Israel has officially cut ties with the U.N. agency that assists Palestinian refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, (UNRWA) the agency that provides help and services for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA has also been helping different organizations to help Gaza.
Read MoreLondon has been on my list for quite some time as a travel destination. I briefly visited London as a child during a 24-hour layover, but that only gave me a small sample of what this historic and truly international city has to offer. Thus, I decided to catch a cheap flight out for a long weekend.
As always, a few disclaimers before I dive into it. Firstly, London is another expensive one. It certainly isn’t as bad as Switzerland, but given the exchange rate between pounds and USD (roughly 1.3 USD to one pound) it's worth mentioning that things will be a little bit pricier than you might be expecting. Additionally, many of the most popular tourist attractions are quite expensive compared to other locations in Europe, but more about that later.
Also, invest in a rain jacket before you go; the weather is miserable (no offense to the Brits) and with strong winds common in the city, an umbrella won’t cut it. In fact, if you take an umbrella, chances are you’ll leave without it, because the wind will have torn it to shreds and left you soaked in the rain. Learn from my mistakes.
Read MoreThe whole debacle started with a proposal by French left-wing president Emmanuel Macron to raise the age required to receive government retirement pension from 62 to 64. Given that you need to be 67 to receive your full social security pension in the United States, I was shocked to hear that this was even an issue. Now I am by no means a French legal expert, so I cannot speak much in depth of the debate on this issue. However, while retirement at 62 seems fanciful to me, I too would be furious if I had been promised it and then the president (who is quite wealthy) proposed taking it from me.
This was the general reaction of the French public, and they expressed their anger in the way that they knew best: strikes. However, French strikes are not quite the same as those seen in America. They are typically the first step of a bargaining process, rather than a last resort. Whereas American unions tend to hold out on declaring a strike in hopes that an agreement will be reached, the French public start with strikes, almost as a reminder to the government or powerful company that they are the ones who truly hold the power, often before negotiations are made. Thus, the moment the retirement reform was proposed, the French had taken to the streets in protest in Paris. This mass public movement overtook the entirety of France, and by January 19, a national strike was declared. Not a single tram was running in the city of Montpellier where I live. Few buses were running and most businesses were closed.
Another difference between French and American strikes that typically occur, is that French strikes have a declared end date. Whatever unions involved will declare a strike for a 24 or 72-hour period, and then business will resume as normal. This was the case at the beginning of the strikes. After a total shutdown on Thursday, everything was back up and running on Friday. However, the reason most strikes in France last a brief predetermined time is because they remind those in power of their place (in service of the people) and lead to successful bargaining and resolution. However, in this case, the French government did not stand down. Thus, another strike was announced the following week, and then the next, but the French government did not stand down, so the protests intensified.
Read MoreSwitzerland is said to have invented the concept of winter tourism. It is the place to go in Europe for folks looking for a ski vacation or a cozy winter get-together. But there’s much to see beyond the slopes, which is what drew my father and me to this destination during my mid-semester break at the end of February.
Before I get into this article, let me make it abundantly clear that Switzerland is not a trip for everyone, especially in the winter. In the other places I’ve written about, there are things that could appeal to a huge genre of people. However, many of Switzerland’s largest tourist drives, such as the Matterhorn mountain, Aletsch glacier, and funicular railways have limited access during the winter or are closed entirely. That being said, it is the go-to in terms of winter sports getaways in Europe and also boasts a number of winter-friendly tourist attractions including museums, castles, and historic rail lines. If you are a ski buff, or if you are like me and my father (read: obsessed with trains, boats, and ruins), Switzerland is definitely the place for you, though there may be some benefit to going in the spring or summer if you are a part of the latter group.
One more quick disclaimer before we dive into it: be aware that Switzerland is one of the most expensive places to travel in Europe, as it is not a part of the EU, and thus is in a much different place economically than member countries. Be sure you look into this before you go on a trip and make sure you budget accordingly because it’s one thing to hear about it and another thing entirely when the cheapest meal you can find is a 16 CHF burger (roughly $17).
With that out of the way, let’s get into the trip. My father and I spent a week traveling throughout Switzerland, visiting the cities of Montreux, Gruyère, Interlaken/Brig, Chur, St. Moritz, and Geneva. While it was initially in our plans to visit the Matterhorn in Zermatt as well as the Aletsch glacier, we, unfortunately, ran afoul in terms of weather, making neither of these locations worth the trip in terms of both visibility and activity closures.
Read MoreBy Madelynn Loring, Staff Writer
Paris is simply the place to go in France for Americans. In fact, when I first announced that I was studying abroad, the first thing everyone said was, “In Paris?” I definitely disappointed folks when I said that no, I was going to a smaller city in southern France, unheard of by Americans, called Montpellier. Regardless, I have been so fortunate as to have been able to catch a couple trains to Paris for weekend trips, so I figured I would share my experience with certain popular attractions, and offer my insight on whether they’re worth it, or too touristy.
Read MoreI have been fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad for a year in Montpellier, France. I have tried to make the most of my first time in Western Europe by traveling around to neighboring countries to try to see all that there is to see. I am no tour guide by any stretch of the imagination, and I am only a travel blogger in my wildest dreams, but I figured I would take the opportunity to share some insights with you about my travels in various countries, as well as some opinions about what is worth the visit, and what’s just a tourist trap. So, without further ado, here’s what to do (and what to skip) on a trip to Italy.
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