Visit Extraordinary Belgium

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By Andreas Top

Belgium is one of the favorite countries of tourists and students. Every year we receive more than 1 billion tourists. I would love to tell you guys something more about the places you must see. We have an abundant culture, from the beers to the French fries,…

Bruges

brugge

The spirit and history emits strongly in this lovely city of canals. Burges has beautiful architecture, particularly on the southern side of the city, for example The Grote Market Square.  If you are interested in visiting musuems, then you should go to the chocolate museum or the Belfort.

Brussels

Brussels

Brussels is the capital city of Belgium and is likely where visitors will begin their sightseeing. As the headquarters of many European institutions, Brussels might also be considered the capital for the European Union. The Grand Place is the city’s center and was established in the 13th century. There are terrace cafes and pubs around this central square, and other sites of interest such as the Gothic style Town Hall. The shopping is fun there, too.

Ghent

ghent

Ghent is a city of history. The impact of its past can be clearly seen when viewing the impressive architecture of churches and the houses of rich traders. The entire center of the city is restored in this style. Ghent is also one of the biggest student cities in our country, with more than 74,000 students.

Antwerp

antwerp

Antwerp is a city with many faces. While it may not be as historically preserved as Bruges or Ghent, it is a very dynamic city, offering a perfect mix of history and present-day modern life. Lovers of great food, great beer, and good times, this city is most well-known for the Diamond District, where more than 70 percent of the world’s diamonds are traded.

Leuven

leuven

Leuven has the oldest Catholic university.  It has 100,000 residents,  35,000 are students. Two long streets have interesting shops and galleries. You must visit the Belfry on St. Peter’s Church and the Grand Beguinage.

 

Why Should We Travel Alone?

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Beatrice Esposito, Italy

Going on a trip with your friends or with your family can be really awesome because you can share your experience with someone else who is close to you.

But have you ever thought about traveling alone? 

Here are 4 reasons why you should travel alone.

Focus on your destination

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You can totally choose the destinations that you like the most; you are not influenced by anyone, so you don’t have to go somewhere that you are not interested in. In addition, when you go on a solo trip you can concentrate on what you would want to visit without being influenced by other’s opinions.

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Meet locals

Since you are alone, you can’t talk with your friends or family when you have nothing to do, so you have to interact with people who live in that country. That can be a good thing because they can show you what are the best things to do in that place or you could even become friends with these people in order to experience the locals’ life.

Build confidence

At first it is absolutely scary and I can tell that it is true! I came to Los Angeles to study English and I flew from Rome to Istanbul and from Istanbul to Los

Résultats de recherche d'images pour « build confidence traveling »Angeles all the way alone. That scared me a little bit because I was scared I would take the wrong flight or I thought that something bad could happen. But at the end, everything was fine and I became more confident!

Learn about yourself

Last but not least, during your solo travel, you have to face who you are and you will better understand what you are interested in.Résultats de recherche d'images pour « Learn about yourself traveling »

 

So traveling with others you will find great friendship and you will have fun, but traveling alone you might find yourself.

Appenzell

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Raphaela Vogel, Switzerland

Appenzell is a region in the northeast of Switzerland. I will show you some of the places you have to see:

Mountains: Alpstein

In Appenzell, there are a lot of mountains. Altogether they are called Alpstein. The biggest mountain in Alpstein is called Saentis, which is 8,216 feet (2,504 m).  In the summer, there are a lot of hiking trails. In the winter you can go skiing and go for a winter walk in the snow.

Appenzellerland   Appenzellerland

One of the most popular mountains in Appenzell is called Ebenalp. It became very popular because of a restaurant on the way up. The restaurant is called Aescher and it was built precariously into the face of the rock.

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Cheese factory

Another typical thing for Appenzell is the cheese. We have our own cheese called “Appenzeller cheese”. In a little village called Stein, we have our cheese factory. Overthere you can look over the shoulders of the cheesemaker and you will see how they produce their cheese. And if you like, you have the possibility to make your own cheese. Of course, there is also a restaurant and a shop where you can eat something or buy some cheese or a souvenir.

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Appenzell (City)

The capital of Appenzell has the same name as the region. In this city, you can see some typical houses for this area. And, of course, you can spend some time in this cute city. If you would like to learn something about the culture of this region you can go to the museum. There they will show you all about their lifestyle and their culture.

Appenzell

Silversterchlausen

There is something that only exists in Appenzell. It is called Silversterchlausen. Each year at New Year’s Eve, some groups of six men (Silversterchlauese) go from house to house. First, they will sing together. After that, they will wish you a lucky New Year!

There are two different kinds of Silversterchlaeuse. We called them “The Beautiful Ones” (picture on the left) and “The Ugly Ones” (picture on the right).

Image result for Silvesterchlausen   Image result for Silvesterchlausen

 

Wallis

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Kevin Oliver Theler, Switzerland

I want to introduce you to my home canton in Switzerland. Here are some facts:

-The location is on the south of Switzerland on the border of Italy.

-Wallis joined Switzerland in 1815

-Population: 339.060

-Area: 5’224km2

Wallis has a lot of mountains and activities. In the winter you can go skiing, snowboarding, free riding, ice climbing and much more. It’s a big nature adventure park, especially for adrenalin freaks. For example in Zermatt, their ski slopes are  360km long. You can ride with your skis over the border to Italy, and go eat a original Italian pizza.

In the summer, you can do big hiking tours, and get up to the top of the mountains. When you are searching for action you can go skydiving, downhilling and paragliding. The views from the mountains are amazing, and to get there is really easy. From the main train station you only need about 45 minutes, and 15min with the cable car. Then the world of the mountains are open for you.

My favorite ski resort is Saas-Fee, because there is a big freestyle park for skis and snowboards because it  is near my hometown. I just have to go to the bus, ride it for an half hour and the I arrive already. I love to ski and do some flips in the park.

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Traditional dish

Cholera

Yes you read it right, we have a dish that has the same name like the bacterial infection. The dish got the name when the cholera broke out in 1830 in Wallis, because the risk of infection the people would’t leave the house. That’s why the people have to make the food with the ingredients they have in the pantry.

Ingredients:

  • 500 g Puff pastry
  • 40 g Butter
  • 200 g Potatos
  • 200 g Apple
  • 200 g Leek
  • 200 g Onions
  • 250 g Swiss Raclette Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

-Cut the onions in to thin slice and stew in the pan with butter

-Cut the leek lengthwise and wash under the cold water. Then cut the halves into strips of 2 to 3 cm and blanch them for a maximum of 3 to 5 minutes in lightly boiling salted water. Drain and quench under running cold water to stop the cooking process.

-Cut the apples into small cubes and fry in a frying pan with butter. Increase and season the onions, leeks and apples.

-Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 25 minutes.Then cut the potatoes in small cubes of 2 cm. Add this to the Apple and Leek onion mixture.

-Rub the cheese in to the mixture.

-Lay out a deep dish with puff pastry and spread the mixture on it. Cover with puff pastry. Bake in the oven for one hour at 170 ° C.

 

Must-See in Switzerland

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Gabriel Martins-Switzerland

Bern “City of Fountains”

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Located in the heart of the Bernese Mittelland on the Aare River in northern Switzerland, Bern is Switzerland’s capital. The structure of Bern’s city center is largely medieval, and  was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983. It is also known as the “City of Fountains” for the more than 100 fountains gracing its streets and squares. Bern is also ranked among the world’s top ten cities for the best quality of life.

Must-See: Old-Town (Clock Tower), Museum of Art, Bern Cathedral, Gurten

 

Luzern 

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Lucerne, the gateway to central Switzerland, sited on Lake Lucerne, is embedded within an impressive mountainous panorama. Thanks to its attractions, its souvenir and watch shops, the beautiful lakeside setting and the nearby excursion mountains of the Rigi, Pilatus and Stanserhorn, the town is a destination for many travel groups and individuals on their journey through central Switzerland.

Must-See: Mount Pilatus, Old Town, Swiss Museum of Transport, Chapel Bridge, The Lion Monument

 

Interlaken

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Interlaken lies in the Bernese Oberland, between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. The vacation destination, which is presided over by the three mighty mountains, Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, is the starting point for numerous activities.

Must-See: Hiking trails, Paragliding, St. Beatus Caves

 

Zurich

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Zurich is abuzz with activity day and night with its countless events, diverse museums, own food festival and Switzerland’s most vibrant nightlife. And if you’re after rest and relaxation, you can be in the Swiss mountains in less than an hour.

Must-See: Old Town, Museum of Art, MyKugelhopf Sweet Zurich Tour

 

Grindelwald

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This mountainscape and the numerous lookout points and activities make Grindelwald one of the most popular and cosmopolitan holiday and excursion destinations in Switzerland, and the largest ski resort in the Jungfrau region.

Must-See: Amazing Hiking Trails

FIFA World Cup 2018

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Chloe Persoglio , Nico Cojocari (France,Belgium)

The best footballers are going to battle next month until there is only one team left, the champion. There is no higher reward, every player dreams of it. Football might just be a game, but when it comes to the World Cup, it is more than that. You can see passion, determination and the will to win on the player’s faces. There is no better way to make your country proud.

fifa world cup chloe

It takes place every four years and it was created in 1928 in France by Jules Rimet.

jules rimet

The tournament includes 32 teams and starts from June 14 to July 16. The competition has 8 groups of 4 teams that are randomly assigned. Each team plays 3 games, 1 against every other team in the group. The two best teams in the group go further to the 16th round then 8th, 4th, 2nd then the finals.

The selected teams are :

Iceland, England, Russia, Denmark, France, Belgium, Germany, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan, Korean Republic, RI Iran, Croatia, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Serbia, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay.

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Even though some influential nations like Italy and  Holland are missing, it is still going to be the most viewed event in the world. Brazil is looking for redemption since they lost 7-1 against the previous champion, Germany. France wants to prove that they are capable of winning since they lost to Portugal at the Euro 2016 final. At the same time, Portugal definitely wants to show that is was not luck that helped them get the Cup. These are just examples. Every team wants to prove something and win the World Cup.Image result for brazil 7-1

Holding the World Cup has many benefits. One of them is the tourism opportunities that it offers to the local markets. People from all around the world are going to go to Russia in June and spend money there. All the media attraction will be around the World Cup and people are definitely going to enjoy it as much as possible.

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Some will even enjoy it too much since there is a drug tolerance. Travelers have the right to declare drugs at customs if they have a doctor’s approval  written in Russian. Marijuana, cocaine and heroin are among the hundreds of drugs and prescriptions on the list of substances travelers can declare.

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We are definitely going to support our nations, Belgium and France. As patriots it is our duty to support our country. If your country is not selected,do not choose another one who is seen as a favorite to win but the one that is connected to you.

France Squad:

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur/England), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain);

Defenders: Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart/Germany), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona/Spain), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid/Spain), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Adil Rami (Marseille), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City/England), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid/Spain);

Midfielders: Paul Pogba (Manchester United/England), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich/Germany), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus/Italy), Ngolo Kante (Chelsea/England), Steven Nzonzi (Sevilla/Spain);

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/Spain), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea/England), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona/Spain), Florian Thauvin (Marseille), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Thomas Lemar (Monaco).

 

Dates:

  1. France vs Australia – 16 June 2018
  2. France vs Peru – 21 June 2018
  3. Denmark vs France – 26 June 2018

Belgium Squad:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (VfL Wolfsburg).

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur).

Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea/Dortmund), Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli).

Dates:

  1. Belgium vs Panama– 18 June 2018
  2. Belgium vs Tunisia– 23 June 2018
  3. England vs Belgium– 28 June 2018

Calendar :

Image result for calendrier match coupe du monde 2018

Why is Paris the N.1 world tourist destination?

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Angele Dubos, France

“Paris is Babylon, the city of all temptations” Christine Angot

Fabulous heritage, outlets and luxury shops, shows and concerts, sports and games, palaces and youth hostels, cafes, bars, pubs and gastronomic restaurants, monuments and musems free on holidays… I’ll have to stop here because it’ll be an exhausting list and a novel as well. Since October 2017, Paris has become, again, the first world city tourist destination. Added to that, France is the first world destination too. But why does such a renown city and have this amazing rank?

First of all, Hausmann architecture found his place in people’s interests. Those astonishing buildings, have been designed with very fastidious details since the 1870s. Grey rooftops are well-known as well to young Parisian people, they can climb or go out on them by their attic windows. Every Parisian has done it at least once.Résultats de recherche d'images pour « grey rooftop paris »Moreover, France is the European crossroad due to its borders with Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium…
That’s why, from a statistical point, for their holiday some people transit through France which supports its No 1 rank. On the culture side, Paris shares with Rome, the most fabulous heritage. Our museum and monuments are free during French holidays. Don’t plan to spend holidays in Paris for only 1 or 2 days, you need so much more! Garnier Opera, the Louvre Museum, Palace of Versailles, Montmartre, the Museum of Yves Saint Laurent, Studio Harcourt for photography’s fans, Notre-Dame… And obviously our outstanding Eiffel Tower where you can eat on the 2nd floor. It truly is a stereotype of French people drinking red wine, eating cheese and bread on the grass (Champ de Mars) in front of the Eiffel Tower while the sun sets.

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Dinner cruises, party cruises, 1 hour-boat rides, are available for sailing on  and visiting at the same time, our breathtaking capital. You will discover the timeless majesty of Paris and be on a journey out of time. Bear in mind that we’re part of the few countries which you can name their cuisine of gastronomic. Enjoy every meal, every taste, every drink because Parisians pay attention to details. That’s why everyone is spellbound (in order to give a great rank to Paris). Gourmet City tours are the most fulfilling experiences in a short time of your stay in this city.


With your friends, you can hang out in the Paris nightlife until 9am, chilling in its awesome and lit streets. At Arc of Triumph, the most unexpected nightclubs show themselves but don’t get used to it because when you taste the flavors and Paris’ life, you can be easily and quickly addicted.
Some events follow Paris’ daily life as the well known Fashion Week. Everyone gets crazy and outrageous. However, anytime you go in Paris, you can find out events to make all of your dreams come true.

 

Here is a little presentation about an comedian Parisian girl for her next show. Let’s find it interesting because it well depicts the Paris lifestyle.

“Because Julie has lived in London, Chicago and New York, but she has always remained a true Parisian … She decided to leave the Legal Department of a large company to play in the first one woman show about a 100% Parisian women in English.
You’ll be won over by her: getting up late, struggling through the crowds in the metro at rush hour, juggling a career and family life, having a quick drink and doing some shopping, preparing a meal with friends, going out clubbing … Come and experience a hectic day in Paris with Julie! Encountering the various characters played by Julie Collas is a hilarious experience: the audience laughs at the foibles of Parisians and revel in Julie’s delightful French accent … A show for everyone.

A joyful show not to be missed!”

Rip Curl

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By Valentina Monnerat, Switzerland

Rip Curl is an Australian designer and manufacturer of surfing sporstwear and clothes. It’s one of the largest surfing companies in Australia, Europe, America and South Africa. The CEO of the company is Michael Daly.

The name “Rip Curl” comes from a surfboard that one of the co-founders bought in 1968: “Ripping was groovy, surfing was groovy, we wanted something groovy” -Matt Warshaw

At first the company was producing surfboards, and in 1970 they started to produce high quality diving technology wetsuits for surfing.

rip curl tina rip curl tina 3

Rip Curl created one of the most powerful marketing campaigns in surfing history, The Search.  “We were looking for a way to describe ourselves to surfers and customers which illustrated who we really were as a group of people”

A lot of amazing surfers are sponsored by Rip Curl, like Alana Blanchard, Owen Wright, Gabriel Medina and much more.

I think Rip Curl is an amazing brand, the designs are always really creative and all the products are really good quality.

 

 

 

 

The City of New York

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by Mirna Vrdoljak, Austria

New York City is the most populous city in the United States. Counting 8 million people living there, it became one of the biggest megacities worldwide. It is described as the financial, cultural and media capital of the US and the whole world.

NYC offers so many themes to discuss- from the theatreal Broadway scene down to the financial capital in Wall Street, but here are some main facts to begin with.

Geography

  • The City of New York is located at the southern tip of the County of New York
  • an estimated population of 20 Million, counting the metropolitan area around New York in its 2017 Metropolitan Statistical Area
  • New York City is located on the East coast of the United States. It consists of islands surrounded by sea. (f.e. Hudson River)
  • the city itself consists of five boroughs: Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island (Richmond)
  • Queens is the largest borough by area and Brooklyn by population, with more than 2.5 Million people living therenewyorkboroughs

    Demographics

    • New York City is home to more than 3.2 million residents born outside the United States, the largest foreign-born population of any city in the world
    • The city is a true melting pot with 44% white (German, Irish, Italian), 25.5% black (23% non-Hispanic black),12.7% Asian and only 0.7 Native American people
    • Like a lot of cities, New York’s boroughs and districts segregate different ethnical groups.
    • Manhattan is known as the business center where a lot of white and Asian people live. Queens and Brooklyn have a wide diversity of ethnical groups, containing a lot of artists and cultural driven people. Bronx is home to a lot of black and Italian immigrants.

koreatown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attractions

As already mentioned, New York City is the center of the world’s of finance, fashion, music, art, theater, literature, and architecture. The city offers so much to see and to do that it just is not possible to see everything in one trip. Still there are some main places you should go to if you ever have the chance to land in NYC.

  • The Statue of Liberty

It was a gift to the United States in 1886 from France in honor of their friendship during the French Revolution. The statue became an American symbol of freedom.

  • Grand Central Terminal

It is NYC’s biggest hub for transportation, but also a breathtaking example of Beaux-Arts architecture. It’s much more than just a station. You can find cafes, restaurants and even a shopping mall inside it.

  • One World Trade Center

It’s the heighest and most expensive building in New York City. The tower was constructed with the memory of the Twin Towers in mind. Right next to the One World Trade center there’s the 9/11 Memorial Museum. The memorial is build in the footprint of the Twin Towers that were attacked on September 11 in 2001. It honors all the victims in the building.

About me – Tim

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by Tim Schwehn from Germany

Hey! 🙂

My name is Tim and I am from Germany. I just arrived in Santa Barbara and I love the city by now. The beautiful streets and houses with the Spanish style look great. That’s one reason I chose this location for my EF study time.

What do I normally do in Germany?

I finished my exams in January and want to start my university studies in business education in October. So I have enough time to explore the world. For my study time I want to improve my English speaking and writing skills so I chose an English speaking country, but also one where the sun is shining quite often.

I like to do sports very much. I play soccer at a local German soccer club and go the gym at least two times a week. Playing sports is a very good balance for learning or working and you can turn your head off for a time.

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Furthermore, I love music. On the one hand, I like to listen to different kinds of music as well as making music on my own. I can play the piano and the guitar and I really enjoy creating music with some friends of mine.

My favorite food is pizza, but I can’t wait to eat some good Mexican food or beef burgers in Santa Barbara. I already went to one Mexican restaurant and the food tasted great. Maybe you can give me some suggestions about where to go. I will try as much as I can.

burger

I will stay in Santa Barbara for at least two months. I think it will be a beautiful time that I will never forget. So if you have some questions, feel free to ask. J