View this post on Instagram Geoje, South Korea A post shared by Écoute Exchange (@ecouteex) on Jan 12, 2019 at 2:27am PST This is a community garden in one of the rich neighborhoods up the hill. The people are super nice but most of them barely speak any English at all. We mostly communicated by single words and a lot of gesturing. The climate is great! I just missed the summer, but the temperature is still in the 20s. They say that if it ever snows during winter, everything shuts down. The lock to my apartment is keyless. You just enter a pin, but remember to change the batteries regularly! You… Read More
Continue ReadingHong Kong
View this post on Instagram Hong Kong, China A post shared by Écoute Exchange (@ecouteex) on Jan 11, 2019 at 5:22pm PST On the day of Earth Hour, we saw many students on the streets, giving out pamphlets to passersby and informing them that they should turn off their lights for an hour that night. We spoke with people here about programs in which they dealt with protecting the environmentally sensitive horseshoe crabs and their efforts to find solutions for problems like limited housing and social care services. On the same night we went to the harbour and sat down on the bench. The Hong Kong skyline opposite to… Read More
Continue ReadingNice
View this post on Instagram Train from Rome, Italy to Nice, France A post shared by Écoute Exchange (@ecouteex) on Jan 11, 2019 at 5:16pm PST We stopped in Nice for about two hours. Looking at it from the train window you will see palm trees, picturesque cliffs and beaches, and some renaissance architecture in a nearly tropical climate. When we got out, the weather was hot, but the air was fresh and everyone around us was in a good mood and incredibly polite. I’m not surprised, they get to live there every day!
Continue ReadingMarseille
View this post on Instagram Marseille, France A post shared by Écoute Exchange (@ecouteex) on Jan 11, 2019 at 11:46pm PST We went to the old port and the Basilica de Notre Dame de Garde, which gives a clear view of the city, I suspect all the way to Spain. The old town is quite nice. It resembles Montreal downtown, sans the skyscrapers. At the port, you can buy fresh fish as well as rare types of gummy snacks. I wanted to buy a huge gummy strawberry, but we had to move on. In the afternoon we went on a boat ride around the shore cliffs (calanques) and took a… Read More
Continue ReadingIbiza
View this post on Instagram Ibiza, Spain A post shared by Écoute Exchange (@ecouteex) on Jan 11, 2019 at 5:20pm PST I’m sitting under an umbrella on one of the many beaches of Sant Antoni, Ibiza. The umbrella is here because I got too much tan while swimming yesterday in the clear blue waters that surround this island. It’s my last day here and I don’t want to leave this place. We had a hard time leaving our hotel room just because it was one of the steps of our departure, even though the hotel itself has very little to offer compared to what’s outside. Frankly, I should have visited… Read More
Continue ReadingAmsterdam
View this post on Instagram Amsterdam, Netherlands A post shared by Écoute Exchange (@ecouteex) on Jan 11, 2019 at 11:51pm PST Amsterdam is a merchant town and it always has been. Filled with remarkably expressive people and at the same time a quaintly polite atmosphere. The central area of the town is clearly aimed at tourists, and the kind of tourists you see here may be the most amazing thing about Amsterdam. You know that place with the word “amsterdam” written in big metal letters? It’s right next to the Van Gogh museum. It has a lot of his old school stuff. You can clearly see how he was influenced… Read More
Continue ReadingRome
View this post on Instagram Rome, Italy A post shared by Écoute Exchange (@ecouteex) on Jan 12, 2019 at 12:05am PST When we first stopped here for a few hours in the beginning of the trip, we were amazed by the delicious fresh pizza and actual proper ice cream. Well, I had so much ice cream now that I only buy it once in a while. Instead, I shifted to pasta, lasagna, fruits, and wine. Apples and oranges can’t be compared with ice cream, but eating a local, still slightly greenish orange is a difficult experience to repeat in North America. The coliseum is slightly smaller than it looks from… Read More
Continue ReadingFlorence
View this post on Instagram Florence, Italy A post shared by Écoute Exchange (@ecouteex) on Jan 12, 2019 at 12:09am PST Florence is a very subtle, mild city. The main thing about it is the old town, which is huge and seriously spectacular if you enjoy walks and relaxed picture-taking. The most amazing moment there took place when it started raining. The reflections of all the buildings on the wet streets were intensified by the sun that was still outside the range of the clouds. It created an effect that can’t be seen in any other kind of weather. The oldest bridge in Florence is a sight to behold. It’s built… Read More
Continue ReadingVenice
View this post on Instagram Venice, Italy A post shared by Écoute Exchange (@ecouteex) on Jan 12, 2019 at 12:14am PST If you ever wondered what it’s like to get lost in a real labyrinth, the best way to find out is in Venice. Since they have water channels instead of roads, such simple things like crossing the street can become a huge challenge. The walls that keep you in are filled with tiny shops. Most of them offer souvenirs and snacks, but some sell hand-made books from classic literature, clothing that hasn’t reached north America yet (it really is a honey trap for people who are into shopping), and… Read More
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