La Dolce Vita

by Rich Landesberg

It sure has been the sweet life for all of us the past three-plus weeks. We traveled to six different countries (seven if you count the Vatican), at least 11 different cities and used three different currencies. We learned all about the different European Union institutions, how they work and how people perceive them. Our free-time discussions often centered on how things work in the new Europe. Along the way, we were tested on our knowledge. Our learning transcended books and institutions, delving into a more visceral understanding as we met new friends in these countries and explored monuments, museums, restaurants and more.

Outside every window here in Rome, there seems to be antiquity and beauty. Yesterday started with a trip to the Vatican to attend the Pope’s weekly audience, a moving event regardless of one’s beliefs. The afternoon was a 10-mile walk around Rome, from the Coliseum to the Trevi Fountain (many coins in–many trips back to Rome promised) and important points in-between. And that is where the class ended. Today, students have a chance to see whatever they want, to walk around Rome, or to spend a day living la dolce vita. Our bus leaves in a few hours–in the middle of the night–for our very early start and long day of traveling home.

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

Maybe not what Billy Joel had in mind, but every year we celebrate Betty’s birthday during this course. This year, Allie D shared the same birthday making the celebration even more special. The two posed for the “paparazzi” and enjoyed a surprise birthday cake from our friends at L’Orso ’80.

Some Pictures from Rome

Rome!

We are here…safe and sound and heading out to dinner. Check out what some of our students wrote when asked “why should American students study the European Union?” Answers are posted under “Student 1.”

Going with the Flo-rence

by Rich Landesberg
Now…where were we. Right. In Munich (see photo above). Our unplanned stop in Germany, caused by a delayed flight in Zagreb that forced a missed connection, turned out to be a good chance to bond, chat and catch up on sleep. Our arrival in Florence the next day went off without a hitch.

We walked all around this beautiful city the night we arrived and headed to Siena the next morning for a day trip that included a look at 13th century murals depicting the joy of good government…and the evil of bad government. It seemed just as relevant today as it did 800 years ago. Siena is a city of great food, great views and, on this Sunday, a football (soccer) game against Napoli. Our students got to see how other cultures get sports-crazed.

Today was some market time in the morning before heading to Fiesole for a fascinating lecture about Italy and the EU as well as some breathtaking views of Florence. Back home by dinner time. Tomorrow….art and history lecture and coach to Rome.

Here are some pictures of our group and where we have been in Italy

Florence

We are here! Safe and sound…finally. It was snowing when we left Munich…it is about 60 degrees here. Everyone is smiling!

Florence? Nein!

We should be in Florence now, enjoying some pizza and pasta. Instead, we are in Munich. Our flight from Zagreb was delayed, meaning we missed our connection and we are spending the night here, onto Florence in the morning. The airline is putting us up and giving us dinner. We think we have located a few decks of cards meaning a gin rummy tournament is about to break out. What some might think of as a problem we are looking at as an adventure. We learned a great lesson about the difference between US and EU policy toward airline passengers and their rights when things go wrong. We are safe, warm, in a great hotel enjoying a full dinner, all on Lufthansa’s tab. If we were in the states, we’d probably be on the airport floor, buying our own hot dogs.

See you tomorrow, Michaelangleo.

Zig Zag

by Rich Landesberg

Zig Zag Medvescak (MED-vah-Shak). We heard that a lot our first night here in Zagreb as we watched the hometown Bears beat a team from Ljubjna, 5-2. Hockey is big in this part of the world and the 15,000 seat arena, built less than four years ago, was pretty full. In a country that would never have had t-shirts, jerseys, scarfs and other paraphernalia for sale 25 years ago, the fan culture is going strong now and our students are fans. It would be un-BEAR-able not to cheer for the home team.

Our first full day here started with a city tour and brief history of this fascinating city that is unknown to most American tourists. We walked through the vibrant city market and over to the cathedral before having time on our own to eat and explore. Late afternoon, we met with a group of law students at their campus near the Parliament. The students had a lively discussion for two hours with topics ranging from the importance of Croatia joining the European Union to the upcoming US Presidential election. When it was all over, students from both countries adjourned to local coffee shops to continue to talk.

(above: the main square; the market; outside the law school looking at the church near Parliament; the discussion with law students)

This morning, we met with the head of the UN Development Program for a two hour discussion of what Croatia needs to develop further and with the UNDP does generally. The afternoon provided an opportunity to catch up on what we missed here before we take a flight tomorrow morning to our last destination: Italy.
(below: the view from the train station looking toward our hotel, three blocks away)

Zagreb

We are all here…safe and sound. Updates to follow.

Get Out of Town

by Rich Landesberg

And that is just what we did today….got out of town to the city of Eger, a town of about 60,000 people that is home to a major university and the major wine producing region in Hungary. It was a long day and a two-hour coach ride each way. It’s late and we are on the road to Zagreb in the morning so this will be a brief post. Here are the highlights: We met with a Parliament member from the radical right-wing party, the third largest party in Parliament. This nationalist group is anti-Gypsy and its leader recently described Jews as “lice.” It was interesting to question him. Our one hour session lasted for two hours. We had lots of questions. John Milton said we should let truth and falsehood clash to create a marketplace of ideas. Sometimes that is difficult.

That was followed by a chance to get to know our Hungarian student hosts, followed by a walk around this lovely old town and then a meeting at city hall with the deputy mayor. By late afternoon we were headed to a local winery, one of many caves built into the side of a mountain. Our guide, the son of the owner, explained the wine-making process. We all enjoyed dinner after that in one of the caves and those who cared to taste wines were given a full explanation of what they were tasting. It was a great experience and a terrific lesson in how wine can enhance a meal, a far cry from those who would use alcohol ony as a means to get drunk.

Here are some pictures from our day(the group is in front to the main unviersity building)

On Top of Old Buda

by Rich Landesberg

It was a full day in Budapest. Our morning lecture was about the Jewish community here that was decimated by the Nazis and local fascists in 1944 and 1945. We had previously seen the sculpture of shoes lining the banks of the Danube. The empty shoes represented Jews rounded up by the Hungarian Arrow Cross, marched to the river bank, and shot, falling into the Danube and turning it red with innocent blood. Our hotel is on the edge of the old Jewish ghetto where 200,000 people were forced to live in 2,000 homes before being sent to concentration camps and murdered. Hitler is said to have stood on the (now gone) upper floor of the hotel to watch parts of the ghetto burn. From my room, you can see the old synagogue.

After class, we walked over to the restored synagogue for a guided tour. The building is magnificent, with moorish architecture and interior parts reminiscent of a Catholic church. Even in the late 1800s, the Jewish population tried to blend in to keep from attracting the attention of those who would do them harm just because of how they chose to worship. Our guide was born just as the war ended, with a Jewish mother and Catholic father, both of whom lived in the ghetto. Her father is credited with saving hundreds of Jewish lives and his name is enshrined on a wall outside the synagogue. During the war, the Nazis used the building as a stable. Now, this biggest syngouge in Europe is once again a house of worship.

After that sobering morning tour, it was time for lunch before a city tour at 2:30. That took us to all the major sites incuding hero’s square in Pest (the lower part of the city) and old Buda (the mountain on the other side of the river, overlooking Pest). Great views and many photo ops were part of our afternoon as well as talking with our guide who was 15 when the Soviets finally left her country. The evening was spent over dinner and working on group projects for this blog.

A Night at the Opera

by Rich Landesberg

Budapest seems to have gotten away from me, with no updates yet from Hungary. Our flights went well and our arrival in this beautiful old city heralded the start of our eastern journey through the European Union. The first night here was spent at the classic old opera house to see a production of Die Fledermaus, by Johann Strauss. Most of our students had never been to the opera and, at first blush, may have been disappointed when they found out the translated name of the opera, The Bat, was not the latest installment of the Twilight Saga. But if the building was not breathtaking enough, this opera blew everyone away. Despite the language issues–the dialogue was in Hungarian, with German subtitle; the music was in German, with Hungarian subtitle–everyone enjoyed the music, dancing and acting and most of us could follow a good chunk of the plot. Many of the students are now determined to make this only the first opera they have seen, not the last.

The next morning, students were given a list of things they could do on their own in Budapest. I took a small group to the central market where Hungarians have been buying food for more than 100 years. It is a great place to eat, buy local food products and find souvenirs. Some readers of this blog may even be beneficiaries of our morning walk to the market. Dr. Morgan took one of our hardier students on a long walk across the bridge to Old Buda and up to one of the highest peaks where they had a grand view of snow showers rolling down into Pest, the lower part of the city.

The afternoon was spent touring the grand old Parliament building and learning a bit about Hungarian history. Our walk over, created the route of the students who protested for freedom in 1956, only to be coldly shot and killed by the Soviet occupiers of Hungary. It was sobering moment. After Parliament we were off to European Central University where our students were exposed to the possibility of doing graduate studies here. Of course, between the two events we had to stop for coffee and what better place than Gerbaud, the famous 19th century coffee shop that has been serving intellectuals and coffee lovers for about 150 years. The evening featured a group dinner with typical Hungarian food at the Soul Cafe. A great way to top off a very full day.

By the way, the title of the entry today refers to a classic Marx Brothers movie. When we were in Brussels, we saw where Karl Marx wrote Das Kapital. I made a crack about the place next door being where Groucho wrote A Day at the Races. There were nothing but blank stares from the group. I know that many of my generation “rediscovered” the Marx Brothers. Maybe it is time for this generation to do the same

St. Stephens church by European Central University.

Next….Sunday in Budapest