Travel to the Darkside: The Most Haunted Places in the World #HogsAbroad #GoAbroad

Article courtesy of goabroad.com

by Kelsey Haynes

 

Ghouls, ghosts, and paranormal activity, oh my! Every year, brave and curious minds are drawn to the supernatural histories of the world. Tales of ghosts and strange sightings are an element all cultures have in common, and are an exciting theme for daredevilish travelers. Make like Scooby Doo and his gang, zoom along inside the Mystery Machine, and learn about the peculiar nature of the most haunted places in the world. Then, get ready to start your adventure travel abroad!

1. Highgate Cemetery – London, United Kingdom

Stroll through history by way of the Highgate Cemetery,
but be weary of any floating top hats!

Wander around this famous London Cemetery’s 53,00 grave sites and see if you can’t catch a glimpse of its historical ghosts. Highgate Cemetery received extensive notice from the press starting around 1960 when multiple reports were filed about the “Highgate Vampire,” a tall man with glowing eyes and a top hat. Other reported ghost sightings and horrible apparitions of the past have made this area a must-see site for horror fanatics and lovers of all things haunted.

Rooted not only in the thick, gnarly twists and turns of years of overgrown trees and brush, these grave sites are home to many historical figures. The east cemetery contains “famous” graves, including the final resting places of figures like German philosopher Karl Marx, Victorian novelist George Eliot, and author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” Douglas Adams. 

The west cemetery is open to guided tours only as it contains preserved architectural beauties, like the Chapel, the Colonnade, Egyptian Avenue, and the Terrace Catacombs. If you’re dying for a visit to one of the most haunted places in London, make sure you purchase entry tickets to both the east and west side cemeteries.

 

2. The Stanley Hotel – Colorado, USA

Step right up and book a room, if you dare!

“Redrum! Redrum!”, is one of the most famous lines from The Shining, one of Stephen King’s bestselling horror novels, was inspired by The Stanley Hotel, which is located in Estes Park, Colorado. The book was later made into a horror/terror film (yes, that one with Jack Nicholson) and instantly became a classic in its genre. Renowned by experts in the paranormal investigation field, the hotel remains one of the nation’s most active sites for paranormal activity. For example, the late Ms. Elizabeth Wilson, the chief housekeeper in the early 1900’s, takes special care to those staying in Room 217, making her presence known by folding your clothes and sitting on the edge of your bed.

Whether you’re intrigued by the history, the hauntings, or both, the Stanley Hotel has tours catered to all. Cave into the peer pressure and book the Ghost Adventure Package for you and your friends. The experience includes a room on the fourth floor, a K2 Meter for ghost hunting, and a “redrum” mug for every person.

3. Bran Castle – Romania

Navigate the hallowed halls of magnificent Bran Castle

As the only castle in Romania that fits Bram Stoker’s description of Dracula’s home, Bran Castle is a must-see for lovers of all things vampiric. Although not directly related to the story of Dracula, the castle’s surrounding villages were supposedly home to evil spirits called steregoi. Among these spirits walked strigoi, people who lived normally during the day, and at night their souls left their bodies and haunted the village people. It is from these myths that Bram Stoker characterized his concept of “the undead” and thus created the infamous Count Dracula. 

Coupled with the castle’s mythic appearance, featuring sky-high towers that stand proudly and mysteriously on the border of Transylvania, the stunning inspiration for Count Dracula’s Castle that all Stoker fans know and love was born.

Opened recently to visitors as a museum of Romanian royal history and culture, the castle’s narrow corridors and secret chambers create an exciting and mysterious pathway into the inspiration of our favorite fictional Transylvanian villain. Combine travel with intrigue with literature and visit a fortress draped in a military history in a place built on haunted myths of immortality.

Say “Bonjour!” to the permanent residents of the Catacomb Corridors

4. The Catacombs – Paris, France

Beginning in the 18th century, the Paris underground became one of the largest burial sites. Spanning 300 kilometers (186 miles), the “Dark Underworld” winds and weaves and twists and turns through countless secret tunnels and passageways. The city above casually walks over six million skeletons below, most of which are stacked on top of each other, lining the underground walls, and sometimes even staged in artistic designs like a heart made out of skulls. Talk about haunted places!

Now an official museum in Paris, certain passageways are open for public viewing. The Catacombs have intrigued visitors since the late 18th century, including Napoleon III and Charles X. However, unless you’re a Cataphile, a (illegal) Parisian urban explorer, the general public only has access to viewing a small section of the catacombs. Nevertheless, do take a stroll among the undead and weave through history underground.

 

5. Xunantunich – Belize

A woman dressed all in white who exposes fiery, red-eyed stares to all who lay eyes on her is the Mayan haunting found at Xunantunich. This woman was so frequently reported by locals and guests alike that the site was named “The Stone Woman,” or “Xunantunich” in ancient Mayan language. Oddly enough, all reports, dating back to the late 19th century, are eerily similar in nature. The woman is seen ascending the stairs of El Castillo and disappearing into a wall. Her traditional Mayan dress and her repetitious manner of gliding up the temple intrigues history and paranormal enthusiasts, as she may indicate the ritualistic process of sacrifice common in ancient Mayan practice.

Let amazement become you while navigating ruins,
El Castillo, temples, red eyes, and all!

Grab a ticket to enter this haunted destination, along with some courage, and climb the ruins’ temple stairs yourself to see if you can meet eye to red-eye with this ghost from the past.

 

6. The Vaults and Mary King’s Close – Edinburgh, Scotland

Once a major storage space for cobblers and tradesmen, the vaults in Edinburgh’s South Bridge shifted to a paranormal activity site once two serial killers, Burke and Hare, used them to store the dead bodies of their victims. After an excavation in the 1980s found that there were toys, medicine bottles, and plates in the vaults of people that had once lived there, many people (including paranormal investigators) became curious and explored the passageways for answers. Paranormal experts have detected various voices and sounds picked up on investigative devices, making these vaults a must-visit on your list of most haunted places in the world to visit. 

Mary King’s Close was once a lively and bustling market area; however, once the plague swept through Edinburgh, the underground space was eventually sealed off and boarded up. It is behind these closed doors that countless ghoulish reports began. Many myths and legends circulate about this forgotten city, but your curiosity is best satisfied by partaking in one of the many ghost tours available through Mary King’s Close.

These are only a few of the most haunted places in the world, but these are prime examples of what awaits your curious and investigative mind. Check out GoAbroad’s Embassy Directory for visa information in case you want to begin your adventure abroad to any of these top haunted places in the world. From the dark underworld below Paris to the suspenseful hotel rooms in Colorado to the tops of ruins in Belize, the mysterious phenomenons of the world’s most haunted places are just waiting to give you a thrill. 
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Read the full article at goabroad.com
 
Get started finding the study abroad program that will scare you, in a good way, today at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/getting-started/index.php.   

Bare-Bones Backpacking #HogsAbroad in Ireland #APIabroad #TBT

During the weeks before and after my exams at Trinity, I took two separate backpacking trips to mainland Europe. Largely dictated by the small budget I had, I found the experience of minimalistic traveling exhilarating and a welcome challenge.

I often found myself contemplating the boxes of things sitting in my closet back in Arkansas, already mentally sorting through and ridding myself of all the excess, useless stuff I have accumulated throughout my life. Not having the distraction of all that baggage we leave at home can make traveling a much rawer, much more influential ordeal.

First, I traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark- land of Vikings, some culinary genius called an “egg wrap”, and modern design. The second excursion was to Portugal’s charming second largest city, Porto, and later to gorgeous Barcelona. Every one of the three cities I visited was beautiful in its own way, and instead of rambling on and on, this is the perfect opportunity for a photo blog! So without further ado…

Next was Portugal, hometown of port wine and the Douro River.

City #3 was Barcelona, where I met up with a friend- welcome company after traveling independently for so long! The night before landing in Spain, I had spent the night in the Porto airport, which may have contributed to my expression in the first photo we took together:

Even in my own “bite off more than I can chew” plans for this semester abroad, I hadn’t dreamed I would be able to make it to so many different countries. Dublin is the perfect jumping off point for a student like me- willing to pack a backpack and plop themselves down in a completely different culture with almost nothing more than a small budget and a good pair of shoes to go on.

Colleen Boardman was a student at the University of Arkansas and an official API Blogger. Colleen studied abroad with API in Dublin, Ireland.

#HogsAbroad on Instagram

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” ― Ansel Adams 

There are over 2,000 photos on Instagram have been tagged with #HogsAbroad!  

See them all at https://instagram.com/explore/tags/hogsabroad/

Study Abroad: An Amazing Discomfort #HogsAbroad #TBT

This August, as I stepped onto campus for the first day of my senior year, I found myself feeling the very odd sensation that I was a stranger.  I looked around, mildly confused by a sea of completely unfamiliar faces.  What was in reality my final year here felt surprisingly like my first.  Thankfully, I had no problem handling the situation thanks to the lessons that I had learned while studying abroad. 

It is true that my choice to spend all of my junior year (and the following summer) abroad was the cause of this disorientation in the first place.  Both of the classes that had been above me during my sophomore year were suddenly gone, and two new classes had taken their place.  

Just a week before my arrival in Fayetteville, I was walking the bustling streets of Morocco, dodging crazed taxi drivers and bartering with street vendors.  The relatively calm pace on campus proved to be something of a shock.  Even with the jarring shift back to normal life, I count my time abroad among the best decisions that I have ever made.

You may think it strange that I am advocating study abroad by describing the discomfort of return.  I don’t want to overlook all of the very fun parts of the experience.  I’ve been to the running of the bulls in Pamplona, skied in the Swiss Alps, taken a cruise across Loch Ness, and climbed through the ruins of a Roman city in the Moroccan desert.  I advanced academically as well, learning three new languages and doing research with access to resources that I could never have imagined having at home.  However, I stress the discomfort of return because it was the lesson of being a stranger that taught me the most.
Why do employers, scholarship committees, and graduate schools across the nation look so favorably upon study abroad?  The answer is not in the professional or academic skills you may have acquired.  In fact, it is because studying abroad forces you to adapt to life in an environment that you don’t understand.  The simple daily tasks that we take for granted at home can become harrowing ordeals abroad.  Even study in Britain, a country that shares our language and much of our culture, requires you to change some of your habits (Helpful hint: don’t forget that cars drive on the left).

Study abroad also teaches you how to deal with an environment that doesn’t understand you.  I was particularly struck by what one Moroccan friend told me.  “You always think of your own culture as normal and as neutral,” she said after I committed a rather embarrassing cultural gaffe.  “You must remember that, to us, it is as foreign as everything here is to you.”  I realized then how much I had yet to learn.  Yet despite vast differences in language, culture, and belief, I had come to an understanding about the common bonds of humanity and the need to empathize with someone that saw the world in a completely different way.  These are the lessons that stay with you and that benefit you regardless of your career or field of study.

Study abroad is within the reach of every student at this university.  Whether you are looking to travel for just a summer, a semester, or a full year, the staff of the study abroad office will help you to find a program that fits.  Even a month abroad can affect you more than you could imagine, and we are lucky to be students at a university that understands and values those benefits.  While it is true that study abroad is typically more expensive than comparable time in Fayetteville, the university and federal government provide considerable amounts of money each year to offset the cost.  The opportunity is there.  The scholarships are there.  All you have to do is make that first step.  Visit the Study Abroad Office on Maple and start exploring!

Read the full article by Andrew on the Arkansas Traveler

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To Do List
Study Abroad Scholarships
It’s never too early to start scouting scholarships! 
If you’re interested in studying abroad during the upcoming year, check out the scholarships on our website so you’ll have a heads up on the application deadlines! There are a plethora of scholarships that are available; have a look at the ones we know of here: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/students/scholarships.php. There are many more as well so be sure to do your research!

Apply for Your Passport:
Now is a great time to locate your birth certificate and submit a passport application. You can find instructions on how to apply using the following link: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.html.

Get Connected! #HogsAbroad
Stay in the loop with U of A students while they’re abroad! Students who are studying abroad will be posting throughout the summer, so be sure to check-in and see what’s going on. You can look for our hashtag, #HogsAbroad all over social media, to see more news and posts from students studying abroad!

Fáilte go hÉirinn #HogsAbroad

(The post title is "welcome to Ireland" in Gaelic/Irish/whatever you want to call the original language here.) 

Helloooo friends!

This is my first blog post in Ireland, and it’s late, naturally. Oh well. As I said previously, my blog posts this time around are going to be more reflection and less pictures. If you’re looking for pictures, there are tons on my Facebook page! Now, the words commence.

I have been very blessed in my short little life to visit some extraordinary places; I have walked the ancient roads of Rome, seen fantastic theatre in Edinburgh, strolled along the River Thames in London and drank wine beneath the twinkling Tour Eiffel in Paris, with many other stops along the way. There is something beautiful about every place I’ve visited, and they all hold special memories and relationships and adventures for me. I have loved and cherished every single trip; and yet none of these places has entranced and delighted me as much as Ireland has in one short week.

 It isn’t as though I didn’t anticipate this. I had a good feeling about Ireland; I thought that it might end up being very, very special to me, but I downplayed the thought so as not to get my hopes up too high. After all, three months is a long time to be entirely disappointed by one’s surroundings, but I need not have worried; Ireland is everything I hoped for and more.

 

Dublin is a fantastic city. It feels very large, with plenty to do and a population of almost two million (between city and suburbs) which, at first glance, seems huge. However, it is really only of medium size when compared to other European capitals, and is small compared to London, New York or even Los Angeles. It has tons to offer by way of museums and restaurants and activities, but it’s not daunting in size. 

 

I had already ranked Dublin above Paris and Rome in my mind by my third day here. However, it wasn’t until this weekend’s trip to Killarney, in the southwest of Ireland, that I was completely taken in by this country. It is beautiful. But not just beautiful in the traditional sense of beauty, like a sparkling city or a colorful sunset. It is a breathtaking, awe-inspiring kind of beautiful. Painted-by-a-heavenly-paintbrush beautiful. Stop-and-stare-in-silence beautiful. God spent extra time on this place.

 I am so lucky to be here, and not just because of the scenery. I have 6 (!) excellent roommates. Four of them are from the States on the same program as me, and the others are from Belgium and the Netherlands. Our apartment is located in Temple Bar, which is THE central neighborhood in Dublin and where everyone wants to be, so we are very lucky. I am only about a ten-minute walk from campus and basically anywhere else I would ever want to go. The apartment itself presents some challenges, mostly because seven people live there with one kitchen and two bathrooms, but I will only be here for three months, and those challenges are easily dealt with.

 

Through my roomies, I’ve been able to meet some incredible people, as well as through clubs at school. Classes begin tomorrow. I am kind of dreading it; I am excited to learn and meet people but not to write essays or take tests, which is how I feel about school 100% of the time, no matter what country I am in. But I am taking three history classes, and I think they will be very interesting and helpful, particularly Life in Modern Ireland, where I hope to learn about the Troubles and everything that happened in the past century, which I unfortunately don’t know much about.

 

Trinity College

This is all for now! I hope to update at least once a week on here if not a little more! Thanks for reading!

xoxo Sydne
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Read more from Sydne at http://theyesgirlwrites.blogspot.com/
To find out more about the ISA Dublin, Ireland: Humanities and Social Sciences at Trinity College Dublin program, check out: http://studiesabroad.com/programs/country/ireland/city/dublin

Study Differently #HogsAbroad

Serious respect for the guys at @aotearoasurfschool for getting us up on some waves yesterday #tearai #surf #newzealand @gooverseas @ifsanewzealand @ifsabutler @studyinnewzealand #KiwiStudyAbroad #hogsabroad

A photo posted by Colin Murchison (@colin_murchison) on Mar 12, 2016 at 2:58pm PST

@jilln_ posted this photo from India today. My obsession with taking good notes has never been more apparent. #AlwaysAStudent #TEXT2015 #HogsAbroad

A photo posted by Hilary Z. (@hillzgrillz) on Aug 5, 2015 at 12:09pm PDT

Full morning of bird banding! #HogsAbroad

A photo posted by Madison Brown (@madselizabeth_brown) on Jun 8, 2015 at 4:41am PDT

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See more at https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/hogsabroad/

If you need help getting started with study abroad, take a look at the first steps: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/getting-started/first-steps.php.    

For more scholarships for study abroad, please check out http://studyabroad.uark.edu/funding.  

Here, there, everywhere. #HogsAbroad in the UK.

Today is my last day in the UK! I feel that I have seen a good amount of the UK, but still have several places I wasn’t able to make it to on this trip.

View up to Arthur’s Seat

From my time in Edinburgh, I spent a lot of it simply relaxing. I went to Portobello Beach, hiked to Arthur’s seat and visited Holyrood Palace. Oh, and of course Edinburgh Castle and Old Town. After leaving Edinburgh, I returned to London.

I spent the majority of the last week here, relaxing and exploring. For London itself, I saw a lot of the tourist attractions a few weeks ago. This time, I tried to experience more of the museums. My favorite was the Natural History Museum- they had so many dinosaur fossils.

I took a day trip to Brighton to visit  my friend, Caitlyn, who had been studying at a university near Brighton. It was great getting to see her, and I got to meet a few of her friends from uni as well. We had a ton of fun going out to eat and ending the night with ice cream.

Dover Castle

Yesterday I visited Dover. Luckily, I arrived just as the rain ended, and got on the bus to return right before it started up again. Dover Castle was fascinating. The site is rich with history, intrigue and romance. There was a continuous fog that descended, receded, and then descended again.

I was able to explore several sets of tunnels within the cliffs, including the underground hospital from WWII. The construction of the castle itself was very interesting- it functioned more as a hotel, before becoming important to the defense of England. I did manage to slip while angling for that “perfect” picture, and slid down a hill.

I have a nice bruise and grass stained pants for my efforts. Furthermore, I had a slight panic attack when the bus started heading towards the ferries- it turned out just to be a bus stop that looped around the ferries. I was so happy to get back last night so I could face plant  into my pillow.

I’ll be up early tomorrow to catch my plane to Bali. It’ll take about 18 hours (excluding the time change, it’s a full 24 hours if you include it!) to get to Indonesia. I am pretty excited- now I’ll not only be able to visit a beach, but actually get in the water!
Until next time.
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Claire Beach will be traveling to several countries during her International Service Learning Program this summer. Her ultimate destination will be a seven-week stay in Indonesia where she will be observing and conducting research for her project, Community Nature and Conservation, through the Honors College.

Beach is studying economics and international business in Walton College. She is observing and conducting research on the profitability of ecotourism business and environmental preservation in other parts of the globe, particularly developing countries. She will be attending the School of International Training. You can read more from Claire at hogtrailsandtales.wordpress.com.

Find out more about the SIT Indonesia: Community Nature Conservation in Bali (Summer) program at http://studyabroad.sit.edu/programs/summer/summer-2016/abe/

On the move… #HogsAbroad

Since my last post, I have been constantly on the move. Leaving little time for anything but adventuring and sleep. When  I last posted, I was on my way to Bath (I think). I also went to Bristol, before continuing on to Swansea and Cardiff. From there, I went to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Inverness.

As a result, I have over 600 photos for this last week, alone. And I am incredibly tired. I am back in Edinburgh for now, and will stay here for a couple days. The plan is to catch up on everything- including sleep! So- for an abbreviated version, here’s what I’ve been up to:

Bath: the best part were the assembly rooms! They were pretty close to how I imagined they would be, but not nearly as large. I can’t imagine having all those people crammed in there- or how they managed to dance in such a crush.

Bristol: the museums! The museums like the Red Lodge and the Georgian House were great. They were very interesting and interactive. I love seeing houses and buildings that have been preserved.


Swansea: Mumbles. Mumbles is a small village on the Gower Peninsula
on Swansea  Bay. It has a Victorian lighthouse and pier, overlooked by Oystermouth Castle. Oystermouth Castle was interesting in that visitors have access to almost every area. The catwalks, the chapel, the quarters and towers, all the way down to the cellars. It was fascinating weaving through the passageways, getting turned around, and figuring out how everything connected.

Cardiff: surprise, surprise, my favorite thing was the castle. The facade is the thing of fairy tales, and it has a history to match. Multiple Roman forts were constructed on the site, followed by the building and remodeling of castles until it reached its present form.


Edinburgh: more on that, later.

Glasgow: sadly, I did not take into account a random bank holiday when planning my trip. So, the majority of attractions were actually closed when I was in Glasgow. However, I still made it to the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens, and many of the parks.
 
Perth: the iconic Scone Palace. Scone Palace is a place where the kings of Scotland were traditionally crowned, and has a fascinating history. The village/city of (old) Scone is steeped in legend and mystery, and the surroundings lend the legends an air of reality.

Inverness: was absolutely amazing. The highlands are beautiful. Besides the bus breaking down in between Perth and Inverness, this was by far the best place. I went to Clava Cairns, an ancient burial site, which is dated between three and four thousands years ago. Each burial mound was ringed by large standing stones. In the afternoon, I went looking for Nessie in the loch, but had no luck sighting her.

Edinburgh: (Again). I was so tired the first night I was here- I slept the whole time. So, I had to make a point to come back and do all of the touristy things. I have many attractions on my to do list ranging from (you guessed it) castles to day trips from the city.
So, I’ll have that to talk about next time. Ta!
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Claire Beach will be traveling to several countries during her International Service Learning Program this summer. Her ultimate destination will be a seven-week stay in Indonesia where she will be observing and conducting research for her project, Community Nature and Conservation, through the Honors College.

Beach is studying economics and international business in Walton College. She is observing and conducting research on the profitability of ecotourism business and environmental preservation in other parts of the globe, particularly developing countries. She will be attending the School of International Training. You can read more from Claire at hogtrailsandtales.wordpress.com.

Find out more about the SIT Indonesia: Community Nature Conservation in Bali (Summer) program at http://studyabroad.sit.edu/programs/summer/summer-2016/abe/

Not Europe #HogsAbroad

Now that I’ve been home for almost a full week, I’ve had plenty of time to sleep, eat Mexican food and reflect on the life changing 5 months that I just experienced. There are plenty of things I’m happy to come home to, but there are so many more things that I miss about Europe. I’ve complied a list of what I consider the best of the best for my time abroad, as well as a few lingering stories that I haven’t told y’all yet. So if you’re wondering what I’ve been daydreaming about since my plane landed Saturday night, here goes:

Favorite City: Barcelona, Spain
Honorable Mention: Paris, France

Favorite Place in Rome: the Pantheon
Honorable Mention: Piazza del Popolo

Best Column Hugged: Temple of Hephaestus, Athens, Greece
Honorable Mention: Roman Forum, Rome, Italy

Best Building: Pantheon, Rome, Italy
Honorable Mention: Barcelona Pavilion, Barcelona, Spain

Best Church: Notre Dame, Paris, France
Honorable Mention: St. Vitus, Prague, Czech Republic

Best Dome: San Carlo alle Quattro Fontana, Rome, Italy
Honorable Mention: Sat Ivo, Rome, Italy

Best Museum: Jewish Museum, Berlin, Germany
Honorable Mention: Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece

Most Beautiful Place: Oia, Santorini, Greece
Honorable Mention: Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

Best Hike: Fira to Oia, Santorini, Greece
Honorable Mention: Corniglia to Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

Best Food: Barcelona, Spain
Honorable Mention: Athens, Greece

Best Gelato: Giolitti’s
Honorable Mention: Gelato del Teatro

Best Bar/Club: Shari Vari, Rome, Italy
Honorable Mention: Dow Jones, Barcelona, Spain

Best Shopping: Istanbul, Turkey
Honorable Mention: Florence, Italy

Best Public Transit: Barcelona, Spain
Honorable Mention: Berlin, Germany

Best Train Station: London St. Pancras, London, England
Honorable Mention: Milano Centrale, Milan, Italy

Best Airport: London Heathrow, London, England
Honorable Mention: Athens International, Athens, Greece

Best Airline: Aegean Air
Honorable Mention: British Airways

Best Drivers: Interlaken, Switzerland
Honorable Mention: Prague, Czech Republic

Friendliest People: Edinburgh, Scotland
Honorable Mention: London, England

Most Attractive Men: Budapest, Hungary
Honorable Mention: Edinburgh, Scotland

Furthest North: Stirling, Scotland
Furthest South: Fira, Santorini, Greece
Furthest East: Istanbul, Turkey
Furthest West: Stirling, Scotland

Countries (13):
France
England
Italy
Vatican City
Spain
Germany
Greece
Turkey
Czech Republic
Hungary
Austria
Scotland
Switzerland

Cities (37):
Paris
London
Rome
Florence
Pompeii
Positano
Sorrento
Milan
Venice
Barcelona
Berlin
Athens
Oia
Fira
Istanbul
Prague
Ostia
Caprarola
Bagnaia
Budapest
Vienna
Capua
Paestum
Tivoli
Orvieto
Pisa
Manarola
Corniglia
Vernazza
La Spezia
Edinburgh
Stirling
Munich
Hohenschwangau
Luzern
Interlaken
Lauterbrunnen

Currencies (6):
Euro
British Pound
Hungarian Forint
Turkish Lira
Czech Crown
Swiss Franc

Things that are better in Europe:
-Cheaper and fresher groceries
-International travel is easier
-Public transportation (except for Rome)
-The beauty of everyday things

Things that are better in the US:
-Free public bathrooms
-Greater variety of food in a single city
-Eating dinner before 9 pm
-DRYERS


I’ve gained about 10 pounds. Yes, TEN. When you eat nothing but pizza, pasta, paninis and gelato (literally every single day) for 5 months, it’s not really a surprise. I don’t really regret anything. In fact, if I had to do it over, I’d eat gelato twice a day, every day. I miss Giolitti’s SO MUCH.

I have to admit; Rome didn’t truly feel like my home until near the end of the semester (even if I told you guys otherwise in this blog). Sure, I liked the cobblestones and delicious gelato, but for me, Rome was just a vehicle for other international travel. It was my chance to see the world. It wasn’t until April, when we weren’t given any travel weekends and we were “forced” (as if it’s a bad thing) to stay in the city, that Rome actually began to feel like home. I started getting attached to the dirty streets and the loud Italian arguments, just in time for me to have to leave it.

Now I miss Rome dearly and wish I would have appreciated it more in the first month or so that I was there, when I was more focused on getting out into Europe instead. I consider Rome my second home behind Dallas, and one of the most comforting things about it is that if I go back in 10, 20, 30 years from now, I know it will be exactly the same, standing as beautifully as it was when I left it.

Speaking of leaving Rome, I have a dramatic story from my last day. After dropping off my luggage in storage before my two week travel with Robby, Caity and I walked across the city and said goodbye to all of our favorite monuments. The Colosseum and the Forum were busy as ever, but luckily those monuments give everyone equal amounts of attention, so we found our moment to say goodbye. We ordered our last (large) cone of gelato from Giolitti’s and ate it by the Trevi Fountain, where we threw in another coin to ensure our return to Rome… you know, just in case the first one didn’t count or something. We strolled down the Via del Corso, waving goodbye to the 4 story Zara and H&M as we passed, towards Piazza del Popolo. We stood in front of the obelisk and looked down all 3 diverging streets. We found one of those annoying flower salesmen and actually purchased flowers, for once. We then walked to the tomb of Augustus and Caity weaved her flower into the fence around his mausoleum.

By this point, we had said goodbye to everything else, so we had only the Pantheon left. As if to make this into a movie, the sky opened up and started raining as soon as we headed to the Pantheon. We stood silently outside in the rain and stared at the temple front… for like, a really long time. I started to tear up, and I heard people around me whispering from underneath their umbrellas. We finally mustered up the courage to walk inside one last time, to find that they had roped off the center because of the rain coming through the oculus.

 It was my last day in Rome and all I wanted was to stand in the center of the Pantheon, so after checking for guards, I hopped the rope. I stood and enjoyed the rain for a moment before bending down and placing my rose on the wet marble floor. That’s when I lost it. Tears, everywhere (not very well masqueraded by the rain). I returned to the proper side of the rope where Caity and I just stood and cried for a solid 5 minutes. People were probably wondering what on earth was going on, but after a few minutes had passed, we started to hear the excited gasps newly arrived visitors surprised by the rose. It was then that we decided to leave, but not before hugging one last column.

Many people know that the semester before Rome, or “Comp Studio” as we call it, is a brutal one. The late nights that architecture school is known for are pushed into even later nights, which usually end up being early mornings with no “night” at all. Class is held every single day, Saturdays and Sundays included, and you have to say goodbye to even the least time consuming extra curricular activities. You wake up every day feeling inadequate and stupid and beaten down. There were days I cried to my mom on the phone telling her I couldn’t emotionally handle going to school that day. If Rome weren’t the light at the end of that long, dark Comp tunnel, I would have quit.

But getting to go to Rome after a semester from hell was an unbelievable rejuvenation. The world went from being somewhere I didn’t want to be anymore to this beautiful, wondrous, inspiring place. And what’s more, I started thinking of myself as an integral part of it. I realized that I, as a living soul and human being, mattered more than what I, as a student, can produce in a studio. I started living (reasonably) selfishly, putting myself before my work, seeing the world that I wanted to see in a way that I knew could bring me back to the happy life I lived before the fall of 2015. I found myself the streets of Rome (YES yes I KNOW this sounds incredibly cheesy!!). In my Travel Writing class, we read Eat, Pray Love, and there was one particular quote that stuck out to me in describing my semester, and my transition back to my happy self:

“I came to Italy pinched and thin. I did not know yet what I deserved. I still maybe don’t fully know what I deserve. But I do know that I have collected myself of late – through the enjoyment of harmless pleasures – into somebody much more intact. The easiest, most fundamentally human way to say it is that I have put on weight. I exist more now than I did four months ago. I will leave Italy noticeably bigger than when I arrived here. And I will leave with the hope that the expansion of one person – the magnification of one life – is indeed an act of worth in this world. Even if that life, just this one time, happens to be nobody’s but my own.”

On a lighter note, some of you may be interested to learn that my Turkish coffee-ground fortune came true. I met a man named Benjamin about 2 weeks before I left Rome. He was from Israel, but lived in Rome to study medicine. Just as the Khave Fali predicted, we shared romantic walks along the Tiber River and engaged in great conversation. I taught him about architecture and he taught me about medicine. He played an instrument (the guitar), just like the Khave Fali said he would. Of course, the prediction that it would be short lived and end amicably was also correct, seeing as I left Rome shortly after meeting him. Benjamin and I still talk often, and he shares his dreams of moving to the United States once he becomes an official doctor, so maybe I’ll see him again someday. But even if not, wow, what a great way to end my time in Rome (also now my friends are even more optimistic about their romantic fortunes coming true, too).

Oh also, I met Cindy Crawford. She was filming a commercial at our school one day during finals week. Perks of going to school in a palace.

So that’s… it. I guess I’m officially out of things to share. I’ve had lots of people ask if I am going to continue this blog now that I’m home, but as much as I love traveling and as much as I love writing, I think I like the idea of having a little, self-contained European journal. I love that I can look back at this whenever I need to remind myself of how beautiful the world really is (probably while I’m working in studio at 2:00 in the morning).

So since I don’t really know how to summarize this semester in my own words, I’ll use someone else’s:
“Live, travel, adventure, bless and don’t be sorry.” -Jack Kerouac



Number of Columns Hugged: 0 (BECAUSE AMERICA IS TERRIBLE)
Days Since Mexican Food: 1
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Read more from Haley at https://haleywalton.wordpress.com/
To find out more about the U of A Rome Center semester program for Architecture, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/romecentersemester/ 

Edinburgh #HogsAbroad

Ah, Scotland: the land of bagpipes, kilts and plaid. My time in Edinburgh taught me that these stereotypes are, in fact, pretty true, but they’re only minute details in comparison to the happy, green, beautiful Scotland that I experienced. This place is absolutely stunning, and my only regret was not spending more than 3 days here.


My flight out of Rome landed early Tuesday morning, and for a moment I forgot that I wasn’t in the Schengen Area anymore, so going through Passport Control was a strange surprise. The Scottish man checking my passport was extremely friendly, but scolded me for only staying for 3 days. After grabbing my bags, I took the tram to the city center, which was absolutely stunning. Beautiful, old, black buildings were surrounded by lush green parks, and the old fabric was broken up by the occasional modernist building. I just couldn’t wait to start taking pictures, so I was that awkward tourist scrambling to hold all of her bags and a camera at the same time.

Because Ashley, Robby and I were all meeting in Edinburgh from different places, I was the first one in town and had some time to kill before they arrived. I finally made it to my hostel, where I dropped my luggage and went out for breakfast at a small place recommended to me by the hostel staff. The restaurant was called Hula, and while I did feel a bit strange eating at a Hawaiian themed restaurant in Scotland, its menu boasted delicious smoothies so I decided to give it a chance (I haven’t had a smoothie in months). As soon as I sat down, it started raining outside, and suddenly I felt more Scottish, despite being surrounded by tropical flowers and bright colors. I ordered a “sunshine in a cup” smoothie and sourdough toast with avocado, sun dried tomato, an assortment of seeds and smoked salmon. I know I don’t talk about food much on this blog, but this meal was more than worth mentioning. This was one of the most delicious meals I’ve had since being in Europe… like right up there with paella and souvlaki. Please enjoy the following photo and try not to lick the screen:


After breakfast, I made my way to St. Giles Cathedral in the heart of Edinburgh. Much like the English, the Scottish do the gothic style a little differently. The vaults in the church were painted a bright blue with white ribs, matching the Scottish flag perfectly. The altar stood at the crossing of the nave, rather than at the end of the apse. Right as I walked in, the Pastor began a sermon in which he mentioned Calvin and Hobbs AND Mexican food, so I decided to sit down. It isn’t often than I get to experience a space through sound (other than choral hymns), so it was interesting to hear a single voice reverberate through the church.

As I left the church, it started raining for the second time that day, but I figured it wouldn’t last long. I strolled down the street, popping in all the souvenir shops I could find. I immediately noticed how proud the Scottish are of their clan heritage. Every shop contained items with the clans’ crests and plaid patterns. Suddenly I felt left out for not being from Scotland (it’s no surprise that “Walton” is English). Once the sun came out again, I walked down the street outside and stopped at a ring stand to buy some beautiful Celtic designed jewelry. Shortly after, Robby texted me that he had arrived, so we met back up at the church. I certainly didn’t mind visiting twice.

The sun was still out, so we decided to wander around the parks in the center of the city. The grass was unbelievably green, but we weren’t allowed to walk on it, so we admired it from afar. We stopped at the Scott Monument, which was essentially just a massive, gothic style spire in the center of the park, dedicated to the writer Scott (not the Scottish people). We continued onward towards the top of Calton Hill, which is home to a few more memorials and an old observatory. You could see the whole city of Edinburgh and the North Sea from the top of the hill. Every black building, every gothic spire, every pub’s gold letters… it was breathtaking.


By this point the rain had started again, so we took shelter in a free maritime war museum on the hill. That’s another thing the Scottish are very proud of: their war history. I’m not one for war museums, but it was a nice place to keep dry. When the sun came out, we made our way back to the hostel to wait for Ashley and her brother, Ben. The common room had free hot chocolate and tea, so it was a cozy break from the chilly weather outside. We checked into our Lord of the Rings themed room, but didn’t stay long before venturing out to the Edinburgh Castle, which was conveniently right across the street. We didn’t spend long at the Castle, but we did manage to see the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the oldest building in Edinburgh (surprise, it’s a church).


As we exited the castle, it started to rain for the 5^th time that day, so we tucked into some local scarf shops. The Scottish are known for their lambs wool scarves, and they were so soft that I couldn’t resist buying one. For dinner, we followed the advice of our hostel staff yet again and ate at the Royal Mile Tavern, home to a delicious meal called Highland Chicken. Every single one of us ordered it, along with some Scottish beer, except for Ben, who tried the famous Scottish whiskey (he’s the only one of us who actually likes whiskey).

We rushed back to the hostel to get there in time for the traditional dancing outing. We were taken to a local pub that cleared the floor and gave traditional Irish and Scottish dancing lessons. There was a pretty huge crowd and the dance floor was packed. The guitar, violin and accordion music was energetic and fun. Some of the dance moves were complicated, but everyone was at the same level of “I’ve never done this before so I look ridiculous” – ness, so it was a blast. Unfortunately this event only happened on Tuesdays, so we couldn’t go back the next night, no matter how badly I wanted to.
The next morning, we boarded an early train to Stirling, which is a city about an hour Northwest of Edinburgh (making it both the furthest North and furthest West I’ve been all semester).

Important side note: Scotland has bagels AND cream cheese, so breakfast was delightful. Anyway, we were in Stirling to see the ever-important Stirling Castle, the childhood home to the ever-important Mary Queen of Scotts. Stirling sits at the most narrow part of Scotland, so the castle’s location was crucial in Scottish war history. The castle was nice, but the real treasure was the view from the castle. At the foot of the Scottish Highlands, there are striking hills in all directions, and the sun hits them beautifully.


Next, we visited a nearby cemetery and another small, gothic church. Both were beautiful, but we couldn’t stay long because we had to get back to Edinburgh. When we arrived, we stopped in a local pub for lunch, where I had traditional haggis, mashed potatoes and turnip, all of which were delicious.

To walk off the calories from our heavy lunch, we decided to climb Arthur’s Seat, which is a massive hill in the center of Edinburgh. Along the path up, we stopped at old chapel ruins that were surrounded by bright yellow flowers. My friends probably thought we stopped because I like history, but really I was just super out of shape and needed a break. We took a few more breaks to “admire the view” as we ascended, but once we FINALLY made it to the top, it was the views that took my breath away instead of my aching body. We could see all of Edinburgh, and the intermittent dark clouds set the perfect, dramatic mood. The wind at the top of Arthur’s Seat was, without a doubt, the strongest wind I have ever experienced (yes, even worse than Stonehenge). There were several instances that I actually thought I might get knocked off the top (but hey, anything for that Instagram, right?).




We descended the hill almost as slowly as we climbed it, so by the time we got to the bottom, we were ready for a sweet treat. We stopped in a local candy store for some delicious chocolate that we ended up eating in the common room with another free hot chocolate. By this point, we were pretty beat, so we ended up going upstairs for a nap.

By the time we woke up, it was 9:30, and most pubs had stopped serving dinner. I guess we’re too used to Italy, where people eat dinner really late in the night. Our hostel staff recommended a late-night dinner place that served thick burgers and gallons of beer, so we decided to check it out. The burgers were juicy and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, so it was a pretty successful night. Despite our two hour nap, we were still dead tired and decided to head back to the hostel for a night in.

The next morning, Ashley and Ben had to get to the airport for an early flight to London, but Robby and I had some time to explore the city before our late afternoon flight. I convinced him to go to Hula for breakfast because I was craving another avocado salmon toast. Afterwards, we made our way to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, one of the three official residences of the Queen. We were mostly here to see the old abbey ruins, but we couldn’t buy a ticket for just that, so we saw the palace too. This ornate set of rooms was full of pictures of the Queen, a few of which featured the pope (I swear we can’t escape Rome). After getting through the palace, we visited the beautiful abbey. Its dark stones were beautiful against the bright blue sky that replaced the missing roof. We stayed here for a really long time, admiring every grave and gothic detail.

For our last few hours in Edinburgh, we decided to explore the west side of the city by foot. From Arthur’s Seat, we could see a group of gothic spires, so we were determined to find what we knew would be a massive gothic church. We went into about 3 churches before finding THE one we were looking for, and it was definitely worth the wait. This was probably the biggest church we went to in Edinburgh.

We had lunch at a small place by our hostel that served fish n’ chips, but headed to the airport shortly thereafter (which is where I’m sitting now).

Edinburgh was a pleasant surprise. The people were the friendliest that I’ve encountered in Europe. Every single one was outgoing and excited to show us their heritage (and honestly, their accents helped a lot too). There were barely any smokers in Scotland, so the clean air was an amazing change from the suffocation-inducing air quality of Rome. But I think the thing I loved most about Edinburgh was the mix of built environment and nature. I don’t think the city would be the same without its massive hills and vast parks.

I think it really promotes a happy, healthy quality of life that I could see myself living in if I were to return to Europe (if it weren’t for the freezing temperatures, that is). One regret I have is not having time to explore the highlands. If the landscape in a city could be that stunning, I can’t imagine what it’s like in the untouched highlands. I guess that’s something I’ll save for my next trip, because I’ll definitely be back for you, Scotland.


Number of Columns Hugged: 7
Days Since Mexican Food: 136
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Read more from Haley at https://haleywalton.wordpress.com/
To find out more about the U of A Rome Center semester program for Architecture, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/romecentersemester/