Barcelona and Paris

Hello everyone! It is that time again for another update. These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. From Barcelona to Paris to taking final exams in four different classes, I have been very busy. But I’ve finally been allowed some respite to relax, take a breath and write my next blog post.

First, I am excited to talk about my trip to Barcelona where I also met up with my Dad and Susan. We spent our time there enjoying the beautiful weather, eating great food and sightseeing. 

Right outside of our hotel was La Rambla which is a tree-lined pedestrian mall with shops, carts and vendors of all sorts. Here is a picture of the end of La Rambla where there are fountains, statues and people strolling casually, enjoying their day.

We did a lot of walking in Barcelona and a lot of our  ability to transverse the city was determined by our capacity to read a map. This was oddly novel to me since we all have GPS guidance systems on our phones. However, I eventually got the hang of it. 

In the beginning I just took pictures of them looking at the map, which is the origin of this photo.

The first meal I had in Barcelona was at a market called El-Nacional where I got this artichoke and ham dish. As I came to learn, both of these foods are coveted amongst diners in Barcelona. 

One of my favorite sights we saw, or rather group of sights, was the works of Antoni Gaudí. Gaudi was a distinctive architect whose works contrasted greatly from those of his professional counterparts. 

This is the outside of one of the houses he designed, Casa Batlló.

We also saw an apartment building he designed called La Pedrera. The peculiar rooftop features were meant to emphasize the bareness and frank ugliness of the rooftops of neighboring buildings which had boring chimneys and unsightly metal poles. 

Instead La Pedrera featured beautiful sculptures such as these.

And of course, possibly the most well-known of Gaudi’s works,  although still unfinished, is  La Sagrada Familia, which is a monstrous Basílica. It isn’t expected to be finally built until 2026, even though construction began in 1882. 

The intricate exterior of the building is matched only by its breathtaking interior.

Tall, columns reach for the sky while colorful stained glass windows paint the inside of the building with splashes of glowing hues. I definitely hope that I can visit Barcelona again to see this manmade masterpiece once it is completed.

On another day, we went to El Mercado de La Boqueria which is a huge venue where all sorts of food vendors sell their offerings, whether it be fresh fruit, seafood, meats, candies, or pre-prepared meals. There were crowds of people and an overwhelming amount of choices, which is why I could only decide on getting a juice.

That same day we visited one more Gaudi work, which was Parc Güell. Parc Güell is a park that sits at the top of the city and allows visitors captivating views of Barcelona and it’s oceanfront skyline.

The day that we went there, the sky was a bit cloudy, however the weather was still warm and I still got good shots of Barcelona. 

In this picture you can see La Sagrada Familia dominating the skyline. 

There was also a band playing at the park whose song I admittedly could not get out of my head for the better part of the trip so I had to share the video with you too.


After our adventure through the park we went to get some lunch and unwind.

My time in Spain was amazing and, as I’ve felt with all the places that I’ve been to, I can’t wait to go back again one day.

On the other hand, Paris was a city that I got to revisit. Last year I, along with four of my friends, stayed at my friend’s uncle’s apartment in Paris for spring break. While there, I got a nice taste for the city, its people, food and culture. It was odd visiting the city again since so much of it felt familiar even though I was so far from home.

We did a lot of the standard sightseeing activities, such as seeing the Eiffel Tower,

the Arc de Triomphe

and the Louvre.

But  we also saw some other less recognizable sights.

Here is The Hôtel de Ville, which is Paris’ city hall. It has been at the same site since 1357.

We also went to Montmartre which is a hill that stands 426,509 feet tall. Atop the peak sits The Sacré-Cœur, or the Sacred Heart of Paris, a basilica that opened in 1914.

While some may argue it pales in comparison to La Sagrada Familia, the quaint beauty of the basilica is still worth admiring.

The vantage point at the the top of Montmartre also offered impressive views of the city below. 

On our last day in Paris, we visited Angelina, which is a teahouse that was founded in 1903, yet still operates as a hallmark of Parisian patisseries. It is known for it’s pudding-like hot chocolate. So of course, before leaving, we had to try this decadent treat. We all got a table, and indulged ourselves. To say the least, it was a satisfactory ending to our time in Paris. 

And if my words aren’t enough, perhaps a picture of the aftermath can prove it.

I have only about a month left in Copenhagen and no other plans to travel to other countries. With only one more class to finish, that means I have a lot of time to see the sights in Copenhagen that I have not yet seen, such as Tivoli, Deer Park, or any of the various beaches that the city features. Keep your eye out for future updates as I hope to have at least one or two more and thanks for following me on my European adventures!

Trip to London and Visit from Mom and Al

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and all of it has been novel and exciting!

Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to visit my friend Kirsten in London. I got to see a lot of the major sites, such as Trafalgar Square.

While we were there we went to the National Gallery where I saw a myriad of artwork form well-known painters, and most notably I got to see the Sunflowers by Van Gogh.

I saw a lot of the iconic sights in London.

Everyone knows that giant Ikea poster of Piccadilly Circus. So of course I had to make my way over there to get a picture in front of those picturesque crossroads

In this picture you can see the London Eye, Westminster Palace, and Big Ben.

Here’s another picture I got of the London Eye. While i did not take a ride on it, given the exorbitant price and hour-long commitment required to do the full revolution, I felt seeing it was good enough for me. 

I also got this picture of Big Ben with the sun peaking out behind it. Given that I was in London in February, I would say the presence of the sun was a lucky surprise.

Along with my trip to London, which by far exceeded my expectations of what I believed to be just another generic European city, I had the pleasure of having my mom and Albert coming to visit me in Copenhagen!

We did a lot of sightseeing (and eating) in the three days they were here and we got a lot out of the trip.

One of the first things we did was visit Christiansborg Palace, which is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Unfortunately the elevator was not working when we went to visit so we could not stand at the top of the tower, but the building was beautiful and being able to go inside was still amazing. 

We also had to make the mandatory visit to the Little Mermaid statue. As always there was a crowd of people surrounding the small sculpture, but we were still able to get some good pictures. 

While making our way from The Little Mermaid to dinner we walked around Kastellet, which is s one of the best preserved star fortresses in Northern Europe. As the sun was setting, I got a scenic picture of this windmill.

We also got to walk by Nyhavn Bay as the neon signs were starting to light up, signaling the beginning of a bustling Saturday night.

On Sunday our adventures continued at the Old Carlsberg Brewery where we took a tour of the original facilities and drank some beers.

While there we also got to see the world’s largest collection of unopened beer bottles, which is noted in the Guinness Book of World Records! Currently, there are more than 16,600 different kinds of beer bottles displayed in the collection. 

We also saw the Jutland horses that pull the Carlsberg wagon around Copenhagen. They are a hallmark of the Carlsberg brand and well-known around the city.

Overall, both the trip to London and the visit form my mom and Al were a great addition to my time studying abroad and I can’t wait to see what this journey has in store for me next!

First Month in Copenhagen and Trip to Athens

As of February 18, it has officially been a month since I’ve started my semester in Copenhagen and I can say confidently that it is really starting to feel like home. 

I have done so much, whether it be seeing the mute swan, the national bird of Denmark,

seeing the Rosenborg Castle, the summer house of King Christian IV, which was built in 1606,

walking through the iconic Elephant Gates, a prominent feature of the original Carlsberg brewery site,

or going to a flea market where the offerings were too plentiful to make any purchasing decisions

Also, as promised, I have taken this picture of one of my favorite buildings at Copenhagen Business School. It is called Kilen and within the school it is known as the wedge. There are four other main buildings that I still need to photograph, each beautiful and unique in its own way. This happens to be one of the more modern structures on campus. 

Recently, I went on a very exciting trip to visit my friend Haley where she is studying abroad in Athens, Greece. I had no intentions of going there prior to coming to Europe but given the ease of travel here and relatively low travel fares, Athens seemed like somewhere I had to go.

Her school and apartment are located right in the historic area of Pangrati. The city’s history and timeworn charm contrasted with the modernity of Copenhagen and many of the other cities I’ve visited in my travels. Although worn and outdated, I found Athens to be fiercely dedicated to its illustrious culture and history.

Right down the street from her apartment was the Panathenaic Stadium used in first modern Olympis games in 1896.

During my trip, one of the obvious activities I had to do was visit the Acropolis.

As you walk up the stairs to the main area you are greeted by a propylaea which is a fancy name for a gateway to The Acropolis.

The largest structure at The Acropolis is the Parthenon. You can see the city is doing construction to maintain it, but the fact that a structure built in 432 BC is still standing is incredible beyond words.

An even earlier and equally impressive structure is The Erechtheion which is the temple dedicated to Athena and Poseidon

From The Acropolis we were granted unobstructed views of the city below. Here you can see the Temple of Hephaestus who I learned was the patron god of metal working,craftsmanship, and fire

Also, across the way is Mount Lycabettus, which I evidently would be climbing the next day.

…one day later…

The climb up Mount Lycabettus was quite strenuous, especially since Haley and I took the route of the dirt path instead of the paved steps which, believe me, was not on purpose. Mount Lycabettus is 277 meters or 908,793 feet tall and is the tallest point in the city.

As you can see I was quite sweaty from the climb. 

At the top of the mountain is the Chapel of Saint George which was built in the 19th Century.

It was a beautiful day and you could clearly see The Acropolis, along with the rest of Athens. 

Athens is a beautiful city and I certainly intend to make it back there one day to revisit this rich and authentic city, along with many of Greece’s other well-known sites.

Stay tuned for the next update!