Mediterranean's Best Kept Secret; This is MALTA.

The Group

Just got back from a 6-day semi-spontaneous trip to Malta with two friends of mine from Lausanne, Jenna and Daria. We have been back now for 7 days and the only question we keep asking each other is: "When are we going back to Malta?" This should give a little idea as to how our vacation went on this one-of-a-kind island.

First impressions are everything in my opinion and my first impression of Malta as a culture-rich country with almost no poverty, welcoming locals, cheap (delicious) food, and beautiful scenery was lasting. One thing I hadn't realized until I went to Malta was how much I missed the ocean. Granted it's the Mediterranean sea, not the Pacific, but being a California native with only the lake to comfort my ocean withdrawals here in Lausanne, you can probably see why it was so nice to be near a body of salt water with waves again.

Beach near Calypso's Cave

Words describing Malta: stunning, heart-stopping, majestic, moving; basically a place like no other I have ever been to.

How we came to decide to go to Malta is a story in itself. One of the girls I traveled with has a friend studying in Spain and she mentioned to my friend how she wanted to visit Malta. We would find out later that this friend of Jennas' made a mistake in her message, wanting to visit Morocco not Malta. Also her plane would end up being cancelled and she would never make it to Malta. But despite this and despite not ever meeting her, I feel compelled to have to thank her for basically creating our Malta trip.

Famous Fungus Rock at Dwejra

I'll admit, when Jenna asked me if I was interested in going for vacation there, the first thing I did as the typical north American was "google" Malta. Of course I had heard of it before, but what I didn't know were some key essentials such as geographic position (south of Sicily), language (Maltese and English), and what I would discover when I got there, little things like they drive on the other side of the road. Trust me when I say, Maltese cab drivers do not appreciate when a tourist trys to get in on the right side or driver's side of the cab; they think you are stealing the cab!

The Azure Window

When we arrived we didn't know what to expect; we also didn't plan anything and just decided to wing it. The first day we took a ferry to the north island, Gozo and then ended up taking a tour bus (shameful I know, but to be fair it was my first tour bus) around the whole island. The next day we took a harbor cruise, seeing Valletta (capital city) and other shore sights.

By the end of the trip I think the three of us could agree that we had learned as much history about one country as we did about our own countries in our entire high school career. This small, densely populated island has seen it all from being ruled by Britain, Napoleon, Tunisia, ancient Greeks, Romans, Sicilians, and even the knights of St. John as well as being supposedly where St. Paul was shipwrecked and where Odysseus was held captive for seven years by Calypso.

View from our Hotel

Since our trip, we have noticed that we came and went at a good time because of recent events in Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt and with Malta being so close to North Africa, the island is now experiencing an influx of refugees and foreigners. And of course after the famed London trip, I would hate to get stuck on another island and have to experience every mode of transportation besides a plane! That's not to say, we did not have our share of trouble in Malta, but as usual with our trips, the good always outweighs the bad. As a young student traveling through europe I take everything with a grain of salt and look at the big picture which is to say: I'm going with the flow and having the time of my life.

Well until next time, au revoir!!

St. Julien's Bay in the Background

Gozo

St. Paul's Bay

Last Semester at a Glance

I have been in Switzerland now for one semester and after just getting back from winter holidays I've decided to make up for my lack of writing on a regular basis with this LONG post summing up my semester abroad. Luckily I've decided to stay another semester and have made the New Year's resolution of  writing more this coming semester.

So since I love lists so much, I've decided to include a couple here...

Places I've Been and My Favorite Sights Seen There:


1. Tourin, Italy- Piazza Castello; huge piazza full of life and where I was introduced to "aperitivo."

2. Varese, Italy- Nikki's house- finally seeing where my childhood best friend grew up and currently lives.

3. Paris, France- Many great sights, but probably my favorite would have to be the La Basilique du Sacre Coeur and the fantastic view of Paris it has to offer. Driving on the spur of the moment and on an impulse decision with four friends was probably the best way to start a trip to Paris.

4. Milan, Italy- shopping is wonderful (if you have the budget) and also Sforzesco's Castle also known as the "fortress" is an interesting place with much history.

5. Rome, Italy- apart from being in the best company one can travel with and that includes my best friend, Rachele, there are just too many great sights to list them all. As an art history buff, this was my personal heaven and favorite sights included: Hadrian's Temple, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, St. Peter's Basilica (esp. the view from the dome), Trajan Column, and the Sistine Chapel. I also enjoyed spotting various works of art by many of my favorite artists such as Bernini scattered throughout Rome. A great nightlife spot was Campo dei Fiori where you could eat the famous "Carciofi alla Romana" or Roman artichokes.

6. London, England- one of the many characteristics I liked about this city was how almost every museum being owned and funded by the government was free to the general public. The British museum  featuring the famous Rosetta Stone and the Tate museum featuring many modern artists such as Picasso, Cezanne, and Matisse were my two favorite sights in the whole city. I also enjoyed seeing St. Paul's Cathedral (only unlike the museums and the Catholic Churches, it is not free), the area of Notting Hill (not as exciting as the movie makes it out to be), and Piccadilly Circus.

7. Unplanned/unconventional trip back to Geneva from London- due to weather conditions our trip back to Geneva included everything EXCEPT a plane; but since I always look on the bright-side, I do have to say I saw some places that I probably wouldn't have gotten to see otherwise. These places included: Cliffs of Dover and the English Channel, Strasbourg (beautiful German style city in France with wonderful Christmas markets), Luxembourg (very small country), and Belgium (just drove through).

8. Zurich, Switzerland- probably one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been too; so much to offer. Another one of my spur of the moment trips so we just walked around the city and went wine-tasting instead of having a set list of things to do.

9. Gruyères, Switzerland- the typical Swiss landscape that we all know Switzerland to be. I took my parents here at the end of october, which I would recommend as the perfect time to go. This enclosed medieval town is set upon bright green hills with grazing cows surrounding it and the snow-covered alps in the background. Famous for its' views, castle and of course fondue made with the well-known namesake; Gruyère cheese.

10. Montreux, Vevey, and St. Saphorin, Switzerland- these three small towns lie alongside Lac Leman (or as Americans know it is, Lake Geneva) and they are part of what is known as the "Swiss Riviera." Another great place to visit during the Christmas market season, but all three towns offer great views during the spring as well. Vevey homebase for Nestlé is known for its' interesting food museum and giant fork statue sticking out of the lake.

11. Lugano, Switzerland- Located near the Italian and Swiss border, it is one of the largest cities in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland and is located on a beautiful lake.

12. Florence, Italy- a quaint town about 3 hrs. north of Rome by train. One of the best places I've been to for shopping (esp. if you like leather products). Its' city center is domineered by the magnificent duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore, also if you are into the art scene, the famous "Birth of Venus"by Botticelli and other notable works of art are located in the Uffizi museum.

Must-Eat Food:


Switzerland- Flammkuchen or tarte flambée: thin pizza-esque with a cream sauce and onions and bacon ; Crepes: the origin is fought over by the French and the Swiss but either way these delicious "pancakes" can serve as either a snack or a meal ; Fondue: you haven't tasted real fondue until you have Swiss fondue made with either Raclette or Gruyère cheese.

Italy- the most obvious are pizza, espresso, pasta and gelato. Less obvious choices are Roman artichokes, pumpkin pasta, and panna.

England- after trying traditional British fish and chips, I can say I was not very impressed but what I was impressed by was the authentic (cheap) Indian food widely available due to the large Indian community living in London.

Germany- Schnitzel: pork, the most eaten meat in Germany, also if in Berlin, I highly recommend trying Berliner Weisse beer; a strong beer that is served with either a raspberry syrup or sweet plant syrup.

Things I've Learned:


1. First and foremost Switzerland is by far the MOST EXPENSIVE country in Europe if not the whole world. To put things in perspective; the U.S. dollar is at about the same exchange rate as the Swiss franc, but an average meal at McDonald's costs 12 to 14 francs a.ka. 12 to 14 dollars!!

2. Switzerland is full of anything BUT people who are "cold" and "neutral". In this country, the people are diverse, warm, and welcoming. Lausanne, especially is a young city with great nightlife and a large amount of international students.

3. Paris is overrated...there I said it! Yes you have to go see this legendary city at least once in your life and yes it does have alot to offer but it is very touristic and doesn't show the "real" France. The best thing to do is to visit Paris and another city (or two) in other parts of the country.

4. Driving:


Switzerland- Slow, meticulous, follows all rules and will stop for pedestrians at any cost!
Italy- The more south you go, the more crazy it gets and the less the stop sign is actually obeyed; walking on Rome streets can be compared to walking through a minefield.
France- only noticed this in Paris, but the gas stations are hard to find because they are not really stations but random pumps located on the sidewalk.
England- they drive on the left side of the road; need I say more?

5. easyJet can be your best friend and your worst friend; where else can you find a domestic two-way flight for as low as 30 euros? But, word of caution: no seating arrangements, so you will have to go back to your elementary school "lining up" days. Also deskstaff most likely are outsourced ergo they don't work for easyJet and don't care about your problems. On a lighter not, the pilots are some of the highest paid in Europe so they are the best of the best!

6. If you have an EU passport or can apply for one, your life will be so much easier in Europe. As a non-German speaking but German passport holder, I can go on forever about all the discounts, shorter lines, less paperwork I endure.

Last but not least...traveling in Europe is expensive, but I can attest that falling into debt has never felt better! Just four months in Switzerland and I feel like a completely new person. Being able to witness events from around the world as an "European" such as the Tunisia/Egypt protests, Australian floods, Wikileaks scandal, and the shooting of Arizona rep. Giffords has broadened my horizon and contributed to my view of journalism.

Can't wait to see what is in store for me this semester...

Upcoming trips: Berlin (currently), Malta, Marseille, Barcelona, Andorra, Istanbul, Majorca and Biarritz!

Ciao!