Search results matching tag 'traveling'

Bringing home the bling

ChristinaL — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:42:01 GMT

For the Student Foundation, exec members and a few other leaders in the group get to go to our regional conference where we meet students from other schools who also work with alumni and promote campus spirit. We swap ideas, learn new strategies... and compete for awards! BUSF cleaned up at least year's conference at Michigan State, and this year in Cincinnati we also took home several awards including Outstanding internal programming, Outstanding Advisor and Outstanding Student (all of which we won last year, too!). It's pretty cool that Butler student orgs hold our own against schools like Ohio State and Wisconsin.

The best thing about Paris - chocolate!

ChristinaL — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:19:32 GMT

If you asked me what my favorite thing I did in Paris was, I would definitely reply "Walking around and eating!"

With so many cute cafes and dessert shops, you can achieve both of these joys simultaneously. When I was wandering around the classy Ile de St Louis, I saw this little chocolate and caramel tart in a window and had to stop and by it. I'm not sure which was more cute - the dessert or the street I bought it on - but I DO know that it ranked in the Top 5 desserts of my entire life. Mmmmmmm!

Christmas at Notre Dame in Paris

ChristinaL — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:16:20 GMT

They have lots of lights in Europe for Christmas, but this was the first legitimate decorated Christmas tree that I found, and how appropriate that it was in front of Paris' most famous and lovely cathedral? We got to see a free Christmas concert inside the church - what a cool experience.

Eiffel Tower at night

ChristinaL — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:13:27 GMT

My last trip before I came back home to the States was a weekend in Paris with my girls! The city was really beautiful with all the Christmas lights - but of course nothing can outshine the Eiffel Tower at night! I went up inside the tower at night and got to see not only the panoramic view of Paris, but the interior of the tower as it sparkled with white lights on the top of the hour!

It's blue with yellow stars right now to look like the flag of the European Union - France holds the EU presidency for 6 months.

Sleeping with 11 other people (aka life in a hostel)

ChristinaL — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:10:25 GMT

Sleeping in the same room as other people really doesn't bother me. I had my own room growing up, but at Pi Phi, I sleep in our cold dorm which has forty of our beds in one dark, quiet, wonderful room, and during the summer I sleep on gym floors with 150 other students from my drum and bugle corps.

So, when it comes to travelling, I am totally down with staying in youth hostels, which are super cheap and fun accomodations for the young and cheap study abroad/backpacker crowd. However, hostels usually have dorm-style bedrooms where you have a bunk bed and a locker and you share with random strangers from around the world. This is a unique experience that is part of almost everyone's study abroad adventures, but definitely something different for most people. I thought I would give you a peek at the bunks in my favorite hostel that I stayed in - Palmer's Lodge in London (SO nice! stay there!).

Amazing sunset in Bath, England

ChristinaL — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:04:53 GMT

So, I didn't take too many pictures in England because, well, there really is very little sunlight and even though it is quite a fun place it looks a little dreary in photos.

However, when I was at the Roman baths in Bath (adorable town where Jane Austen used to live - the Hollywood of 19th century England) I saw this beautiful sky and had to take a photo. If you're ever in England, I highly recommend Bath - it's very cute and the people are so nice.

The sand castle cathedral

ChristinaL — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:05:08 GMT

Have you ever made those drippy sand castles with wet sand before? That's kind of what la Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona looks like! It was designed by the innovative modernismo architect Antionio Gaudi, who made it his life masterpiece and lived and worked there for years up until his death in 1926. These days it is STILL a work in progress - only about a third of it is done! However, when it is finished, you can bet that it will be one of the most unique and inspiring churches in the world.

Soaking wet

ChristinaL — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:57:32 GMT

We decided to have a picnic lunch out in the gardens of El Escorial palace... then it started pouring rain. Oops.

El Escorial

ChristinaL — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:54:29 GMT

Yet another of the many royal palaces that we visited this semester. It made a nice day trip (about two hours from Alcala) and we met some cool students from Montana while scaling one of the walls! (please notice the foreboding clouds in the sky, though.)

Flamenco!

ChristinaL — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:15:41 GMT

In Cordoba, we went to a flamenco show! The dancers were AMAZING, the musicians were great and the costumes were very cool. Definitely one of my favorite nights out in Spain.