After a short 5 weeks of studying in and exploring Scotland it was time to leave Brae house and Edinburgh. But for me it was the start of another leg of my study abroad experience. My journey would start with a 7am flight to Amsterdam to get to mainland Europe. I would traveling with two friends from the program, Shahab and Ruben. The early flight requires us to wake up at 3 am that morning to pack and travel to the airport.
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| Edinburgh Airport |
After arriving in Amsterdam, we took a train to downtown and then a ferry across the river to our hostel. Once we had checked-in we started to explore the beautiful city of Amsterdam. We walked along the canals and enjoyed the beautiful architecture. In the 2 days we spent there we took a canal tour, walked around the parks and even visited the Van Gogh museum. Both of my siblings told me how nice Amsterdam was and experiencing it for myself was amazing.
The next day we spent in Brussels, Belgium on our way to Paris. We had a very limited time there so we were able to get Belgium waffles, Belgium chocolate and some pom frites(french fries).
That night we took a high speed train to Paris. When we arrived in Paris we stayed in a hostel 5 minutes from the Arc de Triumph and the Champs Elysees. While in Paris we visited the main atractions like the Eiffel Tower, the Louve and Notre Dame. Unfortunately, only a few months prior the church had burned down in a tragic fire. I was unable to visit the inside as my parents had recommended I do when I told them I was planning to go to Paris during my time abroad.
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| Eiffel Tower, Sunset |
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| Notre Dame, a few months after the fire |
After visiting the church my two travel partners caught a train to Switzerland and I caught a flight to Lisbon, Portugal. I was now getting a taste for solo traveling to a new country. I was spending 3 days in Lisbon before I caught a direct flight from there to San Francisco. During this time I took a couple walking tours of two neighborhoods in Lisbon, Alfama and Belem. In Belem I visited the monastery where the first custard tarts were made and the Belem Tower which defended the city from Spanish invasions.
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| Custard |
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| Hill over Alfama |
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| Leaving Portugal |
My time spent studying abroad was very beneficial to both my academic and personal goals. It was my first time traveling to Europe, studying in a foreign country and eventually traveling alone. This travel though had to come to an end and if I had the option I would have stayed longer, but I was also ready to come home and sleep in my own bed and not a hostel.
Nolan Bartnick
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