Reading Week!

This past week was reading week at my university which means we did not have class! My four friends and I got to travel to three different countries in Europe and it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Our first stop was Nice, France. Our Airbnb has a gorgeous view of the ocean! Our first day in Nice we walked around the cute city. We went to a market, walked along the ocean, ate gelato and climbed Castle Hill at sunset. It was a very relaxing day. The next day two of my friends and I attempted to go swimming in the ocean. The beach was rocky, not sandy, so it really hurt our feet. And the waves were very strong so they knocked us over. We decided it was not the safest idea so we went back to land. Then we went to Phoenix Park which is a giant greenhouse with birds and other animals. The best part was seeing a peacock! If you know me, you know peacocks are one of my favorite animals so I literally spent 30 min following it and taking pictures. I also saw an albino peacock which I have read about but I thought were a myth. This experience made my day. Then we had a late flight to our next destination…

… Geneva, Switzerland! On our first day in Switzerland we went to the United Nations Office at Geneva in the morning. We took a tour of the building and got to sit in different conference rooms where very important world leaders have sat. It was definitely one of the most interesting things I have done so far this semester. I used to want to work for the UN and now this goal has resurfaced. Then we walked through the old town and went to three different chocolate shops! The chocolate was to die for! For dinner we had delicious pizza. The next day we took the train to Lausanne. It has always been a dream of mine to go to Lausanne because it is where my parents met and used to live. In the morning we walked down to Ouchy and ate crepes at a restaurant on Lake Geneva. The lake was magnificent and through the clouds we could see some of the snow-capped Alps. Then we waled up to the old town and to a museum called Collection de l’Art Brut. All the art in this museum was created by “outsiders” of society such as psychiatric patients. It was fascinating reading about the artists and explanations of their art. My favorite was Paul Amar who created scenes using shells from all shellfish he has eaten. His art was so colorful and reminded me of The Little Mermaid. Before heading back to Geneva we stopped at one last Swiss chocolate shop.

The next morning we flew to Budapest, Hungary. On our first full day in Budapest we first went to the New York Cafe which is considered one of the most beautiful cafes in the world. Then we walked around the Pest side of the Danube River and saw St. Stephen’s Basilica and Parliament and rode the Budapest Eye. My personal favorite site on this side was the Shoes on the Danube Bank which were a memorial to the Jews who were persecuted in Hungary during World War II. Then we crossed the river to the Buda side to see the Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion. Then one friend and I went to Szechenyi Baths but unfortunately we got scammed by the taxi driver so it was a very expensive excursion. The baths themselves were very fun but it was kinda hard to enjoy because I was rattled by the taxi experience. Then we had the most amazing hummus, pita, and falafel for dinner. The next day we went to a market in the morning and the House of Terror museum in the afternoon. The House of Terror museum was about the Nazi and Communist occupation in Hungary and the actual building was an office for both the Nazis and the Communist Party. Then we had a late flight home to London.

Again, this week was the trip of a lifetime. I got to go to three very different countries with my best friends. I feel so grateful to have had this experience.