The City of Lights, Love, and the Lourve, Paris

I'm finally halfway through what is turning out to be quite a busy week, but no major complaints here! I had a presentation today in my conversation class, which wasn't horrible, and the rest of my time here will be spent preparing for upcoming finals and traveling to one more place (but that's a surprise for now). I cannot believe that I have less than a month left here :( Honestly, the time just flew. I think that I am ready though to go home and see my family again. I do miss them and I'm happy to be returning right before Christmas. I also am craving Cap'n Crunch Cereal, yum (Btw, I had to Google "Cap'n" because it would've just been spelled Captain <-- I need to find my inner child, haha). 

Anyhow, aside from my insatiable cravings, I want to share how my trip to Paris was! First off, Paris is a very beautiful city, with so much history all around; it literally felt like stepping into a textbook. We arrived fairly late, and by this point, the metro leaving directly from the airport had stopped running. But no worries, we caught a bus to the next available metro station and were able to safely navigate our way to our hostel. Just as a warning though, the trip from the airport is a little less than €10, so it's always handy to have some cash available. Our hostel was located about 25-30 mins by train from the Eiffel Tower and right next to the Seine River. This area didn't feel particularly safe at night, but we remained unharmed (thank goodness).

The next day, the two other girls I was with and I went on a free walking tour. It was from the same company that offered it in Amsterdam, so I was pretty anxious to take part. The great part about this particular tour was that there was a pick-up point right at our hostel! The bad part was that our tour guide showed up about 20 mins late. The tour was not so bad, aside from the occasional sprinkle of rain falling from the cloudy Paris sky, but also, at times, it just seemed as though the tour guide was in his own little world. I totally understand when a person has something on their mind, which may or may not have been the case, but I just wish he were just a little more engaging. Nonetheless, it was great to be able to see differing parts of Paris and hear a little history behind them. 

The highlight of that day has definitely got to be seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time! During the tour we could only see about half of it because of the cloudy sky, but it is definitely a sight to behold. The tour guide told us a little bit about its history and also about a woman who actually married it! Strange, I know, but you never know what to expect in this crazy lil world of ours. Anyhow, we first saw it in the afternoon, but nothing compared to seeing it all lit up and sparkling (literally!) I honestly think that was one of my most memorable moments.

 

We also made a stop at Notre Dame Cathedral, yes, where the hunchback lived, or, if you remember it like I vaguely do, the location where the wedding scene took place in "Rugrats in Paris" (<--I think I've just found my inner child, yay!). It is very beautiful on the outside and upon entering, there was definitely a weird juxtaposition of noisy, picture-taking tourists and a religious Mass taking place simultaneously. I tried to be respectful and only took about 3 photos whilst inside and it was also interesting to see part of the ceremony, even though it was in French. In the end, needless to say, we were exhausted after this loooonnnnggg day. 

We met loads of people and even this one random group of people originally from Egypt. It's funny though because I think that everyone that we did end up meeting, even at our hostel, was from everywhere but France! They were nice, but word to the wise, men in France are very blunt and they have a difficult time taking a hint. But no worries, you just have to be assertive (that's definitely how I was, haha). Just remember to always be safe, coherent, and never deviate from your group. Believe it or not, I felt safer in Amsterdam, which has a more seedy (but definitely false) image. 

Our final day was spent at the Lourve Museum where Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is housed. It was great to be able to view it in person, once I got past the hoards of people surrounding it, that is. Visiting all of these museums, though, makes me wonder why one painting or artist is more famous than another. I have been able to see some of the most beautiful artwork by people who many may have never heard of. By the way, the Lourve is free for students who possess a school I.D. from a European school (a great way to save €10) and it is HUGE, so don't plan on seeing everything in one day. 

We unfortunately did not try any French food or delicacies due to our budget, haha, but I hope we didn't miss much. And we also did lots of walking, but I think it was all worth it. Paris is a city that I have always wanted to visit, and even though it was not exactly how I imagined, I am grateful to have had the experience. 

Au revoir!

~Justine <3

Turkey Day in Spain

Definitely been m.i.a the past few days, but just been a little busy with schoolwork and other not so interesting things :p But today is Thanksgiving and it is actually the first one I will be spending away from home, let alone in another country! It is slightly a strange feeling because being that I am in Spain right now, today feels like any day. There are no turkeys, stuffing, mac and cheese, or pumpkin pie (to my dismay!) It would definitely be nice to be home with the family, helping to cook the food, preparing the table, and arguing over who gets to sit where, but I am also thankful (get it??) that I am here as well. Thanksgiving with my family may not be conventional (that's boring anyhow!) but it is something that I cherish and look forward to every year. 

On the bright side, this Thanksgiving will be spent in none other than Paris, France! It will be my first time going and I am absolutely excited. I doubt that I'll feel the Thanksgiving spirit there as well, but I know it will be a good time nonetheless. I look forward to sharing how my trip went, and also sharing all of the things I am thankful for, so please stay tuned!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

~Justine <3

Gaga for Van Gogh

One of the main reasons as to why I chose Amsterdam as my destination was due to the fact that the Van Gogh Museum is located there. 

For many years now, I have appreciated his art and could not wait to receive the opportunity to view an entire museum dedicated solely to his work. When I arrived, the line was literally around the block! I was a bit disappointed because I thought it would take forever to move, but within about 20 minutes I was at the ticket counter. As a warning, the tickets are sold at a hefty price (€14 a piece) and there are no group or student discounts available.

Security is pretty tough here and they make everyone walk through a metal detector before entering. However, I just read that the famed The Potato Eaters was robbed back in 1991, but quickly recovered, which could be one of the reasons why everyone is considered suspect.

The museum is quite large and there are about five different floors. Each room is designed to house paintings from his various periods, such as his early Dutch period, and as you walk through each, you can see the evolution of his artwork. 

I finally got to see my favorite painting by him in person, Almond Blossom, 1890, "On January 31, 1890, Theo (Vincent's younger brother) wrote to Vincent of the birth of his son, whom he had named Vincent Willem. Van Gogh, who was extremely close to his younger brother, immediately set about making him a painting of his favorite subject: blossoming branches against a blue sky. The gift was meant to hang over the couple’s bed. As a symbol of this new life, Vincent chose an almond tree, which blooms early in southern regions, announcing the coming spring as early as February."  

I returned to this painting a few times before leaving because I was not sure when would be the next time that I could view it. I don't know quite why this particular painting intrigues me, but I am extremely happy that I received the opportunity to see if for myself. 

I really did enjoy my visit here and it was one of the highlights of my trip. Another must-see for those who visit Amsterdam!

~Justine <3

A Weekend in Amsterdam

If someone were to ask you to describe Amsterdam in no more than two words, the first ones to come to mind would probably be "drugs and prostitution." And while, yes, those two things are indeed available, there is so much more to this city! To be honest, I really did not know what to expect before my arrival, but I definitely went in with an open mind. 

I took a train that left directly from the airport to the Central Station, and my hostel was only about a 10 minute walk from there and once I exited the station, I was struck by how lively everything was. The streets were busy with people going about their business, with trams quickly whizzing by, boats lazily floating down one of the many canals, and cars noisily honking. But when crossing the street, I had to be extra careful of one of the most dangerous vehicles in the entire city: the bicycles! If you are in the way of a person riding a bike, you better be careful. And as the tour guide said (which I will talk about more later), "If you hear a bell, run like hell!"

Once I made my way into the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam life, I had to navigate my way alone towards my hostel. The street signs definitely confused me because they were all written in Dutch, but luckily almost everyone there speaks English. After asking about 3 different people which way to go, I finally ended up on the right path, which was to my relief due to the quickly setting sun (note: there is not much daylight in Amsterdam during this time of the year). As I found the neon sign with the words "The Shelter: Christian Youth Hostel," I was extremely happy.

I chose this hostel for many reasons. No, I am not Christian, but I knew that I would be spending a lot of time in Amsterdam on my own (even though I knew other people that were there as well) and I wanted to feel like I was in a safe environment. This hostel does not allow any drugs or alcohol within the premises, and the guys and girls are on separate floors. It was also very centrally located and the price couldn't be beat, especially because breakfast and internet were included. I opted for the 16-girl room, which definitely daunted me, but like I said before, I went in open-minded and hoped for the best. The room was actually so much better than I thought it would be, and each set of bunk beds was separated by a wall to at least provide some type of privacy. Needless to say, I was very pleased with how everything turned out and I began to feel at ease as the day began to wind down.

 

                                   (The hallway)                        (The café)

    (The backyard)

After settling into the hostel, I joined some friends to visit the Sex Museum. I won't go into much detail because I think the name of the museum explains it all ^_^, but they really held nothing back here (and by nothing, I mean nothing). It was interesting to see the evolution of sex and what it means throughout the years and they did provide a lot of information. This museum definitely isn't for everyone, but it fits the ambiance of Amsterdam, for sure!

The next day, I went on the Free Walking Tour (http://www.newamsterdamtours.com/) and our tour guide, Tim, was phenomenal. He took us to many different parts of the city such as the infamous Red Light District and was very knowledgeable about the various monuments, buildings, neighborhoods, and so much more. You'll squeeze your way down the thinnest street in Amsterdam, learn what the blue lights mean in the Red Light District, and find out why taking photos there is strictly prohibited. The motto for this company (which also offers tours in other parts of Europe) is that a person should be able to experience where they are visiting no matter what their budget, and I really did appreciate it. The tour lasted almost four hours and we had a chance to view the skinniest house in Amsterdam, which ironically is located right next to the widest bridge, and were educated on the history of the canals. If anyone is interested in visiting Amsterdam, I highly recommend taking part in one of these tours, I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

 (The tour guide, Tim, and me!)

One Piece of Advice...

...Never tell your host mom that you like something when you don't! 

On about the second day here, she asked me if I liked tomatoes, and because I wanted to be polite, I smiled, nodded, and said "sì," hoping that I didn't just make a big mistake. Ever since I can remember, I have never liked tomatoes! I was forewarned not to tell my host mom that I liked something if I didn't because she'll give it to me all of the time. But she is just so nice and I was afraid to offend her. Now knowing her better, that would hardly have been the case. Anyhow, I still haven't mustered up the courage to tell her that I don't care for them, and now I see them making an appearance on my plate at least once a day. Lesson learned, always tell the truth!                                      

~Justine <3