as well as our fill of desserts and everything else you can imagine. I hadn’t been so full in a very long time. My luxurious last day was ended with a trip across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge to Pest to view the Parliament building all lit up at night.
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the background
WE ARRIVED AT NIGHT WHEN THE WHOLE CITY COMES ALIVE.
the view from Buda.
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BUDAPEST
This European semester is a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I cannot imagine a more fulfilling, life-changing experience than going across the world and living in a whole new mindset. I know that during my semester I changed for the better. I became more independent and confident in my abilities as an adult who is about to take their first steps towards the rest of their lives. While at home in Kansas I am still under my parents’ wings, abroad I was able to step out from underneath to figure out my own problems and truly be independent for the first time. For the first time I am confident in my ability to travel and problem solve.
IT’S HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO A NEW WAY OF LIFE.
During my time in Europe, I met many wonderful people with whom I spent memorable evenings in the messy kitchen on the 3rd floor of Cusanushaus. I traveled a lot with peers that became dear friends. I saw much of the world that opened my mind to the possibility of living in a different country than my own. I walked more than I ever thought possible, proving to myself that I can be pushed in ways that I previously didn’t know. I have felt more and dreamt more than I have before. All the while, I grew larger in spirit and mind in a way that will impact me for the rest of my life. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity for the experience and I will not easily forget my time in Europe. While I am ready to get back to normality and to see those dear to me once again, I will have a difficult time saying goodbye to the people I’ve met and times I’ve had. I will 124
miss you, Europe, more than I ever anticipated.
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BUDAPEST
COLOPHON This book was created in the Spring semester of 2016. The book was designed by Ella Gore with the instruction of Professor Andreas Hogan. It was designed in Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator. All photos were taken with a Nikon d7100 by Ella Gore. They were processed in Adobe Lightroom. All text was written by Ella Gore. This book was 126
printed through Blurb.
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METZ BERLIN NUREMBERG, PRAGUE, BRNO VIENNA, SALZBURG & MUNICH FARO & SEVILLE TANGIERS & CHEFCHAOUEN
LONDON & BRIGHTON COPENHAGEN ROME, FLORENCE & VENICE PARIS ROVINJ & LJUBLJANA BUDAPEST
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