Switzerland and Germany!

Monday morning at 5:00 am, we left Antwerp and headed towards Switzerland! We haven’t done a whole group trip since the last 10 day trip. We were excited to travel with everyone one last time. At first I was a little nervous because they kept saying it was going to freezing and snowy in Switzerland, but we had great weather! We arrived at our hostel in Interlaken at night and got free dinner at this Irish pub next door. We stayed at the very first hostel ever, so it was not very modern. It was eight girls in a tiny room with only one outlet. All 16 girls shared the bathroom. It was good bonding though!

On Tuesday, we had a presentation in the morning about the tourism in Interlaken. We got to learn about all the extreme sports which were very popular here. For lunch, they ordered pizza for everyone. Then, we went on a hike to visit the waterfalls in Interlaken. It was so beautiful! The water was so fresh since it came from the glaciers. Then we hiked all the way back down to the village. Everything is so pretty with the mountains, green grass, and blue water. That evening some of us had signed up for activities. I really wanted to do hang gliding but they have a certain amount of spots, and I was not heavy enough or tall enough. So I decided to sign up for the paragliding. It was so much fun! It was a small group of us that got to sign up. We drove all the way to the top of the mountain and each has a professional paired up with us. Once we were attached to the parachute we ran a fast as we could down hill until the wind picked us up. It was the most amazing thing I’ve done. It was about a fifteen minute flight and we even did some tricks at the end. At night we went to a little brasserie and watched the Bayern munich and real Madrid soccer game.

                                                                       Paragliding group

                                                                  Up and away!

Wednesday we had the morning off. A lot of people signed up to do extreme sports. Courtney and I wanted to do the ropes course because the sounded the easiest and was the cheapest. Then we somehow got convinced to not do the ropes course but go canyon jumping instead. Our other friends had gone in the morning and some people were going at 4:30. We signed up with the 4:30 group (11 of us). When the first group came back I told them I had signed up, they said “we were just talking about how the one person on the trip that shouldn’t do it would be you and how we were glad you didn’t sign up”! So that did not help my anxiety about this jump! The closer we got to the mountain the more nervous I would get. After a 30 minute drive we got to the top, also signing a waver just in case, we were ready to jump. A few people went in front of me and we all cheered them on. It seemed ok watching other people do it but then it was my turn. Just standing on the platform made me have a little panic attack! I was about to turn around and go. But I had a really great support group behind me. After 3 long minutes of thinking, I finally jumped. Scariest thing I have ever done in my life. I was so scared that I blacked out during the fall. I don’t remember until I started swinging again. The guy said it happens a lot for some people when there is too much adrenalin, but sometime in my sleep the feeling comes back to me. I am so happy I did that. Now I feel like I can do anything! Probably one of the top best things I have done this semester. That night we all watched our videos over and over again. We got burgers and the hostel and then had a few drinks at the club downstairs.

                                                                      canyon jumping group

                                                                       The jump!

                                                              30 stories high. 80 meters drop

On Thursday, we left early in the morning for Germany. We did a little hike through the black forest and to see the tallest waterfalls in Europe. We stayed in a really nice hotel that night. We went to a German restaurant and then went to a bar.

                                                              Waterfalls

This morning we went to the Mercedes- Benz museum. I don’t care much for cars, but this was pretty cool.

Now we are back in Antwerp. Our last weekend here! I am so sad to leave. Tomorrow I am going out for dinner to celebrate my birthday (on Sunday). Then we have our presentations on Monday. Tuesday we have a final dinner and Wednesday we leave. This has been the best semester of my life. I wish it could last longer. We had done some many incredible things we will never forget. And I have made 30 new best friends that I know I will see again soon at JMU.

                                                       COB ANTWERP Spring 2012

Laetitia

Brussels, Sensation, Antwerp, Leuven!

Sorry I haven’t written in awhile. Exams took over my life!

After spring break we went right back to classes. But on that Tuesday we had a class field trip to Brussels, to visit the European Parliament. We left pretty early in the morning and got to Brussels around 10:00am. We began the day with an interesting presentation about the European Parliament: the countries involved, the importance, how it functions, etc. Then we had a little tour around the Parliament where we got to see where they have meetings and make their decisions. We were on our own for lunch and found this American restaurant right across from the Parliament. We really good burgers and fries! A little taste of back home. Afterwards, we went right back on the bus to have a tour around Brussels. At one point while we were sight-seeing, the bus got stuck. It could not make a turn because there was not enough space and parked cars were in the way. After many failed attempts, the bus driver asked the boys to try to pick up a parked car and move it so we would have more space! That was a failure too, but hilarious! They made us start walking to the plaza, but eventually the bus came back to pick us up. We got to see the Atomium, the grand place, and Manneken-pis (pissing boy). Brussels was beautiful! Hopefully, I will be able to go back before we leave.

                                                                       Parliament

                                                            Boys attempting to lift car

                                                                         Pissing boy

                                                                    Atomium

That Friday we also had a class field trip to the Port of Antwerp. This was probably our most boring tour that we’ve done. We had a VERY long presentation at the beginning, where almost everyone fell asleep by accident. Then we went around the port seeing the different stations.

Saturday was St. Patrick’s day. It was the best day of my life. First we had a grill out in the court yard with everyone. We chipped in money, made burgers, played beer pong. So much fun! At night we went to Sensation White. This was probably the coolest thing I have ever been to. It is a huge music concert with so many electro djs. It was just a huge party with 20,000 people. We were all in white and the lights and music were amazing. I can’t even explain. We got there are 10:00pm and left at 6:00am to catch to bus back to Antwerp. We all wish we could go back to that night.

                                                                    Ready for sensation!

                                                               Found out picture on a website!!

                                                              SENSATION WHITE 2012

Then last Thursday before our exam week, we went to the Stella Artois Beer Factory in Leuven. This was a really cool tour! We got to see all the different sections of the factory and their operation systems. We saw all the machines on how the beer was made, filled in bottles, how the bottles and cans were cleaned, and how everything was packaged. We even go to have free beers at the end, plus two extra beers as a gift. For lunch we were dropped off near the train station where there were a bunch of little restaurants. After, they had set up a tour for us to see Leuven. The day we came was an extremely sad day for Leuven. The 30 kids that died in the bus accident in Switzerland the weekend before, were all from Leuven. The day we went they were having a funeral for them. The roads were blocked and we saw all the hearses and cars going to the funeral. There were also flowers everywhere in front of the churches.

Our tour guide brought us all around Leuven. We saw the St. Peters church and the Beguinage.It is such a beautiful place and also has many students! We all really loved that city.

                                                                  Stella beer factory

                                                                 Leuven Memorial for the kids

                                                                       Leuven!

                                                           

This week we had our finals. Finance on Monday, Operations on Wednesday, and Management on Friday. I thought Finance was pretty hard. Everyone was very annoyed with Operations. Just finished Management today, now we’re free!! Marketing starts on Monday!

Spring Break: Barcelona and Paris!

Saturday morning we left at 6:30 am to catch a bus to the airport. We left Brussels at around 9:30am. I slept the whole flight and woke up in Barcelona! We had to take a bus from BCN to Las Ramblas (the center of Barcelona). When we arrived, our friends were waiting at the bus stop for us. We dropped off our luggage at our hostel Sant Jordi and then went out for tapas. They were delicious! Afterwards, the six of us went back to the hostel and got ourselves situated and took a little siesta. Most of my group had tickets for a Barcelona soccer game that night, so I had planned to meet up with my friend Emily for UMW who was in Barcelona for the weekend as well. Coincidently, we were neighbors in the hostel! When the other left for the soccer game, I went out with Emily and her friends for dinner. It was so much fun! The waiters even gave us free champagne. After dinner, we went to a chupitos bar called “El Gato Negro”. They have 200 different kinds of shots. To the bartender you would say if you wanted strong, medium, or soft and sweet or sour. So you could say fuerte y dulce (strong and sweet) and every time they would make up a new shot for you to try. And they were going two Euros! The locals at the tables also had these extremely large drinks that were green and blue with huge straws to share with everyone at the table. We wanted to try one too so we got one to share. Later on, my friends that had gone to the soccer game met up with us at the bar and then we all went to the renowned night club called Razzmatazz. It was amazing! It was very different from usual clubs because it was a DJ but a band that played various kinds of music. There were at least 2000 people there.

                                                                  Chupitos Bar "El Gato Negro"

                                                                  Razzmatazz Night Club

Sunday morning we slept in, because partying in Barcelona means you don’t come home until at least 5:00am. We decided to have a nice, relaxed day and explore Barcelona. We went to a port and walked around the little markets along the beach. We got these really yummy pizza/sandwiches from one of the vendors. Then we wanted to check out the Barcelona Aquarium that was right there. We all love the ocean and fish so we had a fun time there. It was not as big as the one in Baltimore but there were different kinds of fish (from the Mediterranean). After, we walked along the port again and saw a band playing in the street with people salsa dancing next to them. It was so cool! We also randomly ran into the boys there. We went back home and took another siesta before going out at night. For dinner we went back to Barceloneta where there are a bunch of restaurants along the beach. We picked one called “El Rey de la Gamba” (the king of shrimp). We all got traditional paellas with chicken and seafood. We also got Sangrias to share. It was probably one of the best meals I have had so far. Later that night we decided to check out this bar called Dow Jones, where it is like the stock market. There is a huge screen with the different drinks and prices. If the drink is sold a lot, the price goes down and vice-versa. Sometimes the stock market will “crash” and the drinks are very cheap! There were not that many people there because it was Sunday so the drinks were a little expensive. We left kind of early so we could get a good night’s sleep for our busy day on Monday.

                                                            Girls in front of the port

                                                                    Music and dancing in the street

                                                                     Paella!

                                                                    Aquarium

Monday morning we got up early and went to the biggest market I have ever seen. It was an inside market with so many little vendors with fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, meat, candy, etc. We wanted to buy everything! We bought stuff to make sandwiches and then left for the Park Guell. First off, to get to the park there is a very, very steep hill to walk up. They have some escalators to help you get up to the top. But once you get there it is definitely worth it. There is a beautiful view of Barcelona. The park was so pretty. There was art and structures made by the famous artist Gaudi. The statues and piece of art were all covered and colorful ceramic pieces. We also realized that this is where they filmed an episode of America’s next top model! We ate our lunch in the park, explored all around, bought jewelry from vendors, listened to music, and drank sangrias in the outdoor restaurant with a great view of the park. Later, we went to the beach. It was so beautiful but a little windy. We dipped our toes in the water, but it was freezing still. Two of our friends went back to the hostel to nap while the rest of us went to a few restaurants along the beach and try all the different kinds of sangrias. Our favorite was the white sparkling wine one. I had mentioned in a previous blog in Amsterdam that we had met four friends from Barcelona. We texted them and they met up with us at one of the restaurants. It was so much fun! They told us what we should do and go see which was awesome. That night the hostel organized a pub crawl with other hostels. We decided to join in and met so many people from around the world. We went to the chupitos bar again and then met up with our friends at another bar. They had heard about this good club going on tonight called Otto Zutz. It was cool because we knew all the songs they were playing but it was FILLED with Americans. I guess they had sent out a thing to all study abroad people so only Americans were there. It was like a frat party. It was kind of annoying because we didn’t go to Barcelona to party with Americans… but we still made the best of it.

                                                                  Escalator to Park Guell

                                                                    Park Guell

                                                                     Beach!

Tuesday our two friends left in the morning to go to Rome. The rest of us went to go see the Sagrada Familia, the most famous cathedral in Barcelona. It was beautiful, but there was a lot of construction going on. Then we went to the Montjuic Castle. To get there we did a cable car ride up to the top. The castle was huge and was perfect view of the scenery. When we walked down we stopped at the Olympic Park where they had the Olympics in the 90s. The rest of my friends left for Rome that day, and I met up with my friend Courtney who is studying abroad in Barcelona. We should me her apartment and then we went to a really pretty park next to her house. There was a zoo and huge fountain in it. Then with her roommate we went to eat dinner and went home early because we were so tired.

Wednesday morning, she had class but we met up for lunch. After, I met up with my friends we met in Amsterdam. We went to another really awesome place to see all of Barcelona. Then I got to see their university. It was so pretty! We stayed there for awhile with their other university friends. They dropped me off at Courtney’s apartment and then I left for Paris that night!

                                                                 Sagrada Familia

                                                                     Cable car ride!

                                                                  Castle Manjoic

                                                                      JMU!

PARIS

In Paris, my cousin Anais came to pick me up at the airport. Thursday morning she had an exam so I got to sleep in which was wonderful! We met up with my cousin Chloe at her new apartment. Then for dinner we went to the best Greek restaurant.

The next day I met up with Chloe again for lunch and we went to my aunt’s apartment. It was great to catch up with everyone and everything going on in the family. Around 6:00pm I met up with Anais and we got coffee with my cousin Robin and his girlfriend for his birthday. For dinner, Anais, Chloe, and I met up with my cousin Roman and his wife. Afterwards Anais, Chloe, and I went to a student bar and met up with Anais’s friends. It was a great way to end such a busy day!

Saturday, Anais and I had a very lazy day. But we both needed it! That night we went to her friend’s party who had just moved in to a new apartment.

Sunday I came back to Antwerp. Almost missing my train, per usual. We went to the wrong train station and took us forever to get to the other station. But I made it and got back to Belgium safely!

Perfect Spring Break. Moving back to Barcelona after I graduate!

10 Day Trip!!

Prague

Friday morning we left at 5:45am for Prague. I stayed out pretty late, came back and took a 1 hour nap and then got on the bus. We were all so tired that everyone slept for atleast a couple hours. For lunch we stopped at a nice gas station and then right back on the bus. Even though this was a 14 hours bus ride, I thought it went by really fast! I slept most of the time and Alex also had some movies we could watch. We arrived in Prague at night and stayed at the Mozaic hotel. It was so nice, probably the best one that we stayed at! We got breakfast included every morning as well, which was very convienent. We decided to eat at the hotel restaurant that night. It was American styled food, but still delicious! Later we decided to go out to the best night club in Prague. It was a five-story club right near the Charles River. At first, there were not that many people but around 1-2am it started getting packed. Unfortunately, we could not stay out too late because we had a tou in the morning. The next day we got up around 8am, had breakfast, and met our tour guide for a walking tour of Prague. It was so beautiful! In each city, we had a lunch paid for. Usually they would be traditional meals from that country. In Prague, we had goulash and dumplings. After lunch, we got to wander around by ourselves. We went back over the bridge and to the famous town square to see the clocktower go off on the hour. After dinner that night, one of the guys had reserved a table for us at an "ice bar", on the roof top of the Hilton. It was called Cloud Nine, and it was the coolest thing ever! Everyone was so sophisticated and classy. I think we were the youngest ones there. Outside on the roof, everything was covered in ice, and you bought your drinks there. We all felt so posh and never wanted to leave. Afterwards, we went to another little bar near the hotel. The next day, the owner of the hotel gave us lecture on how he succeed in the business world and hotel industry. At night we went to a beer factory where we could be are own bartender pretty much.
 
                          Towncenter                                                                                            Clock tower                                                                            
Budapest
The next morning we left for Budapest. The only annoying thing in Eastern Europe was their different currencies. We kept having to exchange money, and it was hard to convert the amount into Euros. We got to Budapest around 5pm and did a night bus tour with a guide.
It was so pretty! We walked all around the castle. For dinner, we went to this quick italian place that had pasta, pizza, salad. It was so delicious! Afterwards, we went to a close bar, that was more low key, but still had a good time. The next day we did a walking tour around Budapest. We met up for lunch for a traditional Hungary meal. It was the best food I had ever eaten. It was a complete Hungarian buffet (plus all you can drink wine and beer)! That night we went to the hot springs. It felt so relaxing. There were different pools and saunas that you could try. Afterwards, I stayed in because I was exhausted, but a lot of people went back to the bar from the night before. In the morning, we had a lecture on the Hungarian Stock Exchange, then we left for Vienna.

                                                          Night view of bridge and Parliament

Leaders Memorial in Budapest

                                                                    Me, Zack, Lila

                                                                             All of us on the bridge!
Vienna
After dropping off our things at the hotel in Vienna, we went on another night bus tour. We saw the palace and opera house, and then I think we all fell asleep on accident. It was so dark and comfortable in the bus! We stayed at the Wombat hotel that was a lot more cozy and less sketchy then the previous hotel. However, our shower over flooded the first night, but we got free drinks because of it! We went to a sushi place for dinner, that was really good except that we accidently ordered seaweed salad instead of regular salad. At night we went to the bar downstairs at the hotel, and then to a bar called Kactus. The next day we had a tour of the city and visited two cathedrals. For lunch we had typical Schnitzel with potatoes. Afterwards, we tried to go to the museum of the royal jewels, but it was closed. We ended up just staying around town and going to the little boutiques. There was also a really cool market right outside of our hotel. For dinner we bought some hummus and falafels. We then got tickets to go to see an Opera. They told us that was something we should experience in Vienna. It was really impressive. There were musicians, singers, and ballet dancers. One of the girls had a friend who lived in Vienna, so that night we met up with him. He took us to a local bar that was fun, but very smokey inside since they can smoke cigarettes in bars there.

                                                                   Cathedral

                                                               The opera!

                                                               Painted apartments 

                                                             Market in Vienna!
Munich
Our last city was Munich. The first night we didn't have any tours so we could all just relax. It was also a Wombat hotel. I ended up staying in both nights because I was sick and still am (like most of us in the group). But there was also a bar downstairs that was fun. There was a festival going on this weekend in Munich, where everyone dressed up in customes to go out. The people that went out on Friday said at their club they passed out masks, like a masquerade ball. In the morning we went to Dachau, a concentration camp right next to Munich. It was very shocking and a lot of people got really emotional. We saw the bunkers, torture rooms, and the gas chambers. The tour guide was good at explaining everything and showing us all the different perspectives. I'm glad that we got to visit one, but I don't think I could handle visiting another one. They gave us the afternoon off, where a few of us went to the BMW museum and the Olympic Park (where the Olympics took place in Munich). We had our dinner paid for so we all met up at a famous beer factory/ restaurant. It was so much fun! There was music and dancing, and we all had 1 liter beers (the smallest size). From the inside it looked like we were inside of a beer barrel. The food was also delicious: half a chicken, potatoes, and apple struddle!

                                                              First night, dinner with the girls!

                                                                Our yummy food!

                                                   Dachau gates- "Work will set you free"

                                                             BMW museum

                                                              Last dinner in Munich!

                                                          Liter beers!
This morning we left at 9am and drove all the way back to Antwerp! It feels weird being back here, and I can't imagine going back to classes. We do have our Finance midterm on Friday though, ugh. Overall, it was a great trip, and we all had the best time! Can't wait for the next trip!