Eating out in Paris? Here’s a few tips from a local…

Need some tips on where to eat out during your language course in Paris? Well, Paris is just like London: there is a wide choice, with restaurants from all over the world. That’s quite normal for a capital city! But just let me tell you about what makes Paris special!

I just spent the weekend there, and it’s starting to be the season for sitting outside a terrace café. I love to go there in the morning, and have a crepe (French pancake) for breakfast. This is typically French (Breton to be accurate), but French usually love it, especially me! If you want to try it, there is no need to look very far, because Paris is full of terrace cafés, whether near the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, or the Champs Elysées! The advantage of the morning is that there are not too many people, there is traffic but it’s not too noisy, and if there is bright sunshine, then it really is a must-do! They usually stay open and busy quite late, for anyone wishing a nice cold drink after seeing Paris by night.

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Fiesta in Puerto de La Cruz, Tenerife!

I love Puerto de La Cruz…the landscape, the beaches, the history, the culture, the people, the festivals…and of course the nightlife! El Puerto, as we, the chicharreros, or people from Tenerife call it, is one of the best places to visit and to go out in Tenerife. There are lot of different places to party and things to do, so you’re certain to have a really great night!

El Puerto de La Cruz is located in the beautiful La Orotava Valley, which has one of the best views of El Teide, the volcano on the north of the island of Tenerife. It’s very famous for tourism, but at the same time retains its Canarian culture!

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Berlin – a vibrant and unique city

I’ve been living in Berlin for the last 6 years, and you can still see the city changing – it’s exciting! If you are thinking of learning German in Germany, you probably won’t find a place that is more interesting than Berlin! Its history makes the city one of the most special and outstanding cities in the world. After the Berlin Wall fell down, the city became a large construction site, both in the literal and in the figurative sense. After 40 years of separation (28 with the wall) a lot had to be rebuilt, and the city attracted a lot of people that wanted to take part in the process of building and shaping a new city.

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See the two faces of Faro, Portugal

When I think about Faro, I think about the sun, beaches, parties and relaxation!

The great thing about Faro is that it has two faces. In winter, it is a calm place, although it always has good nightlife because of the number of students from Algarve University present in the city. In summer there are lots of things to do because is filled with thousand and thousand of travellers that give life to the city.

If you are a beach lover and a sun lover I definitely recommend that you learn Portuguese in Faro. I go there every year at Easter because at that time of the year in Portugal, and especially in the Algarve, the weather starts to get warm. It’s just perfect – warm but not too warm, and at that time of year there aren’t many tourists so you can get to know the friendly locals well.

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Making a difference in Maceio, Brazil

In June last year, a photographer called Steven Loos attended a 16 week Portuguese course in Maceio.

Although he originally went only to study and improve his language skills, he took part in a couple of volunteer projects, helping in a boy’s orphanage and a girl’s orphanage.

Originally asked by other volunteers to simply go and take some pictures, he had so much fun in the few hours he was with the children that he had to go back! “They’re too fun” he enthusiastically writes…

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Adventures in Playa del Carmen!!!

My time in Playa del Carmen and the Yucatan peninsula was the biggest and best adventure ever! I had more amazing experiences in two weeks than I ever imagined possible. I spent my first few days at my Spanish school in Playa del Carmen being utterly dumbfounded by the incredible blue of the Caribbean Sea, the whiteness of the sand, the warmth, the sunshine… the just plain TROPICALNESS of everything! I felt like I was living on the best holiday postcard you have ever seen, or, better still, living on the exotic set of a James Bond film!

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San Giovanni Valdarno – a slice of Tuscan life

I was unsure what to expect of San Giovanni Valdarno. It had been described as a small medieval town located in the heart of Tuscany, but I’ve fallen for these descriptions before, only to arrive at a bustling industrial rail station that doesn’t quite meet my expectations! However, I’m pleased to confirm that my first impression of San Giovanni did not disappoint.

I travelled from Florence by train and enjoyed a journey of approximately one hour, taking in delightful countryside and stopping at many of the small towns en route. I was advised later that it is also possible to take a more direct train, which should take about 35 minutes, but I felt that my ambling journey had set me up for the relaxed lifestyle I was about to experience.

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Arriving in Costa Rica…school has started!

Hola!

I arrived in Costa Rica without any problems at all on Saturday evening and slept for over 10 hours at the B&B in San Joaqiun de Flores. On Sunday I and the other students staying at the B&B did get to enjoy a very bumpy bus ride to Monteverde.

I was really excited to meet my host family and was very pleased when I met them and found out that they were really nice people. They didn’t speak a word of English so I got to practice my Spanish immediately! 🙂

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Sun! Sea! Sand! &…..School!

Ok, so imagine attending a school in the heart of a beautiful historic city… that’s also home to ‘space age’ architectural design…and two magnificent beaches. It almost seems too good to be true, but hear it from me – in Valencia you have the best of everything!

I think that being a student in Valencia is perfect, as there is a really young feel to this city – full of life, laughter and at present the pride and thrills of being host to the 32nd Americas Cup.

I also think that studying in Valencia would appeal to anybody and everybody, as Valencia seems to break all the rules as it manages to perfectly cater to a whole range of different tastes.

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On the way to Costa Rica: waiting at Schipol Airport!

Hello everyone!

I thought that I could write my first post (it’s actually the first blog post I’ve ever written) while I’m waiting for my flight to San Jose in Costa Rica. I must admit that I’m feeling quite excited and I’m really looking forward to getting to Costa Rica. I’m very curious about who I’ll be living with and who my co-students will be!

I started my trip yesterday when I took the train from my hometown Vaasa to the Finnish capital Helsinki. I went out on a couple of beers with some friends and did manage to catch two hours of sleep before it was time to take a taxi to the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport! 🙂

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