Topics – Page 12 – To GT-Europe…and Beyond!

And Here We Are…

When I first received the notification that I was accepted into the GTL program to not only study in France but also have the opportunity to learn the language, I can distinctly remember the wave of emotions that overwhelmed me as I sat stunned at my kitchen table. The feeling was a combination of excitement, uncertainty, and shock, but there was also a feeling that I had not expected: fear.

Going to France for me was indeed a last-minute decision. While my plans to study abroad in Korea fell through at the last minute due to COVID regulations, it put an end to any ambitions I could have there. France offered the best alternative to spending my time abroad this Spring semester. While grateful for the opportunity, I felt my stomach clench at the thought of spending almost five months in a foreign country where I do not know the language. Not only that, with no prior experience or interest in French culture, I found it difficult to imagine what life would be like in this unfamiliar country.

Departure: 01/05/2022

Some may wonder, what is it like traveling internationally during a pandemic? The simple answer is: it’s complicated. With Europe bouldering through the massive spike of Omicron cases, traveling to France required months of pre-planning. The time leading up to my departure was spent double checking all my required documents, including but not limited to: Passport, Vaccination Cards including the booster, Negative PCR Covid Test, GTL Enrollment Certificates, Sworn Entry Statements, and most importantly the Passe Sanitaire—the golden ticket into any public space across Europe.

After securing what I needed to enter the country, the trek to Paris was not only mentally draining, but also physically exhausting. Lugging one duffle, one backpack, and almost two full sized suitcases, I had to meander through the maze of kiosks, security checks, and terminals to finally reach the gate. As I heaved a sigh of relief after dropping my things to the ground and taking a short break at the gate before takeoff, it finally dawned on me that I was heading to Paris, a place romanticized in movies and prided for their posh culture and lifestyle. Even so, I still felt a tinge of regret and hesitation at my decision to study in France.

However, as I boarded the plane and settled into my seat, which happened to be the very last row on the plane, with generous legroom and privacy, I couldn’t help but think, “Claire, don’t regret it. You’re going to have the best time of your life.” Then, as if the gods had sent a sign of affirmation, the sun began to rise over France.

Arrival to Metz: 01/07/2022

After almost a grueling 24 hours of traveling, I finally stepped foot into Metz, my new home. While I was expecting a beautiful sunset over cobblestone alleys and accordion music outside cafes, I was greeted with gloomy skies, blistering cold weather, and silent streets. Not to mention, the rain that seemed to continue for hours became the bane of my existence for the next few days. Although the winter weather in Metz was a shift from the usual sunny winters in Georgia, the cultural immersion that I experienced within the first few days was enough to offset my freezing fingers and toes. Metz was much quieter than I expected, and the bakeries, restaurants, and even grocery stores seemed traditionally French with almost no English speakers. Even as I looked around at the cars passing on the street, the French students in my dorm, and the fashion styles that people wore, I started to notice interesting subtle cultural norms among French society–foreign to the States.

Being downtown during the first Saturday of the semester opened my eyes to an entire world of French traditions. It was as if my Youtube Screen had come to life. The architecture featured huge stone structures, quaint city stores, and bustling alleyways that became home to people drinking coffee, chatting, and listening to ‘Bella Ciao’ as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Castles and stores along the river became a beautiful blend of modern and ancient France, a reminder of the rich history within Metz. The food offered an even greater variety. The streets were lined with dozens of pastry stores featuring chocolate dipped croissants, king cake, and even powdered buns while the heart of downtown Metz boasted a mix of Italian, Turkish, and even Chinese food. Finally, the people who frequented the town upheld strong French values, sticking to their language and cultural norms. The sleek, chic style of long coats, scarves, and leather shoes were common defenses against the cold. For those working in restaurants, they always greeted us with a “Bonjour” and a smile on their faces.

A beautiful church along the river in downtown Metz

While the first week in Metz was one to remember, there are still endless places to visit, things to see, and great experiences to check off my bucket list. My journey to understanding French culture is long. Nonetheless, I can’t wait to see what else Europe has in store.

Schnitzels and Sausages: Germany at a Glance

Tuesday, February 1, 2022 | Written by Claire

Our journey to Germany was hectic to say the least. For our first weekend at GTL, my friends and I decided to venture into the rustic German towns of Freiburg and Heidelberg, well known for their authentic foods and traditional architecture. The journey was a mere four hours away from Metz and a quick transit in several smaller stations along the way. After a quick dinner, we were bundled up and ready to face the blistering winter night. We expected nothing but smooth travels… Sike.

From the first leg of the journey to the very end when we arrived in Freiburg, we encountered numerous obstacles on the way. With the first train delayed 15 minutes and our next train having a transfer time of merely 12 minutes, we had little hope of staying on schedule. As we sat anxiously in our seats, legs bouncing and fingers furiously swiping across our phones every few minutes or so to check the clock, the train miraculously started to make up lost time. Somehow, we made it to the station on Platform 2 with four minutes to spare. Right as we were about to heave a deep breath of relief, we looked up at the departure board in dismay. There, shining brightly in the dark winter night, was a large 24….Platform 24. Time seemed to freeze for a split second. Then, as if we all knew what to do, all eight of us, sprinted down the dark corridor, backpacks slapping against our backs and boots thudding against the ground. We were a sight to see. Eight Americans running top speed across a small local train station to the furthest platform where we saw a small, local train paused on the tracks. Out of breath and sweating bullets, we managed to plow through the snow, collapsing into our seats right at the last second. I’d give us a pat on the back for that one.

After a few more hours, we made it to the outskirts of Freiburg where we checked into a quaint, modern-looking hotel that seemed to be in the middle of a construction site. It was 11 PM and the streets were dead. Not a single soul or restaurant light graced the streets. It seemed quite eerie, but after a long journey, we were famished. There were multiple restaurants and pubs that were opened according to Google maps, so we decided to try our luck. To keep the story short, turns out there was a 10:30 PM curfew and we ended up with a jar of pickled hot dogs and a bag of chips in our hotel room, courtesy of the hotel concessions. A great first meal in Germany indeed…

The next morning, we woke up to a nice dusting of snow on the ground and a delicious egg and turkey sandwich topped with pretzel bread from a famous German bakery. As we started to travel further downtown, the snow started to fall faster, painting a beautiful winter wonderland before our very eyes. The first stop was the Freiburg Cathedral, an ornate masterpiece made of marble and stone, decorated with huge windows of stained glass. The silence within the Cathedral itself added to the sheer beauty and divinity of the structure, creating a haven for those worshiping there. The most notable detail, however, was a map that showed the aftermath of the bombing in 1944. All of the buildings surrounding the Cathedral were completely obliterated but somehow, the Cathedral stood, unscathed. It was as if God had shielded the place from danger, a thought enough to bring goosebumps on my arms. Truly unbelievable.

As we exited the Cathedral, we stumbled upon a large outdoor market, filled with stands of vegetables and spices. What really caught my attention was the mouth-watering smell and satisfying sizzle of the sausage cooking right before our eyes. There, we found the gem of our entire trip. We all ordered a sausage topped with either mustard or curry and then we all ordered another, minutes after we devoured the first. The German Sausages, known as Bratwursts, were nothing like the usual American hot dog. My favorite was the Weisswurst. It was a white sausage, speckled with herbs and other spices inside. Every bite came with a mouthful of tender, juicy meat that had a springy yet crisp texture, unlike anything else I’ve tasted before. The most surprising was the variety of flavor it offered: it was savory yet sweet with its caramelized coating, mildly spicy yet zesty with lemon, and firm yet tender with grease. In fact, my mouth is watering at the thought of it at this very moment.

The rest of the Freiburg trip was filled with hikes and other scenic views. Right as we were heading towards Heidelberg, we were greeted with hordes among hordes of people chanting, waving flags, and beating drums. It was a full-blown protest as people held up huge anti-vax flags every few feet or so. The trams were completely shut down and roads were blocked. The beat of the drums and the thunderous chants made the streets vibrate of angry fervor, heated with political drive. It was massive. The rows of people stretched further than the eye could see, and the crowd didn’t pass until we were almost out of the downtown district.

We were now on to our next destination: Heidelberg. As the sun began to set, we could feel our stomachs gnawing itself in hunger. The streets at night were also emptier than expected in a large city. Yet somehow, we stumbled upon a Schnitzel restaurant, where all eight of us crowded into one giant table. Having never even heard of “Schnitzel,”, I was appalled when the menu had nothing but Schnitzels… Nonetheless, I ordered the traditional Jagerschnitzel and a bowl of fries just to give it a try. Best decision ever. The Jagerschnitzel came out on a huge plate with two slabs of pork doused in savory gravy. The meat was tender, melting away in my mouth. It was breaded to perfection and the gravy paired magnificently with the fries. On the side was a crisp German salad. Alternating between a bite of warm gravy, a tender slice of Schnitzel, and some cold salad, my mouth was experiencing an explosion of flavors. To add to the mood, the restaurant owner was highly accommodating, entertaining us with hilarious stories and even recommending some other places to eat in Heidelberg. If I could, I would definitely go back there to try another one of their delicious Schnitzels in a heartbeat.

Finally, to end our trip, we visited the Heidelberg Castle, a huge structure detailed with intricate carvings that also survived multiple bombings in the past. It sat upon a hill next to the city, granting us a beautiful overlook of the city below. The view can be better conveyed in pictures than in words.

If you ever find yourself looking for a convenient place to go for a weekend, definitely hit up Freiburg and Heidelberg. Although the journey there was a bit chaotic, the experiences and delicious foods we tried in Germany were unforgettable. Overall, a 10/10 way to start my semester at GTL.

Stay tuned for other travel stories soon!

ChristMETZ markets

Tuesday, November 30, 2021 | Written by Mira

With the holiday season quickly approaching, Europe’s famous Christmas markets are in full swing. While Germany and other areas of France, such as Colmar and Strasbourg, have more extravagant markets, the ones in Metz are worth the visit.

There are at least four markets spread out around Metz, each a little different from the last. To get into each market, our health passes were scanned due to the possibility of eating and drinking. I met up with my friends on a Friday afternoon at market #1. In Republique Square, the market has ice skating and a carnival ride for 5 euros each. I personally didn’t go ice skating, but my friends did (I was the designated photographer when I arrived). I did go on the “Flyer,” a swing ride similar to the one I did in Luxembourg at the beginning of the semester. On this ride, I got the best view of Metz even though we were spinning around in circles. We could see the cathedral from above the rooftops of the other buildings and it was interesting to see just how tall the cathedral was compared to everything else.

The rest of the first market were two heated shops with various Christmas decorations, and many food and drink stands. You could get anything from waffles, beignets, and crepes to sandwich raclettes, hot chestnuts, and rich hot chocolate, to name a few.

Market #2 of the day was near the church. This one was filled with multiple rows of vendors selling all sorts of things, from flavored hot chocolate kits to etched vinyl, from halva and baklava to Christmas tree ornaments. I had been on the hunt for gloves that fit my hands well that weren’t knitted, and I found the perfect pair! At the end of the stalls, there was a large carousel!

The rows of vendors at the market by the cinema.

Market #3 was near the cinema, closer to the Cathedral, but not quite the Cathedral market. I’m sure each of these markets has a specific name or are named based on the streets, but we just referred to them by the landmarks we knew. This third market was smaller and had about eight booths. We did get to sample some “pain aux fruits” (fruit bread) and dried apple chips that were delicious!

This was the view as we walked up the fourth market!

Market #4 was in front of the Cathedral. This one had the main attraction of a Ferris wheel! We were saving this market for last because we wanted to see the city of Metz at night from up high. The rest of the Cathedral’s market was mainly food. There were vendors for falafel and hummus, French onion soup (or just onion soup since we’re in France), paninis, etc. The Ferris wheel was quite cold, but beautiful! Luckily the Ferris wheel compartments had blankets! The pictures of the city from the Ferris wheel didn’t turn out too well because of the glare of the windows, but the view was spectacular! We even saw the “Flyer” that we did earlier all lit up in the dark.

The Ferris wheel and Cathedral were so pretty it needs a second photo from another angle.

I love how each market in Metz has its own personality. We didn’t go to the same market 4 times, but we got a different experience from each one. If you are really looking for the famous French Christmas markets, Colmar and Strasbourg are musts!

Crous

Monday, November 29, 2021 | Written by Mira

While we don’t get a meal plan during the fall and spring semesters at GTL, we do have access to a local student cafeteria “Crous” open during lunch and dinner. Crous offers meals for 3.30 euros for us GTL students, which makes for a convenient and inexpensive option for meals when you don’t feel like cooking, getting the same things from Paul (the bakery between GTL and Lafayette), or going downtown. The menu at Crous rotates, so you get some variety in your meals.

Please enjoy the four meals from Crous that I remembered to take pictures of:

Meal #1

During the first few weeks of the semester, the Crous location closer to GTL was not open yet, so we trekked the 20-minute walk between GTL and farther Crous location. Since there was only one location open, it was pretty packed, and by the time we would get there, the options were quite limited. But the food was still worth the long lines! You get a lot of food for your 3.30 euros, and I will say, I have not finished a full plate yet.

At Crous you get 10 points worth of food for your 3.30 euros. The main plate is usually 5 points, with two side items either 2 or 3 points each. Water and a little baguette are free!

Meal #2

Still can’t get over the fact that this whole tray was only 3.30 euros.

This meal was still from the farther Crous. At that location, there were two lines: a pizza line and an “other” line. I would usually just go for the “other” line since I could guarantee a vegetarian option, but this one particular day, the pizza line did not include meat. The pizza was massive, and we were able to ask (with some trouble due to language barriers) for a box for the leftover pizza. I have not seen pizza as an option for the closer Crous, unfortunately. 3.30 euros for two meals was a great deal!

Meal #3

When the Crous closer to GTL opened, the journey became a whole lot more convenient, although I have not taken full advantage of the proximity. The different location does not mean different value, so once again, the plates are well worth the price. The closer Crous is also more vegetarian friendly. This particular pasta dish could have come with meat or the tomato slices that I got. At the closer Crous, there are two dining areas, and if you don’t set up your International Student Card, and you pay with card, you have to go to the left side.

Meal #4

After not going to Crous for a while (I kind of forgot it existed for a bit because of the convenience to stop by Paul and grab a sandwich for lunch on my way to GTL in the morning), my friend suggested we go for dinner. I hadn’t been to Crous for dinner yet, so I decided to give it a try! We went almost right when they opened at 6:30pm and beat the crowd of potential high schoolers. Crous is definitely a convenient option for dinner especially if you have a late class – the closer Crous is only about a 5 minute walk from GTL.

Day Trips to Paris

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | Written by Mira

One amazing thing about GTL is its close proximity to Paris. I’ve been on the Metz to Paris train plenty of times, but Paris has rarely been my final destination. In fact, the only time Paris was my destination this semester was back in August for the short weekend. I decided that as the semester is winding to a close (and classes are in full force) and as my Eurail pass is about to expire, I should take the opportunity to do a quick day trip to Paris.

Friday

The Fontaine Médicis in Luxembourg Gardens surrounded by all the fall colors!

I woke up bright and early Friday morning for my solo Parisian adventures. I arrived in Paris around 9am, got a 12euro day pass for the metro, and was ready to begin my day. I meandered around the beautiful Luxembourg gardens, in full fall ambiance with red, orange, and yellow leaves coloring the trees. The gardens are lined with statues of women from European history, and there was even a mini Statue of Liberty.

I just had to take a picture of the iconic Parisian cathedral.

After enjoying the brisk fall air of the garden, I walked a little bit to the Île de la Cité, the island on the Seine that is home to the Notre Dame Cathedral. While the inside is still closed due to reconstruction efforts from the fire of 2019, there is an archeological crypt underneath the cathedral, one of the only excavation sites in Paris open to the public. In the exhibition, there was a retelling of Victor Hugo’s Notre Dame de Paris and how the novel shaped the public opinion around the Cathedral. There was also a portion that was the stone remnants of a Roman bathhouse, which reminded me of the popularity of the bathhouses in Budapest.

Near the Notre Dame Cathedral, on the south side of the Seine, is a quaint, mostly English bookstore called Shakespeare and Co. (37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris). It was incredibly touristy, but the upstairs portion was a little oasis – a reading room (with a cat!). I successfully convinced myself I didn’t need to buy another book (my book count is up to more than a dozen and transporting all these books home will be less than convenient… whoops).

After grabbing a quick lunch at the Shakespeare and Co. Café, I made my way across to the north side of the Seine. I walked along a series of bridges. The first had incredible street music, and the second had an antique market with a very enthusiastic French woman telling me about her antique maps.

A panorama of the Seine with all the fall colros reflecting off the water! The little antique market is on the bridge on the right under the white tents.

After spending a majority of the afternoon sitting at a café, The Caféothèque of Paris (52 Rue de l’Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris), and reading a book I had brought, I wanted to make the most of my 24-hour metro pass before I had to leave, so I hopped on a metro and headed across the city to see the Arc de Triomphe. You can go under the traffic circle to get to the middle of the monument, and you can even pay to go up it. Even though I love heights, I did not end up going to the top. Instead, I took another metro to the Eiffel Tower to watch it illuminate in the approaching dusk. It had been cloudy all day and shortly after 5pm, the tower’s lights turned on– it was breathtaking. There was something really peaceful about watching the “sun set” against the Eiffel Tower and watching as a crowd of French school children went about their Friday evening and some men nearby me were playing bocce.

Timing the picture just right so no cars were blocking the arc was truly a feat

After a little while, I mapped directions back to the train station so I could grab dinner in the station before heading back to Metz. As I walked away from the Eiffel Tower, I ran into three other GTL students who were spending the day or the weekend in Paris! We grabbed a small dinner together near the Eiffel Tower before I headed to the train station to return to Metz for the night.

Sunday

I really want to make the most of my Eurail pass before it expires in a week, so I had booked another quick day trip to Paris! This time, I was meeting up with a friend who lives in Paris for lunch. She took me to her favorite café, Treize Bakery Paris (5 Rue de Médicis, 75006 Paris), near Luxembourg gardens. We walked in and the first thing I saw was “Bienvenue Y’all” in big letters on the wall. I got a vegetarian breakfast plate that came with an authentic Southern American biscuit. Any homesickness I felt was either intensified or cured by the biscuit, and I can’t quite determine which it was.

Walking to the metro station, we saw the street lined with lights and the Eiffel Tower was shimmering!

After lunch, I met up with some GTL friends who were spending their weekend in Paris as well. I met up with them in the afternoon on the street by the Arc de Triomphe, Av. des Champs-Élysées, a major shopping street, that was being lit up that night with holiday decorations. For dinner, we ate closer to the station at Pizzeria Popolare (111 Rue Réaumur, 75002 Paris), part of a group of restaurants called the Big Mamma group, as recommended to me by my friend I met up with for lunch. We had somehow secured a reservation for five at this restaurant, and we enjoyed a leisurely 2-hour dinner before returning to the train station.

A quote from under a bridge on the Seine, “les histoires inachevées nous achivent” or “unfinished stories bring us down” (thanks google translate)

I hope I get to return to Paris at least once more before the semester ends. I feel like it’s been so close this whole time and I haven’t taken full advantage of it.

Linen Swap

Tuesday, November 23, 2021 | Written by Mira

Every other Tuesday, we have a “Linen Swap” and every other week I think wow, it seems like we just had a linen swap.

Pros of Linen Swap:

We get clean sheets every other week.
We don’t have to wash our own sheets.

Cons of Linen Swap:

I spend about 30 minutes every other week unmaking and remaking my bed.

On linen swap days, I have to mentally prepare myself for the task ahead. First, I strip my bed. I always wait until we have confirmation of linen swap on the specific day because the 1 (ONE) time I stripped my bed in the morning was the 1 (ONE) time linen swap was postponed. The three things included in a linen swap are the pillowcase, the flat sheet, and the duvet cover. From the people I’ve talked to about the linen swap, I might be the only person who actually stuffs the duvet into the duvet cover. A lot of people just lay everything on top of each other. I find that the duvet cover is more comfortable than the duvet itself, so that may be why my linen swap process is such an ordeal.

Stripping the bed isn’t the bad part, but we need to fold the sheets before bringing them to be swapped out. From personal experience, the duvet cover – my personal nemesis – is heavy! Trying to fold the duvet cover neatly is a feat in and of itself. Since I’m not quite 5 feet tall, the duvet cover is much longer than I am which makes the process quite difficult.

Once our sheets are folded, we can bring them to the common room of Lafayette. Due to COVID restrictions, we are limited to one person at a time in the common room. We place our neatly folded sheets in a laundry bag and collect our new sheets. It’s pretty simple and is usually the fastest part of the whole process for me. After returning to my room, I place the new sheets on a chair in my room, and take a deep breath before starting my mission: Operation Make My Bed.

* deep breath * Commencing Operation Make My Bed

First is the flat sheet. This is our “fitted sheet.” It is supposed to go directly on the mattress, and it’s what we sleep on so we aren’t directly touching the mattress. However, my bed is a little wider since I have the wheelchair accessible room, but my sheets are the same as all the others… which means my flat sheet is always slights too narrow to wrap my mattress neatly. I can usually wrap it under the top and bottom of the mattress, but it just rests on the sides. (I have woken up to many mornings of my flat sheet being completely pulled to one side of the mattress.)

Getting the flat sheet under the top of the mattress is also a feat, and usually involves some moving of the mattress itself.

Next is my least favorite part: fitting the duvet in the cover. As I mentioned, my bed is a little wider than what the sheets are designed for, and that extends to my duvet. My duvet is slightly wider than the duvet cover, and it’s not a perfect square. I lay my duvet on the floor next to my bed and count how many diamonds are in which direction (one side has three and the other has four). This helps me orient the duvet in the cover, but the cover is too narrow for the actually duvet and the edges are always a little squished.

Counting with my feet how many diamonds are in which direction.

Opening the duvet cover is tricky because the two sides are usually stuck together. Also since it’s too narrow, I try to starfish my body over the duvet, pulling it to the corners as best as possible, but it’s never a perfect fit.

The hardest part is getting the duvet inside the cover.

The duvet and cover are longer than my mattress, so I’m able to tuck it under the mattress which definitely helps my daily bed making process be as easy as possible.

When I transfer the duvet onto the bed, it usually undoes part of the fitted sheet, which only makes the process longer.

Third is the pillowcases, my reward for the whole duvet operation. Super easy since the pillows are square and match the square pillowcases. Lastly, I add the finishing touch of my fleece blanket (not included in the room, but I definitely recommend investing in one for the colder months). All done!

The finished product makes it all worth it.

This whole process takes me about half an hour, but I did hit a personal best of 17 minutes to make my bed. We have about two more linen swaps for me to improve my personal best, wish me luck!

How I Spent My Long Weekend

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 | Written by Mira

At GTL we follow the French holiday schedule. So, while we don’t have Thanksgiving off from classes, we got Armistice Day (November 11) off. A lot of people took this four-day weekend to travel a little farther than we would be able to on a normal three-day weekend. The freshmen even got to travel this weekend on their own. I, on the other hand, always have four-day weekends based on my course schedule, so this “long” weekend was a normal weekend for me. I had already planned on not traveling this weekend because I knew I would be exhausted from the week-long adventure to Eastern Europe.

Thursday

On Armistice Day, most businesses are closed, and the buses run on a Sunday schedule (limited). I woke up around 9:30am and searched for an open grocery store on google maps – Carrefour Express was open near the train station. I hopped on the first available bus to downtown and popped into the grocery store to grab a few essentials. The next bus back to Lafayette wasn’t for another two hours, so I walked across the street to Fox Coffee Shop to do some schoolwork while I waited for the bus. I also made a quick stop at the train station to purchase seat reservations for my Paris trip next weekend!

Flowers were placed in from of a memorial at the train station for Armistice Day.

The main task of the day: Statistics project. I had procrastinated this assignment during fall break because I was too busy traveling and too exhausted to work on it, but now the countdown began. I had 24 hours to complete the problem set. At 1:30pm, two classmates came to my apartment, and we started to grind it out. It took more than 12 hours, and I won’t disclose exactly what time I went to bed, but it was late enough that I learned not to procrastinate on the next project.

Friday

I woke up just before noon, starting my not-so-productive weekend. I walked to Auchan to do actual grocery shopping and did my laundry. I spent the rest of my Friday trying (and failing) to be productive.

My walk to Auchan was such an autumn aesthetic!

That night, I had dinner with a family in downtown Metz. They had recently traveled to New York and brought back a toy yellow school bus for their kids. They asked me if these school buses were also in Atlanta (yes), and if other cars on the road really stopped for the school buses (also, yes). In France, there aren’t buses dedicated to bringing children to and from school. Instead, kids use public transportation. I had gotten on a bus early one morning to go to the train station, and I walked on to see it packed full of middle schoolers!

Saturday

I spent my Saturday completing a few tasks here and there, but mostly catching up on some reality TV. It was super relaxing to sleep in and slow down a bit. If I would have been traveling this weekend, it would be a series of early mornings and overexertion, so being able to stay in bed all day was a nice change of pace. (It’s totally okay to slow down and take a break – you’ll thank yourself later!)

Sunday

My Sunday transpired very similarly to the previous two days. The gloomy, cold weather didn’t do much to help my productivity either, but I did manage to work on a physics lab. My sleep schedule had been a little bit messed up from that late night working on statistics, so I treated myself to a nap before completing my physics lab while watching a movie. I was also able to catch up with some friends from Atlanta and my parents (remember to call your parents!).

In Atlanta, I would usually have another monitor to watch a movie on while doing work, but since I don’t have it here, I had to adapt.

I may not have had the most productive or exciting weekend, but it’s okay to slow down and recharge, especially with finals rapidly approaching! It is important to find a balance between *study* abroad and study *abroad*.

Fall Break Part 2

Sunday, November 14, 2021 | Written by Mira

Budapest

We took an overnight train from Krakow to Budapest. To save money, we reserved seats in a compartment instead of beds. In hindsight, the beds would have been worth it as trying to sleep comfortably in a six-seat compartment with a stranger was nearly impossible. Although, the one good thing that came from the experience was being able to follow along with the last World Series game. I followed along, half-asleep at 4:00am to the last out (Go Braves!).

We arrived in Budapest and made our way to the hostel to drop our bags, change, and freshen up before an early lunch at the New York Café. This is an immaculately over-the-top decorated café that serves coffee with actual gold on top. Needless to say, it’s pretty expensive, so if you do want to experience the grandeur, go for breakfast or an afternoon tea. Live music made the whole experience worth it – imagine eating a fancy meal with a violinist playing a song from Pirates of the Caribbean.

If you zoom into the right-most and middle flags in the picture, you can see the holes.

After lunch, we headed to the Parliament building, one of the most iconic buildings in Budapest. While we took pictures in front of the building, we noticed a staircase leading to a memorial labeled “1956.” In the square in front of the Parliament building there is a memorial for those who passed when soldiers opened fire on a peaceful protest. The Parliament building still waves Hungarian flags with holes more than 50 years later to remember the tragic events that transpired there. We re-emerged into the square with a whole different perspective on what happened here, and a whole new appreciation for the rich history around every corner of Europe.

It was so cold outside, you can see the steam form the water!

The next stop of the day was a thermal bathhouse! I had no idea that spa culture in Budapest was so huge, but the popularity dates back to the Roman-era public baths. We went to the Széchenyi Thermal Bath (Budapest, Állatkerti krt. 9-11, 1146 Hungary) in the Pest side of Budapest, one of the more touristy, but grand locations. We got there two hours before they closed and got to enjoy the warm, outdoor pools under the stars. This was definitely one of the most relaxing and unique things I’ve done so far.

A quick side note: always, and I cannot stress this enough, buy a ticket for public transportation. Budapest takes public transportation VERY seriously. You don’t want to be the victim of an 8,000 Forint (about $20) fine for not having a subway ticket. Two of my friends had lost their 24-hr tickets, and the transportation guard found them before exiting. That being said, it is super easy to use the metro to get between the two sides of the river. We took it after the baths to see the Parliament building at night, shining against the water.

My instagram became a Budapest Parliament building fan-page.

The next morning, we split up into three groups: (1) go to Bratislava early, (2) go to Bratislava mid-day, and (3) stay in Budapest for the day. I opted for group three because there was just too much to see in Budapest to be satisfied with only one day. In the morning, we went to a market-hall area to grab breakfast on the Buda side of Budapest. From there, we took the tram south to the Buda castle with grand views of the entirety of Pest across the Danube River. We still had time before our train to Vienna, so we saw the rest of the Castle District. Walking around the Fisherman’s Bastion, I realized that my brother had been to this very spot during his study abroad semester, it was like sharing a moment of history with him.

Vienna

My subgroup arrived in Vienna a little after 6:30pm, and we met up with the others at our Airbnb. The best part about being in an Airbnb for the last bit of our trip was free laundry (minus paying for detergent). We had dinner at a small restaurant near our Airbnb and it was just as sweet as having a home-cooked family dinner.

The next morning, we explored some palaces in Vienna: the Belvedere and the Schönbrunn Palace. Both palaces were extravagant with so much greenery. Unfortunately, it was too late in the season to do the hedge maze at Schönbrunn – it would have been a very easy maze with the hedges thinned from the fall chill.

The highlight of our day in Vienna was an amusement park. For dinner, we ate at a “Roller Coaster Restaurant” (Riesenradpl. 6, 1020 Wien, Austria), where your food comes to you via a roller coaster contraption. After dinner, we walked around the amusement park and went on a few rides, including an indoor rollercoaster reminiscent of Space Mountain at Disney World. I ended my fall break with my stomach hurting from laughing (or screaming) so much. I’d say it was a pretty successful way to spend 10 days off from classes!

The rollercoaster tracks that your order comes to you on.

Off the Beaten Path

When you ask a GTL student, “where are you going for Fall break?” approximately nine times out of ten, the answer will be Italy. Italy is just far enough from Metz where it’s hard to do in a weekend trip, but just close enough where you can visit many cities in a week.

At this point, you might know that I love the Amazing Race, and my brother played a big part in that. He studied abroad in Prague a few years ago and absolutely loved it. His approach to study abroad was to immerse himself in Prague culture and only travel to a few select places. Funny enough, over the course of one week, I’m tackling all the places he traveled to over the course of his semester abroad.

Prague

After a long night of train hopping, we finally made it to Prague! The highlight of day 1 was watching the sunset from the Charles Bridge.

Day 2, our first full day was filled with the Prague Castle Circuit. Here, a student ticket can get you into most of the buildings in this area including an armory on Golden Lane, some churches, and a palace. We walked around the premises for most of the morning, taking in the history-rich architecture and the sprawling views of the city of Prague. We had a relaxing lunch at the castle with a panoramic view of the city.

City views (insert heart eye emoji here)

On our third and final day in Prague, one of my friends and I decided to grab brunch and walk around while the rest of our group slept in. We found a café in the city, Café Elektric (Ovocný trh 6, 110 00 Staré Město, Czechia) and we walked through a film set! After some investigating, including talking with our waitress at the café, we found out that they were filming a historical drama called Chevalier.

We just had to take the typical touristy photo of the statue.

After brunch, we walked through the city, popping into stores (including a book palace!) and enjoying the atmosphere. We found the Franz Kafka statue that rotates to form, deform, and reform Kafka’s head. We met up with the other part of our group for the Jerusalem Synagogue, one of the most extravagant synagogues I have ever seen!

Later in the evening, we decided to rent a paddle boat on the Vltava River as the sun set. Surprisingly, we were able to pay in USD, which was ideal because none of us had any Czech currency, and they didn’t take card. We spent an hour paddling around the Vltava, taking pictures and playing music. It was a picture-perfect way to end our time in Prague.

Still not quite sure how my phone camera managed to capture this beauty.

Krakow

While we were in Prague, Europe turned the clocks back an hour. We were also much farther east than Metz… so the sun set was now at 4:15pm! We arrived in Krakow just after sunset. We ate at a traditional Polish restaurant, Szalone Widelce (Szpitalna 40, 31-024 Kraków, Poland), and had a family style dinner. Without a reservation, we were relegated to the basement/children’s room/cave.

On our walk back from the Old Town Square the night before, we passed by Cytat (Quote) Café (Miodowa 23, 31-055 Kraków, Poland), and we just had to come for breakfast. This was, without a doubt, the most *me* coffee shop. If I owned a coffee shop, it would be modeled after this one. The Cytat Café had books lining every single wall, and the café itself was definitely social and computer friendly. Each drink came with a little quote (mine read: “I knew I was on the right path when I started feeling peace in situations where I would normally feel tension.” -Yung Pueblo).

Next stop: the Wawel Castle. Free entry in November, the Wawel Castle is home to various exhibitions including archeological displays and Turkish tents. In one of the areas, we walked through an indoor excavation site, walking over ancient ruins, which made this the coolest museum I’ve ever walked through. After wandering the castle grounds, we split up into smaller groups to explore a rainy day in Krakow. I walked around the Old Town Square in the daylight hours, passing by bakeries, souvenir shops, and the large central market hall. We stopped by a perogies place for lunch, and I will definitely miss Polish food!

Accoridng to my travel buddy, Poland has the best food in all of Europe, and I will second that.

Our day in Krakow may have been the most leisurely of all our days of travel this week, and quickly became one of my favorite places. Although, I do think I have a new favorite place after each place I visit. Fall break is only half over, 2 cities/countries down, 2 to go!

To be continued…

Studying Abroad with a Disability

When coming to GTL, one question on my mind was “can I study abroad with a disability?” In my search for a study abroad experience, I constantly came across “requirements” such as “Climbing stairs (elevators are not always available overseas)” or “Walking over very long distances” or “Carrying packed suitcases and other personal belongings with no help.” A common sentiment in the disabled community is that having a disability is not the issue, inaccessibility is.

In my first post, I casually mentioned that I am a part-time wheelchair user and that I cannot literally run around the world, but other than that, I’ve put on a façade of being pretty much non-disabled, and that changes right now.

Allow me to reintroduce myself: My name is Mira, I am a third-year biomedical engineering student, I have a disability and sometimes use a wheelchair. Even though I spent my whole summer working abroad, I was nervous to study abroad, being away from my medical comfort zone for such a long period of time. In Atlanta, I have housing accommodations and my wheelchair stays in my dorm room (instead of at my parents’ house) in case I need it urgently. I flip-flopped between deciding to leave my wheelchair at home or to take it abroad with me. I had never travelled alone with my wheelchair – how would I maneuver my suitcases through the airport? How would I get my bags at baggage claim in France? How would my wheelchair fit on the shuttle to GTL? I’d first like to debunk the “carrying packed suitcases with no help” requirement. There will be people to help you, and it’s okay to ask for help.

I worked with the Office of Disability Services to figure out how to transfer my accommodations to GTL (what would accessible housing look like?), and luckily the administration at GTL is incredibly welcoming and more than happy to help. I was able to secure a room designed for wheelchairs in the Lafayette Residence, access to the elevators at GTL, and peace of mind that my chair would make it between the airport and Metz. As an ambulatory wheelchair user, it was easy for me to transfer to the bus and keep my chair tucked underneath. If you aren’t ambulatory, it may take more planning, but I’m confident it won’t be an issue!

The next question I intended to tackle was “can I travel with a disability?” The short answer: yes. The long answer: yes with intense planning. The major form of transportation for GTL students are trains. When I bought the Eurail pass, I contemplated getting the 1st class ticket because some wheelchair travel blogs said it was 100% necessary, but others said it is perfectly fine to get the 2nd class ticket. After experiencing trains first-hand, I can say I definitely made the right decision to save money and buy the 2nd class ticket. There are wheelchair accessible 2nd class compartments, so don’t waste your money. The complicated thing about traveling via train is that depending on what country you’re in or going to, the mobility assistance procedure changes. The Eurail website has a great resource for all the train companies in one place, which can help you figure out how far in advance you have to let the train company know that you’re coming. Also, in almost every major train station I’ve been in, there has been a mobility assistance kiosk or room to help with any issues that may arise. Trains have specific sections that are wheelchair accessible and train station workers are there to help you with the technology to get on and off the train with a wheelchair. I have not yet done a weekend trip in my chair, but it’s nice to know it’s an option.

Sidewalk between Lafayette and GTL that includes curb cuts and tactile information.

Metz and disability? Every public bus I’ve been on has been wheelchair accessible. Curb cuts are pretty standard. Metz is fairly flat – you don’t have to worry about pushing yourself up too many hills. Tactile information is present, but the amount of it depends on what part of Metz you’re in. For example, GTL has a lot of tactile information outside the building, but the sidewalks leading to GTL have less.

Lots of stores in downtown Metz are up a step, but there are accessibility buttons that you can press to either activate a ramp or call an employee to bring a ramp.

The call button alerts the business of the need for physical access.

Accessibility is also incredibly abundant around Europe, but again, the quality and quantity depends on the country and city. For example, Amsterdam has a lot of tactile information around the main train station, but hardly any once you actually cross the street. Sidewalk quality varies around Europe and cobblestone can be tricky to navigate. Hilly places like Porto have stairs spread out around the city, but there are also cable car options to help get up the hills. Tourist attractions, such as castles and cathedrals generally have a miniature replica with braille information. I saw a lot of that in Krakow!

A miniature of the Budapest Parliament building with braille.

TL;DR It *IS* possible to study abroad with a disability, but it does take a little extra planning. GTL is a great place to study abroad because the administration is so welcoming and willing to help transfer accommodations from Atlanta to Metz. My study abroad experience with an exchange program might not have been as seamless if it was not with GTL or another GT faculty-led study abroad experience.

To GT-Europe...and Beyond!

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