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Postings from resident directors and students currently abroad, important announcements and useful infomation for planning your study abroad experience.
The sun is finally shining in Paris and all things summer are appearing in the city. Happiness :)
Most interestingly, I just returned from a ten day spring break! My roommate Jenn and I bought Eurail passes to travel by train through France, Italy, and Spain during break. First, we took a 12 hour night train to Barcelona. In Barcelona we took a day to see all the sights and wonder around the city. First impressions- Barcelona is much more beautiful than Madrid. What Jenn and I were most looking forward to was the beach. We headed down to the beach and lounged around looking out across that beautiful Mediterranean all day. This was my second time seeing the Med, but it was still so amazingly blue and clear. The beach seemed more party than classy (as did much of Barcelona) with its various illegal salesmen selling everything from messages to cerveza. Our hostel had free tickets to a club on the beach, so we checked that out one night. It was a lot like clubs in Paris except that the patio looked out onto the ocean. Very nice :)
After 4 days in Barcelona, we headed off to Cannes- an 8 hour trek. This train ride was actually quite enjoyable since the train went almost entirely along the ocean. We saw just amazing views! We got into Cannes, looked for a taxi and what we found was a line of very expensive cars (think mercedes, bmw...) with tinted windows.. that we all taxis. Ha! Feeling very glamorous, we got in one and a few minutes later we arrived at our hostel. It was by far the nicest hostel I've ever seen. We had a studio apartment with a kitchen and bathroom and best of all, an ocean view from our balcony! It was nice to be back in France where I can actually communicate with people and we know the customs and culture. Our hostel was a little walk from the city center so we rotated between town and beach. The town was rather glamorous- all the designer stores, bien sur. The beach in Cannes was sooooo beautiful. Our hostel was literally like 3 minutes from a secluded little beach and about 7 minutes from a more populated beach. There were palm trees and families and ice cream stands everywhere. It was sooo enjoyable. A few things separated Cannes from a typical Californian beach- topless tanners and speedos. Jenn and I decided on our last day, after soaking up that Mediterranean culture, that we should do a little topless tanning ourselves. We finally got brave and did it! I felt oh so French :)
Originally, we had planned on going to Verona and Venice after Cannes but we had a little train booking trouble and ended up on another night train to Rome. This ride was about 10 hours and horrible. We had pretty bad seats that did not recline at all and old snoring Italian men as cabin mates. After what felt like forever, we arrived in Roma, settled into our hostel, and set out to explore. We got one of those tourist maps and basically saw everything on it within the 3 days we  were in Rome. I really enjoyed seeing the Coliseum and Trevi Fountain was my favorite site in Rome. I think by the end of our time in Rome, we had walked that entire city. Jenn and I both decided that we would like to live there one day. It just seemed like a very livable city, plus the food was AMAZING. I am proud to announce that I have now tried 12 different flavors of real Italian gelato :) The Italian people where very friendly but we both missed the 'Frenchies' after a few days. We left Rome on another night train- this was our longest ride yet, 15 hours. This time we got smart and paid a little extra for beds and it was SO worth it. We had a fabulous trip overall but after 2 weeks we were glad to be back in Paris.
This past weekend we got to celebrate our French friend's birthday. He and his family own the bakery down the street and we have all become good friends with him. We got to his house to drink champagne with him and his friends before we went to his favorite club. Anyone who thinks French people aren't that friendly should meet Anthony's friends. All of them were so nice and welcoming. The only thing I still can't get over is the kissing thing. Every single person who came over had to kiss one another on the cheeks. It's like a kissing line. You can't get out of it! We all really enjoyed being a part of a French birthday celebration.
Since the weather has been nice lots of people go to the park and have picnics or just lounge around. We have a park right near our apartment so we have been going and it is quite enjoyable. Paris in the spring really is very beautiful.
Well, I'll be home in less than a month now and I'm having mixed emotions. 8 months has been too long to not see my family and Honey and I really miss them, but Paris is Paris- it just doesn't really compare to Galt. Haha.
Abroadco is now on Facebook! Check out our page and meet the students who are going abroad as well as some of our alumni. And make sure you look through the photo albums of our locations, with photos taken by Abroadco students and staff.
A few weeks ago, we had a wine tasting! Our study abroad resident director, Pamela, has a friend in Chicago who is a professor of Greek Literature (?!) at Northwestern University. He came to our neck of the woods for a week and was roped into hosting a degustation de vin for all of us. We went from light to dark, and so started with two whites, two rosés (which are a specialty of the Provence region) and then 3 or 4 reds.
The Verdict: 2002 Chateau Pigoudet
Definitely the best red wine I have ever tasted. ever.
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Maggie and I were both expecting calls from our dads (which we don't receive very often, so it was exciting) on this particular afternoon. We took a stroll to one of the parks nearby and just relaxed in the sun. A note on the parks around here: I think it's pretty well understood that the French don't really abide by any kind of PDA policy..at all. And the parks, well, this is the place that I have discovered that couples of all ages, shapes and sizes, go to do pretty much everything they can without actually having sex. Needless to say, sometimes the parks aren't exactly a comfortable setting.
In March I had the opportunity to spend four days in Marburg, Germany visiting our progra m. I wanted to tell you a little about my trip and show you some of the photos I took of Marburg and our students.
I arrived in Marburg by train and was very excited to see the Landgrave Castle as I approached Marburg. The castle really is visible from many locations in town and is the landmark for Marburg.
It was a short walk from the train station to the lovely pension where I stayed (Pension Mueller is in a great location and very reasonably priced!). We walked by the Elizabethkirche (Church of St. Elizabeth), a lovely gothic cathedral on the way to the pension.
Getting around Marburg was very easy, both on foot and by bus. The students take the bus daily from their residence halls to school and into town. They have learned quickly to navigate the bus system and with their free transportation passes make good use of public transportation!
I spent one morning walking around Marburg, exploring the lower portion of town. The city is built up on a hill with steep streets and stairs (lots and lots of stairs). In the lower part of town, there is a commercial center, houses and shops, university buildings, and the Lahn River.
I attended the German conversation course that the Abroadco students take along with other students in the program. That day the lower level German speakers were playing a game, creating a fairy tale from cards they were dealt. It was a lot of fun listening to them develop sentences based on the cards in their hands and how creative they can be! We all learned many new words in
German. Although I hadn't had German for more than 20 years I enjoyed picking out words I did understand and learning some new ones.
One fun thing was that our first ever Abroadco student in Marburg was back visiting at the same time I was there. It was great to hear from Lance about the impact his semester abroad has had on his life. Since his semester, he took time to travel around Europe and North Africa, transferred schools and changed his major.
One evening the Abroadco students, Klaas (resident director) and I went to dinner. We had a long climb up several flights of steep stairs to a restaurant next to the Landgrave Castle. The view from there is tremendous - even at night when all you can see are the lights of the city below. It's a fabulous sight! Spending time with the Abroadco students was a real treat. Although we work closely with our students, we don't often get to meet them in person. I have to say, although I may be prejudiced, that this is a great group! They were so much fun t  o be with, I wish I could have spent more time with them. One afternoon while I was there we had a guided tour of Ober Marburg (the upper part of the city). You can either walk up or take an elevator to get up to the upper part of the city. I took the elevator since I had never before just taken an elevator from one part of a city to the next. We met at the old university and then explored the winding streets, historic buildings, and scenic vistas.
I spent some time talking with the students about the program and about Marburg. The students all commented on how academically demanding the program is, but said they were enjoying their classes. They are definitely learning a
lot. The students who had gone to Marburg without any German had picked up quite a bit. And considering that English is not spoken by most shopkeepers in town, they really have to use their German! They have fallen in love with Marburg itself and enjoy exploring the city and finding new places to eat. All the students told me how much they like Klaas, how helpful he is, and what a good teacher he is  (Klaas teaches the German Culture class and the lower level German conversation class).
So this was my trip to Marburg. Although it rained quite a bit while I was (it was March in Germany after all), we did have some nice sunny weather as well. This is one city I definitely want to go visit again!
- Ann Halpin
About two weeks ago (once again, sorry for the inconsistency) Maggie and I climbed the very famous Mt. Saint Victoire! The whole hike took about 5 hours; 3 up and 2 down. T his was one of the most difficult but rewarding hikes I have ever been on. The views from the top were incredible - the skies were clear and beautiful and we could see for miles, we could even see the Mediterranean!
Coming down, I slipped and twisted my ankle, which led to much swelling and discomfort over the next few days. However, what followed was a little adventure into the French health care system after my host mother forced me to visit the hospital (which happens to be right down the street from our apartment.) Don't worry, it was just as I suspected and nothing serious had happened to my foot. The doctor took an x-ray and gave me some ointment and pain pills and that was that. All in all, a wonderful experience:)
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 Last weekend, I visited the lovely little city of Arles. This is a city that was founded in the 6th century BC by the Greeks. Later Arles was captured by the Romans whose mark remains in the form of ancient graveyards, bath houses as well as an arena that is still used today to hold traditional bull fights. In fact, I think I might actually catch one if I return in early April! Arles was also home, for a time, to Vincent Van Gogh. It was here that he painted Cafe Terrace at Night (which I have a picture of below) and here that he cut off his ear to give to a prostitute! Basically, this city has more history packed into 5 square miles than most states in America.
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A couple of weekends ago, Maggie and I visited the principality of Monaco. Fun factoid: It is the world's most densely populated, and smallest French-speaking country! It was surreal, how gorgeous and glamorous this place was. Honestly, I felt like a dirty peasant walking around what felt like a movie-set that I had somehow snuck into. Dirty peasant sentiments aside, Monaco is where you'll find me if I happen to marry a billionaire.
We arrived just in time to see the traditional changing of the guard in front of the palace.
So this was an unexpected bonus to our fabulous day trip to Monaco..Our tour bus actually had to pull over on the side of the highway due to a road race that was about to finish in Nice (a city near to Monaco on the coast). The race started in Paris and we were lucky enough to catch the last 20 minutes of it, on accident!
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the Abroadco Summer 2008 Scholarships. The following students have been awarded scholarships:
Courtney Armstrong - Aix-en-Provence
Madeleine Billeter - Nice - Pfeiffer University
Danielle Carneiro - Paris - Hofstra University
Gabrielle Cline - Aix-en-Provence - Richland College
Alexi Coltom - Florence - Saint Martin’s University
Shannon Deep - Paris - Carnegie Mellon University
Amy Griffiths - Aix-en-Provence - University of Western Ontario
Congratulations to all the recipients!
What was your favorite part of the program?
Meeting people from all over the world.
The people and the trips.
I loved the trips!
What did you like most about your program city and country?
The city was the perfect size and not too far from a huge city.
I liked how cute Marburg was and the great people I met.
I really loved being exposed to a different culture and language. Germany is also gorgeous, and I am very lucky to have been able to spend a semester in a place with so rich a history.
What I know now but wish I had known before I left…
I wish I had known how to pack less! I tried to pack less like you suggested but I should have left even more at home!
Pack less. I know, you told us, but I didn’t realize HOW much less to pack till tired to come home. That was heavy….
What was your favorite excursion?
Everyone was unanimous in saying Berlin was their favorite and here’s why:
Berlin. The city is amazing in a nd of itself, but Klaas chose the coolest hostel for us to stay in. It was also the longest trip, which made it doubly nice.
Comments about the Abroadco Resident Director
He was great at helping whenever I needed it.
I think he planned some WONDERFUL excursions. He really went above and beyond helping us and making sure we learned AND had a great time.
Klaas is swell and sweet and we love him!!
Klaas let me borrow a sleeping bag and air mattress when my best friend came to visit and he even tried to buy me a new deck of cards when one card from a brand new deck went missing.
Oh my gosh, I don´t know where to begin describing this crazy vacation!
So we arrived in Porto, Portugal at 8 a.m. on Sunday at which time we headed over to our hostel to drop off our bags and  grab a bite to eat.
...went to the Porto Vinho Museum (very small exhibition but interesting)
After that my fatigue caught up with me and I took a little siesta while mi amigas trekked across the city to do..I am not quite sure what.Fast forward..we got out to a little hole in the wall restaurant and share very generous portions of various seafood platters. The wait staff sang and informed us about the importance of Fado in Portuguese culture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fado
The restaurant owner (who thankfully spoke English as none of us could even pretend to get by with out pathetic combined knowledge of Spanish) then invited us to enjoy some live Fado the next afternoon at a restaurant run by a friend of his. Of course we agreed. 
That was quite fun, we ate fried fish patties ( I think that´s what they were...) and drank red wine while a bunch of old Portuguese guys sang their hearts out.
We went on a boat tour on the Duoro River, which empties into the Atlantic and I was able to see the Atlantic Ocean for the first time, muy excitingo!
Fast forward
We arrived in Madrid yesterday around 1 p.m. and pretty much rotated between sleeping and eating (I did visit one museum between the two alternating activities) until this morning.
Today was one of the best days ever! We visited the Reina Sofia Museum of modern art, where there was a Picasso exhibit going on...AMAZINGGGG! Picasso was one crazy mofo, but I really enjoyed seeing his works. I also had no idea that he was also a sculptor, did you?
We went on a bus tour of Madrid, which was kind of silly because none of the h eadphone jacks worked and we never stopped long enough to take a decent picture.
We got off at some point to grub up, as we were all starving. Then continued onward to the Mayor Plaza, one of the oldest areas of the city which consists of extremely expensive cafes facing beautiful buildings covered in murals.
Okay, the grand finale... we got off the tour bus with the intention of walking back to our hostel and turned around to see....THE BODIES EXHIBIT! This is something I had really wanted to see when I was in Portland, but never got the chance. It was incredible;I am a little grossed out, but WOW! has anyone else seen it? It was so interesting to see the different parts of the body displayed so delicately.
I apologize for the messy blog, but I had to get this out before I forgot about the magically fantastic adventure that was today.
Also, when we finished at the bodies exhibit, we encountered a huuuuge protest in the street with cops everywhere..the Spanish people are fighting against the privatization of their hospitals. Maybe I was on the Spanish news today!
Last Sunday about 30 something people and myself went to a nearby city on the coast, La Ciotat. We first drove to a market on one of the ports, where we bought fixins' for our picnic that we would  have at a nearby park. I also bought some sunglasses at the market, but they broke about two hours later during our hike :( That's what I get for buying cheap sunglasses I guess.
So we took our picnic items (a baguette, roasted red pepper tapenade, chevre, kiwis, and sun dried tomatoes) to this gorgeous park and sat on a ledge overlooking the Mediterranean.
After the picnic we herded back onto the bus and drove a little while to get to the beginning of the trail for our hike. We had the pleasure of being guided by a very cute little French woman who enthusiastically educated us about our surroundings during the hike.
We climbed three different cliffs each with equally beautiful views of the area.
In other news, my roommate Maggie and I just bought our tickets to Holland for a three day weekend that we have in March. We will be flying into Eindhoven (cheap airlines can't quite get you to the most desirable cities.) From Eindhoven, we will take about an hour and a half long train into Amsterdam and stay for a couple of nights.
This Sunday I will be leaving for Porto, Portugal with four of my friends here. This ought to be exciting to coordinate with five people ;)I'm really excited though.
Not much else going on, just school and eating..always eating!
This week classes began at the university; I have 12 hours of language classes, a 2-hour Phonetique class, a 2-hour Traduction (translation) class, and a 2 hour elective entitled "La Vie en Provence." All in all, I would say it was a pretty successful first week. My classmates are from all over the world- specifically Russia, Japan, Holland, Mexico, Korea, China, Hungary, and of course the U.S. It's pretty exhausting being bombarded with French 24/7 (especially now that classes have begun) but I know it will be worth all the headaches at the end ;)
However, some exciting news is that 3 other girls who are in the program and I just secured our travel plans for our week long vacation which starts in two weeks. We will be staying in Porto, Portugal for 2 nights, then fly to Madrid and stay there for two nights, then fly to Barcelona and stay for three nights, then bus home to Aix. Don't worry- we used a very cheap european airline called ryanair. 19 euros from Marseille to Porto! hoorah!
In other news, I'm loving the fo od here (of course). To give you an idea of what kind of amazing meals my host mom cooks for Maggie and I, two nights ago she prepared roasted rabbit and homemade mashed potatoes with crepes for dessert. Last night she prepared a carrot-green onion and cucumber salad with a vinaigrette dressing, then chevre and spinach stuffed ravioli, then SALMON that was absolutely incredible, THEN, real FRENCH toast. I'm telling you, you have never tasted "french" toast until you've tried this. I hope to God I don't gain 70 pounds by the time the semester is over!
(Aimee and Maggie at a cafe in Aix)
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