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By bmlee18

I remember first watching the classic film, Roman Holiday, starring the beautiful Audrey Hepburn and the charming Gregory Peck. The Rome that I saw in the film was spectacular, and who would've thought then that I would be able to see Rome for myself? After my travels to Capri, I spent four fantastic days touring the Italian capital, marveling at Roman ruins, sampling delicious dishes, and passing by famous Italian fashion brands and gaping at the price tags.

Rome was similar to, but nonetheless uniquely different from the other Italian cities I had visited such as Florence and Venice. While all of these places were bustling with large groups of tourists from all around the world, Rome was especially packed and busy. And given the large amounts of tourists, there were plenty of salesmen and tour guides, waving around their goods and approaching you from all angles possible. I was especially shocked at the Vatican, where I must have encountered at least 50 tour guides trying to sell me special tour packages and skip-the-line tickets as I was walking the relatively short distance from the St. Peter's Basilica to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel.

I tend to be a pretty spontaneous traveller, ready to encounter and learn about a new place without extensive planning beforehand and figuring out things along the way. This worked out quite fine at the other destinations I had visited, and certainly added an element of adventure and surprise, but for the Vatican, I was totally wrong about choosing to go with the flow.

...continue reading "My ‘Roman Holiday’"

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By bmlee18

Sapphire seas bluer than the sky, amber sunset blanketing the town, emerald trees providing a welcoming shade, and white brick houses reflecting the warm rays of sunshine. This was Capri, a beautiful island situated in Italy's Bay of Naples. As part of my travels to Italy, I decided to visit the small island famed for its lush and rugged landscape, breathtaking coves and grottoes, and boutique shops selling breezy linen shirts and handmade sandals that come attached with a "Made in Italy" tag.

My visit to Capri was particularly special because I was able to fulfill a small childhood dream of mine. As an elementary student, I was assigned to write a research paper and to present on the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra), right off the coast of Capri. I remember collecting facts and pictures of the grotto, with the photos being particularly memorable because of their portrayal of the stunning blue color of the cavern's seawater. I had never fathomed that I would one day be able to take a small wooden rowboat through a narrow and tiny opening of the cave, witness the crystalline sapphire water light up the grotto, and hear the guide singing a few opera tunes and explaining how the grotto had once been the personal playground of Roman emperors.

The experience was much too short - perhaps no more than 10 minutes (probably more like 5 minutes) gawking at one of the most beautiful natural phenomenons to exist. While the cost advantage of the experience was somewhat questionable for the length of time we had spent, I can no doubt say that the Blue Grotto I saw that day was more stunning than the photos that I had used for my presentation 10+ years ago.

...continue reading "Capri – a gem off the Italian coast"

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Berlin has always been a city that I've wanted to visit. As an elementary student, I first learned about World War II and the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime. I remember taking great interest in this dark history of the 20th century and wanting to expand my knowledge on the subject, thus taking up lots of reading on the matter.

Last year at GW, I took a course on German history before and after reunification, which was one of the most fascinating courses I've ever taken. The class not only focused on the Nazi era, but also the period of divided East and West Germany and the subsequent reunification upon the "fall" of the Berlin Wall in 1989. It could be said that Berlin was at the forefront of the battle between the East and the West - a symbol of the split between the communist/autocratic and capitalist/democratic halves of the world during the Cold War (another era of history that I've taken a great interest in).

So to finally be in Berlin and to see for myself some of the sites that my professor had spoken about, from the infamous Berlin Wall to the various memorials reminding Berliners of the city and the country's past so as to never repeat them again, was truly powerful. Unfortunately, I had less than 24 hours to spend in this intriguing city, as it was a short layover during my journey from Prague to Milan. Despite this, I was able to see from the exterior some of Berlin's main sites and to hear a local's perspective on the city through a walking tour. With another friend who was visiting Berlin, we joined a group of around 15 people from various English speaking countries and traversed the city on foot.

Our tour guide had previously studied history in school, and we certainly benefited from his extensive knowledge on the city's past, from the powerful Prussian Empire to Hitler's rise to the division of the city into quarters - with the French, British, and American sectors eventually coalesced together as West Germany and the Soviet sector forming East Germany. Our guide was also able to share some personal family stories, as his parents had been East Berliners before the Wall came down.

...continue reading "Where past and present blends immaculately – Berlin"

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By bmlee18

It's been the start of my five-week long break, which has probably been one of the greatest perks of studying at Cambridge. Typically, students take this time to study for their exams and tweak their dissertations that are due next term, but given the different structure for my program's visiting students, I've been given the amazing opportunity to travel throughout Europe. Currently, my parents are here visiting me, and because they've never been to Europe before, we've really taken this time to explore and experience as many places as possible.

Among the destinations that we've visited thus far, I thought that I would share some of the most memorable places.

1. Happily ever after - Neuschwanstein Castle. From Munich, we took a two-hour long train ride to the Bavarian town of Füssen, eventually to reach the small but magical village of Hohenschwangau. Against beautiful mountains and a glistening lake, King Ludwig II had built this magnificent castle that became the source of inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. I was bewildered as to how a castle of such scale and grandeur was constructed on top of rugged peaks - truly a remarkable engineering success. While the view right next to the castle, as well as the interior, was breathtaking, I have to say that the best place to really gaze at Neuschwanstein was from Mary's Bridge (Marienbrücke), which was at a staggering height above a gushing waterfall. While I don't really have a fear of heights, I was actually quite frightened staring out at the ground below and walking to the middle of the rickety wooden bridge. It did make for some amazing photos, though, and was overall a wonderful respite from busy city life.

...continue reading "Trip through Central Europe!"

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By bmlee18

This past week has been a whirlwind, but it may have very well been one of the most memorable (and hectic) weeks I've had thus far this semester. It was my last week before the term ended, which meant that I had to finally submit the dissertation that I had been working on since the beginning of my studies here. At the same time, I was blessed with the company of my two friends who flew all the way from DC to visit me during their spring break. I was able to share with them some of my favorite aspects of life at Cambridge, as well as attempt new activities together that I had yet to experience.

Punting was one of these new experiences. Now, normally, when you row a boat down a river or some body of water, you have oars to do the task. Not with punting, however. To make life unnecessary challenging, punting requires you to move your boat with one very long steel pole. Basically, you have to use the steel pole to push off the base of the river to move and turn your pole left or right to steer the boat to your desired direction. Punting is perhaps one of the most quintessential (and not to mention quirky) elements of Cambridge that almost all visitors do before they are able to proudly and rightfully declare that they've been to the city.

Ironically, despite having lived here for the past two months, I had actually never been punting before my GW friends came to visit. I had the acceptable excuse of blaming this on the cold winter weather, but I had no reason not to go out on the river the past week, given the absolutely beautiful weather that finally announced the coming of spring. I thought that I was being smart and thrifty by choosing the self-hire option, rather than the guided tour option, which required the three of us to punt our own way down the college "backs." The folks who punted the guided boats made the task look so painless and easy that I thought to myself, "Well, how difficult can this actually be?"

...continue reading "Punting down the "backs""

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By bmlee18

I had the amazing opportunity to take a short trip to Madrid, Spain the past weekend. The voyage to Madrid was rather harrowing - I've never been very good at functioning on minimal sleep, but I had no choice but to stay awake the whole night, as my plane departed at 6am. At 3am, I boarded the bus from Cambridge to the airport, and after checking in and passing through security, I dozed off on the hard, uncomfortable bench by the gate like all of the other travellers around me who were waiting for their flights. Unfortunately, my flight was also delayed, and I remember feeling as if I was moving back and forth from a state of consciousness to a dreamy delusion - too nervous to fall completely asleep for fear of missing my flight, but also simply too tired to actually stay wide awake.

Despite the rather troubling start to my journey, once I landed in Madrid, I absolutely loved the city and knew that the lack of sleep and the restless night/morning at the airport were totally worth being able to bask in the warm Spanish sun and experience a new and exciting culture. As much as I love England, Spain was a really refreshing and exhilarating break. Madrid was such a vibrant and lively city, with people out and about at all hours of the day, and especially at night. This was different from Cambridge, or even London, where shops close much too early (especially on Sundays) and people are back at home by at least 6pm. Even the libraries at Cambridge (and there are many more libraries in this city than I have ever encountered elsewhere) close maybe at midnight latest, with most of them closing around 6 or 7pm, and not even open on the weekends. This certainly came as a shock when I first arrived because the sole library on GW's campus doesn't ever close, and past attempts to retract the 24/7 library hours have met vocal opposition from students. Now, don't get me wrong - I do appreciate the strict separation of work and personal life at Cambridge. But I really appreciated the energy and constant activity of Madrid, and the overall relaxed and laid back attitude people exhibited.

In Madrid, thanks to the afternoon rest culture of siesta, restaurants didn't even start opening for dinner until 8pm - so I was eating my meals at 10pm, which clearly broke from my habituated dinner time of 5pm in England. Perhaps one of my favorite places that I visited after a very satisfying dining experience of delicious tapas was Chocolatería San Ginés, a famous churro and hot chocolate cafe. To my surprise, I discovered that the cafe was open 24/7, and even at late hours of the night, people were standing outside in a long line that curved around the corner of the shop. Thank goodness for this cafe because it served possibly the richest and most delicious cup of hot chocolate I have ever had, which paired extremely well with warm, freshly made, deep fried churros. ...continue reading "Trip to Madrid!"

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By bmlee18

Last week, I had a friend take the morning Eurostar train from Paris to visit me for the day at Cambridge. It still baffles me how easy and painless traveling from one country to another can be here. Within 2 to 3 hours, you can find yourself picking up a baguette and a cup of coffee at a Parisian boulangerie to being served a steaming pot of aromatic tea and buttery scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam at a London cafe (add another hour to your journey, and you can find yourself at Cambridge).

Together, my friend and I were able to explore and visit the main attractions of Cambridge, and I thought that I would relay some of what we did that largely exemplifies what one should do when visiting this historic college town.

1. Grab a Chelsea bun and a cup of cappuccino at Fitzbillies. The signature pastry at this famous cafe would certainly be the Chelsea bun, which basically tastes and looks like a fancier version of a cinnamon roll. Who doesn't love a hot cinnamon roll to start off the morning? If you're wanting something less sweet, go for a scone, which couples very nicely with the cafe's excellent and rich cappuccino and/or latte. If you come later in the day, why not think about going through the whole ritual of afternoon tea (tea, scones, cakes, and finger sandwiches galore)?

2. Get lost at the Fitzwilliam Museum. This museum has a fantastic collection of art, ranging anywhere from ancient Egyptian and Roman sculptures to medieval European paintings to contemporary antiquities. In addition, my friend and I visited the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, which similarly had a very fascinating and wide array of artefacts from all around the world. What I thought was really unique was how numerous faculties had their own museums to exhibit research conducted and discoveries made thus far.

3. Marvel at the King's College Chapel. The chapel can easily be called one of the finest examples of Gothic English architecture and a symbol of the city of Cambridge. It's truly amazing to think of how the chapel continues to be a place of worship to this day, having been constructed approximately 500 years ago. While we were unable to attend King's Evensong, a sung chapel service particularly famous for its renowned choir, we were nevertheless lost for words as we walked around and marvelled at the beautiful architecture.

...continue reading "Visiting Cambridge? Try these things."

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By bmlee18

Ely. This small English city not too far from Cambridge probably doesn't strike you as familiar. I know that for me, I was so unfamiliar with Ely that I (and some of the other visiting students whom I went on the trip with) had trouble deciding how to even pronounce its name, only being sure of myself when I finally found myself within the city grounds. I wasn't really sure of what to expect from this city that I had never heard of before, but perhaps this lack of expectations and knowledge was precisely what allowed me to be so astounded by the beauty of the place.

Now, I know that there are some unbelievably amazing architecture throughout the UK. Cambridge, my host city, alone features some of the most remarkable structures dating back to hundreds of years before America's founding. King's College Chapel, built in the 1400s, stands as one of the finest examples of Gothic English architecture, and I have the great privilege of walking past (and gaping at) the beautiful church everyday. As much as I was fascinated by King's College Chapel and other buildings throughout England, my visit to Ely Cathedral left me utterly speechless - especially after a tour of the Cathedral's Octagon Tower.

I am by no means an expert on architecture, although I did have a brief phase as a fourth grader when I was an avid viewer of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and wanted to be a cool carpenter building homes for others like the show's personalities. However, I know when to be marvelled at a great feat of architectural design and engineering - and Ely Cathedral was precisely this.

First of all, to see such a massive cathedral at the centre of a small town astounded me. The Cathedral was really the beating heart of Ely, and it was clear that around this place of worship, shops began to open and homes were constructed. Once I walked past the heavy wooden doors of the church, I was dazzled by the beautiful design of the walls and the stained glasses. But the true highlight of my visit was the tour of the Octagon Tower. To reach the tower, we took a set of spiral staircases - quite steep and dizzying - to reach the roof of the transept. From here, we had the most remarkable view of the city and the river, and despite the cold wind striking our faces, we could only stand gawking as we stood between the cathedral chancel and the Lady Chapel.


Bomie 2/14-1

...continue reading "A City of Surprises"

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By bmlee18

Stonehenge

This past weekend, I took a short day trip to the city of Salisbury, and from there, visited the world famous prehistoric monument we all know as Stonehenge.

Prior to embarking on this little adventure, many past visitors whom I'd spoken to had expressed mixed feelings about Stonehenge - that their actual visit fell short of their high expectations. Despite these reservations, I have to say that my trip to Salisbury and Stonehenge was very gratifying and would recommend to all as definitely worth taking. Stonehenge has been regarded as an amazing feat for our Neolithic ancestors, and I was undoubtedly fascinated by how they were able to so masterfully transport enormous stones and erect such site of worship and burial.

Aside from Stonehenge, the city of Salisbury has much to offer, from Old Sarum (the earliest settlement of Salisbury) to Salisbury Cathedral (which houses one of four original copies of the Magna Carta and features England's tallest spire). If Stonehenge alone does not excite you, then Old Sarum and Salisbury Cathedral should be convincing enough for you to plan your next trip there!

To guide your next outing away from the hustle and bustle of London, or wherever you call home, I'll be providing a few tips on how to get there and what to do, all within a modest budget (at least according to UK standards). As I did not get to visit places other than Stonehenge due to time constraints, I will be focusing on how to get to Stonehenge and what you should do at this iconic landmark.

...continue reading "Visiting Stonehenge"

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By bmlee18

Waking up at 6 o'clock in the morning... you could definitely call that a challenge. After futilely trying to dismiss the notion that my clock actually displayed "6:00," I pulled myself out of bed to get ready for the day. I hurriedly put on my long-sleeved training clothes, slipped on my green sneakers, and grabbed a banana to munch on for breakfast on my way to the boathouse.

This was my first day of rowing (crew) - a sport that seems to be a quintessential part of Cambridge. I had never done anything remotely close to rowing, never used an ergometer (rowing machine), and never personally witnessed a rowing race. But given the overwhelming popularity of the sport here (rowing seemed to be the focus of perhaps half of the conversations British students had), as well as my desire to experience something new and understand Cambridge's culture better, I signed myself up and somehow found myself walking through eerie alleys and splashing through muddy puddles at an ungodly hour of the morning.

The town was still deep asleep, shrouded by a pitch black veil. I trekked to the boathouse for a good 30 minutes, accompanied by my friend (another GW student), who was an experienced rower and thankfully gifted with an excellent sense of direction that guided us to the boathouse.

Soon after our arrival, we spent the next half an hour or so trying the ergs (short for ergometers), which was possibly the most confusing thing. You apparently needed to separate the movement of your arms, back, and legs to properly row, and consciously thinking about how my body should move only made me look all the more clumsy and awkward. "Legs, back, arms. Arms, back, legs. Now repeat. Ok... Why is my brain thinking one thing and my body doing another?"

...continue reading ""Row, row, row your boat, gently down the Cam…""

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