Inter-railing – Your Ticket To Europe!

Want to get away and explore the continent but can’t choose where to go? Hardly surprising really given the endless choice of cultural gems dispersed amongst the array of European cities. How does one choose between the overpowering romanticism of Florence and the Gothic beauty of Prague? Between the bright lights of Amsterdam and the colourful nature of Barcelona? Or between the idyllic Paris and the historic Berlin? Well, what if you didn’t have to make that choice? Make the most of the close proximity of these European hotspots, just buy yourself an Interrail ticket…and visit them all! Pick a friend or two (or go solo), pack your rucksack and simply hop on a train. Excuse the cliché, but the world really is your oyster.

“Eleven cities in three weeks? Wow, that’s…ambitious” is what people often said when we told them our summer plans, and when having not even left the country yet and our very first train was cancelled, I must admit, I was beginning to agree. But one replacement train and a Eurostar ride later, I found myself half way up the Eiffel Tower with two of my best friends, looking out across the French capital at night. The combination of the tower lit up and sparkling against the black of the Parisian night sky, along with the panoramic views of lights piercing the darkness all across the city, made the end of day one nothing less than enchanting.

 

Photo Credit – Harriet Barter

A few days and a good eleven hours on a train later we found ourselves in country number two, in the incredible city of Barcelona. If you’re looking for colour then Barcelona is the place to go. The coloured and patterned works of Antonio Gaudí, the architectural face of Barcelona, are displayed all around the city (as pointed out on our three hour city bike tour!) with arguably the most iconic being the Sagrada Familia; Gaudí’s still unfinished master-piece at the heart of the city. If you think it’s impressive from the outside just wait until you go in – it’s absolutely breathtaking! And if Gaudí’s colours weren’t enough, be sure to make your way up to the Magic Fountain one evening. This huge fountain, located in front of the National Art Museum of Catalonia, combines light, colour, music and water acrobatics to create a stunning performance, leaving no doubts as to where it gets its name. Undeniably the perfect way to end our stay in Barcelona.

The beauty of Interrail is that you can just hop on a train and within as little as three hours you could be in a totally new country. Which is great…Until the French Transport Workers decide to strike! After a few very stressful days and a replacement bus journey through France, it was ‘adiós España’ and ‘ciao Italia!’ Pizza, pasta, Prosecco, the leaning tower of Pisa, the sunset over Florence, a gondola ride in Venice and a visit to Juliet’s balcony in Verona… To name but only a few of the delights Italy had to offer. I completely fell in love with the Italian culture, and studying Italian means my return trip is already being planned!

 

Photo Credit – Hariet Barter

The more eastern side of our trip gave us a day in Vienna, before a couple of days exploring the Czech capital of Prague. Despite the constant rain, our spirits were not dampened as we loved the overwhelming beauty of the gothic Czech architecture. We also enjoyed an evening of traditional food in an underground restaurant, where we were personally serenaded by a Czech violinist as stuffed animals gazed down upon us from the walls – very surreal!

Our penultimate stop was Berlin, with a visit to the Reichstag being one of the highlights of the whole trip. Not dissimilar to Paris, we were presented with panoramic views of the sun setting over the whole city as we made our way around and up the huge glass dome . The remains of the Berlin Wall are also a must see in the German capital and although we refrained from spending our limited budget on a piece of the wall (10€ for a bit of stone in a pot!), we did spare some change on getting our passports stamped at Check Point Charlie- a fitting souvenir from such an iconic historical city.

Another five hours on the train (bringing our grand total to 67 hours spent on trains) took us to Amsterdam. With friends in all the right places we had our own personal tour guide who taught us all there is to know, visiting all the landmarks. We clambered up onto the ‘I Amsterdam’ sign for a photo, and visited the infamous red light district – a very bizarre experience! Charmed by the city and its canals, Amsterdam is high on the list of places to go back to. But, having most definitely had enough of trains by this point, we boarded the ferry at Hoek van Holland and sailed our way back to English turf.

So eleven cities in three weeks may perhaps have been a little ambitious, it was at the same time very achievable, and saved us from having to choose. Having loved every second we would not hesitate in sacrificing a few nights in TP to save for another ticket for another trip to all the places we missed out the first time.

So my advice? Do it while you’re young and do it while you can – these extensive university summer holidays aren’t going to be around forever!

 

Harriet Barter

A Weekend In Paris

Paris. Renowned for it’s cliché-lined cobbled streets, this ‘City of lurrve’ has long since held the title of being THE go-to romantic getaway destination. And this summer, Online Lifestyle Editor, Emma Brisdion, was lucky enough to have the chance to dive in and experience the Parisian way of life for a wonderful weekend away.

 

Photo Credit – Emma Brisdion

For years I’d heard many things, and like so many others, had a perfectly formed image of Paris in my mind, with inspiration clearly taken from rom-coms and well-loved social stereotypes. The weeks leading up to the trip were filled with fantasies of afternoon saunters along the River Seine, of a rich coffee aroma pouring out of quaint cafes, and of cigarette and baguette wielding locals who were too busy being chic to be polite.

I was definitely not disappointed. While London is an eclectic tapestry of old and new, the heart of Paris showcases its stunning, almost uniform, pale stone architecture, whose buildings and bridges feature sculptures and carvings inspired by the city’s rich history.  The relatively low skyline of which, is broken only by France’s iconic mascot; The Eiffel Tower.

There are endless possibilities of how to spend your weekend, and in a city riddled with culture, it’s often hard to know where to start your adventure, so I’ll share with you just a few of the things I picked up along the way:

First of all, surviving the taxi ride to the hotel is always a bonus; with local drivers seemingly inventing their own paths through the 4 lanes of traffic at 60mph around the city, chances are you’ll want to walk after you’ve seen your life flash before your eyes a few times.

And luckily plenty of things are within walking distance! Be sure to take a wander through the gardens of the Champs Elysees, working down from the Arc de Triumph, sampling the fruits of the local markets, until you reach The Louvre and prepare for a cultural afternoon (or a quick nip in to see the unexpectedly small Mona Lisa). Just keep your eyes open for pick-pockets…

 

Photo Credit – Emma Brisdion

Use the Velib and hire a city-bike (the Parisian equivalent of Boris-Bikes) and explore the city at a slightly faster pace; cycling along the river bank past the many ornate bridges that decorate the Siene is a romantic idea worthy of any rom-com, until you hit the cobbles… Be prepared for a VERY sore bum when you eventually reach the Notre Dame, as these bike seats are not padded!

It would be almost criminal not to visit the Eiffel Tower, and you certainly wouldn’t be worthy of the title ‘Tourist’ if you managed to avoid the city’s biggest landmark. But here’s a thought, instead of joining the crowds and wasting a few hours queuing during the day, spend that time soaking in the atmosphere in a little café on a lesser known side-street, watching the day-to-day life of Paris roll by. Then, cobble together your best pre-GCSE French, to spend dinner with a bottle of wine as the sun goes down.

Only then, when the bottle is empty and you’ve enjoyed your sea-food platter, are you ready to see Paris in its most truly spectacular fashion, at night. Do it properly, and CLIMB the Eiffel Tower. Sure, there’s plenty of steps between you and the top, but the stunning view of the city lit up below is beyond worth it. Plus, you’ve had enough wine to think the walk is a fantastic idea…

 

Photo Credit – Emma Brisdion

No matter how you feel about The Tube, or how much you may be regretting last night’s Vin Rouge, get up early and hop on The Metro until you reach the Moulin Rouge. And while it may still be open for shows, I’d say just take a peek, then head uphill, towards the Sacre Couer and take a few moments to sit on the steps outside and take in another breathtaking view of Paris unfolding below.

 

The square found just to the right was then possibly the perfect place to spend our farewell lunch before we returned home. We sat outside in the sunshine amongst local painters illustrating their hometown, enjoying moules-frites with yes, you’ve guessed it, more wine, and were serenaded by an old man sporting a beret and a violin. How beautifully cliché.

 

Emma Brisdion, Online Lifestyle Editor 

Exploring… The Centre Pompidou

Becca Humphrey explores the artwork displayed in the Centre Pompidou during her visit to Paris.

The Centre Georges Pompidou, named after the former Prime Minister of France, houses some of the most controversial artwork in Paris. At this point in my stay I had just visited the Louvre and was longing to see artwork that was more contemporary, colourful and daring.

The exterior of the building is a work of art in itself; it was designed by architects Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Gianfranco Franchini and is a complex structure which was designed to look ‘inside out’. The building looks like it is mid-construction because of its skeletal appearance and the huge ventilation pipes.  The centre is modern and characterless next to the typical neoclassical style houses which line the square. However, the design shows that even the necessary features of the building are as intricate as the art inside.  The centre contains within it the influential voices of the 20^th century who embraced modern architecture and never looked back.

The ‘inside out’ exterior
Image courtesy of Becca Humphrey

Eileen Gray’s temporary exhibition dominates the front of the building and, because of its insistence, it was this I first went to see. Admittedly, I did not manage to see all of her work but what I did left me feeling nothing short of a philistine. Walking into rooms that are filled with uncomfortable looking furniture leaves you quietly wondering what it is you’ve missed. I took the English student approach and racked my brain for meaning but my only thought was that you could probably find something pretty similar in IKEA. But with respect, Eileen Gray was a pioneer of the modern movement in architecture who succeeded in an artistic world which is, even now, largely dominated by men.

Jesus Rafael Soto’s current exhibition demonstrates a body of work which responds to abstract art and its founders, such as Piet Mondrian. Soto uses straight lines and angles but rarely curved lines, showing his insistence on mathematic precision. I imagine his late work has been influenced by the modern creative scene and technology in particular. Soto’s exhibition is like walking through Radiohead’s OK Computer, where every piece is as experimental as each song’s lyrics and sound. A painting like ‘Spiral’ is more than a series of circular shapes; it captures notions of isolation and madness. Moreover, Soto’s pieces can be described as geometrically perfect, by managing to achieve a series of optical illusions as you walk by.

The panoramic view
Image courtesy of Becca Humphrey

Another memorable exhibition belonged to Pierre Soulages; the French painter, engraver and sculptor who is hailed as one of the most influential artists of post-war abstraction. Soulages is also known as “the painter of black” as, unlike most artists, he uses it as the base for most of his pieces, a concept called “ultra black” or “outrenoir”. He says “when light is reflected on black, it transforms and transmutes it. It opens up a mental field all of its own”. Most of his works have no titles and so, are hard to identify but there was one piece in particular which was completely black, flat and lacking in texture. It represented a number of things to me, space, the absence of time and whether “nothing” can ever really exist. It felt like looking into a small black hole in the centre of the white museum space. Maybe that was Soulages’s point; you realise that such a simplistic expression can often say more than an over complicated piece by offering space to reflect.

There are selections by more familiar artists covering a period from 1905 to date; Picasso, Dali, Matisse, Modigliani and Hopper, including my personal favourite Nighthawks. The center is located close to Hôtel de Ville station on Metro lines 1 and 11. It is definitely worth visiting if you find yourself in Paris with a free afternoon; you won’t be able to cover everything even, as the center has so much to offer. For book lovers there is an impressive library collection of over 450,000 books, a movie theatre and of course, its remarkable panoramic view across the whole city.

Becca Humphrey