Europe Packing List

What do you pack for two weeks in Europe? I traveled to Barcelona, Southern France, and Switzerland this summer before heading to Copenhagen to study abroad. Here’s my packing list.

I got the Osprey Porter 46 Travel Pack. I picked this one because it is carry-on size for flying and it has nice pockets, including a laptop sleeve, a large main compartment, and smaller pockets on the front. Because it is a travel pack, it unzips to load it from the front like a suitcase rather than the top like a backpacking backpack, which helps it stay organized. My only complaint is that the back panel wasn’t super stiff and so it would bend and sit weird on my lower back, not sure if it’s my fault and I need to pack it differently or it’s just a fault of the design. All in all, love the backpack and it fit everything well! Also, having a backpack not a suitcase in Europe is so nice with the cobblestones and stairs.

I also brought a Jansport backpack that I wore on my front. I wish I would’ve brought a smaller backpack or even a big purse because it was just too big and awkward.

 

What’s In Your Backpack?

First, and definitely most importantly, is my sketching stuff! I brought watercolors and inkpens, a pocket sketchbook, a watercolor sketchbook (not pictured), and a travel journal to write about my trip.

I also brought a Danish phrasebook. While it wasn’t much help in France, it was fun to start learning some Danish on the trains and once I got to Denmark, it was really helpful, especially for decoding menus when you don’t have wifi!

I brought my camera, of course, with the kit lens as well as an 85mm lens and a new 14mm lens.

I also brought my Instax camera and have been collecting a polaroid from each city I go to! It has been so fun.

Don’t forget the cables and converters! Phone charger, battery, and camera charger plus an extension cord for hostels just in case the outlet isn’t conveniently located.

 

Travel Essentials:

It’s pretty much impossible to travel, especially on an overnight flight, without a neck pillow and headphones! I just wish I would’ve brought my “regular” headphones and dongle (thanks a lot Apple) because I couldn’t plug my headphones in to watch movies on the airplane.

Another thing it’s impossible to travel without: your passport! I have one of those necklace passport holders, dorky and awkward but it keeps it safe. I brought my phone and wallet too, of course (not pictured).

 

Are Packing Cubes Worth it?

I’m not sure if I’m sold on packing cubes yet. They are helpful for organizing your stuff but as you wear stuff and it migrates into the dirty laundry bag, it gets harder and harder to repack your backpack.

Anyways, in the big packing cube I packed three pairs of shorts, one pair of leggings, two dresses, one long sleeve shirt, one cardigan, and my swimsuit. In the small and medium packing cubes, I packed my socks and underwear. In the clear packing cube, I packed nine long sleeve shirts. I also had a jacket and umbrella (not pictured) in my backpack.

Not pictured: two pairs of shoes. I wore my Keene’s and packed my Saltwater sandals.

I had a travel towel from REI which packed really small which was great! It was so nice to have when hostels either didn’t have towels or had really small, scratchy towels. It is really soft and my only complaint is that it takes a while to dry, so don’t shower right before you have to pack up. I also packed my toiletries (not pictured) in a typical toiletry bag. Don’t forget to put your liquids in a plastic bag if you aren’t checking your backpack!

Finally, I packed some fun American treats to give my host family when I got to Denmark!

I mailed the rest of what I would (winter clothes and school stuff) to my host family in Denmark and it worked out perfectly!

Danish Architecture Studio

One of my favorite things about DIS Copenhagen so far is the architecture studio. The campus is urban, with different buildings sprinkled throughout the city. This is so different than Cal Poly’s campus but I like it. Walking between classes you pass tourists and businesspeople. You can stop at a bakery and grab a cup of tea or a pastry. My architecture studio is on the fifth floor, but the stairs are so worth it for the cozy room, great light and view!

There are three architecture studios (each with only nine students! So you get a lot of personal feedback from your professor) and we are all in different sections of this one big room. My studio is in the front with a lot of great light.

This is the view FROM MY DESK!

There’s also a kitchen, a presentation room, and a ventilated spray paint booth room. I’m so excited to get to work here for the next year!

 

If walls could dream… they’d dream of designing buildings in a beautiful studio space!

Hej, Copenhagen!

After traveling around Southern France, I finally made it to Copenhagen, my new city for the year! It was so exciting to say hello, or “hej” in Danish, to my new home.

There are so many cute canal streets, like this one called Nyhavn. The more I explore Copenhagen, the more cute and historic neighborhoods I find where you can really see the merchant history of the city. Nyhavn is more of a touristy area now but it has the cutest subdued yet colorful buildings.

There are also a lot of modern buildings, like the BLOX building by OMA which is the new home of the Dansk Arkitektur Center (Danish Architecture Center, see Danish isn’t that hard!)

In addition to buildings, Copenhagen has a lot of really beautiful parks and green spaces. Because of the rain, it is so lush and beautiful. It reminds me a bit of Seattle in that way. Also, there are so many people out walking their dogs!

And it wouldn’t be Copenhagen without a street full of bikes! Watch out when crossing the street because bikers rule the road here. If biking isn’t for you, then don’t worry because the public transportation system is really great and it’s easy to get around by bus, metro, or train. And Copenhagen is also very walkable (when it isn’t raining!)

 

If walls could dream… they’d dream of exploring Copenhagen by bike.

Switzerland

After traveling through Southern France with my friend Grace, we met up with our friend Haley who was studying in Switzerland for the summer. She was living in a tiny little Swiss town. And by tiny, I mean TINY. The study abroad program doubled the population of the town! It was so cute and charming and Switzerland was everything I dreamed it’d be. Beautiful mountain vistas and cowbells, lots of cowbells.

We went on a hike to Monte Generoso. If you read my post about the Calanques in Cassis, France it was kind of like that but ten times longer and steeper and more beautiful! Swap tourists for cows and beaches for mountain vistas. It was one of the most incredible hikes of my life.

Along the way, we saw goats, sheep, cows, and lots of little lizards and bugs. The cows were my favorite. They were so peaceful and the sound of the cowbells is magical, kind of like a church bell in a gorgeous natural landscape. It’s a beautifully random yet melodic sound of movement and life as the cows graze peacefully.

We passed a few abandoned structures on our way up the mountain. We also walked through this goathouse. These were the most spoiled goats I have ever met because their house was gorgeous! I think the goatherders live in the other side of the building. I wish I could’ve talked to them because their way of life is SO different than mine.

At the top of the hike, we were blessed with a gorgeous view of Lake Lugano and Como. We got icecream at the top. There was a fancy restaurant with a little guest store and museum thing about the history of Monte Generoso and a very expensive tram so their guests didn’t have to hike like we did!

Switzerland was so beautiful and a perfect way to end our trip. It was so nice to get away from busy, touristy spots and get some fresh air.

I love Switzerland!

If walls could dream… they’d dream of hiking up beautiful mountains in Switzerland.

St Paul de Vence

After our train breaking down on the way from Cassis, we finally made it to St Paul de Vence! This small, hilltop medieval town in Southern France was a gem. It was more touristy than I would’ve wanted but the architecture and views were incredible!

Our Airbnb had a rooftop terrace with the most incredible view! You could see the ocean and the countryside was so beautiful. The hostess had cats as well and they were so sweet.

St Paul de Vence was such an adorable town. There were flowers set into the paving around the town – how cute!

The town was full of cobblestone, plants, and art galleries! We had so much fun wandering the narrow streets, sketching, and looking at art.

There was so much history in the town and I loved all the old buildings. On the last day, we had dinner at a really good Italian place (Italian food in France, ironic right?) and it was the perfect way to celebrate the end of our trip through Southern France.

 

If walls could dream… they’d dream of looking out over the French countryside from a historic medieval village.

Cassis

After Avignon, we continued along the coast of Southern France to Cassis, a super cute beach town. It’s a popular vacation spot so it wasn’t as local French as we had hoped, but the hiking was so gorgeous!

Our AirBnb was a tiny hostel, like the tiniest place I have ever seen but so cute. We met people from all over – Spain, Germany, New Zealand, and Brazil – in just the two days we were there.

We hiked out to the Calanques. It was a pretty long and hilly hike, but the views and beach were so worth it! Make sure to bring a lot of water if you go. I had two giant bottles, one of them frozen, and drank both! If hiking isn’t for you, you can get to the Calanques by boat, kayak, or even stand-up paddle board!

We hiked straight out to Calanque d’en Vau and, as you can see, it was very popular! The water was so nice and we packed a delicious picnic.

We took the train throughout most of our trip. The trains in France are less reliable than other countries. We dealt with a few stressful train delays or rescheduling, but the craziest story is that when we were on our way from Cassis to St Paul de Vence, our train had an electrical failure and we had to get out and walk to the station! Good thing we were pretty close! It only took like five minutes to get there but it was quite the experience!

 

If walls could dream… they’d dream of hiking to beautiful French beaches!

Avignon

After visiting Barcelona, we went to Avignon, France. We took a bus instead of a train because it was cheaper and, honestly, it was such a fun way to go! It took longer but it felt more like a road trip. We stopped at a French rest stop on the way and got baguette sandwiches!

Avignon was such a cute little town with beautiful, historic medieval walls on the Rhone. We had fun watercoloring, exploring, and eating baguettes!

We got breakfast every morning at this indoor market by our AirBnb and they had the most delicious pastries! It was so fun to test out our memories of high school French and try to order in French.

We wandered around the town, the medieval streets, and happened upon a lot of cute buildings and churches such as this one.

My favorite part of Avignon was a cat cafe we went to! I hadn’t been to a cat cafe before but it was so much fun! It’s just like a regular cafe but they have cats there you can pet!! They were so cute and friendly. I would definitely recommend anyone who isn’t allergic to cats to go to one!

 

If walls could dream… they’d dream of cat cafes!

Barcelona

This summer, I spent two weeks traveling with my friend Grace before going to Copenhagen to start my study abroad experience. We started in Barcelona and there were so many wonderful buildings to see! We knew we wanted to see Southern France and Barcelona was the cheapest place to fly into near there, but I’m so glad we got to spend some time there!

 

La Sagrada Familia

First, we went to La Sagrada Familia by Gaudi. It is cool from the outside and unlike any other church I’ve seen but the inside is what’s really breathtaking. If you visit Barcelona, you have to go inside! You’ll need to reserve a ticket online but it is well worth it (just remember to print your ticket, don’t just have it on your phone!)

The details in this church were so incredible. I don’t know how Gaudi came up with it because it is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Even the way the columns branch out into smaller columns at the top.

The lighting inside the church was incredible as well. My favorite part was how the stained glass reflected on the lighter surfaces of the ceiling and columns.

 

All in all, this was such an amazing church, from the stained glass to the ceiling design. And if you go there, be sure to check out the schoolhouse on the property. It has an undulating roof which is beautifully built. AND there’s air conditioning!! So on an especially hot summers day, it’s a great place to hang out and plan your next stop.

 

We rounded out our tour of Gaudi’s work by walking by Casa Milla and Batllo, and then going to Park Guell. If you’re only in Barcelona for two days, like we were, I’m not sure if I’d recommend Park Guell. It was kind of far away on the bus and, especially because of the construction right now, there isn’t that much to see.

That night, we went to the “Magic Fountain” which is a giant water fountain that does shows to music. While we were waiting for the show to start, we got caught in a downpour and got drenched!! From now on, I’ll always carry an umbrella!

 

Barcelona Pavilion

The next day, we went on a mission to find the Barcelona Pavilion and, funny enough, we had been right next to it at the Magic Fountain. It was so fun to see this building in real life after learning so much about it in architecture studio.

The simple form and extravagant materials were so beautiful. The house was populated by art and architecture students and their sketchbooks so we were right at home.

 

It was a perfect way to end our time in Barcelona and I wish we could’ve stayed in the city longer but I was really excited to visit Southern France next!

 

 

Picasso Museum

We also went to the Picasso Museum. It was in the Gothic Quarter which is a super cute, more historic neighborhood. The museum was free for students! Yay! And it was fun to see that Picasso did so many different styles of painting throughout his career. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you’re a student.

 

If walls could dream… they’d dream of staring at the ceiling of La Sagrada Familia all night!

Study Abroad Bucket List

Studying abroad this upcoming year, one of the things I am most excited about is seeing a bunch of famous buildings all around Europe. Here’s a countdown of the top five on my bucket list:

5. Mountain Dwelling by Bjarke Ingels, Denmark

This is a BIG one, but I can’t wait to see Mountain Dwelling and all of Bjarke Ingels’ other projects in Copenhagen. I’m sure I’ll learn all about it in my studio classes. Ingels and other Scandinavian architects are a large reason why I chose to study abroad in Denmark.

4. Seona Reid Building by Steven Holl, Scotland

In the beginning of my third year, I did a research project on this building and it has been on my bucket list ever since. I love the way Holl uses light in this and all of his projects. I am excited to see this building in person and I hear Glasgow is a great city as well.

3. Notre Dame du Haut by Le Corbusier, France

Notre Dame du Haut has been on my bucket list for a long time. I remember in my high school French class, I did a report on Le Corbusier and I talked about his Notre Dame du Haut chapel. And while I’m there, I’m excited to check out Renzo Piano’s project there too!

2. Brion Cemetery by Carlo Scarpa, Italy

The professor I had winter quarter of my first year loves Scarpa’s work and he told us a crazy story about his adventure trying to find the Brion Cemetery when he was visiting Italy. I hope I won’t get lost like he did although the odds are not in my favor seeing as I don’t speak Italian!

1. Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor, Switzerland

The top of my list is the Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor! This project seems so serene and the way Zumthor uses light in this project just can’t be contained in photos. I can’t wait to experience it for myself and explore the Swiss masterpiece.

And while we’re at it, add on the Bruder Klaus Chapel, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Saint Benedict Chapel, and anything else that Zumthor has touched because it’s all gold!

If walls could dream… they’d dream of visiting all the buildings on their bucket list!

I MET PETER ZUMTHOR

Some teenagers fangirl over celebrities or musicians. Me? I fangirl over architects.

Peter Zumthor, the Pritzker Prize winning architect of Saint Benedict Chapel, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bruder Klaus Field Chapel, and Therme Vals, to name a few, has been one of my favorite architects for a while.

         

Photos above from ArchDaily.

 

I had the incredible opportunity to attend a lecture by Peter Zumthor at LACMA about his firm’s proposed addition to the art museum. It was fascinating to hear how his vision for the lighting and materiality really drove the design process. After the lecture, my friends and I got to meet him and get a picture with him! It was a dream come true!

 

If walls could dream… they’d dream of meeting their favorite architects!