PLEASE take me back to St Petersburg!

I think the first thing I really noticed about St. Petersburg was how beautiful it is.! I’d already spent some time studying in Moscow, which is a fantastic city, but I wanted to experience something a bit different, and friends had recommend that I continue my Russian studies in St. Petersburg.

The school was a perfect choice, since it’s so centrally located in the old part of the city, and as expected had all the facilities I needed, internet, somewhere to relax and have a coffee when the Russian grammar got a bit too much!

They call it the ‘Venice of the north’ because of the many canals that go through the city centre, but for me the most impressive thing about St. Petersburg is the architecture.

The Hermitage, (picture the scene from the Bond film where Pierce Brosnan storms in to the square in a tank via a huge archway!) is perhaps the most amazing building I’ve ever been in. It has room upon room upon room of art, jewels, and sculptures etc. It’s somewhere to really loose yourself.

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Oh Paris how I love you!

I immediately fell in love with Paris and could imagine myself living there- I couldn’t ask to have studied French in a better city! All of the marvelous sites surrounding you – the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe so close to school, the world famous Louvre museum and Notre Dame nearby, and such an energetic and cosmopolitan atmosphere… who wouldn’t want to live in Paris?

Whether walking down the remarkable avenue Champs Elysses to window shop through all of the top fashion stores, or relaxing underneath the beautiful Paris night sky at the Palais de Chaillot, on the right bank of the Seine river, watching the Eiffel Tower and the glistening city landscape, I had an amazing time in Paris! Read more…

It’s fun in Sorrento!

I’m in Sorrento, on the beautiful Amalfi coast and I just can’t believe it! I’m here studying Italian in a school just off the main square and I’m having a great time. Why go anywhere else in Italy to learn Italian when you can do it in a place which is slap bang on the Mediterranean, stunningly beautiful, with great weather, steeped in thousands of years of history and culture… and lots of fun!

Well, actually I’m not supposed to be having too much fun as I’ve really got to get my head around the “passato remoto”, amongst other things!… but I’m feeling really good about coming here and my teachers are great. I’d mistakenly thought that learning a language in the country of origin was only for the rich… but its really not that expensive and being here really makes the language work for you – you can ask for real things in shops, you can buy a real bus ticket, you can order and eat a real pizza and you can get some real sun!

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Wild adventure in Cordoba, Argentina!

Cordoba is just a beautiful colonial-style historic Argentinean city. There’s always so much to see and do here! For example, if you are seeking extreme adventure and high adrenaline thrills, then don’t miss The Rally in Argentina in late March. Come to Cordoba hills and enjoy 3 days of intense car races around winding mountain paths! It’s amazing!

2008 will be the 28th running of the Rally in Argentina and as always the most renowned car manufacturers and world-famous rally drivers will be challenging each other along the winding dusty roads. Citröen, Ford, Subaru and Suzuki will show off their best weapons as the Rally in Argentina continues throughout the days.

As a visitor, you will have the chance to witness the race just from a half meter distance and watch all the cars coming and going at an incredible high speed right in front of you!

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Uno, dos, tres…Flamenco!

Studying Spanish in Seville was the experience of a lifetime! What an unbelievable city with stunning landscapes, glorious weather, and a new adventure around every corner. I just returned from Seville and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a true Spanish cultural experience!

My sightseeing journey around Seville began with the impressive Cathedral, which is the third largest in the world (after St. Peter’s in Vatican City and St. Paul’s in London)! I didn’t want to settle for a picture from below so I decided to climb the ramp to the bell tower, La Giralda, to capture the essence of this architectural brilliance. From here, I got a breathtaking view of the city and of the Cathedral. Looking below I could see the magnificent Gothic-style buttresses surrounding the tranquil Patio of Orange Trees (El Patio de los Naranjos). Capturing the view of the citrusy, sunny glow shining upon the courtyard was well worth the climb and the sound of the huge bells unexpectedly ringing in my ears!

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The Siena time machine!

Siena has to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! Arriving in Siena was like stepping into a time-machine then exiting it into this amazing place where the streets are cobbled, the town is still surrounded by a fortressed wall, everyone still walks everywhere, there are no cars, no pollution, only the smells of delicious food and the gorgeous rolling Tuscan hills on every side… I’d half expected a horse drawn cart to clip-clop around the corner carrying hay!

Yet, the awesome thing is, Siena still has everything you need. You can totally lose yourself in the winding medieval streets, the unspoilt views over the countryside, and the relaxed pace of life, but then pop into the internet café on the corner to chat on gmail with friends at home. I could spend an afternoon soaking up the sunshine out on the roof terrace of the historic building of the Italian school where I studied, wander out to meet a friend for a slice of Panforte made from a centuries old recipe and then grab a coca-cola and watch a game of football on television at one of the local bars. Ha ha, just like John Mortimer wrote in the novel Summer’s Lease; Siena has “all the delights of the Middle Ages without the stink and the fear of plague.”!

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Why I can’t wait to go back to Madrid!

There is just one word I can use to describe Madrid – Perfecto! It is an amazing capital city with so much great history and culture – there is always something to do! I really enjoyed studying in Madrid because I got to watch the bustling city go about its business – try walking around Gran via mid-day – just a crazy amount of energy in the air-so many people around, shopping, eating… walking… being a city girl myself I fell in love with it! I have so many fabulous memories of the people I met and the places I saw in Madrid.

I spent many afternoons after class eating yummy tapas with my friends before we studied again. My favorite tapas restaurant was an amazing place called “ 100 montaditos ”. It is so cool there – they sell tiny little sandwiches, with whatever you’d like in them! I enjoyed tortilla de patatas in mine! All for the bargain price 1€ each! The first time I went there I ordered just one, thinking that it would be a full size sandwich. I didn’t realize that montadito translated into small sandwich!

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The Sky is the Limit in Barcelona!

WOW! I would give anything to be able relive my amazing experience in Barcelona! I just recently returned from my Spanish course there, and I already feel that I want to go back and live there one day. There is just so much to see and do that it leaves you wanting to do it all over again! From stunning beaches to bustling commercial centers and incredible architecture to picturesque parks, Barcelona has it all…and more!

I fell in love with the intricate and clever designs of all of Antonio Gaudi’s architectural projects around the city: Casa Batlló, La Sagrada Familia, Casa Milá…and most especially Parque Güell. I could really see how groundbreaking Gaudi’s work must have been when the park opened almost 100 years ago…I was in awe with the brightly colored mosaics that cover the park terraces, the remarkable dragon fountain that greets you at the entrance, and the breathtaking view of Barcelona from atop the world’s largest park bench!

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Hidden Treasure in Salamanca!

There is no better place on Earth to study Spanish than in Salamanca! The city’s majestic architecture, cultural history, and linguistic purity are unique characteristics that, for me, make Salamanca a city of hidden treasure.

Due to its lavishly decorated sandstone cathedrals and university buildings, Salamanca is so distinctively called La Dorada (“The Golden City”). Not only does the sun bathe Salamanca’s landmarks in resplendence right before sunset, but the city is rich with local legends and stories.

I tagged along a guided tour of the city and learned about the cleverly hidden “lucky frog” (“la rana de suerte”) on the main façade of the Universidad Civil building. According to legend, university students received good luck for a year with their studies if they found the frog without help. Nowadays, tourists will gaze upward for an hour in the hopes that they find the frog and are then blessed with one year of good luck. If you go to Salamanca, this is a must-do before you leave!

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Italian and culture in Florence!

Florence is totally, utterly, completely… incredible! Wow. It is THE city of renaissance. Which, (unless you are a super history buff) might not mean much until you arrive… but then you arrive, and… Wow!!

As you can tell, when I arrived in Florence, I was lost for words. You might start your time, like I did, by going for a stroll across the famous Ponte Vecchio. And as you wander along this centuries-old bridge, which is lined with centuries-old shops, and feels like a street, apart from when the shops part for a view of the River Arno either side of you, you start to think; my god, this is amazing, I have never seen anything like this in my life! You can then stop to take in the view down the Arno from the bridge, and you’ll be thinking; wow, this view of the city is awesome, and look, I can even see the dome of that massive duomo church thing from here! (Ha ha, which I later discovered is more accurately known as Bruneschelli’s dome). So then, you get to the other side of the bridge, all the time soaking up the lively, bustling atmosphere. Sightseers mixing with Florentines, mixed in with the buzzing of little mopeds zipping along the cobbled roads.

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