The LSE General Course sends weekly emails promoting frequent weekend trips advertised on the SomewhereNew website. LSE General Course students had the opportunity to sign up for these trips at a subsidised rate. This is one of the best ways to meet other study abroad students in London while also engaging in fun activities, allowing you to venture out to the city and see what living in the bustling capital of England has to offer. I also had a great time hanging out with other LSE General Course students through the international weekend trips as well, especially the Amsterdam and Paris trips.
Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam
The Van Gogh Museum was definitely a highlight of this trip. For someone who loves museums, I think this was a spectacular and iconic one to visit as it offers the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings and drawings around the world. It also includes some of his most famous artworks, such as “Sunflowers”, “The Bedroom”, and many self-portraits. This museum also hosts exhibitions that allow one to explore different aspects of Van Gogh’s art and how it impacted his life. When I went to the museum, I went on a Pokémon adventure with Van Gogh’s paintings and discovered the stories of his masterpieces. An interesting fact is that the Van Gogh Museum had to pull the limited edition Pokémon card due to safety and security concerns. At the gift shop, I was only allowed to purchase a Pokémon edition item once because of the scarcity of the edition.
Van Gogh self-portrait, Amsterdam
Evening Canal Cruise in Amsterdam
A visit to Amsterdam is not complete unless you have seen the beautiful canals. The canal cruise is the perfect way to get introduced to the city as the boat allows you to sightsee. Although I would not recommend going during a rainy night when the windows easily fog up. The LSE General Course students and I went on many tours included in the SomewhereNew package trip, where we learned that there are between 12,000 and 15,000 bicycles that end up in the Amsterdam canals every year. The canal cruise offered a relaxing experience as we ate cheese and learned about the history, architecture, and stories of Amsterdam’s rich culture.
Rokin Canal, Amsterdam
Seine River Cruise in Paris
Similarly, we also went on a river cruise that was included in the SomewhereNew package. The cruise allowed me to experience the popular landmarks in Paris, ranging from the Eiffel Tower to the Musée d’Orsay. There was a guide commenting about the buildings and bridges. Although it did rain throughout the weekend of this trip, we made the best out of it and continued to munch many pastries wherever we went. Although the trip was organized through a partnership with SomewhereNew, there was still free time scheduled into the itinerary to allow us to explore the city more. The riverboat cruise was a memorable experience as it offered a unique way to appreciate the beauty of Paris.
View from the Eiffel Tower, Paris
Louvre Museum in Paris
The Louvre Museum was a must-visit. Aside from the Eiffel Tower, everyone thinks about the Mona Lisa when it comes to Paris and this is where you can see that. The doors opened to the public for everyone free of charge at 6 pm when I went with the LSE General Course students. We waited in line for approximately 1.5 hours but I was able to spend quality time with such a large diverse group of individuals. The Louvre was built as a fortress in the 12th century, a royal palace, and eventually became a museum during the French Revolution. As one of the most visited museums in the world, the Louvre allowed me to experience various cultures and art movements from different countries and periods of history.
