When In Europe…

TGIF to everyone! This first week post-spring break flew by. During this time, time usually does fly. I mean, we only have 4 weeks of class left and finals week. Oh wow, that makes me uneasy. Anyway, if you have been following some of my blog posts regarding my spring break, awesome. If you haven’t make sure to check some of my blog posts on this site, and well as my other blogging page.

After some reflection, and by some, I mean a ton, I realized that this was my last spring break as an undergraduate, and I did it with a bang by going to Europe! I write about my adventures and could ramble on and on, but I just want to share my highlights with you all. If you the opportunity, I would recommend you visiting some of these places, or just traveling in general. It’s been a blast telling my friends these stories, and it is also weird to say that I was in Europe less than a week ago! Anyway, here are my top 5 experiences this past break!

1. Gdansk, Poland

Gdnask is a city in Poland that lies on the Baltic Sea. This city is about twice as large as Grand Rapids, Michigan. But this city was filled with so much history, being the site where WWII during the invasion of Poland. The architecture and buildings in Stare Miasto (or Old Town) We’re replicated to match what they were pre-WWII and they did an amazing job. It was chilly when I was here, but that’s because it was on the water!

2. Trains

Instead of driving from city to city, my friend Dimitrie and I decided that it would be European to travel via train. When in Europe, do as the Europeans do, right? The metro and train systems in Europe are merely amazing, and it makes me sad that the US doesn’t have an awesome system like Europe’s. Not only are trains fun, but they were very cheap and affordable.

3. Warszawa (Warsaw)

Warsaw is Poland’s capital and largest city. With the cities we visited, this was definitely the most modernized one with skyscrapers, food, and shopping everywhere. Despite its modernization, my favorite aspect of Warsaw was Stare Miasto (Old Town). Again, it was destroyed in WWII, but the efforts that were invested to recreate it make it look like no one touched a building. Europe is just better than the States at time merely because of its extensive history, and this is evident through the design and structure of European cities.

4. Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp

Out of my top 5 experiences, this would be my favorite. Although emotionally draining and painful to experience, being at Auschwitz was purely powerful. To see what prisoners have been through makes me not only cringe, but my heart also cried for them. To realize the atrocities conducted here was just unbearable. This is a place to visit sometime in your lifetime. Your perspective truly does change. If you want to read more about Auschwitz, make sure to check out my post on it!

5. Last but not least, Copenhagen!

Despite that Dimitrie and I were only in Poland for a limited amount of time, we did Copenhagen right, hitting up the most important landmarks! We visited the Little Mermaid Statue, visited a fortress, and NyHavn, my favorite part of Denmark! NyHavn is a section of Copenhagen that is within its canal system with shops and restaurants along the water. What a sight! It is such a beautiful country, but their prices definitely took a toll on my wallet. I got used to Poland because it was very cheap their, so Denmark was a stretch, but so worth it! There was just so much history again, making it one of my favorites!

Enjoy these pictures I took from each of my top 5 experiences, everyone! Thanks for reading!

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Published by Marvin Solberg

Greetings! My name is Marvin Solberg and my hometown is Traverse City, Michigan. I am a Hope College senior studying nursing, and aspire to obtain my Ph.D. in nursing research with the ultimate goal of becoming a professor. At Hope College, I am involved in Student Activities Committee (SAC), Student Blogging at Admissions, Ballet and Hip-Hop Club, Hope College Immersion Trips, and I am a nursing teaching assistant (TA)! I love God, my family, and friends. There's truly no place like Hope College; I call it my home away from home!

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