Students in their Fall 2024 semester of the Champlain Abroad program just had their week long fall break to do as they like! This means that we got the opportunity to travel across Europe or Ireland to do anything and everything for an entire week. Many students did in fact visit Europe, heading to locations like France, Scotland, London, and Iceland just to name a few.
A friend and I attempted to use up all seven days to do as much as we could. We went to three different countries: France, Slovenia and Scotland. They all offered so many different varieties of views, activities, and cultures to delve into, even if for only a minute.
Our first destination was France, where we were staying in a city called Nantes. Far away from the city of Paris, this town was surprisingly quiet and hosted a nice park with a botanical garden. We bought a few cheeses to be paired with locally bought sausages and baguettes, as in French tradition (they do it right).
We then made our way to Slovenia, where the massive tail end of the Alps met our gaze. This country was beautiful in almost every aspect, having amazing views from any where you would look. We went to the largest cave in Europe, known as Postojna Cave, where we took both a train and a walking tour inside, seeing the fated Olm creature. We also visited two of Slovenia’s castles, with one being inside the cave. It’s an interesting country that would have never crossed my mind until I came abroad, and I plan on coming back one day to do it all again.
Lastly we went to good ol’ Scotland. We stayed just on the outskirts of Edinburgh, where we did all the things that are mandatory, like seeing Edinburgh Castle. Scotland has beautiful architecture and street mapping to offer. I can see why they filmed so much of Harry Potter in this magical place.
Without the Champlain Abroad program, I would have never even thought of having the opportunity to really explore Europe. I couldn’t be more thankful for the program and the wonderful people who make it possible.
