This weekend in Paris the temperature plummeted and it snowed for the first time all winter. What are the odds that this would be the weekend we had planned for so long to set off to the city? Alas, to keep warm from the biting winds and icy streets, we Read More…
Haggis, kilts, scotch and the largest student population in the United Kingdom – what’s not to like? All of this and more is on hand in Edinburgh, a city that seems to exist in the past and the future at once. The architectural stylings remain much as they were when Adam Smith Read More…
I signed up to study abroad in Europe’s number one party destination, but not for the parties. Having visited Barcelona a few times before, I fell in love with the surreal architecture, vibrant art scene, eclectic mix of international cultures and alternative streak that reminded me of my own hometown Read More…
Cheers! Things have progressed a bit here in London since the Romans first came to town. The land of foggy skies and overflowing pubs is alive and well as it gears up for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Advertisements featuring muscled athletes abound and the Underground is in the midst of Read More…
Simply put, it is impossible to come to Italy without dedicating a good 30 percent of your time to enjoying the local cuisine. Truth be told, I probably spend about half of my day in the company of food of some variety, and more often than not, it’s pizza. Sure, Read More…
“Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race! Aboon them a’ ye tak your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace As lang’s my arm.” I am seated at a makeshift table constructed from four bedroom desks as my Scottish neighbor Katie Read More…
Collegiate athletics in Europe are nowhere near as important as they are in the United States. Even though I feel lucky to have escaped a football season that required trekking all the way to San Francisco to watch Cal suffer many unfortunate losses among sparse victories, I do miss gamedays Read More…
While Americans everywhere spent Black Friday fighting long lines and pepper spray in search of the cheapest holiday gift deals, European city centers were being adorned with lights, ferris wheels and German-style bratwurst stands. Instead of strip malls with actors in Santa suits and glitter-saturated plastic evergreen trees, European cities Read More…
If my childhood teddy bear, Garry, owned a passport, it would boast stamps from five continents and over a dozen countries. It would also verify that his name is indeed spelled with two R’s, as I quite enjoyed double consonants in my youth and decided to include that particular quirk Read More…
It’s pouring rain. I’m dressed in green army-themed “fancy dress” (that’s British for costume, go figure) and military face paint is streaking down my face. I’m trudging up a hill through muddy puddles that my California-girl sandals are clearly not designed for. I have three companions. One is wearing a Read More…
