Caner Tasan, a Mechanical Engineering student from Turkey, recounts, 'I spent my holiday at home in Turkey. First I attended the wedding of a friend in the coastal part of the country, and then I visited my family in Ankara. All in all it was a nice vacation, plenty of sun, a nice flight.'
Natasha, Goran and Sofia Golo, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics students from Yugoslavia, report 'We were this summer in Sicily, in Cefalu, near Palermo. It was our first vacation with the baby, so we chose this location because we wanted her to enjoy the water and the sun. We just had finished the thesis and really needed a break. All necessary things were there for a lovely vacation: friendly people, good food, warm and calm sea and nice weather.'
Gratiela Isai, a Romanian student in Semiconductor Components, visited Gerlos, Austria, a charming place in the Zillertal Valley, surrounded by mountains and a big man-made lake. Like all places in Tirol, Gerlos is meant to attract tourists from all over the world who can choose between water skiing on the lake or skiing in the year-round snow-capped mountains. Gerlos is a lovely village brimming with flowers. Gratiela was impressed by the quality of the food, the elegant traditional clothes and the characteristic songs (yo-la-ri yo-la-ra) heard at each street corner. She also visited the Krimmlwasserfall and a glacier located at 3500m, both reachable by cable car, so even the laziest tourist can admire the sublime beauty of the mountain landscape. She recommends trying the Tirol beer and warns that no English is spoken, only German.
Dutch student Cora Salm, also of the Semiconductor Components Group, traveled to Brig, Switzerland. With her bike, she took the train up a mountain, enjoying the scenery and the mountain railroad engineering, and then cycling down. From Brig she went camping in Interlaken. One might think that the charm of this town comes from the fancy and expensive shops and hotels on the main street, but this is not true. Behind the promenade area is an old village with farms between two lakes : Thunersee and Brienzersee. On a clear day you can see the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks all in one panoramic view. She adds a helpful hint, 'Check the weatherfirst before going camping!'
Romanian Victor Popa, a student in Computational Material Science, enjoyed every moment he spent in Cannes, from the crowded market to the fine beaches and splendid sea. He saw the Iron Man Tower and the legendary Old Fortress where the twin brother of King Louis was imprisoned. In the South of France, he was enchanted by the carefree life style, glamorous modern life, peaceful and humble monasteries, ancient ruins speaking silently about French history. Victor's travel tip is to 'visit the market place where you can really feel the pulse of the town.' He also cautions, 'Be careful of pickpockets, and don't forget to wave your hand if you're the only one waiting in the bus station; otherwise the bus won't stop!'
Sophie Liu, a new arrival from China in Human Resource Development, loves to travel. This summer she visited Beijing and Shanghai and was struck by the sheer number of people, all of whom she found to be surprisingly friendly and hospitable.
Perhaps you remember meeting Chinese students Meina Jiang and Jimo Zhang in the September 6, 2001 (Issue 25) of the UT Nieuws? Well, since then the couple was married in China. This summer the newlyweds did not let academic obligations keep them from taking a short but sweet four-day trip to Paris. Meina's favorite part was ascending the Eiffel Tower for a breathtaking view of the City of Lights. When asked if Paris lived up to its reputation for romance, Meina replied that she was not disappointed, besides, she added, 'If it had not been romantic enough, my husband and I would have made it so.'
Rayi Iswara a new students in Telematic Applications had no time for summer vacation. In Indonesia, Rayi worked as a lecturer of Computer Graphics for Architects at the Mercu Buana University. He was permitted only two weeks of vacation per year; small wonder he is so happy to be in the Netherlands, where four weeks is the minimum!
