Easter Break Europe Excursion
Hey everyone!
As I mentioned in my last post, I got to enjoy the longest Easter break, equivalent to our spring break, for about 4 weeks until last weekend. My friend and I planned our Europe excursion weeks before the break so we could get the best deals on flights, buses, and hotels. Our itinerary was we would first fly to Nuremberg, Germany and then utilize planes and buses to travel to Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; Brussels, Belgium; Amsterdam, Netherlands, and then finally, back to Manchester, England. Throughout the excursion, I got to experience many different cultures of various countries and also from different regions of a country. For example, people’s attitude towards tourists and the general atmosphere of Nuremberg in Germany was distinctly different from its northern capital city Berlin. The city felt slower paced and seemed more authentic. Also, people seemed more open-minded and friendly towards tourists even though less local people were able to communicate with us in English.
Looking back at the trip, my favorite city was Prague and my least favorite was Brussels. Prague is a beautiful and historic city with lit up bridges and the castle at night, almost like it’s from a fairy tale. It also had a really fun nightlife and delicious desserts, such as Trdelnik. On top of everything, most of the locals spoke English and the cost of living was so cheap compared to other countries I’ve visited. On the other hand, Brussels only has a small city center, near Grand Place, worth visiting. All of the tourists were packed in some narrow pedestrians-only streets, I couldn’t really walk around freely around the landmarks. Belgium is supposed to be known for their amazing waffles and pastries, but I could not find them far better than others. Finally, the cost of living was pretty expensive.
Once I am back in Manchester, England after this break, I am not sure if I will have another opportunity to visit any other countries in Europe since traveling is fairly expensive unless it’s booked in advance and there isn’t much time between now and the final exams. However, I hope the rest of my time abroad will be filled with other fun experiences that I can share with all of you!
