On the first day of being here we were told that life in Southern France was slow, and to get used to it. Throughout two days of orientation (all in French, of course), this may have been the best piece of advice that we were given. All similarities to America aside, this slow pace of life is perhaps the most striking difference to living in the States. People really do take their time and enjoy it. It, quite frankly, is a comforting way to live. There is no such thing as getting something to go here. In fact, it’s completely normal to get a coffee and sit at the café for an hour or two after finishing. In a way it’s odd for people to dine and dash. If you get a meal, expect to follow it up with a round of dessert, followed by a round of coffee- each one happening in its own time. This is the type of place where going to work at 9 might be considered early, and working late considered overkill. Here, time is treasured because people are treasured. It’s simply not as important to consume the day running around on a tight schedule if it can be put off until tomorrow and good company can be had instead. 

In photo: Kocian, at far left, with a group of fellow students.

 Some of you may be thinking that modern day Ephesus does not have an ocean front and you are correct. The ocean has receded about a half mile in the last 1500 years. That was the main reason why Ephesus was abandoned and why we can see it for what it looked like over 2000 years ago. After we left Turkey we went straight to Kalampaka which is where the famous monasteries of Meteora are located. It was astounding to see how monks in the 11th century built monasteries on top of mountains so they would not be bothered. The sights were beautiful and breathe taking. Not to mention a tough climb on a hot day, but as I said it was worth it to see these amazing buildings that seem to float on the mountain tops.

After a rough day of climbing around the mountains of Meteora we left to Thessaloniki where Paul wrote his letter to the Thessalonians. We are planning on spending about three days here and then heading back to Athens. So far this has been an eye opening experience. Our professor knows both Greek and Hebrew so we are learning what the ancient bible said and not what scholars interpreted. The difference is not huge but with so many different bibles out there today its nice to see what was really said.

Joe Johnson ‘ 11

I am currently enrolled in a program called A College Year in Athens and the class that I am taking is called Ancient Athens: Discovering a Greek Polis. Every day of class is “field trip” but a field trip unlike any other I have ever been on. The very first day of school, my 21 classmates from all over the United States and I climbed the 1,000 foot Lykabettos Mountain. It was surreal! You could see all of Athens and then some. From here we could point out the Acropolis, other important temples and their respected ruins, and the Mediterranean Sea. 

Besides climbing Mount Lykabettos, we visited the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion (voted one of the most beautiful places in the world). My class also visited the Temple of Hephaisteion which is Greece’s most preserved temple dating back from 420 B.C. Alongside the Temple of Hephaisteion, we visited the Ancient City of Delphi, Eastern Attica, Kerameikos, the National Museum, Eleusis, and of course, the Acropolis. The Acropolis holds four famous temples to the Greek Gods Nike and Athena (Where Athens derives its name from). The Acropolis’s most famous temple is the Parthenon. 

My study abroad experience is unique to me for a couple of reasons.  First, I am learning about the ancient city in which I am living in. For example, my apartment is right next to the Old Olympic Marble stadium. Being that close to history allows me to visualize the Olympic Games that once filled the city with cheers and excitement so many years ago.  Where my apartment is today, once stood a gate where athletes from all over Europe passed through before competition.  Also, I can walk outside and look up in sky to find the Acropolis towering a couple hundred feet above me. This very same view rivals the view of an Athenian over 2,000 years ago! We talk about American history being old (dating to 1776) but I am analyzing some artifacts that are dated 1776 B.C.! Besides learning about the city I am living in, I am also of Greek heritage so this class fills my interest of Greek culture and history. 

Overall, I have struggled to put into words what this experience has done for me. I wake up every day excited for the next journey to begin. I also know that every other student here feels the same way as I do. We have done more as a class in two weeks than many citizens of Greece have done in their lifetime. 

My class started May 24 and is currently already half way over. I feel like I am a veteran citizen of Athens (except for speaking Greek) but at the same time I feel like I arrived here yesterday. This trip has changed my outlook on life and has given me the motivation to come back in the near future. My hope is that one day I can extend my recent month residency in Greece to something a bit more permanent.   

Besides the food I am having a great time seeing the local sites of Athens. Just the other day I got to see the place where democracy was born which, needless to say, was amazing. The Agora or market place is where it happened and is still there for us to see today. It is not used however, because it is a archeological site but we were able to walk through it and experience and stand on the area where democracy was born. To be able to experience history in the place where it happened is a priceless experience I will not soon forget and I cannot wait to see more and experience everything this class has to offer.  After one week I already know my way around modern day Athens and I cannot wait to learn my way around ancient Athens.

Michael Vick ’10

Needless to say, my expectations were far off. Berlin is unique in that much attention was given to it after reunification. Even though some tenements and remnants of East Germany remain there, the “Wessies”—and their ideals—concentrated in West Berlin quickly diffused into the eastern parts. Dresden, by comparison, lies deep in eastern Germany, far from any border with the former West.

Following WWII and Soviet occupation, the East German government decided against rebuilding every historical building. Even today, almost 20 years after reunification, there are still areas in the city center that are little more than fenced-off holes in the ground.

While this was an interesting break from what I’d seen in other cities, I found the plaques describing the rebuilt buildings even more intriguing. For example, the description at the entrance of the Baroque Fairground and Zwinger detailing the history of the area describes the Anglo-American destruction of the city, followed immediately by the Soviet liberation of the city from the Nazi tyrants.

After reading about and discussing the ways in which people from either side of the Wall had their respective Cold-War-ideologies ingrained into their thought processes, it’s fascinating to see how even historically “neutral” buildings could be decorated with state propaganda. I especially wonder if I only noticed the wording in that description because I’m a Westerner, or if Germans from the former East Germany still notice such propaganda while in the West.

Another difference that I noticed in Dresden is that the most lively part of the city was not the Altstadt, as in other places I’ve visited, but in the so-called Neustadt. While the baroque architecture and museums are in the older part of town, the newer area is the place to go shopping, meet friends, get a bite to eat,  or go to clubs. While walking through the Neustadt to my hostel, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking through an American city, even though far more English-speakers could be found in Berlin.

It now seems serendipitous that the last city I visited before I’ll return home was so vastly different from the others I’ve seen during my time here: I feel that I was starting to think I had seen enough of Germany to “sum it up.” Dresden reminded me, however, that it really is impossible to generalize a culture very distinctly, and that I could spend the rest of my life studying this country and never stop learning new things about the German people.

In photos: Upper right, View from the Zwinger looking towards the entrance to the fairgrounds; at left, the Zwinger now houses a sculpture museum; lower right, The Hofkirche and Schloss on the Elbe.

I feel saturated with a whole collection of information from my trip. I´ve taken in a wealth of information ranging from French cuisine to French culture, etymology and the French economy, and much more. This experience has opened my eyes and allowed me to view a grander picture than I was able to see solely within the United States.

I´m certainly going to miss Nice once I´m back in the states, or at least some of it’s characteristic qualities. To be honest, the cuisine will be the greatest loss, but certainly not the only one. Leaving my great (and eclectic) group of friends and classmates, the metropolitan life, the mediterranean, and the mystery of a completely foreign culture to return to a sense of normalcy will be rough. But, of course, it will be nice to have the conveniences of home, and some regional American food, waiting on my return.

More importantly, though, I feel that this trip, which I expected to feel like a psuedo-vacation, was one of the most rigorous mental exercises I´ve experienced. When you´re forced to grind your gears just to communicate the most basic of concept, or to pick up on the conversations carrying on in, say, Spanish or Italian, you can´t ever turn off your mind or zone out until it’s time to sleep. It’s even become fairly difficult for me to communicate as well as I’d like in this blog because such a relatively small portion of my day is spent speaking or listening to English.

The week has been amazing though, and relaxing, of course, even as much as I complain about how hard I´m working to just communicate or comprehend anything. I’ve found a secluded beach under a rocky coast about 100 feet tall that is perfect for snorkeling with school´s of fish completely unafraid (or unaware) that I´m even around. The snorkel set, which I bought about two blocks from my house, was probably some of the best spent money this whole trip. I can say with a good degree of confidence that my last afternoon will most likely be spent snorkeling on the coast.

For my last night here, we´ve planned to go back to the family-style all-you-can-eat mussels restaurant at the port, which I´m beyond excited for. The rest of the evening will most likely be spent wandering aimlessly around the town for gelato and espresso and, admittedly, some touristy shops for me to buy the rest of my souvenirs. We are also tentatively planning on taking a trip to the observatory in the alps that is just outside of the Nice city limit, which should of course provde some outstanding pictures for my last night in south of France.

All in all, I don´t know that I´ll ever have the chance to do something like this again, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity. In one month, I was able to celebrate (for lack of any better term) Bastille Day, watch the Tour de France from arm’s length, go to the Casino at Monte Carlo, ride in a Lotus FX, travel to Italy and all over the south of France, eat some of the best food I´ve had in my life, and even expand my already-holistic view of general wellness and nutrition, all because I have been completely immersed in this place for the past month.

And I´m just as thankful for every nuanced experience of the trip as well; the small conversations, the street food, the new friends, everything. It´s unfortunate that the trip is over, but I can at least return home having gained so much.
 

Michael Vick ’10

However, my fears were dispelled the moment I stepped out of the main train station and was greeted by a large tower remaining from the old city wall directly across the street. The Koenigstorturm also stands at one end of the Handwerkhof, where goldsmiths, glass-blowers, and other craftsmen and -women produce hand-made products right before your eyes. Although there’s a sculptor in Goettingen who frequently works on the corner outside of his shop, watching him work pales in comparison to walking down a narrow street and seeing a whole slew of wares being produced in almost every shop.

What I found most interesting about the Handwerkhof, though, is that it stands in the heart of the city, yet it feels as if nothing exists beyond the wall of shops. One has to listen closely to hear the screeches of trains arriving at the station or hum from automobiles outside the square. The square itself is enclosed by a portion of the old city wall, which now serves as the boundary between the more modern city on the outside and the Altstadt on the inside.

Nürnberg also made me realize something that’s been in the back of my mind since I got here. While many towns and cities in the U.S. still have pedestrian zones with small shops — remnants from the town’s past and reminders of its cultural heritage — these areas rarely thrive as they do here.

In my hometown, many a newspaper article present plans for revitalizing downtown; here, the “downtown” areas seem to be the most vibrant, prosperous parts of any city. They teem with life, yet they are also ripe with the relics that give the city purpose and historical value. On any given day in Nürnberg, one can go to the plaza in front of the 700-year-old Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, or one could enjoy a nice meal directly outside the gates of the 900-year-old Kaiserburg (an Imperial fortress built early in the history of the Holy Roman Empire) at the northern edge of the Altstadt.

Perhaps I don’t see it because I’m an outsider looking in, but the conflict between development and preservation that is all-too-common at home does not seem so frequent here. Luckily, all I have to do to find out if my perception is accurate or not is go to a restaurant or cafe, sit down next to someone, and ask!

In photos: Upper right, The walkways were almost deserted as the Handwerkhof was preparing to close. The sign to the left marks the glass workshop, while the sign to the right marks the shop of a leather-worker. At lower left, The Frauenkirche stands at one edge of the City Market, where vendors set up their stalls and tents to sell their products.

Alex Ingram ’10

This week has provided great political insight into the workings of the EU and the French political system as well. Everything from passports to license plates to health care seem to be unversalized through the EU to make a system that seems to work fluently. One of our fellow students is suffering from a malady, and he was able to go to the local hospital and use his EU health card, from my understanding, to recieve a checkup with minimal red tape and fees. I have seen plenty other salient examples of connection of the EU member countries, but all in all, it has been great to see first hand how the system works.

The French goverment itself is very dfferent as well. There is certainly a socialist undercurrent running through most everything. For example, the French government has instituted what is essentially a mandatory four-week period in which busineses must reduce prices of merchandise by a certain percentage, which needless to say is not a free-market oriented practice. The French government also dictates hours of business for many non-state owned businesses as well. It´s very awkward to comprehend the logic, but the people here don´t seem to have any negative attitude toward the practice.

Another interesting thing is, forgve the sweeping generalization, the French seem to place much less of an emphasis on work than people in the states. It is common practice to take two-hour lunch breaks and work much less than 8 hours a day even for salaried positions here. Further, because of the Catholic prevalency in southern France, Sundays are marked by barren streets and only a few scattered open places of business.

Of course, I´ve continued to indulge on the local French cuisine and deliacies. My new favorite dish is socca, a simple recipe of water, olive oil, and chickpea flower, with varying seasonings. Essentially, it´s a savory crepe, and It´s amazing. I´ve also been lucky enough to find a centuries-old chocolate shop just blocks from my residence that makes the most amazing treats I´ve ever had. Even the simple tempered dark chocolate hits the spot in the morning.

The highlight of the week in culinary adventures, however, was finding a restaurant on the port that served rose wine (the prevalent variety in southern France) and mussels (quite a few variations) in an all-you-can eat family style setting. A group of around fifteen of us students went and it had the feel of a Spanish wedding in the restaurant.

My travels have taken me around the south of France and eastern Italy as well. Although I have only taken day trips, the petite villages in the area are amazing sights for a midwesterner like myself. I´ve walked the seaside mountain-cutting path that Nietchze walked for inspiration and muse, I´ve returned to Monaco to revel in the amazingly posche life and culture, and traveled to St. Tropez to see what celebrities live like in the summer time. Italy, suprisingly, had a very distinct feel even in the border cities. The regional foods were different, and the culture seemed even more relaxed. Needless to say, the views everywhere have been amazing.

I have one week left in the south of France, and am excited to return to my comfort zone and begin my senior year, but of course sad to leave this beautiful place.

Thanks again to the Rudolph family for this amazing opportunity.
 

Most of my outside practice comes at the Nice Gold’s Gym. The price tag was quite expensive, 105 € for the month, but it helps keep me in a bit of a routine. The owner and his wife are multi-lingual (to date I don’t know exactly how many languages they speak, but it is quite a few), and are very helpful. What humors me though, is how much less an emphasis the French place on exericise in a gym setting, which of course explains the high fees to join a gym. When I ask my teachers and neighbors, they say the same thing: the French walk, and never run. Apparently they don’t go to the gym either. Weighing in at a light 185 pounds, I’m the largest person in the gym, sans one man who is undoubtedly on steroids. Today, I actually broke an Olmpyic bar doing hang cleans, which has never happened to me or anyone I know before, and made me quite the popular person in the gym as you could imagine.

Moving along though, I’ve met an eclectic group of foreigners in my studies and travels so far. My closest friend here is in the private security sector, similar to companies such as Blackwater, but he works out of England. He is learning French to allow him access to French speaking African nations in his work. He has worked extensively in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and the insight into the private workings, as well as the American forces jobs, has been eye opening to say the least. Certainly a different perspective than I’ve heard yet, and much more informed than any Tom, Dick, or Harry on the American television.

We’ve traveled around quite a bit together in our first week, via his car. So far, we’ve been to Antibes, Cannes, Monte Carlo (Monaco), and quite a few more small towns on the French Riviera. The coastline here is beautiful, and can’t be done justice in pictures, much less my poor point-and-shoot pictures. The local food also continues to grown on me. Nicoise specialties, such as the Nicoise salad, Moules, and the local gnocchi are all amazing.

Friday was certainly something I’d chalk up to the life experience category: my English friend and I cleaned up and drove his restored Lotus FX to the Casino at Monte Carlo. The town itself is amazing, as is the rest of Monaco, which is its own principality within the French Riviera. When we arrived, we drove through the city on the Formula 1 course, and eventually pulled up to the circle infront of the casino and were valeted into the parking spaces infront of the casino, along with vintage Rolls Royce’s and a Mercialago. I’ve never felt more alien in my life, although it was certainly welcomed. The casino is amazing, and so was the 6€ Perrier I was drinking. All in all, the evening certainly hurt my wallet, but was well worth it. Thankfully, I lost much more money to my drink bill than to the casino itself.

The highlight of the week, however, was standing on the curb, no fence, no barrier, as the tour de Lance (or France, if you wish) came through Nice. I went out three hours early, and to my suprise, was the only one on the curb on the chateau point, probably the most beautiful view of the city, the coastline, and the mediterranean. While waiting the three hours or so, hundreds of sponsored cars came through the course throwing out all kinds of free goodies, which made the whole day quite an event for me. Then finally, the riders came through, and I was literally arms length from Lance Armstrong and the rest of the riders as they cornered the curb I was standing on. I could’ve fallen of the curb and literally wrecked half of the riders. It was simply unbelievable, an experience I’ll never forget.