A Summer Update

At the request of some of my adoring fans (okay, I admit it: it was a few family members), I've decided to do a summer review here on my blog. I confess that I was not even close to being across the pond, but I was across the state, working as an interpretive ranger in Yosemite.


In full regalia

The summer got off to an interesting start; when I moved to Wawona in late May, it was still snowing.

My porch on Memorial Day

As a result of this very late winter, the waterfalls had more water in them than I've ever seen.

Upper Yosemite Fall

There was also an incredibly impressive display of wildflowers, which stuck around much longer than usual.

Dogwood


Harlequin Lupine


Indian Paintbrish

My job went well, and I gave most of the same programs as last summer and the one before, plus a few new ones. My favorite one to give is the evening campfire program about the indigenous Ahwahneechee people of Yosemite Valley. I also gave guided walks in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, hosted a morning "Coffee with a Ranger" program in the campground, worked in the Pioneer Yosemite History Center, and staffed the Visitor Center.

The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias

Wawona Visitor Center

The summer was an interesting one because of all the traveling I did; for the first half of the season, I traveled back and forth between Yosemite and the Central Coast every other weekend for weddings and family events.

My best friend Katie and her husband Justin tied the knot in July, and I had the honor of being a bridesmaid.


Aside from all the wedding festivities, some of the highlights of the summer included:

• Wawona's Old Fashioned Fourth of July, during which I dressed in costume and staffed the History Center.

• Backpacking with Dad near Vogelsang Pass

Overlooking the Clark Range at the Pass

Dad at our camp next to Vogelsang Lake

Alpinglow on Vogelsang Lake

• Participating in an Ahwahneechee cultural demonstration and learning how to prepare acorn in the traditional way.

• Lots of fun barn dances

• Hiking off trail to Mount Savage and having quite an adventure trying to find the way back.

My friend Laura tries to triangulate using a map and compass. It worked...eventually.

• Participating in the "Tenaya Lake Yacht Club": a regatta of rafts taking a leisurely float across an alpine lake while sipping champagne--good thing I had just had my 21st birthday!

Our trusty vessel

My fearless companions pose with the club flag.

Overall, it was a fabulous summer full of great memories. I'm already looking forward to next season!

Closing the Book

Europe Semester is drawing to a close faster than seems possible. I'll be headed back in California in about 48 hours. I'm not sure I'm ready to leave, but I'm certainly looking forward to seeing my friends and family again. I'm incredibly thankful for Europe Semester and all the new experiences and friendships it has provided. Thanks for following along on this adventure and for taking the time to read about my travels. I can't wait to see you!

Kelsey

Turkey in Photos

Istanbul

View from the Bosphorus


Golden Horn, Istanbul


Cappadocia

Bird Valley, Cappadocia



Cappadocian rock formations containing houses and churches


One of the multiple mosques found in every Turkish neighborhood. This one is under construction.


A Turkish carpet weaver


Traditional Turkish carpets


Ephesus


View of the Aegean Sea from our hotel room balcony.
(Obviously, we're really suffering here.)


Ruins of the Great Library at Ephesus


Ruins of St. John's Basilica

Istanbul and Cappadocia

The past week in Istanbul has been one of the most interesting of the whole trip. We've seen a fifth century church with beautiful mosaics, two Ottoman palaces, two mosques, and the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia was especially impressive because both its Christian and Muslim histories are very visible, and it's absolutely gorgeous inside and out. Our guide for the duration of our time here in Turkey is an Istanbul local who is able to share lots of insights into Turkey's secularist Islamic culture. On Sunday we got another very interesting perspective when we went to a Christian church service and a discussion afterward with some of the members of the congregation. Turkey is 97 percent Muslim, so it was very interesting to hear what it's like to be part of an extremely tiny religious minority.

The mosaic in the Hagia Sophia

Inside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul

The Bosphorus Fortress in Istanbul

Today we flew to Cappadocia. The terrain here is very different from Istanbul. It's desert-like and much colder. There are also pointy rock formations and cliffs everywhere. This afternoon we saw a pottery workshop where many of the techniques used have stayed more or less the same for the past 4,000 years, since the time of the Hittites. Then we saw a series of ancient churches, houses, and monasteries located inside the pointy rock formations that are everywhere. Originally the churches used the caves to hide from the Roman soldiers when Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire. Definitely one of the most interesting sites of the trip!

Cappadocian rock formations

A second century church carved into a rock formation

We'll be here in Cappadocia for two nights and then on to Kusadasi for another five days. Finally we're headed back to London for one night before flying home. I can't believe I'll be in California in one week!

A Turkey Thanksgiving

Today I had the most unconventional Thanksgiving of my life to date. It started with a trip to the Grand Bazaar in the morning, where we saw a number of over-priced Turkish goods and even more pushy salesmen. This afternoon we went on a boat cruise (number five of the semester) of the Bosporus, which is the straight running down the middle of Istanbul that divides Europe from Asia. This evening, we had a big "Thanksgiving" dinner of Turkish food at a nice restaurant. It certainly wasn't conventional in any way, but we did go around our tables listing things we're thankful for. After dinner a handful of us went out with our professors to see the "European District" of Istanbul, which is an upscale touristy area that blends a European-style city center feel with traditional Turkish shops and goods. Once we got back to the hotel, a few friends, the professors, and I ended the night with an old Thanksgiving episode of "The West Wing", a favorite TV show of ours, which provided a nice dose of both Thanksgiving and America.

With my friend Lauren on our boat cruise

A view of the Hagia Sophia from the Bosporus


About to eat a Turkish dinner on Thanksgiving

It was a wonderful day, even though it was so different. I'm very thankful for our Europe Semester community and our makeshift "Euro-family" celebration. Of course I miss my real family and have been thinking of the celebrating that's going on in California. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone at home! I'm thankful for you and am looking forward to seeing you in the next couple of weeks!

A Whirlwind Tour of the Ancient World: Rome, Athens, and Istanbul

After two weeks in Florence, we headed to Rome for five days. Seeing the Coliseum, various ruins, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Vatican were real highlights. We also attended mass at St. Peter's Basilica, and saw the Pope because it was a holiday!

The Pantheon

The Trevi Fountain

The Coliseum

St. Peter's Basilica

We got a whirlwind tour of Athens during our six hour layover. It was enough time to get a great tour of the Acropolis.

In front of the Parthenon

Yesterday we arrived in Istanbul. Today after class we took a tour of some of the major city sites, most notably the Hagia Sophia. It is a beautiful city, but definitely very different from the European cities we've seen so far. I'm looking forward to understanding Turkey's culture and sites better in the next two weeks.

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

Florence and then some

For the past two weeks we've been relatively stationary in Florence. We have class every weekday morning and afternoons are spent seeing museums and churches on our own. I've seen at least two museums or churches every day and still haven't even scratched the surface! Obvious highlights include Michelangelo's David, the Duomo and its famous bronze doors, and some of da Vinci's unfinished works. I've also especially been enjoying class. We're beginning to recap on all our major semester themes, and focusing on the big picture has reminded us how much we've seen and learned in the past few months.

Florence

Ponte Vecchio

The Arno River

We've also taken a few class day trips. Our first was to Siena, which is a beautiful medieval town that holds some of the earliest works of the Renaissance. Our other one was to Ravenna, where the church of San Vitale holds the famous Byzantine mosaics of Emperor Justinian and Queen Theodora.

Siena

Mosaic of Justinian in Ravenna

This weekend I took an overnight trip to Venice with four friends. It's probably the most beautiful city I've ever seen. Highlights included looking at the city's beautiful unique architecture, checking out all the blown glass Venice is known for, and seeing da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. More than anything, it was great to get away with just a few friends and feel independent enough to navigate the train system on our own.

Venice

On Wednesday we're moving on to Rome for five days, and from there we're headed to Istanbul, Turkey. I'm stunned that there are only three weeks left! It's flown by, and I'm not entirely sure I'm ready for it to be over!