For spring break in mid-April, I traveled throughout the South of France by train with a friend who’s currently studying in London. We took a relaxed approach to our vacation, choosing to visit a few tourist attractions here and there but mostly hopping from one café to another. She and I stayed in Toulouse, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Nice … Continue reading
On Friday, March 14th, I flew to Santiago de Compostela. Santiago is the capital city of Galicia, a region that hugs the northwest corner of Spain, above Portugal. The city marks the end of El Camino de Santiago, a Christian pilgrimage route in Europe whose Spanish section winds through the picturesque north of the country. Unlike dry, flat Madrid, … Continue reading
To Bavaria! After five months apart, my mom and I reunited for a (very) long weekend in Europe. We chose Munich because it was on my List and she’d never been to Germany. We also threw in Salzburg for a spontaneous day trip, rounding out the weekend with two important Bavarian destinations. As has been documented here, my … Continue reading
Vienna: a city of museums, cafes, and unforgettable torte. Molly and I arrived by train on Christmas Eve. From the U-Bahn, my new favorite metro system, we emerged into the sunshine, which glinted on the pastel-colored buildings bordering the Naschmarkt, a sprawling food market. Dropping our bags at our hostel, we ducked into the market … Continue reading
Winter Break 2013 began with Budapest. A city that we’d heard offered little to do completely hooked us. Enamored with the city and my experiences there, I ended up staying for five nights. On Thursday I left Barajas airport in Madrid with Molly, another language assistant in my program. We’d never met before, as she … Continue reading
It has only been eleven days since the semester ended, but I’m already having trouble remembering the sharp, wet cold of my last day in London. I skipped spring altogether, luxuriating in the long days of sunshine and the ensuing sunburns. Last Saturday four friends and I made it to balmy Kalkan, Turkey in one … Continue reading
It’s the last day of my semester in London. Perhaps it’s the gray, rainy weather, but I feel calm at the moment. In the past two weeks an undercurrent of panic has tugged at me. The semester passed at such an exhilarating, breakneck speed, and I’m catching myself on the day of departure, not wanting to … Continue reading
Italy has always topped my ever-expanding list of countries to visit. It’s the Mecca for devout food lovers like myself, and Carbs are a serious weakness for me. It doesn’t hurt that the men are handsome and well dressed or that it’s a good deal sunnier than London. So Rome seemed like a good choice … Continue reading
I self-identify as a city girl. Long ago I abandoned my childhood plan of living in a creaky old house in the windswept countryside with a horse and some dogs. I went off to school in the “big” city of Boston then added two more cities to my collection. However, once and a while, urbanity … Continue reading
The end of midterm exams called for escape. After studying and writing essays for three straight days, I joyfully fled the country. My friend Ande and I flew to Prague Wednesday morning eager for Pilsner beer and exploration. Our hostel, situated at the end of Charles Bridge in the Malá Strana neighborhood, was fantastic. We were greeted … Continue reading
Travel Ardor 