Thursday, February 24, 2011
A very busy 72 hours in Switzerland!!
So almost a week has past since I went to Switzerland. I can't believe it! It went by so fast and was so much fun! Everything about this country was so beautiful and the people were so friendly and nice. It was a very nice change from Cyprus life! We only had about 72 hours to spend in Switzerland, so the whole weekend was booked and incredibly busy!
My first flight from Cyprus to Frankfurt airport went well, but I almost missed my connecting flight to Zurich. The Frankfurt airport is one of the biggest in the world and they took us on the bus and brought us to the complete opposite side of the airport. I had to go through security again and because of my boots, my shoes went off and I had to be frisked (Dad, you would be proud)! They brought me into a little room and were asking me a ton of questions and my flight was boarding in 5 minutes! I then asked the lady how to get to the gate and she told me to run! So there I am sprinting across the airport to try to make the flight for at least 10 minutes! It was insane! When I got to the gate, I asked the woman if the plane had left and she was like, "you are the last person...go go go!!" Well, I finally made it onto the plane, heart pounding and sweaty but at least I knew I was on my way to Zurich!!
When my plane landed on Friday night, the Grobs were on thier way to get me. Patrizia and I ran up to eachother in the airport like a reunion scene! I was so glad to be there and to see them! After calling my parents to let them know I got there, we were on our way to Patrizia's Grandma's apartment (which is where I stayed). It was probably one of the nicest and beautiful apartments I have ever seen!
Saturday morning, we woke up early for a great day! We had a delicious breakfast with thier whole family and of course I had to try everything! (I think I gained about 10 pounds just from this one weekend!) Patrizia then took me on a little tour of the small town of Andelfingen. It was the cutest town and I couldn't help myself but to take pictures, even though I was completely embarassing her! The town is very small and quiet, but so sweet! Everywhere, when passing on the streets everyone greets eachother by saying, "Gruezi" or "hello". The train into Zurich had 2 levels, so of course we went to the second one; it was a really fun ride! When we got there, we went to Lindenhof where you could look down and see a gorgeous view. You could see the trains going right along with the sidewalks; it was really beautiful!
We took a little walk along the water and went to lunch! I tried a drink called Rivella which absolutely amazing! It is only made in Switzerland, so now I know I have to go back just to have that again! It is made from some kind of milk product and is absolutely delicious! Hildi ordered me Capuns, which at first did not look very appetizing, but when I tried them, they were so good! It was warm dough wrapped in some kind of herbs and surrouned with melted cheese! Delicious!!
After the restaurant, we walked around some more. I had to get eyedrops and ended up paying 16 Euro for them! At least they will last me a very long time! Patrizia and I found an amazing candy store, where we bought a Gummy Schlange (a gummy snake) and devourded it!
Next, we went to the Grossmunster Cathedral. We decided to walk up the tower to see the views! However, the walk up was crazy. It was a windy and narrow staircase that not only led people up, but also down. Everyone was pretty much clutching the sidewalls and shimming thier way up. It was so worth it though! When we got up, you could see the whole city of Zurich! I took a ton of pictures and Patrizia and I wrote our names on the top where everyone else had! The walk down was even more intense; it was like breathing a sigh of relief when you finally got down to the bottom! Then we went to the chocolate headquarters! It would not be a trip to Switzerland without buying some chocolate! They were giving away free samples which were incredible!
That night, we had a big dinner with their family and had tons of good laughs and memories! We got into a heated discussion as to the correct way to pronounce "scones" and ended up calling my dad! We put him on speaker phone in the middle of the table and when he pronounced it the way Patrizia's Grandma does, she was esstatic! It was hysterical!
Sunday morning, we woke up and had 2 breakfasts with both sides of family! It was so delicious. Switzerland definitely has the best yogurt I have ever tried! When we went to visit the other grandparents for more breakfast, a whole cake was brought out! My eyes got so wide at the thought of eating cake after filling myself up with everything else at about 10:00am. But hey, when in Switzerland....
the cake was incredibly delicious!
We went on a little walk where Patrizia introduced me to the "Zurich Vitaparcours", which is like a little workout in the woods. You run from sign to sign and do the motions they tell you. Later that day, we went to the Reinfalls! They are apparantely the biggest waterfalls in Europe. They were absolutely incredible and so beautiful. It was kind of rainy/snowy, but it was still so enjoyable to see them! I absolutely loved it and wish I could go back!
Then, we went to the Schloss Laufen Castle where I got my picture taken next to the armor. I even got hand gear to go with it! We then went to an art gallery. The collection there was really great and we spent a long time going through. After taking art history in Cyprus, I now appreciate art a lot more.
Before going back, Patrizia and I walked around some more and went into a music store which was really fun. We then ran to catch our train to make it back for another incredible family dinner. We had Raclette which is where you grill your own personal meat on a little table party grill! It was so cool and just like everything else I tried, absolutely amazing! I met thier little 5 year cousin, Ana, who is an absolute ball of energy! She wanted to play with us but was speaking in German which made for a very interesting way of communication; Patrizia filmed the two of us trying to communicate with one another!
Unfortunatley, the next morning, we had to get up bright and early to catch the 6:06am train so that I could make my flight. Saying goodbye again was very hard, but I know there are plently more adventures to look foward to! Seeing and meeting the whole family was really great and gave me a good taste of home, which is exactally what I needed. I am so grateful this trip worked out so well! Everything about Switzerland blew me away; it was so beautiful and I hope that I will make it back there someday...
My first flight from Cyprus to Frankfurt airport went well, but I almost missed my connecting flight to Zurich. The Frankfurt airport is one of the biggest in the world and they took us on the bus and brought us to the complete opposite side of the airport. I had to go through security again and because of my boots, my shoes went off and I had to be frisked (Dad, you would be proud)! They brought me into a little room and were asking me a ton of questions and my flight was boarding in 5 minutes! I then asked the lady how to get to the gate and she told me to run! So there I am sprinting across the airport to try to make the flight for at least 10 minutes! It was insane! When I got to the gate, I asked the woman if the plane had left and she was like, "you are the last person...go go go!!" Well, I finally made it onto the plane, heart pounding and sweaty but at least I knew I was on my way to Zurich!!
When my plane landed on Friday night, the Grobs were on thier way to get me. Patrizia and I ran up to eachother in the airport like a reunion scene! I was so glad to be there and to see them! After calling my parents to let them know I got there, we were on our way to Patrizia's Grandma's apartment (which is where I stayed). It was probably one of the nicest and beautiful apartments I have ever seen!
Saturday morning, we woke up early for a great day! We had a delicious breakfast with thier whole family and of course I had to try everything! (I think I gained about 10 pounds just from this one weekend!) Patrizia then took me on a little tour of the small town of Andelfingen. It was the cutest town and I couldn't help myself but to take pictures, even though I was completely embarassing her! The town is very small and quiet, but so sweet! Everywhere, when passing on the streets everyone greets eachother by saying, "Gruezi" or "hello". The train into Zurich had 2 levels, so of course we went to the second one; it was a really fun ride! When we got there, we went to Lindenhof where you could look down and see a gorgeous view. You could see the trains going right along with the sidewalks; it was really beautiful!
View from Lindenhof
We took a little walk along the water and went to lunch! I tried a drink called Rivella which absolutely amazing! It is only made in Switzerland, so now I know I have to go back just to have that again! It is made from some kind of milk product and is absolutely delicious! Hildi ordered me Capuns, which at first did not look very appetizing, but when I tried them, they were so good! It was warm dough wrapped in some kind of herbs and surrouned with melted cheese! Delicious!!
After the restaurant, we walked around some more. I had to get eyedrops and ended up paying 16 Euro for them! At least they will last me a very long time! Patrizia and I found an amazing candy store, where we bought a Gummy Schlange (a gummy snake) and devourded it!
Patrizia with a candy pizza
Next, we went to the Grossmunster Cathedral. We decided to walk up the tower to see the views! However, the walk up was crazy. It was a windy and narrow staircase that not only led people up, but also down. Everyone was pretty much clutching the sidewalls and shimming thier way up. It was so worth it though! When we got up, you could see the whole city of Zurich! I took a ton of pictures and Patrizia and I wrote our names on the top where everyone else had! The walk down was even more intense; it was like breathing a sigh of relief when you finally got down to the bottom! Then we went to the chocolate headquarters! It would not be a trip to Switzerland without buying some chocolate! They were giving away free samples which were incredible!
View from the top of Grossmunster Cathedral
Stairwell
That night, we had a big dinner with their family and had tons of good laughs and memories! We got into a heated discussion as to the correct way to pronounce "scones" and ended up calling my dad! We put him on speaker phone in the middle of the table and when he pronounced it the way Patrizia's Grandma does, she was esstatic! It was hysterical!
Sunday morning, we woke up and had 2 breakfasts with both sides of family! It was so delicious. Switzerland definitely has the best yogurt I have ever tried! When we went to visit the other grandparents for more breakfast, a whole cake was brought out! My eyes got so wide at the thought of eating cake after filling myself up with everything else at about 10:00am. But hey, when in Switzerland....
the cake was incredibly delicious!
We went on a little walk where Patrizia introduced me to the "Zurich Vitaparcours", which is like a little workout in the woods. You run from sign to sign and do the motions they tell you. Later that day, we went to the Reinfalls! They are apparantely the biggest waterfalls in Europe. They were absolutely incredible and so beautiful. It was kind of rainy/snowy, but it was still so enjoyable to see them! I absolutely loved it and wish I could go back!
Reinfalls!
Then, we went to the Schloss Laufen Castle where I got my picture taken next to the armor. I even got hand gear to go with it! We then went to an art gallery. The collection there was really great and we spent a long time going through. After taking art history in Cyprus, I now appreciate art a lot more.
Before going back, Patrizia and I walked around some more and went into a music store which was really fun. We then ran to catch our train to make it back for another incredible family dinner. We had Raclette which is where you grill your own personal meat on a little table party grill! It was so cool and just like everything else I tried, absolutely amazing! I met thier little 5 year cousin, Ana, who is an absolute ball of energy! She wanted to play with us but was speaking in German which made for a very interesting way of communication; Patrizia filmed the two of us trying to communicate with one another!
Unfortunatley, the next morning, we had to get up bright and early to catch the 6:06am train so that I could make my flight. Saying goodbye again was very hard, but I know there are plently more adventures to look foward to! Seeing and meeting the whole family was really great and gave me a good taste of home, which is exactally what I needed. I am so grateful this trip worked out so well! Everything about Switzerland blew me away; it was so beautiful and I hope that I will make it back there someday...
Friday, February 18, 2011
Valentines Day, Sleepovers and Switzerland!!
There is so much that has happened in the past few weeks, I don’t even know where to begin!
Being here on this island has definitely been amazing. I have gotten to know some incredible people and done such great things!
Technology has not been on my side ever since I left to study abroad. My camera decided to not work again on me in photo class the other day, so I had to bring it to the store. They taught me another way to charge it (let me just say, it is the most ghetto looking charger I have ever seen and the way in which I charge it now is hysterical). But, at least it works!
The past few weeks, we have walked into the Old City of Nicosia a few times which has been a great way to get out and enjoy! The super bowl at the local bar was a really fun way to see what Cypriot life is like here. It was our good friend, Tylar’s 21st birthday that night as well! We all had a really great time and the next night, my roommates and I made him dinner to celebrate!
Last weekend, the study abroad students were invited to a pre-party at the Italian Ambassador’s Guest House in Cyprus. We did not get to meet him, but it was still a really cool feeling to be standing there. The party was not what I had expected, but we were still able to have fun and went to a club afterwards. Let’s just say my roommates and I really enjoyed the Kebabs we indulged in the next day!
We also had a Valentine’s Day party at our apartment last Saturday night. It was a lot of fun and a really great turnout! We made it a tacky 80s theme; the costumes were great! Around 1am, there were still plenty of people here. My roommate, Carli and I were exhausted from the night before, so we decided to have a sleepover at our friend Kendall’s apartment which was tons of fun! The next morning, we woke up and watched Moulin Rouge. It was my first time seeing that movie and I love it! On Monday night, the boys next door made us a Valentine’s Day dinner. They really outdid themselves by cutting pita bread into the shape of little hearts. It was delicious and so sweet!
Sleepover at Kendalls!
Now to school. All the professors here are very laid back. One of my classes starts at 11:00, however, on Wednesday, the professor didn’t come in until around 11:25 (which is very normal here) and said he needed to leave to go get a sandwich. We all waited another 10-15 minutes for him to even come back! It was crazy; this would never happen back in the States, but is what makes this experience so unique. We were all just laughing at how random and out of the blue that was, but that seems to be the way of the Cypriot life; everyone is understanding and time just does not seem to exist here.
I love all my classes so far though and feel like I am learning so much that I wouldn’t normally get to. Art history has really captured me and seemingly brought me into another world. European Cultures re-instills why I am anthropology major and why I chose to study abroad here. Photography is a great class to take to get me out of the books and into learning about something I love to do; take pictures and what better place than to learn on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean! Sociology of Religion is a really interesting class and let me meet people from all over the world. I have met two really great Irish girls from that class and have been going to lunches with them! Modern Europe is my least favorite class here, but it is still very interesting. I had my first presentation in that class on Tuesday, so we will see how that went!
I have also been talking to the professor in the anthropology department here and I am going to be doing an internship on religious tolerance in the North Side of Cyprus and on promoting an alternative mode of transportation (no one bikes or walks…EVER! They only drive, and their driving is horrible!) So that will be a really amazing experience! I should start that next week!
Probably the biggest and greatest news that has happened over the past few days is a trip I have been dying to do for years now. My neighbors are going to Switzerland this weekend and after looking for flights for days and days, I finally gave up on the idea because it was all just too expensive. My friends and I ending up booking a trip to the beaches for the weekend. However, at about 3:30am my time, my neighbor from home called me with great news! She had an offer for a round trip flight to Switzerland that I just could not pass up! I had to make the decision right then, because the offer would have gone away at midnight their time. It could not have come at a better time and to make things even better…it barely costs a dime!!! So, in just a few short hours, I will be making my way over to one of the most beautiful places I could imagine, Switzerland!! I am soo excited and absolutely cannot wait! It is going to be so great for me to see them as well, because I will be able to get a little dose of “family” in before the remainder of my semester.
So, Switzerland…here I come!!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Turkish side, Classes, Spring Break and the Troodos Mountains!
Well, the past week has been very interesting, needless to say.
Last saturday, a group of eight girls and one boy crossed the border into the Turkish side of the island. We spent the majority of the day exploring the city of Nicosia and met a wonderful Greek man who told us the pangs of his heart (the girl he loves has moved back to America) and he was devastated. He was very sweet and we all enjoyed his company with a cup of some warm greek coffee (it was a very cold day). We then ventured into the Turkish side which was very different. We had to show our passports in order to cross the border, but because the Turkish side is an unrecognized "state", they could not stamp them. Instead, they stamped a piece of paper saying that we had crossed (it was kind of pointless). Everything seemed much quieter and reserved over there. Because of the cold weather and the rain, we did not go as far up north as we wanted to, but it was still nice to see a different side of the city. There is a place there called Famagusta where the beaches are supposed to be wonderful, so when the weather warms up, that will be a must! A weird thing happened to us while we were there, a group of young boys were sitting in a worn down truck and as soon as we all passed, they opened the door and pretended to shoot us with thier fake guns. They were just playing, but it was very weird for all of us.
Classes started this week and they all seem very interesting. It was a very stressful week however, because everyone was having problems in choosing thier courses. I was having a lot of trouble getting in touch with my university at home trying to get credits transfered over, figuring out which courses to take from the GLS office here and being on and off the phone with my parents trying to get everything sorted. There was always so much to think about and life did not seem to slow down once. However, through all this, I really enjoy the courses I am taking so far. European Cultures is by far my favorite class; the professor is an Anthropologist from Belgium who is really great! She told us more about the history between the Greeks and the Turks, but told us the other side of the story from the Turkish point of view (something we never got during orientation) and it really brought it home to all of us the amount of suffering this island has been through. I thought I would never be interested in Art History, but it is a great class! I've already learned so much and appreciate and look at art in a much different way now. We learned about the Egyptians and the beautiful artwork hidden deep within the pyramids. Modern Europe will be very beneficial while I am here to learn about the history of the cultures I will be seeing throughout my semester here. There are three classes that I am still not 100% sure of which two I will be taking, but should have it all figured out by early this week. I am also going to be talking to a woman here in the Anthropology department this week to look into an intership for the semester which will be exciting! I just can't wait till all my classes are sorted out and I am on a regular schedule.
During the course of this week, I also officialy booked my spring break trip! As I mentioned before, I do not get a real spring break with my program, but have two weeks where I will only be taking one or two classes, so I'm using that as my break! I am going to England, Scotland and Ireland and am so excited! The group of six I will be traveling with are a wonderful bunch and I know we will have a tremendous time (Kendall, Jenallee, Matt, Jake, Scott and Jessica). The trip was a lot cheaper than I expected because of Ryanair!! During my stay in England, I hope to visit my family in there since I have not seen them in years! One of my best friends from home is studying abroad this semester in Ireland, so while there, we will be treaking over to beautiful Galway to see her! Everytime I think about this trip, I get so excited; Ireland and Scotland have been dream locations for me and I am so blessed that I get this opportunity!
While on the subject of travel, we are deffinitely not looking into going to Egypt for a while. We were all disappointed by this because it is only a 1hr flight away and very cheap. However, it is way too dangerous over there at the moment because of the protests, so Egypt will be put off for a while. My neighbors from home are going to be going to Switzerland for a weekend and I would love to meet them over there! I have been looking into flights and cannot find one I can afford because for some reason, it is more expensive to leave the island of Cyprus than to come in. I will keep looking because it would be so amazing to go there!
Lastly, yesturday the entire GLS group went to the Troodos Mountains and the Village of Kakopetira for the day. It was so beautiful and great to see a completely different side of Cyprus! When we left, it was a beautiful, bright and sunny day and one hour later, we were in the mountains with snow!! It is amazing how diverse this island is, not only with people, culture and history, but with weather as well. The mountains are the biggest mountain range in Cyprus and is located right in the center with villages, monasteries and churches nestled right in them! They rose from the collision of the African and European tectonic plates and the rocks have managed to stay in their original formation. It was so beautiful there- I wish we had more time. We then drove down to the village of Kakopetira where we explored for hours and had a delicious lunch. We met an old Greek Cypriot woman who flagged us down and showed us her church- it was very sweet. The village name in Greek means "bad rock", because legend has it that there was a custom in which people getting married would dance around a big rock, but a rock fell on the groom and supposedly killed him. It is because of this that the village is called "bad rock". While the trip was amazing, the drive back was awful! Our bus driver thought the best way to drive down a steep, windy hill was to ride the brakes the entire time. The entire bus was feeling incredibly sick from this ride. Someone even threw up on the way down. It was not a good drive.
Today was a gorgeous, bright and sunny day (something we havent had much of here yet)! So my roommates and I took advantage of this weather and walked from our apartment downtown to the Coffee Beanery. We sat outside, drank traditional Frappes and did our homework for the afternoon. It was really nice. Tonight, the local bar is playing the superbowl. However, because we are 7 hours ahead, it doesnt start here until 1:30 AM! I will deffinitely be joining, I'm just not sure for how long. Getting used to late night Greek lifestyle had been very difficult.
Week 2 has already finished! Only 14 more here.
Last saturday, a group of eight girls and one boy crossed the border into the Turkish side of the island. We spent the majority of the day exploring the city of Nicosia and met a wonderful Greek man who told us the pangs of his heart (the girl he loves has moved back to America) and he was devastated. He was very sweet and we all enjoyed his company with a cup of some warm greek coffee (it was a very cold day). We then ventured into the Turkish side which was very different. We had to show our passports in order to cross the border, but because the Turkish side is an unrecognized "state", they could not stamp them. Instead, they stamped a piece of paper saying that we had crossed (it was kind of pointless). Everything seemed much quieter and reserved over there. Because of the cold weather and the rain, we did not go as far up north as we wanted to, but it was still nice to see a different side of the city. There is a place there called Famagusta where the beaches are supposed to be wonderful, so when the weather warms up, that will be a must! A weird thing happened to us while we were there, a group of young boys were sitting in a worn down truck and as soon as we all passed, they opened the door and pretended to shoot us with thier fake guns. They were just playing, but it was very weird for all of us.
Nicosia
Square on the Turkish Side
The Turkish Side of Cyprus
During the course of this week, I also officialy booked my spring break trip! As I mentioned before, I do not get a real spring break with my program, but have two weeks where I will only be taking one or two classes, so I'm using that as my break! I am going to England, Scotland and Ireland and am so excited! The group of six I will be traveling with are a wonderful bunch and I know we will have a tremendous time (Kendall, Jenallee, Matt, Jake, Scott and Jessica). The trip was a lot cheaper than I expected because of Ryanair!! During my stay in England, I hope to visit my family in there since I have not seen them in years! One of my best friends from home is studying abroad this semester in Ireland, so while there, we will be treaking over to beautiful Galway to see her! Everytime I think about this trip, I get so excited; Ireland and Scotland have been dream locations for me and I am so blessed that I get this opportunity!
While on the subject of travel, we are deffinitely not looking into going to Egypt for a while. We were all disappointed by this because it is only a 1hr flight away and very cheap. However, it is way too dangerous over there at the moment because of the protests, so Egypt will be put off for a while. My neighbors from home are going to be going to Switzerland for a weekend and I would love to meet them over there! I have been looking into flights and cannot find one I can afford because for some reason, it is more expensive to leave the island of Cyprus than to come in. I will keep looking because it would be so amazing to go there!
Lastly, yesturday the entire GLS group went to the Troodos Mountains and the Village of Kakopetira for the day. It was so beautiful and great to see a completely different side of Cyprus! When we left, it was a beautiful, bright and sunny day and one hour later, we were in the mountains with snow!! It is amazing how diverse this island is, not only with people, culture and history, but with weather as well. The mountains are the biggest mountain range in Cyprus and is located right in the center with villages, monasteries and churches nestled right in them! They rose from the collision of the African and European tectonic plates and the rocks have managed to stay in their original formation. It was so beautiful there- I wish we had more time. We then drove down to the village of Kakopetira where we explored for hours and had a delicious lunch. We met an old Greek Cypriot woman who flagged us down and showed us her church- it was very sweet. The village name in Greek means "bad rock", because legend has it that there was a custom in which people getting married would dance around a big rock, but a rock fell on the groom and supposedly killed him. It is because of this that the village is called "bad rock". While the trip was amazing, the drive back was awful! Our bus driver thought the best way to drive down a steep, windy hill was to ride the brakes the entire time. The entire bus was feeling incredibly sick from this ride. Someone even threw up on the way down. It was not a good drive.
Troodos Mountains
Carli and I on the legendary rock
The history of Kakopetria
Today was a gorgeous, bright and sunny day (something we havent had much of here yet)! So my roommates and I took advantage of this weather and walked from our apartment downtown to the Coffee Beanery. We sat outside, drank traditional Frappes and did our homework for the afternoon. It was really nice. Tonight, the local bar is playing the superbowl. However, because we are 7 hours ahead, it doesnt start here until 1:30 AM! I will deffinitely be joining, I'm just not sure for how long. Getting used to late night Greek lifestyle had been very difficult.
Week 2 has already finished! Only 14 more here.
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