Transcribing My Tracks

Moving from home in Maryland to Pennsylvania and back again, Clara traveled to a few different continents in between. Read more for stories of studying abroad all around the world, vacationing in Europe, and simply exploring close to home.

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The Mandela House museum in Vilakazi Street in the Orlando West section of Soweto Township, Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s the location of the first house owned by former South African President Nelson Mandela where he lived for 44 years from 1946 to 1990. From picture desk live: the best news images of the day

Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

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My highlights in London

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London: My Highlights

Beverage and Food

London Pride & Pot Pie from Dickens Inn (fish and chips are over rated)

Places to Tour

London Tower (learn about Beefeaters and Blood Tower) & Tower Bridge (great view over the Thames)

Tourist Attractions

Millennium Bridge & St. Paul's Cathedral

For the Nerds

The Globe obviously

Outdoors

Despite the rain, flowers in London are beautiful!

Surprise

The tube is awesome and definitely one of the best public transportation options I found in Europe

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Hoxton Square

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Camden

One unexpected highlight in London is definitely Camden. Many college students who study abroad in London live in Camden apartments, so I followed the recommendations of a few friends to visit the market.

Taking advantage of the nice weather while it lasted, we walked through rows and rows and rows full of stands selling clothes, jewelry, artwork, other souvenirs, food, and drinks.

Wandering through these crowds, I first realized how global London truly is. There must be a stand representing every single ethnic cuisine imaginable. I especially remember finding food from Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, Ethiopia, Italy, India, and even Philadelphia - the "Philly Boyz American Grill" sold cheesesteaks of course.

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London Museums: Natural History, Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert

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In search of some delicious pot pie for lunch, our first stop in London was Covent Garden. Luckily, the weather was great, finding our way on the tube from Old Street was easy, and Covent Garden had much more to offer than just food.

First we found the street performers who drew attention from enormous crowds, so we watched a magician for a while even though he teased us with jokes about Americans. Also, the market, originally holding fruits and vegetables, has all sorts of interesting antiques and souvenirs as well as restaurants.

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The Color Run

Certainly inspired by Holi, a crazy festival of colors in India, the Color Run finds thousands and thousands of participants all across the country who are eager to join the "5k of color running madness" also known as "the happiest 5k on the planet."

Baltimore's race around Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium was certainly fun, but it may not have been worth the steep entry fee. For anyone actually interested in running or setting a personal record, it is way too crowded throughout the entire race. Even though the Baltimore event was split into a morning and afternoon race, we still had to wait almost an hour after the race began to even cross the start line.

Nonetheless, we enjoyed the happy crowds, loud music, and bright colors - no matter how much of the dusty paint I swallowed or sniffled up my nose! Plus, we enjoyed big burgers from Five Guys and a nice view of the Inner Harbor afterwards.

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This is Loew Vineyards, located in Mt. Airy, MD. My boyfriend John and I used a Living Social deal for a wine tasting, which was definitely a lot of fun. They welcome visitors on the weekends, but I would suggest making an appointment so you can chat with the owners to get the full scoop.

We talked to Lois, who told us all kinds of stories about how she decided to start making wine with her husband in the 1980s. They also participated in the creation of Wine in the Woods, an event that takes place at Merriweather Post Pavilion every spring. We can't wait to go next year!

Our favorite wines are the Sauvignon Blanc and the Pinoirette, and if you like sweet wines, Loew Vineyards definitely has several different options for you. Check out their website for stores all over Maryland that carry these wines! (http://www.loewvineyards.net/)

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A Day In DC

Bright and early, our first stop was the 5K Race for Hope in DC to support our friend Zach Lederer and everyone else battling brain cancer. The event raised over $2.5 million to support the National Brain Tumor Society and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure. Consider joining the crowd next year or make a donation! It's a fun race around the Capitol and clearly for a great cause.

Above, you can see my brothers, Henry and Edwin, running right up to the Capitol!

After the race, we decided to check out a museum. Close to the Washington Monument, the National Museum of American History is just around the corner from the race's start and finish. Smithsonian museums are free of course, which is always a plus, but we really enjoyed some of the exhibits too. I particularly loved learning about how food and beverages (including wine) developed in America over time.

However, I didn't exactly appreciate a kid-friendly exhibit that asked you to guess "Who used lots of lye soap?" and provided a clue, "Hint: They did piles of laundry." You spun around the display to find the answer.

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Gambrill State Park

Like to hike? Try Gambrill State Park in Frederick, MD. The park itself isn't too big, and there are lots of trail options that aren't too difficult. You will also find some great views!

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Although this is very late considering graduation ceremonies took place April 27 and 28, I just wanted to share some pictures of Pitt's beautiful Oakland campus in the spring. The top row includes tulips at William Pitt Union, Heinz Chapel, and of course, the Cathedral of Learning (the tallest academic building in the western hemisphere).

Next you will see that we never ever forget our semester abroad. My friend Topher decorated his cap with flags from each of the three countries where we lived as sophomores - Argentina, South Africa, and China.

Below is a picture inside of Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, a fantastic restaurant on Mt. Washington. Grandview Ave. really does give you a grand view of the Pittsburgh skyline, and if you like seafood, this is definitely the restaurant for you. Kathleen certainly chose the perfect spot to celebrate graduation!

Hail to Pitt!

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Gallery: Choking on China

China’s pollution problem in photos

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798

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798

With a modern art scene very unique to the rest of Beijing, the 798 art district gets its name from numbered military factories that now provide space for the neighborhood's art galleries. The streets are lined with trendy shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, graffiti, and big sculptures. 798 is home to dinosaurs, dragons, screaming men, human-shaped cookie cutters in the wall, pandas, a Santa Claus or two, soldiers, strange children, and a giant bird cage.

The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) has one of the largest galleries that is constantly changing, bringing in new exhibits in just about every medium. Some sculptures take up entire rooms while small paintings sit alone on big empty walls. One film shows a man tanning so  he can "be like his African friends" and another shows the cartoon "Uterusman."

Three Shadows Photography Art Centre is definitely the best place to go for photography, and it's in another art district close to 798. Currently, a moving exhibit includes pictures of women who make up the last generation in China who suffered from feet binding.

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Summer Palace

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A Weekend In Xi'an Part 2

The remainder of our adventure all began when we met with Judy’s mom’s friend’s friends – a Korean couple, who once lived in Philadelphia and now live in Xi’an. We managed to find the 30 bus outside of the train station as we were instructed, and somehow, the moment we stepped off the bus, they found us.

We quickly started walking toward the Big (or Giant) Wild Goose Pagoda down a very busy road where construction blocked the sidewalk, so the crowds poured into the traffic lanes. We crossed a footbridge over another busy road and found ourselves in the midst of a perfect blend between street food and restaurants. The best of both worlds. Close to the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, small kitchens and restaurants surrounded an alley lined with picnic tables and kebab stations hidden out back. 

Local specialties included a delicious beef noodle soup strangely served with pickled garlic on the side with some hot sauce. We also tried some delicious marinated and roasted peanuts, but before we were even done eating, we had to keep moving.

Next, we had to see the water show but not just any water show! In the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, we watched as people poured out of restaurants to watch the largest water show in China and second biggest in Asia. There was loud music, different colored lights, massive crowds, and water shooting in every direction, but there was hardly anytime to capture a good picture.

We kept moving until we were walking past the pagoda where smoke slowly trailed out of windows on its side, perhaps from incense. Then, we were suddenly walking into a shopping mall – Happy Mall. When we followed everyone’s glances toward the ceiling, we found an LED screen that is apparently 250 meters long and the largest one in the world.

People gathered on every level to watch graphics of outer space, hot air balloons, the sea, fireworks, and the seasons changing. Of course all of this was followed by a series of ads. 

When we moved to the top floor to watch more, the screen suddenly went dark, and people poured out onto the streets once again. Fire trucks pulled up outside trying to pull closer to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and that’s when I remembered the smoke.

Now even more people gathered to watch the pagoda as smoke continued to flow out of its windows. Long ago during the Tang Dynasty, Xuanzang helped bring Buddhism from India to China by translating many religious teachings inside of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Behind the crowds watching the smoke, crowds of dance classes casually continued their exercises, and we continued to walk.

The next morning, we walked to the Bell Tower and Drum Tower. Nearby, a street market provided delicious options for lunch including a spicy squid on a stick and fried bananas.

At the south gate of the city wall, we rented bikes to ride around the 14-kilometer block. With our weekend backpacks and hard seats, we managed to make it all the way around and see even more of Xi’an. Surprisingly, the city wall tour also included a dramatic component. As we were leaving, about 20 men dressed as ancient Chinese guards with big red feathers on top of their helmets danced around with several drummers.

We eventually made it back to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which seemed alive and well. We tried more street food, which was probably my favorite part of the trip, and then Michael insisted that we see the big screen again.