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Escape to the Château de Versailles
Just a short train ride away from Paris is one of the true crown jewels of the region, the Château de Versailles. Also known as the Palace of Versailles, this structure holds a rich cultural and historical significance. Plus, it’s absolutely gorgeous! During a simple afternoon or day trip from Paris to the Château de…
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Barcelona Halloweekend
After visits to Amsterdam, Sevilla, Córdoba, and Madrid, as well as a very long eight hour bus ride over night, Riana and I finally made it to Barcelona! We were excited to get the weekend started, but if you remember, this wasn’t actually my first time in this city. Read about my first trip to…
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Madrid, Spain
After Amsterdam, Sevilla, and Córdoba, the next stop on our great Spanish adventure was Madrid! While I know many people who have studied abroad or worked here and have great things to say about the city, I didn’t know much of what to expect for my own visit. Thankfully, we had tons of recommendations that…
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Sevilla, Spain
Every six weeks, the French school system gives students (and teachers!) two full weeks of vacation. For the my first vacation, the Vacances de Toussaint, I wanted to check out some new parts of Spain with friends and practice the Spanish I learned in my last couple of years of college. The adventure began in…
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Day trip to Córdoba, Spain
Since studying it in my Cross-Cultural Analysis class during my sophomore year at Tulane University, I have dreamed of exploring the city of Córdoba, Spain, and specifically, the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba. While spending a few days in Sevilla, I found that taking a day trip to Córdoba was the perfect way to make it happen…
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17 Hours in Amsterdam
I almost always try to avoid layovers, as long as the locations (and, of course, the price) are right. When we looked into the flights from Paris to Sevilla for the Vacances de Toussaint, however, this didn’t seem to be an option. The best flights for our situation all included a layover of at least…
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Parisian Café Culture
Block after block, no matter what part of the city you stumble upon, quintessential Parisian cafés are ready to welcome you with open arms and your choice of caffeine or a cocktail. A significant piece of Parisian culture is taking a seat on a terrace, facing the haussmanien buildings across the street, sipping on some…
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Weekend in Ireland
So I may have arrived in France one day before my visa began, which, according to French bureaucracy, messes everything up when activating and confirming the visa… Time to take a trip outside the Schengen Zone and get a new entry stamp! Two weeks ago, I did my first-ever international solo backpacking trip! I’ll be…
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Getting Sick While Abroad: Round 2
Almost exactly three years ago, I shared my saga of getting a killer gastrointestinal virus in France here. Unfortunately, I had a very similar experience just a few days ago. Maybe Octobers in Paris just aren’t my thing. This time, however, a few things were different. Most notably, I encountered the addition of a fever…
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Taste of Paris Festival
The two most “French” things I can think of are French food and the French language. Sound about right? Naturally, for someone hoping to learn more about French culture, a day that successfully combines both of these things is a dream. The annual Taste of Paris festival allowed me to not only try countless incredible…
Robin Round the World 