A bird’s eye view of Cologne!

After recently returning from a German course in Cologne, I am happy to tell you how surprising and fascinating this city was!

As a person who travels a lot and been to Germany several times, I have been round various castles, churches and cathedrals, both in Germany and at home in Spain. But,  I’ve NEVER climbed up any historical building with a  view which can compare with the one you get from the Cologne Cathedral!

Going to the top of the Cathedral really is worth it – the stunning views you have from the top are amazing, though climbing the hundreds of winding stairs can be a bit of a challenge! You have to go up 509 steps of the spiral staircase, and the same for down! 😉

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Staying with a Host family

We are often asked by students about our recommendations for accommodation and I can honestly say that if want to make as much progress learning a new language as possible, staying with a host family is the best option!

The schools we work with visit each of the host families individually, to ensure that accommodation they offer is suitable for our students and that the family themselves are friendly and welcoming.

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¡Viva San Fermín!

San Fermín, one of the biggest and most impressive parties in the world, takes place every year in Pamplona, Navarra from 6 July to 14 July.

After spending three days in Pamplona, I came to the conclusion that I will never be able to thank my friend enough for inviting me to San Fermín.

The first thing I needed to do in order to enjoy San Fermín as a true Pamplonica was dressing in white while wearing a red scarf. Once I satisfied this condition, I was ready to go!

Witnessing the Chupinazo, in which a rocket is launched to mark the opening of the festival, is simply breathtaking. You cannot imagine how many people actually manage to fit in the Town Hall square until you go see it yourself!

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Oxford – A great place for studying and shopping!

I always wanted to visit this famous University town and last month I was finally able to go there.  Like we all do, the first thing I did when arriving in Oxford was to drop my luggage at the hotel. I stayed at the Randolph, which was an experience on its own because of its neo-Gothic style. The detective fans among us might know that this hotel is famous for the inspector Morse scenes that have been filmed in the hotels’ bar. The bar with the very original name 😉 ‘Morse bar’, is often visited by tourists to have a drink or just take some photos and then leave again.

I knew that Oxford is known for its University and colleges, but it was a positive surprise that it is also very good for shopping too! You can find many high street shops and department stores, but for a different shopping trip you should definitely visit the covered market, with many specialist shops, food markets, some hairdressers and small vintage boutiques. It was noteworthy that there were a lot of tourists and international students in the shopping areas. It wasn’t comparable to London’s Oxford Street, but the shopping streets of Oxford itself are certainly popular among tourists as well.

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European Health Insurance Card

State medical care throughout Europe should be relatively cheap, if not free for residents from the UK and the same applies to other European nationals travelling to other countries throughout Europe.

Recent shock headlines in the UK have brought to attention the need to make sure all your papers are up to date when you travel abroad. We at Apple Language Courses would always advise that you take comprehensive travel insurance but you should not be forced to pay for private treatment when in a European member country. Some European member countries have been accused of trying to avoid paying for state medical care for UK citizens abroad by not accepting the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

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Live music in Hamburg

If you love live music, you will certainly enjoy a stay in Hamburg! Naturally, big cities are always more frequently visited by musicians on tour, and the north German metropolis is one of the cities in Germany where they usually stop. But there are also some things that are special about Hamburg’s music culture and I’d like to share some of my experiences here.

As far as genres are concerned, there is really something for every taste. Of course, Hamburg is famous as a host to several award-winning musicals and it’s actually the third biggest musical location in the world, only outdone by New York and London. As for classical music, you have the Music hall Hamburg (Laeiszhalle) where both the Philharmoniker Hamburg and the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra play regularly. The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg is still under construction at the time of writing. This massive concert hall located at the harbour in central Hamburg calls itself “Europe’s largest cultural construction site”.

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Eurovision – WE ARE ONE!

The party is over for another year.

We enjoy watching and listening to everything that involves different countries and languages so we are naturally all big Eurovision fans here at Apple Languages!

Here are some thoughts I’d personally like to share about this event.

Each year I like to hold a Eurovision party where all guests represent one of the participating countries, dress up in a traditional outfit or flag and bring a typical dish from that country! Since watching the semi-finals, I thought Greece’s act was brilliant and one of the only songs that really captured my imagination of what the ‘party-mood’ should be like, so I decided to represent that country. Other guests at the party represented Italy, Sweden, Germany, Spain and England, so you can imagine that we had loads of delicious dishes!

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London – a city like no other

The UK is made up of many villages, towns, cities, green fields, rolling landscapes, historic buildings, polite and proper people, diverse regions, accents and cultures… and then there is London! London is the powerhouse of the UK economy, a truly global city matched only by the likes of New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo. As seemingly important for Europe as it is for the UK, it is the world’s most visited city based on foreign arrivals, has the world’s largest city airport system and the largest metropolitan area in the EU!

London may seem a daunting place in which to visit and learn English, but with all our schools in travel zone 1, close to underground stations and tourist attractions, together with all accommodation within easy reach, it could not be easier to take a language course in the UK’s capital city.

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Stockholm in my heart

I just came back from my fourth trip to Stockholm and already I can’t wait for my fifth! Stockholm is a lovely place to be at any time of the year and its location at the coast and the warm Gulf Stream make it warmer than you might expect from a Scandinavian city. This year I went in early May when the weather had just taken a change and all the trees and flowers just started blooming. It was really a great atmosphere in the city with all the Swedish people taking pictures of the blooming cherry trees and waiting in long queues to get some ice cream at lunch break!

A must during any stay in Stockholm is a walk through the old town which is called Gamla stan in Swedish. This part of the city, like all of them actually, is located on an island and connected to other parts of the city via bridges, subways and ferries. Gamla stan is home to the Swedish Parliament House, Royal Palace and Stockholm Cathedral, among others. The medieval architecture and cobbled streets found here are, in addition to its unique waterfront location, one of the reasons why Sweden’s capital is famed for its beauty.

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My Greek experience in Chania!

As a true lover of Crete I just had to visit the islands second largest city, Chania! Chania is a beautiful city divided in the old- and new town, with lots of historical sites in both parts and famous for its lighthouse and harbor.

It was quite late in the evening when I arrived in Chania for the first time. The streets were still very lively and the atmosphere was great. The main square is surrounded by restaurants and taverna’s, where both tourists and locals were enjoying their diner and drinks. We chose to have diner in one of the restaurants near the water, from there we had a perfect view over the traditional and characteristic lighthouse, which lightens up during the evening and night. After having an amazing souvlaki diner and downing the ouzo shots you get if you receive the bill (it is impolite if you don’t drink them, since it is a gift from the restaurant!) we decided to walk around for a bit.

Near the main square you can find an impressive building that has been bombed during the Second World War. In the old town you can find many historical sites that are related to the Second World War. You will also see some Turkish influence, near the harbour you can find a Turkish Mosque that is used as an indoor market and art gallery nowadays.

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