Featured Blogger – Katie in Interlaken

25 Jan

Our first featured blogger for Spring 2012 is Katie, a Gonzaga student in Florence.  Last weekend she joined us in Interlaken and had a weekend full of adventure! Selected parts of Katie’s blog are highlighted below. To read the full entry for “Hanging out in Switzerland,” Click here.

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Eating Swiss milk chocolate and hanging out in the Alps was where I spent my past weekend. We stayed in one of the oldest, most famous hostels in Europe: Balmer’s. It was filled with students from everywhere and was cute and fun and very loud and lively. The first day I went snowshoeing with Erika and 3 new spring students.

 

 

Just the five of us went to the top of the mountain with a guide and hiked to the very top over the course of a few hours. Our guide Ronnie was this hilarious Swiss man that told the worst jokes and helped us avoid avalanche areas. It was my first time snowshoeing and it was so hard! It probably didn’t help that there was a blizzard going on and that we were going straight up hill. But I had a great time, and the mountains are absolutely stunning.

 

Erika and I went night sledding with the outdoor adventures team. I was a bit nervous to be sledding down a mountain in the dark, and I didn’t really see how it would be any more fun than regular sledding. We had heard such great things that we decided to try it out. It was by far the best part of the weekend. We were taken up to the top of the mountain and go down a freshly plowed ski run on toboggan sleds that you steer with your feet. Everyone was given green glow sticks to wear on their back so you don’t run into anyone. It took about an hour to get down and it was so much fun! We then had fondue dinner at the bottom of the mountain. On Sunday Erika and I walked to the closer lake, which had to be the most beautifully clear water I have ever seen. I love Switzerland and how clean and neat and beautiful it is. It was an amazing weekend!

 

 

Tuesday Travel Tip – It’s Never Too Early to Plan Your Spring Break

24 Jan

In last Tuesday’s Travel Tip, I discussed the importance of planning ahead, especially when it comes to booking flights in advance for fly-in trips you know you’re going to take. And you know what? I’m not done talking about it! Muahaha. Planning ahead may seem like more work for you to do right now, but oh my Gosh it’s so much FUN! You’re planning out trips of a lifetime… without your parents. Heck yeah! One of the biggest trips you will take this semester lies in that lovely 10 day hiatus that college students all around the world rejoice in: Spring Break. I want to discuss how it’s never too early to start planning your Spring Break.

Perhaps you want to go get buck wild in Greece for 10 days exploring the beautiful beaches, ridiculous parties, ATV safaris, sea kayaking, and island hopping. Or maybe you want to hit up the Northern Loop and get cultured in Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris. I know I personally am excited for Morocco Spring Break, or the Eastern Loop with Prague, Krakow, Budapest, & Munich. Regardless of where you want to go, one of the best parts about your Spring Break is that you get to spend it exploring Europe’s amazing destinations with your friends. You want to know what’s super cool? Even if you have friends studying in many different cities around Europe, you can all meet up and go on Spring Break together. Maybe your best friend is still at school back in America. Well, Best Friend can fly out and join, too! Perhaps everyone can fly into London Heathrow Airport on Sunday and begin the Spring Break voyage of London, Paris, and Amsterdam together. Oh, the reunion would be something to write home about.

So yes, you may have just gotten to your new study abroad home city, but take it from me: planning your Spring Break trip sooner rather than later will only help you. You’ll get cheaper flights, you’ll reserve your spot in the Bus2alps trips before they sell out, and you’ll have something incredible to look forward to. Spring is in the air, Happy Planning!

-Erin O’Connor

 

El Clasico: It’s not just a game

23 Jan

BCN vs. Madrid

Last Tuesday night the city of Barcelona packed into every bar, café and room that had a television in it to watch their team come from behind and beat Real Madrid 2-1. You may have been at one of those bars and you may have seen the mobs of people marching down Las Ramblas chanting the name of one of the cities unofficial patron saints, Lionel Messi, after the victory.

You were probably stricken by the amount of local support for a single sporting event but what needs to be considered is that when Barcelona and Real Madrid meet on the field it’s not only one of the biggest sporting rivalries in the world, fetching thousands of euros per ticket, it is also one of the few sporting events that transcend sports completely.

What make the meetings between these two teams so significant are the political origins of the rivalry dating back to the establishment of the Franco regime in 1936. Franco’s hard right wing nationalist stance called for complete cultural hegemony throughout the nation of Spain. Being the capital of the Catalan region and home to the proud gatekeepers of Catalan tradition, the city of Barcelona became a national beacon for cultural and political freedom and their soccer team was transformed into a political and cultural vehicle.

Once in power, Franco turned Madrid into the epicenter of his oppressive nationalist regime and, in effect, turned every match between Barcelona and Real Madrid into a virtual proxy war.

So this Wednesday night when you make it out to whatever packed bar or café you can get into to watch the game, remember what this game means to the people of Barcelona and the entire region of Catalonia. To many still, it’s more than a rivalry between two clubs, it is a struggle for independence and that’s what turns this soccer match into more than just a game but a cultural event.

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Week in review

23 Jan

“Guuuurrrrrg-oOooh-LooOooL!” You hear that? That’s the sound of my belly cuz I’m hungry. I’m hungry for more delicious, authentic food and free trip giveaways! That was basically the theme this past week in Florence, Rome, and Barcelona…

In Florence, almost a hundred students joined the Bus2alps crew in a huge Welcome Dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in town, Osteria Del Gatto e la Volpe. Penne alla vodka, gnocchi, ravioli truffles, red and white wine, and a free trip to Prague were all on the menu. Congrats to Cody S. for winning the trip & also to everyone else who won free month gym memberships as well. Later on in the week, free coffee days were held at Astor Cafe and Mama’s Bakery, sponsored by Bus2alps of course.

Over in the Eternal City, the Bus2alps crew took a group to Tony’s restaurant in Trastevere to indulge in some fine Italian cuisine and talk about our travel plans for this semester. Post-dinner dessert shots were had at our favorite chocolate bar down the road and it was a big hit with our new Roman student friends. At the Drunken Ship, free trips were given away on both Monday and Friday night, leaving a few lucky students giddy with exuberance.

I smell sushi and soy sauce. The Barcelona crew teamed up with the De Lis group to host our official spring semester Welcome Party at the Shoko Beach Club. The free sushi made for a great night of getting to know our guests and the open bar led to a wild night of partying with them. We’ll continue to ring in the spring semester this Tuesday with the kick off of our weekly beer pong tournament at the George Payne Pub. Everyone will get the chance to drink some beer and heckle their opponents but only the winners will receive 50% off a Bus2alps trip.

With over a hundred students joining us in Interlaken this past weekend, we kicked off the semester with a bang. Five feet of fresh powder in the Jungfrau Region left skiers, snowboarders, and sledders grinning like school children. We had an absolute blast with everyone and we’re hungry for more great memories to be had in the weeks to come!

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Bus2Alps Promo Video

22 Jan

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Staff Blog Feature: Moka Express Tutorial

20 Jan

When I arrived in my new apartment as a study abroad student in Florence, the first thing I searched for in my apartment was a coffee machine. Breakfast as I knew it always came served with a huge mug of hot coffee. The coffee machine was nowhere to be found, and you can forget about enormous American-sized coffee mugs! Instead I found a strange metal contraption, and I had no idea how it worked. It wasn’t until much later that an Italian friend took pity on my ignorance and taught me how to use it.

Although you can find places to get your American coffee fix (like The Diner in Florence), you might just find that you like a quick rich cafè from a Moka machine, so here’s how you use it:

 

moka express and illy coffee grounds
You’ll need your Moka, and finely ground coffee grounds (I recommend Illy Caffè Macinato). A sink, a spoon, and a working stovetop will help too.My Italian husband told me that you have to throw away the first three brews of a new Moka Express, but I wasn’t able to confirm this. I tasted the first brew made with the coffee machine pictured, and it was so-so. Basically, if you’re a serious coffee snob, throw out the first brew or two as some people say that they can detect a slight metalic taste (don’t worry – there’s no danger to your health). As you use your machine, the brews will get better and better as the past coffee in the filter adds depth to your brews. That also means that you only have to worry about cleaning it thoroughly once in a while!fill moka express with water
First, unscrew the top and remove the middle section. Fill the bottom with water up to the screw marker as shown.fill with coffee grounds
Replace the middle section and fill it with coffee grounds. Don’t pack it down – just spread it loosely and evenly, and make a little heap on top as shown (its hard not to make a little mess, as you can see)heat coffee on stove
Screw the top back on TIGHTLY and put it on the stove on medium low heat. Let it boil until the top section is filled with your rich espresso. It only takes about five minutes, so its best not to walk away (I’ve seen kitchen walls that speak of past expolosions from forgotten coffee machines). When you hear the coffee start to come out of the spout, keep the lid closed and wait about another minute for it to finish before turning off the heat.That’s it! You can add milk or sugar to taste, make a cappuccino, or any other espresso-based coffee drink. Enjoy!
*This post by our staff member Krista was originally posted to her personal blog. See the original post here

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New T-Shirts!

19 Jan

It seems like everything at Bus2alps is new for 2012! Our new bus, and all of our new trips are a great start, but we need a new wardrobe to match…

Introducing the 2012 Bus2alps T-shirt!

Featuring our favorite destinations, you can show off all the awesome places that you travel to with Bus2alps this Spring. At only €10, it’s the perfect souvenir for your time abroad! To purchase, talk to a Bus2alps crew member on your trip or in your city, or order one here from our online shop

Special thanks to Tara Scieszinski for the design!

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Travel Tip of the Week – Plan Ahead!

17 Jan

This spring is going to be the best semester of your college career. But you already know this, right? Well one thing you may not realize is that it’s super beneficial for you to start planning ahead, especially when it comes to trips involving flights. If you know you want to go to Paris in February and Scotland in March, then you will save yourself some serious dough if you begin looking up flights well in advance. Prices for flights will only keep going up as the date draws nearer and nearer, so it’s in your wallet’s best interest to get on the ball now.

Get a calendar out in front of you, sharpen your pencil, and start thinking about where you really want to travel this semester. And use your resources! If you need help looking up flights, ask a Bus2alps rep…we’re always more than happy to help you out. Happy planning!

-Erin O’Connor

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Brand New Bus2alps Bus

16 Jan

At Bus2alps we spend a lot of time on busses, so we know that comfortable modern vessels are essential to our customer’s Bus2alps experience. That’s why we’re happy to announce the arrival of our second Bus2alps-branded bus!

Our second bus commemorates our dedication to continued quality with both our guests and our working partners. This time brought to you by Cipriano, our Rome-based transportation partner, the new bus is a streamlined beauty. She’s ready to take another year of students to Interlaken, Prague, Croatia, and The Amalfi Coast in Style!

See you on the (brand new) bus!

Take a look back at our first Bus2alps bus

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Week in review

16 Jan

Ahh, new beginnings. Here we are, starting off the Spring 2012 semester abroad with big things happening around Europe in the Bus2alps world. Students from all over the place have been arriving in their new home cities, settling in, seeing the sites, meeting new friends, and soaking it all in. What’s one of the most exciting parts of this semester? Traveling!

In Rome, the Bus2alps crew has been out and about all week, meeting new students and helping them get acclimated in the Eternal City that they can now call home. We held a welcome event at club Gilda this past Friday night, giving away free trips to the Amalfi Coast, Interlaken, and Venice Carnevale. Three lucky winners were announced over the microphone by the DJ and the crowd went wild. Everyone then danced the night away (J.Lo style).

Over in Florence, the Bus2alps crew gave away a free Interlaken trip to Mike B. on the Bell Tower Pub Crawl. Pub crawl with new friends? And a free trip to the Swiss Alps? Mike B. is having the best week ever.

In Barcelona, the Bus2alps crew started the spring semester off right. Thursday night we teamed up with our friends at the Dow Jones Bar to throw a raucous welcome party filled with new faces, cheap drinks and free trips to the Amalfi Coast, Interlaken and the French Riviera. Come Saturday we were ready for our welcome bike tour. We cruised around the city with over 70 of our newest friends and gave away free trips to Montserrat and Greece along with discounted trips to Interlaken and the French Riviera before hitting Ryan’s bar for some post tour drinks.

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