Bonjour tout le monde!
I sit here at the wooden kitchen table in a chair that has become “mine,” and it all feels so natural. The paintings that my host-mom did, the small lamp on the counter that my host-mom made (she’s really quite artsy), are all becoming familiar. Then I remember that only a week has passed by. It feels like I’ve been here so much longer!
It has been nearly a month since I left Amsterdam. I miss its vibrant energy everyday. I often reflect on my daily routes to get to my favorite parks or weekend markets in addition to my excitement of exploring a new venue with friends. I finally reviewed my photographs of my last days spent in this beautiful city, and of course, a wave of nostalgia hit me immediately.
Before heading to Cape Town, I stopped off in Sydney to stay with my friend from Rochester who is studying with IES Abroad at University of Sydney. I’ll let the photos do all the talking…
Since I am leaving Paris soon, I want to show you the most tangible thing about Paris that I am going to miss when I reach the States again: the food. I may or may not be a little obsessed with food. Most of the following pictures are of desserts. Since I’m a vegetarian, I feel like I was able to rationalize eating a lot of dessert, since Parisians are not very good at understanding what kinds of foods vegetarians eat. (My host family is an exception. I have always had wonderful vegetarian dinners and I am gratefu
Our second-to-last Friday in Paris, the IES Abroad staff had a trip to Giverny planned for us. We had an early morning rendezvous like we did for Reims. An hour-long bus-ride later, we were at Monet’s house and garden. Monet is well known for his water lily painting, but his garden is filled with amazing flowers of all different colors, shapes, and sizes.
After the house and gardens, we ate a very fulfilling meal at Les Nympheas. I am glad to say they actually knew how to make a meal work for a vegetarian.
My walk through the The British Museum. Seeing everything in one go is a daunting task. So here are the most famous artifacts that the Museum has to offer: Assyrian guards, The Parthenon pediment remains, and the Rosetta Stone.
Well, here I am on my last Saturday in Vienna. I originally had planned on going to Prague this weekend with some friends, but after realizing that this is my last weekend before heading back home, I opted to stay here and enjoy this beautiful city. My post this week focuses on something a bit less monumental and exciting than past ones: two completely unrelated encounters with strangers who taught me a lot about what it’s like to be abroad.
