#gtoxfordprogram

~by Samuel Barnett

This summer I have had the extreme fortune of participating in the Georgia Tech Oxford Program, during which I’ve listened to world class musicians, tried new local cuisine, and gazed upon exquisite art and architecture. As someone with a passion for urban development, I was ecstatic that my first stop would be in Barcelona, Spain. That first evening, a small group of us decided to climb one of the many hills tucked in and around the city. Prior to embarking on this program, I was worried about getting to know new people; as I gazed over terracotta rooftops towards the Balearic Sea, I had no idea just how close I’d become with those around me.

One of my favorite class experiences was receiving a guided tour of the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, a behemoth church which has been under construction for nearly 150 years. Designed by legendary local architect Antoni Gaudí, the church is nothing short of extraordinary; the exterior is full of intricate figures and detailing, the top adorned with gigantic gothic revival spires. Despite its immense exterior, the interior somehow feels even more vast; in true Gaudí fashion, the interior defies any traditional architectural categorization, with its tree-like supports and chromatic stained-glass windows.

After seven days in Barcelona, we then headed towards Madrid, the capital of Spain, stopping overnight in one of the smaller cities, Zaragoza. Even though it was only one night, my crew was determined to still see the city; we eventually made way for El Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta, a large rectangular park with gorgeous landscaping and water features; people of all ages meandered along paths or sat in the benches and on the grass, some fanning themselves as if to brush away the last of the day’s heat. We eventually found a nice spot overlooking the long park into the rest of the city; with the fountain burbling below us and a light breeze weaving through the banisters, we watched as the sun fell, peeking behind buildings, slowly melting away.

Though each group had their own share of amazing cities and experiences, one unique aspect of the Spain/Portugal group was spending more time in each city. Personally, I enjoyed being able to savor each city and getting to know it just that little bit better, even if that meant visiting a fewer number of cities than other groups. That extra time afforded us many half days (and even some full days) to explore the city on our own; many of my favorite memories on this trip have come from wandering with a friend with no destination in mind. Albaicin, in Granada, was one such neighborhood through which two friends and I wandered along cobblestone streets up hilly terrain, coming across several “miradors” or viewpoints with superb views of the midsize city. One such mirador looked out towards “La Alhambra”, a massive Medieval palace and fortress with Moorish and Christian influences from its many occupations. On a wall adjacent to the mirador, a small piece of graffiti read:

Tengo la Alhambra en frente y solo te miro a ti.

I have the Alhambra in front of me and I only look at you.

Some may call it saccharine, but I loved this demonstration of feeling; even though this one was (likely) romantic, it reminded me that, more broadly, despite differences in language, culture, and government, many of us face similar joy, sadness, excitement, and, yes, love.

I saw and heard these emotions in numerous influential artworks and pieces of music. My favorite concert was a nighttime open-air historically informed performance (HIP) in the Palace of Charles V in the Alhambra complex. Under the direction of Jordi Savall, a legendary Spanish composer and director, Le Concert des Nations performed works by Vivaldi and Bach using techniques, instruments, and tuning mirroring those used during the time in which the pieces were originally composed (hence “historically informed”). As a musician myself, each of the concerts was excellent, but none quite so invigorating as this one; something about the combination of location and technique captured a sound and feeling unlike any I’ve experienced back in the States.

Anyone who has met me knows of my passion for the art of coffeemaking, so this trip to Europe has been nothing short of fascinating in that regard. I’ve visited easily over three dozen specialty coffee shops, each with unique character and quality – in fact, I’m currently writing from Common Ground in Oxford, sitting across the table from a friend who visited many of these same places with me. I never envisioned that my niche obsession would be appreciated, let alone shared, but introducing these new ways of appreciating coffee to my friends has been one of the unsung highlights of my travels. If you visit these same cities, here are my top spots: Bracafe, Barcelona; Syra Coffee, Madrid; La Finca, Granada; Muy Coffee, Seville; and Copenhagen Coffee Lab, Lisbon.

Though most of my group’s travel time was spent in Spain, the last city on our itinerary was Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. In many ways, it was a fitting last stop – a coastal bustling city reminiscent of our first stop in Barcelona. On one of the last days, we took a half-day trip to Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca), the westernmost point of continental Europe overlooking the Atlantic Ocean (Roca translates to “sea cliff”). Many of us ended up carefully descending the less steep side of one such cliff, eventually coming across a group of boulders; I sat atop one of these in silence, and with the cool morning breeze rushing around us, watched the waves batter at the cliffs below. You make so many amazing memories on this trip that scenes like these are opportunities to just be – and to think, whether back on those same memories, or perhaps something else, something personal. It’s important, in between the rush of it all, to not forget to make space for you.

As much fun as the travel portion may be, many welcome the change of pace during the latter half at Oxford. Here, you’ll have a more “standard” class structure; classes take place Monday through Thursday of each week, meaning you have ample time to travel to new and exciting destinations on weekends. Apart from exploring Oxford and taking several day trips to London, I also traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, and Amsterdam, Netherlands. Both cities were amazing in their own regard; Edinburgh with its rich centuries-long history and winding cobblestone streets, and Amsterdam with its scenic canals and prolific bike infrastructure.

~by JP Turney      

This summer I had the amazing opportunity to participate in the Oxford study abroad program. I had never been to Europe or really out of the United States at all, so this would be a completely new experience for me. As part of Group 3 (aka the Italy Group), I would get the chance to travel to many cities in the country including Rome, Florence, Milan, and Venice, as well cities in other countries such as Vienna, Leipzig, and Antwerp. While we were traveling around Europe, we would be taking two classes, History of Art and Architecture as well as Music and its Composers. I came in knowing that this would be a life changing experience, but I was still not prepared for all the things that I would see and experience on this trip.

 Our first stop after landing was Rome, which had a ton of incredible places to visit. For example, we went to see the Vatican Museum and Saint Peter’s Basilica, both of which showed the beauty and wealth of the catholic church and their artwork, as well as how big of an influence they were on Italian society. I even had the opportunity to experience a Catholic mass in the Pantheon, which gave me a chance to observe the religious life of the Italian people, as well as see one of the oldest places of worship for the Italian people going back to the ancient Romans.

We continued our journey through Italy by going to Florence, one of the biggest art hubs in all of Italy. We visited the Uffizi Gallery, seeing amazing paintings such as the Birth of Venus and Judith Beheading Holofernes from the renaissance period of Italy, demonstrating how truly incredible the art produced here during this time was. We also got to see more incredible Italian architecture, this time at the Pitti Palace which had incredible renaissance architecture as well as being an art gallery inside with even more art work inside. Throughout my experience in Rome and Florence I was able to see how much respect and importance Italians put on there past and have pride in how it shaped their country and cities into what they are today, which is a lesson that I will continue to take with during me this trip.

Afterwards we continued to Milian, which felt like a more modern city that still retained its historic roots with beautiful buildings such as the Dumomo di Milano and the Castello Sforzesco, as well as showing that it is a developed and modern city, as shown through a lot of modern buildings and having more modern art work such as the art present in the Museo del Novecento. Afterwards for our final Italian city we went to Venice, which had even more beautiful renaissance architecture and artwork in Venice such as the art galleries inside of the Doge’s palace and the grand structure of Saint Marco’s Cathedral. I would say one of the most interesting things about Venice is the unique structure of the city that can’t be found anywhere else due to it being built on the ocean, making the city a whole just as interesting as the individual locations, something that can be lost through the process of going from museum to museum.

After Venice we left Italy and went to the city of music, Vienna. We had been studying music throughout our trip so far, but it really came into focus once we got here. I got to visit the Museum of Music as well as visiting a local piano shop and Mozart’s house. The biggest thing we did though was attending an opera, “Salome”, in the Vienna State Opera house, which had beautiful architecture and was the perfect setting for this experience. It was the culmination of everything we had learned and seen so far in music. It had a large professional orchestra, Opera singers with beautiful voices, and a grand story, a demonstration of the power music has to bring stories to life and to connect people together through the emotions it evokes.

After Vienna we had quick visits to two more cities, Leipzig and Antwerp. In Leipzig we visited a few locations significant to music history such as the Bach Museum, while in Antwerp we had time to explore the city on our own while preparing for finals, which I took advantage of to cycle around the city and try out their food such as Belgian waffles. After this the first part of the program ended, and the second part of program began as we boarded the bus to drive to Oxford.

Once we got to Oxford, we had a day to explore oxford and prepare before we began our classes. Each of the classes I took were very interesting, with The History of Medieval England being particularly interesting as we are learning about history of the country we are studying in, talking about how the Norman invasions changed the landscape of the country or how the various succession wars affected the country and their traditions. This allowed me to engage with Oxford in a unique way that was still able to challenge me academically.

Oxford was a wonderful town to study in as well, with lots of interesting places to visit as almost every building here was built in medieval times or has architecture based on that time period. I had the opportunity to go on a walking tour around Oxford with David Gunnell, which was a wonderful way to learn more about the history of the town and visit some of the wonderful locations in the town. There was also plenty of free time during the week to explore around the city on our own, with some examples of neat places I visited being Oxford Prison and Castle, as well as Christ Church college.

While we were at Oxford, we were also free to travel and explore different places during our weekends, which is one of the best parts of the Oxford portion. I went to a variety of places on the weekends, but my biggest excursions where to Edinburgh and London. At Edinburgh there was lots of Scottish History which I explored through visiting the Edinburgh castle and viewed the beautiful scenery on the top of Arthur’s head, while at London I got to visit the London Bridge, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey just to name a few.

~by Phi Cai

When I committed to Georgia Tech just a little over a year ago, I had already been planning to go to Oxford. I had been accepted into the Oxford FYSA program, but ultimately declined to take my HP offer instead, since I found out I could do Oxford this summer. Over a year of anticipation later, here I am!

Coming into this trip, I had two goals: to make friends and to “tourist” as much as I could. Safe to say, I’ve accomplished those goals, but also ones I never sought to do. I am a naturally anxious person, so when during pre-departure, we got warnings from out group leader/professors that this trip would be very mentally taxing and that we would be stressed and disappointed due to plans being frequently changed, I was nervous. When I’m set out to do something, I get pretty determined to do so and do not like it when things don’t go smoothly.

Regardless, the travel portion went pretty much exactly according to the schedule (minus a few paintings we didn’t get to see). What I did not expect was for a massive personal conflict to unfold throughout all of that. What was probably the most distressing moment happened when I got some text messages while up at the Fortress Hohensalzburg during a few hours we had stopped in Salzburg. I cannot say that I wasn’t saddened and upset. But I had no time to dwell, as I ran, camera and all, the 1.2 miles down in 12 minutes to make role call for our Sound of Music tour. This was the one thing I was looking forward to (most of the trip I felt more come-as-it-goes to) and I wanted to enjoy it. I was already upset by the events, but also upset that I had to be upset at this time.

Maybe it was the music of one of my favorite shows, maybe the beautiful landscape around me, or maybe my run right before, but this was the first time in my life that I decided to use my determination as one to enjoy what I wanted to. I decided I wasn’t going to let this hamper my enjoyment of the tour and so I put my phone on airplane mode and temporarily pushed my thoughts out of my mind to listen to the songs that had started playing on the bus. Singing along to “My Favorite Things” with my friend next to me helped rest my anxieties, as Maria made a good point: “When the dog bites / When the bee stings / When I’m feeling sad / I simply remember my favorite things / and then I don’t feel / so bad!”

The tour was a great time, I had so much fun singing and dancing while seeing the beautiful sights of Vienna. When I had to come back to the reality of things, I felt calm, a lot calmer than I normally would be and calmer than I probably should’ve been. What happens happens, and I can truly only have control over my own actions, but also, now over my thoughts and emotions as well. Things in my life had kept happening throughout the rest of travel portion, but I am most likely only going to be able to travel around Europe once, so why let something that has already been done, something that can’t be reversed, hamper that?

When the external circumstances warned about during pre-departure eventually did happen (during my solo travels in Oxford), I was more prepared with this mindset.

The second weekend at Oxford, I had planned a trip up to the Lake District. Amongst the four train transfers, I ended up missing the last one. When I couldn’t get out at my station and the train started moving, I felt my heart rate rising and breathing shorten when the conductor told me I just had to get out at the next station (in half an hour) and get back on the train the other direction to ride back. I was already short on time, spending only that evening at Windermere, so losing over an hour of precious time scared me. But there was nothing I could do but live with it. Knowing this helped my heart and breathing it was what it was.

The next day, I went up and down Scafell Pike, but was waiting for the last bus when I saw a little piece of paper stuck at the bottom of the pole with the timetable, apologizing for the road closure causing the bus to not come to this station that weekend. The bus had taken me there to that stop in the morning, and the official app said it was coming, so I waited more, but accepted that it wasn’t coming. The station it said was the closest stop was an hour walk away, and because this was the last bus, there was no way I would make it in time. The nearest town was over two hours a walk away and the train station I had to get to was over 4.5 hour walk away (I would not be able to make the last train with that time). But I had no choice but to start walking down the empty, single lane path. In desperation, I started sticking out my thumb to the few passing cars. After being ignored, when one of them slowed down and rolled down the window, my heart filled with relief that they were going to help me. The old couple there continued to roll along, just staring and giving disapproving looks to me before picking up speed and driving off. I started to cry as reality set in; I wasn’t going to be able to make it to Llandudno, where my AirBnb was and had nowhere to spend the night. I hadn’t had any food to eat since the night before and had already done a 13-mile hike and was cold and exhausted (more mentally than physically) and had at least 2 more hours to go.

Just then, I got a call from my friend to make sure I was still alive and though we didn’t talk, something about having someone care brought back my determination. I could get to Snowdon tomorrow. Worst case scenario, I sleep in the train station, catch the first train tomorrow, which should still leave time to make the climb if I take the shortest trail. So I kept going.

Miraculously, I did make the last train (a car of 4 college-age guys stopped and let me hitchhike to the nearest town, where I then took a bus to the train station) and still did nearly end up homeless anyways, just in a different town, as the AirBnb owner said he would not let me in after 2am, which was a time I was just barely going to miss and stopped responding. On the train, a dad travelling from China with this 8-year-old son struck up a conversation with me, and I told me he was also about to be homeless the night as well, as their train had gotten delayed, so they missed the last connecting one. When I expressed sympathy, he waved it off, saying that it happens, and he was right. If I am homeless for a night, then so be it. My friend had spent a night alone in a much more questionable train station in France last year, surely being Wales at least was a massive upgrade.

~by Tanju Ozdemir 

As my time in Oxford and Europe comes to a close, I’ve had time to reflect on the many experiences I’ve had while studying abroad. As part of Group 1, we visited the most cities (Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, Prague, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Bruges) and countries (Denmark, Germany, Czechia, Austria, Belgium) of the 3 travel groups during the travel portion. (I haven’t even mentioned day trips and stopovers! ) It was a rewarding, exhausting and exciting experience all rolled into one, juggling travel classes, visiting concerts and museum visits while also experiencing the sights and sounds of Europe. 

The two travel portion classes we took were Musicians & Their Music and History of Art II.

Musicians & Their Music covered a whole lot of compositions starting from the Mediaeval period and ending at the 20th century. We listened to a wide range of music from Gregorian chants to Bebop Jazz. I really appreciate how the class exposed me to different musical genres and musicians beyond ones I already knew, broadening my musical horizons. One example of this that sticks out to me is when we learned about Johannes Brahms and his compositions. Though he’s a titan of orchestral music, I knew very little about him and his work. However, that changed at a concert in Berlin, where Hungarian Dance No. 4 was performed. I was enraptured by the performance and the piece! To me, it had the perfect mix of drama, instrumentation and emotion. The composition was stuck in my head for days afterwards, and led me to listen to the rest of Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, giving me a newfound love for his music. 

Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 4 

I had a similar experience in History of Art II, where we covered art from antiquity all the way to the early 20th century (and a lot about chairs sup. One artist in particular that I grew to appreciate was Caspar David Friedrich. Before taking this class, I only really knew him as that one artist whose painting was used in Minecraft. During the course of the class I got to see his paintings in Hamburg and Berlin while also getting to learn more about his work, style and the hidden meaning behind it. Seeing Wanderer above the Sea of Fog in person in Hamburg was incredible. We learned about the concept of the sublime in nature (how intimidating and monumental nature can be to people) and how the painting captured this idea, but when standing there in front of it, you could really feel it and I felt the same way looking at his other works while in Berlin. It inspired me to look into his life and his influences, which ultimately gave me a better understanding and appreciation of his art. 

It’d take a while to write about all the cities we visited so I’ll try and keep it brief.

Copenhagen: Lovely city, very walkable and good public transit but a bit pricey 

Hamburg: Very historic (lots of maritime history), has some unique attractions (check out the Miniature Wonderland)

Berlin: Unique, historic, vibrant city with a lot of contrast still between East and West (I really liked the computer games museum) 

Prague: Everything is really cheap, Old town is aesthetically pleasing, but can quickly get flooded with tourists

Munich: My favourite city, great mix of historic and modern attractions and just a very vibrant place all around (Do not miss out on visiting HofBrauhaus for a traditional Bavarian Experience!)

Salzburg: Small city with lots of musical history surrounding Mozart and the Sound of Music, great nature right next door in the Austrian and Bavarian Alps. 

Vienna: Very interesting place if you’re into history, art and music. It can get fairly hot due to the lack of green spaces 

Bruges: Old town is quaint, but it does quickly get flooded with tourists and things are pricey. 

Two aspects of my study abroad program I really liked were trying different foods and enjoying the natural scenery.

I got to try a lot (and I mean a lot) of food, but I’ve picked out 2 of the best and 2 of the strangest examples of food I tried while travelling. I had the pleasure of trying Cambodian food for the first time while in Copenhagen of all places, and it was fantastic. The dish consisted of a white fish stewed in coconut milk with bamboo shoots and various other vegetables served alongside white rice, all cooked to perfection. It was very flavorful and aromatic.

Cambodian Fish Stew and Rice

Another great dish I had was Cheese Spaetzle, a southern German dish similar to mac n cheese consisting of egg noodles and emmental cheese topped with fried onion, while in Vienna. Savory, rich and delicious!

Cheese Spaetzle 

Two of the strangest dishes I had were a Bismarck herring sandwich (pickled herring, purple onion and lettuce) in Hamburg and Jellied Eels (boiled eels encased in gelatine) with Pie, mash and liquor (a green parsley sauce) in London. The herring was pretty vinegary and had a bit of chew to it, and the jellied eels taste like white fish encased in jello. The pie and mash was pretty good, and the parsley liquor added a nice freshness to everything. I’ll say that these dishes tasted better than they looked (for the most part.) and it was interesting getting to try traditional, historic food from these places. 

Bismarck Herring sandwich

Jellied Eels with Pie and Mash

My first experience with beautiful natural scenery on this trip came when a day trip from Salzburg was organised to hike up the Kehlstein Mountain to the Eagle’s Nest in Southern Bavaria. Though a moderately challenging hike, the effort was well worth it as the views from the Bavarian Alps were incredible. It was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the cities we visited. 

Kehlstein Mountain, Germany

This hike inspired me to look for more natural scenery to view while based in Oxford, which led me to travel in search of natural wonders. The views I managed to see are ones I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. I would highly recommend visiting rural Scotland and Ireland. Though often harder to get to (public transport isn’t the greatest compared to continental Europe), it’s well worth the effort.

Wicklow Mountains, Ireland

Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland

Scottish Highlands

Loch Ness, Scotland

My advice to anyone who’s thinking of applying: Do it. I can say with confidence that this has been a highlight of my Georgia Tech experience, and that what I saw, learned and otherwise experienced has helped me grow as a person. Since the travel groups are pretty small, you’ll get to know some people really well and form close friendships. Regarding travel advice, I’ve listed a few points below:

Make plans in advance (especially for flights), but also be flexible

Time will fly by fast so make the most of every moment

Keep up with classes, but also travel around while in Oxford (especially if your schedule can accommodate day trips!) 

Try new things and meet new people

~by Ethan CordeiroReflecting on a summer filled with lifelong memories and incredible cultural exposure has been a fun exercise, and it reminds me of just how impactful my Oxford Program experience will be on my life and worldview going forward.

Immediately upon landing in Rome, Italy for the start of the travel portion, I felt immersed in a lifestyle with an entirely different pace from what I’m used to in the United States. At cafés, I saw businessmen casually paging through files with breathtaking Roman and Renaissance architecture behind them. I noticed how sacred the process of enjoying, not just eating, a meal is to the Italian people. And I discovered that wine does go with everything (if you pick the right one). 

While acclimating to the undoubtedly more relaxed Italian lifestyle, we took in some of the most beautiful Western art and architecture ever created. My visit to the Vatican revealed not only the dedication and skill of the artists that built the holy city, but the equally strong fervor of visiting worshippers from around the world. I was lucky enough to attend a mass said by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square, and it was unlike anything I’ve experienced. Watching thousands of people of all ages, ethnicities, and linguistic backgrounds pray and sing in unison was breathtaking. A highlight of Roman art for me was the Galleria Borghese, where we took in the work of the Borghese family’s most famous artistic clients, including Bernini, Caravaggio, and Canova. The image below shows the ceiling of the first gallery, covered by a stunning fresco of The Apotheosis of Romulus by Rossi.

Our exploration of Italian Renaissance art ramped up in Florence, where we visited the Uffizi gallery, where we saw several famous works by the likes of Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Titian. The city’s relatively small size and walkability made it easy for us to explore a blend of Gothic and Renaissance architecture on foot as well.

Interspersed with our visits to museums and cultural sites, my friends and I took several day trips to explore Italy’s natural beauty. Below is a photo from our 4-mile hike at the Lake Como Greenway, where we took in the serene mountainous landscape, strolled through quaint villages, and even jumped into the glassy turquoise water.

The most impactful cultural experience I had with visual art on this trip was at the Venice Biennale, a cultural exhibition with pavilions exhibiting art from across the world. The theme of the Biennale was “Foreigners Everywhere,” and it was fascinating to see how different countries’ artists approached this theme. The German exhibit (pictured below) included multi-modal depictions of futuristic and apocalyptic scenes and was one of my favorite pavilions. The art confronted viewers with questions about humanity’s shared future – blurring national and political boundaries in the process. This take on the “Foreigners Everywhere” theme contrasted with the Dutch exhibit. The pavilion had sculptures created by the descendants of African slaves depicting the alienation and exploitation their ancestors faced. My time at the Biennale reinforced my perception of Venice as a center of culture, both for Europe and the world at large. The exhibit invited artists from all walks of life to portray what the concept of an “outsider” means to them and presented each of these interpretations as equal. I found this pluralistic approach to culture very moving.

Upon leaving Venice, our tour bus traversed the foothills of the Alps before arriving in Vienna, which was by far my favorite stop on our European tour. I felt as though each new street I turned onto housed some stunning building I couldn’t help but stop and stare at. The metro system was efficient, the locals were friendly, and the bratwurst was exquisite. What I’ll remember most from my visit, though, were our incredible musical experiences.

For our Composers and their Music class, we visited the Vienna State Opera for a performance of Richard Strauss’ Salome, which was eccentric (to say the least) but very technically impressive. The following night, my friends and I scored discounted tickets to Swan Lake, also at the opera house. The performance floored me. Hearing Tchaikovsky’s iconic music brought to life with spectacular dancing was a treat, and I was amazed at how completely I understood the story despite ballets having no dialogue. This performance represented the pinnacle of theatrical art, and my experience seeing it will forever stick with me. I gained an appreciation for how complex ballet is, since a performance involves dozens of skilled professionals—from dancers to choreographers to stagehands to musicians—working in concert to assemble the show. Below is an image of the curtain call for the two lead dancers; needless to say, the crowd was on its feet in rapturous applause for this moment!

Even after Swan Lake, I wasn’t done with incredible music in Vienna. The following night, I visited a jazz club where a band led by Dana Gillespie was performing. Gillespie was a prominent collaborator of many famous artists, (including Elton John, David Bowie, and Jimmy Page) while leading a successful solo career in folk pop and blues. After the show, Gillespie approached me after seeing my Georgia Tech t-shirt and explained that she played a gig at Tech in the 70s. This launched a conversation about her career, involvement with Bowie, and extensive connections to India (my family’s country of origin). This interaction was both unexpected and very interesting; I’ll swear by Vienna jazz bars for celebrity run-ins in the future! 

As the travel portion of our trip came to a close, my friends and I took a day trip from Antwerp to Brussels, where a highlight of my visit was a tour of the European Parliament. During the tour, we learned about the parliament’s function and its interactions with other organs of the European Union. As a geopolitics nerd, I was ecstatic to explore the physical home of European democracy. Though the inner workings of the EU are very complex, the information I learned on the tour taught me how this complexity balances power within the union and ensures that EU law meets every citizen’s needs. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the Parliament Hemicycle (pictured below), where representatives from all 27 member states meet to debate and vote on policy.

I continued to seek out new cultural experiences while in residence at Oxford, both by exploring the city and through weekend travels. Perhaps my favorite trip was to Barcelona, where I spent plenty of time with Antoni Gaudí’s architecture. His bio-inspired designs were unlike anything I’d seen before and brought immense character to the churches, homes, and parks I saw. Below is a picture of the Basílica de la Sagrada Família’s interior, where Gaudí combines traditional elements of Catholic church design—stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings—with elements showcasing his reverence for the natural world, particularly the use of columns that resemble tree trunks. Gaudí’s incredible attention to detail was evident in all his work; I was amazed at how his singular vision for the Sagrada Família was so clear that builders continued following it decades after his passing.

~by Jacob Hayes

This summer, I had the extraordinary opportunity to participate in the Oxford Study Abroad. The program offered me a chance to not only immerse myself in the spectacular academic environment of Oxford but also to travel across Europe, exploring cities like Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice, Vienna, Leipzig, Antwerp, London, Budapest, Brussels, and Edinburgh. Each destination added a unique dimension to my learning experience, making this summer truly unforgettable. 

One of the most impactful experiences of my summer was studying the History of Art in Florence and Rome. These cities, known for their rich artistic heritage, served as open-air museums where every corner revealed a masterpiece.

In Florence, we visited museums that were focused on the Renaissance period. Visiting the Uffizi Gallery and seeing works by Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci in person was awe-inspiring. Standing in front of Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus,” I could appreciate the delicate brushwork and vibrant colors in a way that no textbook image could convey. Our professor taught us about the artistic techniques and historical contexts that made these works so revolutionary. This hands-on learning experience deepened my understanding of the Renaissance’s impact on Western art and culture.

Rome offered a different but equally enriching experience. The city’s blend of ancient and Renaissance art provided a comprehensive view of its artistic evolution. Visiting the Vatican Museums and marveling at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling was a highlight. The intricate details and sheer scale of the frescoes was spectacular to me. Additionally, exploring the ruins of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum took my breath away. To be able to see the spectacular engineering that went into building these megastructures 2000 years ago was impressive. These experiences taught me the importance of context in art history, showing how cultural, political, and social factors shape artistic expression.

From these experiences, I learned to appreciate the interconnectedness of art and history. Seeing the progression of artistic styles and techniques across different periods and regions underscored the importance of preserving cultural heritage. This realization has inspired me to advocate for art conservation and to continue exploring the ways in which art reflects and influences society.

Another globally engaged experience that stood out was studying Music’s Composers in Vienna and Leipzig. As a music enthusiast, visiting these cities was a once in a lifetime experience. In Vienna, known as the “City of Music,” we delved into the lives and works of classical composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss.

Attending a concert at the Vienna Opera House, where we enjoyed performances of compositions by Strauss, was an unforgettable experience. The acoustics of the venue and the precision of the orchestra brought the music to life in a way that recordings never could. Our studies included visits to the homes and museums of these composers, where we learned about their personal lives, inspirations, and the historical contexts in which they composed their masterpieces. This immersive approach provided a deeper understanding of their contributions to classical music and their enduring legacy.

Leipzig, the city where Felix ​​Mendelssohn spent much of his life, offered a different but equally enriching experience. Visiting the Mendelssohn- Haus Museum gave me a profound appreciation for his work. We also explored the city’s rich musical heritage, which included connections to other composers like Johann Sebastian Bach and Richard Wagner.

These musical experiences highlighted the power of music as a universal language that transcends cultural and temporal boundaries. They taught me to appreciate the cultural heritage and the enduring legacy of great composers. This experience also emphasized the importance of cultural exchange and the role of the arts in fostering global understanding and connection.

The second half of the program at Oxford was equally enriching, albeit in a different way. The academic rigor combined with the freedom to explore my interests made the Oxford Study Abroad Program everything I had hoped for and more.

Studying the History of Medieval England provided a fascinating glimpse into a pivotal period of history. We examined primary sources and I was able to visit historical sites like the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. These visits helped bring the material to life, providing a tangible connection to the events and figures we studied. Our discussions covered topics such as the Norman Conquest, the development of the English legal system, and the cultural changes of the medieval period. This course deepened my understanding of how historical events shape modern society.

One of the aspects I liked best about the Oxford Program was the sense of community among the participants. We came from diverse backgrounds and had varied interests, but our shared experiences in the program created strong bonds. Whether we were studying together, exploring the streets of Oxford, or traveling to different European cities, the camaraderie was always present. This support system made the experience even more enriching and enjoyable.

One piece of advice I would give to future Honors Program students considering the Oxford Study Abroad is to embrace every opportunity to step out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s engaging in challenging academic discussions, trying new foods, or exploring unfamiliar cities, these experiences will contribute to your personal and academic growth. The program offers a unique blend of rigorous academics and cultural immersion that is unlike anything else. Take full advantage of it, and you will come away with not only a deeper understanding of your field of study but also a greater appreciation for the world around you.

My summer with the Oxford Study Abroad Program was a journey of discovery and growth. Through globally engaged classroom discussions and cultural immersions in cities like Rome, Vienna, and Leipzig, I gained a deeper understanding of the world and my place in it. The overall experience was transformative, providing me with academic challenges, cultural insights, and lifelong friendships. I encourage any student considering the program to seize the opportunity and immerse themselves fully in this extraordinary adventure. The lessons learned and the memories made will stay with you for a lifetime, shaping your perspective and enriching your future endeavors.

~by Michael Rascher Hectic, stunning, exhausting, and endlessly rewarding. My summer at GT Oxford was marked by incredible experiences that I will treasure for a lifetime. The friends I made, the foods I ate, the places I traveled to, and the views I saw were all spectacular. Despite how draining some days became, I truly wouldn’t trade a single one for anything else in the world.

As a member of the Italy travel group, I started my adventures in Rome where I quickly became immersed in the unimaginable amount of history and culture that it has to offer. Our first event together was a tour of the Vatican that ended in the Sistine Chapel! Truly an awe-inspiring space that encouraged wonder at how Michelangelo was able to skillfully paint such a beautiful fresco on the ceiling of a building over 500 years ago. It was also satisfying to connect bits of trivia I had learned from the pre-departure courses to what I was actually seeing in front of my face. My favorite part was seeing several depictions of scenes from the Biblical book of Genesis, especially The Creation of Adam. I’m thankful that I had some background knowledge from these courses so that I could further appreciate what I was viewing in the Vatican, as well as each of the following museums I visited later on the trip.

One of the best features of traveling with GT Oxford was that I got a free day in almost every city to go wherever I wished. On my free day in Florence, I traveled with a group of my friends to Cinque Terre, a gorgeous collection of five colorful coastal Italian cities. We had a short train layover in Pisa for about 20 minutes, and I was eager to quickly visit the Tower of Pisa but my friends urged me that it was still a mile away from the station. Taking this as a challenge, I grabbed a buddy of mine, hopped off the train as soon as it stopped, sprinted to the Tower, snapped a few pictures, and made it back just in time for our next train! It was well worth the effort to see an iconic piece of Italian architecture.

On my next free day in Milan, I took another trip with my friends to Lake Como which was absolutely spectacular. We spent the day hiking around the lake and swimming in the surroundings of beautiful mountain scenery. I would definitely recommend this as a destination for anyone traveling abroad next summer. The architecture was amazing and the views even more so. I even caught a glimpse of the villa where they filmed the Naboo lake house scenes in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, a rewarding pilgrimage for my younger self.

In Vienna, my day trip took me into the Austrian Alps where I hiked in the Rax mountain range, another incredibly rewarding experience.

Now as a distance runner, it’s been a goal of mine for years to run a full marathon. To my amazement, there just so happened to be a festival hosting a race in Belgium on our free day. While the fast pace of travel leading up to our stay in Antwerp left me with only a handful of opportunities for long training runs, I was still determined to compete and finish. So, I took a train with a couple buddies to the small town of Torhout and was immediately shocked at how many people had gathered there in the middle of nowhere to celebrate the Night of Flanders. The town was absolutely bustling and the environment was electric. After embracing the Flemish traditions and enjoying the festivities for a short while, the race began and I was off! Although it became incredibly difficult near the end, I successfully crossed the finish line (in excruciating pain) and completed my very first marathon as my friends cheered me on. Our spur-of-the-moment adventure resulted in one of my most memorable experiences of the entire trip.

Then, after arriving in Mansfield College and settling into my new home for the next six weeks, I was greeted by resident expert tour guide David Gunnell for an HP-exclusive walking tour of Oxford. He was so entertaining and contained a remarkable depth of knowledge surrounding the history of the city with corresponding literature and movie references. The tour was an enjoyable and informative blur that left me filled with wonder at the immense amount of culture contained in and produced by Oxford over the centuries. I developed a further appreciation for the city’s scholarly works in the classroom while learning from my professor in HTS 3032, Modern European Intellectual History. After reading a variety of influential letters and publishings, I can understand how important Oxford – and England as a whole – was in the development of progressive and forward-thinking ideologies. Together, these experiences opened my eyes to a thoughtful, academic world beneath the lovely facades of Oxford architecture.

One of my most memorable experiences in Oxford was visiting other colleges on Open Days, another opportunity I’d highly recommend. As I walked around the city with a friend, we got to tour the Bodleian’s Duke Humfrey’s Library and Christ Church’s dining hall – both incredibly famous Harry Potter filming locations – for free.

Weekends during GT Oxford were another huge highlight of the program. On the first weekend, I took a train to London with a group of friends and we met up with some more friends from the GT Europe program. It was incredible to see so many important landmarks and buildings in such a condensed area. I enjoyed it so much that I’m even going back to London on my last weekend to experience more.

The following week, I traveled to Dublin and Galway City in Ireland to do some hikes and visit the Guinness Storehouse.

Perhaps my favorite weekend was a vacation trip to the Spanish island of Mallorca with a small group of friends. We toured a family-owned orchard and I got to taste the best orange I’ve ever had in my entire life. After spending plenty of time on the beach, we finished the day with some paella. The next day, we had tapas for lunch and then went snorkeling and saw an incredible variety of sea life! The island was beautiful, and even the view out of our Airbnb window was stunning.

Another phenomenal weekend trip took me to Switzerland where I got to hike in the beauty of the Swiss Alps and swim in crystal-clear water. One surprising thing I got to do while staying in Basel was float down the Rhine River directly through the city center. The water was clean enough and the weather was warm enough that there were literally hundreds and hundreds of people gathered for a swim.

~ by Kasey Lowe

This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the Oxford Program. As someone who hasn’t spent much time abroad, I was incredibly excited to spend my entire summer traveling around Europe, and the Oxford Program absolutely lived up to my expectations.

One of my favorite experiences of the trip was when we had a day in Florence with no classes or activities and decided to take a day trip to Cinque Terre. Our Italian music professor told us about a town on the coast called Monterosso, so about thirty people from my group spent the day there. Monterosso was beautiful, and chilling at the beach was a very relaxing break. Since Monterosso is a pretty touristy place, there were a lot of other visitors from many different places, as well as some locals. It was really cool to see and meet so many different people, and I even went cliff-jumping with a girl from Germany! Because so many people from my group were there, I also think this day trip brought a lot of us closer together. Overall, our visit to Monterosso was a great way to spend a day off.

The sea near Monterosso

Another great experience was La Fête de la Musique, a celebration that takes place every year in Paris on June 21st. On this night, street musicians and DJs line every street corner, and crowds of people stop to listen to them perform. The only rule for musicians is that their performances must be free, which makes it a great way to experience a variety of music and get a taste of Parisian culture for free. On the evening of June 21st, our group finished our delicious welcome dinner and then took to the streets to take part in the festivities. All of the performances we saw were great, but my favorite part of La Fête de la Musique was probably when we found a small history museum that had been converted to a little club for the night. The old, ornate architecture and statues combined with strobe lights and thumping house music created a really cool combination of both historic and modern Parisian culture. Wandering the streets after dark and listening to all the different performers was definitely one of the most memorable parts of the trip and something I can’t imagine experiencing anywhere else, so I consider myself very lucky that my group’s schedule lined up with this event.

The Fete de Music

Also in Paris was my favorite museum of the trip, the Louvre. I wasn’t much of an art person before this trip, but the structure of the art class made it much more interesting than I expected. Getting to see the artworks we studied in person made me much more excited to learn about them, and knowing something about the art we saw in museums made seeing it in person a much more meaningful experience. I knew the Louvre was one of the best museums, but nothing really prepared me to actually experience it. It was massive, and it felt like there was a famous painting around every corner. It was really cool to see so many of the works and artists we discussed in class, but I also really liked wandering around and finding cool art I’d never heard of before. The building itself was also really impressive. The Louvre is way too big to cover everything in a reasonable amount of time, but I still got to see a lot of different art. They had one of my favorite paintings we learned about in class, Jacques Louis David’s Oath of the Horatii, and an Easter Island head. Of course, I also had to check out the Mona Lisa while we were there. To be completely honest, I thought she was kind of underwhelming, but the rest of the museum more than made up for it. Getting to see so many well-known and influential works in person while studying them in class has definitely increased my understanding of and appreciation of art.

The Easter Island head at the Louvre

I also did some traveling on the three-day weekends during the Oxford portion of the trip. These trips were definitely very different from the travel portion because we had to plan everything ourselves. Although this was a little difficult at first, having full control over every aspect of our trips was very rewarding because we could focus on things that we wanted to do. One of my favorite weekend trips was when some of my friends and I visited Amsterdam. Amsterdam has been near the top of my bucket list for so long, and it didn’t disappoint. I thought it was a very beautiful and fun city, and I was so glad I got the chance to visit. Planning weekends like this myself showed me that it’s actually not that difficult to organize trips and inspired me to try to travel more even when I’m back in the US.

Stroopwafels in Amsterdam!

Besides getting to experience all these awesome places, this trip also helped me develop a lot of important life skills. Being in foreign places where I didn’t speak the language or know the cultural norms helped me get more comfortable in unfamiliar situations. It also forced me to get better at problem solving, since even seemingly simple tasks like doing laundry could be surprisingly difficult when we were traveling. Solving all these minor problems has made me much more flexible and better at dealing with challenges, and also increased my confidence in myself and my abilities. Also, getting to experience so many different cultures has made me more open-minded and aware of other lifestyles. I’d like to think that I was relatively open-minded even before this trip, but I also think there’s a difference between understanding that other cultures and lifestyles exist and experiencing them firsthand. Since this was my first time really traveling outside of my culture, I feel like it really opened my eyes to how different life can be in other parts of the world and increased my appreciation of cultural differences and variety.

I also formed some really strong friendships with people in my group throughout the course of this trip. When you live together, explore together, and are stuck on a bus together for multi-hour drives pretty regularly, you can form some tight bonds really quickly. All the inside jokes, crazy stories, and shared memories we collected while traveling made it very easy to connect with the people in my group, and even though we were all strangers a few months ago, I would now consider them some of my closest friends.

I had a great experience with this program, and I would definitely recommend trying it if it sounds interesting to you. My biggest piece of advice for people on the Oxford program is to be open to trying new things. This is the perfect chance to try things you wouldn’t normally do, and you never know when or where you’ll find something really cool. Some of my best memories from this trip are from places I never expected to like as much as I did. Exploring new stuff is a big part of the Oxford Program, so don’t shy away from stuff just because it’s outside your comfort zone.