In this blog post, I present a travelogue detailing my journey through the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy during my final summer break as an undergraduate. Through these travels, I experienced the cultures and philosophies of each country, and based on those experiences, I reflect on Korea’s humanistic values and philosophy.
Before I knew it, most of my six-year college life—which I had thought would last forever—had passed, and my final summer vacation as an undergraduate was approaching. Come to think of it, I realized I would likely never again have as much free time as I did during my undergraduate summer vacations. So, while pondering how to spend my summer break, I decided on a trip that would broaden my horizons and allow me to gain diverse experiences.
I decided to go to Europe, following my heart’s desire, and planned to visit traditional developed nations such as the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. I planned a 20-day trip, staying about four days in each country.
With a heart full of anticipation, I finished my preparations and left my dorm room on the morning of July 5. I pulled my suitcase onto the train and arrived at Incheon International Airport. In my search for a cheap flight, I ended up flying with a Russian airline, transferring at Moscow Airport before arriving at London Heathrow. It was around 10 p.m. local time, so I headed to my accommodation.
When I arrived at the accommodation and tried to pay, I was flustered because my card wouldn’t go through. I hadn’t withdrawn enough cash, so I didn’t have enough money on hand, but fortunately, they let me withdraw more the next day to cover the payment, so I managed to avoid a crisis. It was an unusual start to the trip.
To borrow the words of a junior colleague I met in London, the British weather was consistently capricious. It rained and stopped repeatedly every day, and I came to understand why the British always carry umbrellas.
One of the most memorable scenes in the UK was the gay pride festival. While walking around Trafalgar Square, I happened to come across the festival. In the square, a man who appeared to be a market vendor was giving a speech encouraging LGBTQ+ people to live with confidence, while a parade was taking place on the streets under traffic control. The parade featured a variety of themes, including people with bare chests, those in unique costumes, and participants in swimsuits. It was fascinating to see such a large-scale festival held around this theme.
Another unforgettable memory is of British food. For the first few days, I didn’t eat much British food and simply got by on convenience store sandwiches and the like. Then I tried fish and chips, a British specialty, but even though I didn’t have high expectations, it was quite greasy and didn’t taste very good. It made me wonder if the reason British people flock to fast-food chains like McDonald’s is simply because there aren’t many good restaurants.
After spending four days in the UK, I took the Eurostar to France. The Eurostar is a train that crosses to the European mainland via an undersea tunnel, allowing you to travel between London and Paris in about two hours. Once I boarded, I realized just how close London and Paris actually are.
No sightseeing in Paris is complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower. On my first day in Paris, I visited the Eiffel Tower with another traveler I was sharing a room with. We visited the Eiffel Tower twice that day, once during the day and once at night, and personally, I found the night view much more beautiful. We climbed the stairs inside the Eiffel Tower to see the night view of Paris, then came back down and looked at the Eiffel Tower again from across the river. The lights sparkling like jewels on the hour were very impressive.
I felt that Paris is a city women would particularly love. There was plenty of delicious food, and I especially remember the escargot and baguettes. The escargot was similar to periwinkles, but the sauce was exceptional, and while I didn’t have high expectations for the baguette, the bread itself was outstanding. It really made me realize that the home of bread is truly different.
I was also impressed by the sophisticated designs seen throughout France. I noticed the meticulous design details, such as the artwork inside trains and on the roads, and the design of the French high-speed train, the TGV, was particularly excellent and left a great impression. It made me realize anew just how important design is in life. I thought that if we paid attention to design in our daily lives, wouldn’t life become much richer?
After spending four days in France, I moved on to Switzerland. My schedule hit its first snag on the train to Switzerland. I needed to transfer to get to Interlaken, but I missed the announcement and failed to make the connection. Since the train I was supposed to take was the last one of the day, I was in a situation where I might not be able to find a place to stay.
I quickly checked the train schedule and searched online for accommodations around Zurich, and fortunately, I found a place with availability. After transferring in Zurich and arriving in Lucerne, I barely made it to my lodging. In the end, I ended up in Lucerne, a city that wasn’t part of my original plan.
Since Lucerne wasn’t on my itinerary, I didn’t have high expectations, but it turned out to be a better trip than I had planned. That’s the true charm of travel. The weather in Lucerne that day was absolutely beautiful, and everything looked stunning. Lake Lucerne, in particular, was clear and crystal-clear; the swans floating gracefully on the water combined with the sparkling sunlight to create a breathtaking scene. The houses across the lake looked like a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
After spending a day in Lucerne, I headed to Interlaken in the evening, which was my original destination. The scenery on the train ride to Interlaken was also very impressive. The train winding up and down rugged mountains, passing rivers and lakes, and the beautiful landscapes that unfolded along the way made the whole country feel like a single theme park.
On my second day in Switzerland, I took a cable car up to the middle of the Jungfrau and went hiking. Hiking in the thick fog gave me a mysterious feeling, and as I walked, I even saw eternal snow, making it even more magical. The panoramic view of the mountains that emerged as the fog cleared was indescribably moving. I wanted to enjoy the mountain scenery more, but since I had to travel to Germany that evening, I hurried down the mountain.
After changing trains twice in Switzerland, I arrived in Munich, Germany. Thanks to my previous experience of missing a connection, I was much more careful this time. On my first day in Germany, I rented a bicycle and rode around. The bike lanes were well-maintained, making it easy to explore the city.
I got the impression that Germans are very orderly and systematic. The street performances were particularly memorable; it felt like they weren’t just doing it to make money, but because they truly loved and enjoyed the music. As the night grew late, the audience joined in, singing along and enjoying the show. I felt that the people here had a certain, indescribable sense of ease.
Beer is an essential part of any visit to Germany. I drank beer every single day during my stay. On the first day, I had beer with a dish called Haxen, which is similar to pork knuckle, and on the second day, I enjoyed German sausages and beer. That day was especially fun because I reconnected with people I’d met in the UK and we drank together. On the last day, I had beer at an outdoor beer garden; although it was expensive, the experience of drinking in a new atmosphere was very interesting.
After spending three days in Germany, I took a night train to Venice, Italy. Since the train ride took over eight hours, I should have booked a sleeper compartment, but I hadn’t, so it was a pretty exhausting journey. However, I enjoyed chatting with two Germans and three Belgians I met in the train car about various topics, such as college life and the European Union.
I got off the train and started sightseeing in Venice, but I was very tired because I hadn’t slept well. As I’d heard, the canals served as roads in Venice. The city floating on water seemed beautiful, but I thought it would be inconvenient to actually live there. After sightseeing in Venice for a day, I moved on to Rome.
The weather in Rome was extremely hot. The sun beat down fiercely, making it difficult to walk around outside during the day. So, I spent a lot of time napping in Rome. My first impression of Italians was that they were very hot-tempered. When I tried to enter my accommodation and the door wouldn’t open, I asked the building owner for help. He got angry, as if he were frustrated, but his expression brightened instantly once the door opened—his mood swings were quite extreme. Unlike in other countries, there was no sense of order when it came to queuing.
Nevertheless, as the birthplace of Roman civilization, Rome offered plenty to experience. Unlike museums in London or Paris, the ruins in Rome and the Vatican were actual sites that had existed alongside history. This made the experience feel even more meaningful. In particular, through a guided tour of the Vatican, I was able to truly appreciate once again the important place Rome holds in European history.
I have briefly introduced the impressions and journey I experienced while traveling through these five countries. Although I couldn’t capture the entire 20-day trip in this short article, I was struck by how each European country possesses a strong sense of individuality. Even though they are geographically close, they showed distinct differences in everything from architecture to the personalities of their people.
I felt that these differences stemmed from each country’s humanistic background. Countries across Europe have developed their own unique philosophies—such as the contrast between empiricism and rationalism in Britain and France, and between impressionism and expressionism in France and Germany. In contrast, I couldn’t help but wonder if Korea, in the course of its industrialization, had somewhat neglected its own unique values and pursued only Western values.
I became convinced that if Korea were to place greater value on the humanities and develop based on its own unique philosophy, it would become an even more wonderful country.
