European Studies

05-07/12

Paris, Versailles, Rome, Vienna

︎︎︎ Based in Versailles ENSA for peak inside a Beaux Arts school.
︎︎︎ Hand sketching, diagramming and journalling to take the details in.
Europe was an eye-opening event for me. I was forturnate to be part of a small group (12) on what became one of the last European Studies programs to take place in Versaille with OSU. We spent most of the time in Paris, some in Rome, and a couple weeks on our own. The analysis portion consisted of four parks (Paris), three cathedrals (Paris), and three plazas (Rome). Beyond that we kept a personal journal and a sketch journal for documenting our interactions.
A week long road trip took us to northwestern France to Normandie, Mont. St. Michel, Rouen, Honfleur and several other small towns along the way. Shortly after returning to our apartments in Versailles (where we stayed outside Paris); we embarked on a sketching trip over the weekend to Bruges, Belgium. The scenery was serene and beautiful. I spent a total of 35 days mostly in France before heading off on the second leg of the trip in Italy.
Rome was quite the surprise. A friend and I travelled together for a few days prior to reuniting with the group. We arrived in Rome a few days before the group and visited Ostia Antiqua and the beaches of Lido di Ostia. After getting settled into the student housing in Trastave; we spent the next week and a half strolling through the history of every corner of Rome from ancient to modern. And for the final bit we were on our own, though most travelled in smaller groups at this point. Some stayed in Italy and visited the alluring Cinco Terre area of Northern Italy. While the rest of us set off to see more of Europe.
My friend Craig and I chose to join for this last leg of the trip in Vienna. He was interested in classical music history and my interest in living there made this an obvious choice. I had plans to continue on to Prague, but a cancellation by the airline forced me to have to return a few days early. No loss here though. I was able to make the best of the situation at this point. The casual travels around the continent over the last several weeks had given me the confidence needed to bootstrap my return journey into an unforgettable side trip. I was able to return to Paris from Vienna via overnight train which arrived mid-morning in Zurich. What a sight to see the backdrop of the Alps over Zurich Sea. I spent the day in Zurich wondering from the old city to the modern apartments and by the container box Freitag store. I had some amazing chocolates and coffee, followed by cheese samples of course, before hopping back on the train for Paris that evening.
I can't say enough about how inspiring this experience was. It truly changed my perspective on society and how people should live together. It also emphasized that diversity is the key to creativity and balance.