Welcome to EPFL!

I had a fantastic first week here at EPFL, Despite attending a whopping 10 hours a class on Tuesday! And I have discovered three important things during this first week. Here they are:

Exhibit A

1. The Swiss really, really, really like identification cards! There is a card for everything here! We have student ID cards, cards for the metro, cards for taking the train, cards for doing laundry, cards just for being an exchange student, you name it and you can bet they make a card for it!  And, of course, each one requires a passport photo of you pretty face, and if you lost your photos (like I did) you have to get new pictures taken at a sketchy booth in the metro station with horrible lighting that makes you look like you just got home from the drunk tank.

EPFL

2. There will be no studying this semester... okay, maybe a little (or a lot right before the exam session begins!) But in general, the difference between courses here and back home in the good 'ol USA is that, here, homework doesn't really exist. At first thought, this is amazing! I'm abroad, with no homework, the world in my oyster! But this also means that you have to have the willpower to study on your own so you don't fail the exam that decides the fate of your GPA. This could be a bit problematic, especially with all of the fun events that the study abroad association has planned for us!

Fondue with new friends

3. The third, and probably most important lesson I learned this week, was how to eat Swiss fondue. The other newbies and I were even given a brief presentation on the art of eating this cheesy Swiss delicacy. Here, I will relay some of the finer points: don't just dip, stir! It is important to soak up as much cheese as possible with you bread, and the stirring keeps the cheese smooth and evenly heated. Step 2: do not drink cold beverages with your cheese fondue. It is tradition to drink tea or white wine with the meal. Other beverages are thought to cause the cheese to harden in the stomach and wreak havoc on your digestive system. It sounds a bit like an old wive's tale, but do you really want to risk it? And lastly, it is very important to vigorously scrape the bottom of the fondue pot in order to retrieve the coveted religieuse, which is the French term for the crusty cheese that remains when you finish your cheese!



With love, from Lausanne
Mindy

Hogwarts!

Daniel Radcliffe's Hand Prints

On Tuesday, Katie and i set off with our new friend Paula to explore a little piece of our childhoods. After a short train ride, and trip on a double-decker bus, we arrived at Hogwarts! Or as they call it, Warner Brothers Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter. This was, without a doubt, the best £30 I spent in London! 

The Great Hall!

When the tour began, two gigantic oak doors opened into none other than the great hall! I'm talking about the actual room where Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were sorted into Griffindor, and began their adventures at the school of witchcraft and wizardry! Then, we were ushered into a giant warehouse of a room, where displays of various costumes, props, and smaller sets had been erected. For example, the fancy getups our favorite characters wore to the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and the real Sorcerer's Stone used in the first movie, and even the Weasley's quaint home, the Borough. In this area, we were also given a lesson in the art of magical dueling, and got to gaze into the real Mirror of Erised!

Riding the Knight Bus

Next, we went outside to see larger sets like Number 4 Privet Drive, the Potter's home at Godric's Hollow, and the iconic Bridge that Neville Longbottom blows up in the final movie in order to thwart the invading death eaters! Other outdoor sights included the Knight Bus and the actual Flying Car! Outside, we also had the opportunity to buy pints of butter beer and other refreshments. (We chose to pass because we hear by word of mouth that butter beer is actually quite foul tasting.)

We then returned inside, where we saw the many animation machines used throughout the movies like the werewolves, Buckbeak, and The Monster Book of Monsters that chases Harry around his room in the third movie. Next on the list was the art department, where the world of Harry Potter was first imagined by the film crew's various artists and designers. Every set and prop in the films began with an image, though of and then sketched by creative minds. It was truly amazing to realize how much planning went into each detail! 

Hogwarts Castle

The tour ended with, what else, the Hogwarts Castle, itself! A scale replica of the Hogwarts Castle was constructed in meticulous detail for all of the close up shots of the towers and buildings in the movies. The only way to describe seeing Hogwarts up close in real life is mesmerizing. After spending 3 hours in the magical world Warner Brothers created for Harry Potter, I never wanted to leave. If you ever plan on going to London, and you have ever read or seen Harry Potter, this should be the first stop of your trip!


To see more photos of my adventure in London, follow this link.

With love, from Lausanne
Mindy

Stonehenge

Pasty Time!

Day three was our trip to Stonehenge! We slept in for the first time since our arrival and skipped over to the London Bridge DRL station where we had delicious Cornish Pasties for brunch! We stuck with the traditional flavor, and the warm meal was exactly what we needed on a cold London morning!

Stonehenge

Next we headed for Victoria Coach Station, where we met our bus for the nearly two hour trip to Wiltshire. After a refreshing nap, we awoke in the middle of nowhere. We were informed that this was Stonehenge and disembarked. We then boarded a trolley that took us to the stones. It was a beautiful day in the English country side and we had beautiful views of the monument. Unfortunately, we were not permitted to walk among the rocks because there are ancient artifacts buried beneath the site.

Although it was very cool to see and amazing to wonder how such a primitive people built such a heavy structure, Stonehenge was a bit underwhelming. By the time we returned to London, it was nearly dinner time and most other places of interest in the city were closed. At least we got some wonderful pictures

With love, from Lausanne
Mindy

Big Diamonds and Dodo Birds

Tower Bridge

On Sunday, we ate a quick breakfast at the hostel, and headed straight for the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels! On our way there, we crossed the iconic Tower Bridge. It is absolutely huge (and also very pretty by night!) Despite its beauty, we quickly snapped a few pictures, and nearly ran to the other side of the bridge to avoid the enormous gusts of cold wind.

After crossing the Thames, we bought our tickets (discounted if you have a European student ID card!) and entered the Tower of London, which is really many towers, surrounded by what used to be a large moat. There, we were led on a tour by a very comical Beefeater. We also peeked inside the bloody tower, where medieval torture devices are displayed and of course gawked at the Crown Jewels! (which is the real reason any girl goes to see the Tower of London, let's be honest.) I was very disappointed to find that photography is forbidden at this particular exhibit. :'(

  

Our Beefeater guide

Although a ticket for the Tower of London is a bit pricey at nearly £ 20 it was well worth the visit because the tours are included and the various exhibits keep you busy for hours. Plus, I would much rather get my British history from a guy with a funny hat and an English accent than a textbook!

After the Tower, we took the tube to the Museum of Natural History. The museum has tons of exhibits, and it would take days to see each of them. But, as we only had a couple of hours, we had to limit our choices. We first journeyed to the earths treasures exhibit, hoping to find big glittering gems. Unfortunately, the large diamond symbol on the map was very misleading, and instead we found samples of dull brown and gray minerals. Then we wondered through the natural disasters section which featured a room that actually shook to simulate an earthquake. Next, we ventured to an exhibit called "the vault" where we found the colorful gems we had been searching for! We wrapped up our visit with the mammals exhibit, which features a gigantic, Dodo birds and a life-size model of a blue whale and its skeleton! The museum was very entertaining, and the best part: it was free!

With love, from Lausanne

Mindy

Fish N' Chips!

Our journey began with a 3:50 am train ride to the Geneva Airport, but the early start was more than worth having an entire extra day in London. We landed at London City Airport around 7:00 am, where we rested and ordered coffee. I ordered a cafe mocha with a shot of Hazelnut. Then the barista gave me a confused look as if my request was completely bizarre. It took me a few moments to realize that he and I had very different meanings of the word shot! I am sure, for a moment at least, he thought I was a alcoholic trying to get my morning fix ;) Although London was a great vacation from the language barrier in Lausanne, it has some communication quirks of its own.

After checking into the St. Christopher Hostel, Katie and I set off on a free walking tour of the city. (Although not quite free, as it is customary to tip your guide at the end of the tour.)

Fish N' Chips, Yum!

On this tour, we saw all of the sites of Westminster, which is technically a separate city containing Parliament, Trafalgar's Square, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and, of course, Westminster Abbey. Our guide was very funny and showed us other lesser known sights along the way, like the memorial for Giro, the Nazi Dog owned by the Nazi German Ambassador of London. The tour ended in a local English pub, where we order the famous Fish N' Chips! It was perfectly battered and fried, and absolutely delicious!

China Town with our new friend, Paula

That evening, we explored Piccadilly Circus with our new friend Paula, where we had a beer at the White Horse Pub. Later, we happened upon London's China Town. As soon as you turned the corner, the streets were filled with red paper lanterns. It was quite beautiful while lit up at night! Before hopping the tube back to our hostel, we stopped for some chips and guacamole at a nearby Mexican restaurant called Chiquito. It was a wonderful first taste of London, and we were beat!

With love, from Lausanne

Mindy

The Olympics in Lausanne

On February 7th, the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia began. And where was I when the opening ceremonies started? The Olympic Museum in the Olympic Capital of course!

Cycling statue in front of the museum

Katie and I at the Olympic Museum

Althought the Olympics are not taking place in Lausanne, it is the headquarters for the International Olympic Committee and the city is home to a beautiful museum and park dedicated to Olympic history. I spent some time there enjoying the views and returned to watch the opening ceremonies with some friends at a free viewing ceremony inside the museum. (Which was very convenient for foreign exchange students without televisions!)

With love, from Lausanne
Mindy

Views From Lausanne

A week or two ago, I set out to explore Lausanne. I was on a personal mission to find the spot with the best view in the city. It didn't take me long to stumble upon a beautiful little park perched upon the hill side: d'Arrondissement de Lausanne. This little corner of green in a mostly concrete city is like a little piece of heaven. And on a clear day, you can see straight to the French Alps across the lake.

Not two days later, I was exploring a bit closer to the water, 
when I discovered another little gem: Le Parc Olympique. You 
almost forget you are in a bustling city when you enter this park. The trees and shrubs shelter you from the noise of the streets but still allow for picturesque views of the mountains. 

After searching the streets of Lausanne for the perfect view, I have concluded that there is not one best venue in the city. Every time you turn a corner in this town, white-capped mountains or sprawling cityscapes leave you in awe. Another one of my favorites is from the patio at Crêperie d'Ouchy. (But my judgement might have been skewed by my delicious banana-nutella crêpe and hot chocolate!)



With love, from Lausanne

Mindy

Paris: Take Two

Two weeks ago, Katie and I had the pleasure of taking a spur of the moment trip to Paris!

So, I would like to dedicate this post to the Swiss Visa Department. Without your snail-like processing speed, this little excursion would not have occurred.

Yes, Katie and I dropped everything and hopped a train to Paris, France in order to get my Swiss visa and, incidentally, saw all the typical sights of the city along the way.

After arriving at Gare de Lyon on Thursday evening and checking into Aloha Hostel, we hiked through the rain to the sparkling Eiffel Tower and took refuge at a pizzeria only a stone's throw away. Oh, and the pizza was as good as it looks!

The next day, after getting my visa straightened out, we made stops at Notre Dame, a crêpe stand, the Louvre and the Tuilerie Gardens. Our day culminated in a weary climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower (well, in our case, the second viewing deck) and a hot bowl of french onion soup at The Wilson restaurant just a few blocks away.

Our final day in Paris was short and sweet. Before we departed for Lausanne, we took a stroll through the Luxemourg Gardens and toured Sacre Coeur. But before catching our train, we had one last crêpe on Monte Mar.

Despite losing my cell phone somewhere along the way, we had a wonderful trip to Paris. I just hope my next visit will be a bit longer!

With love, from Lausanne

Mindy