Harper Brooks-Kahn ’23, a Political Science/International Relations and Statistics double major, spent Winter 2022 studying abroad on the Carleton Sport and Globalization in London and Seville program.
London, England
The first half of the program is spent in London with opportunities for students to take trips outside of the city.
Borough Market – Borough Market is an outdoor produce and food market on the South Bank. We took a trip over there on a classically rainy London day after a day out around the city.
As part of our program we got to participate in a training session with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspurs. Some of their academy coaches led us in a practice and a little penalty kick competition.
Hampton Court Palace – We took a group day trip out to Hampton Court Palace to learn a little about the history of the royal family. This location may be recognizable to some from the show Bridgerton. My visit also included a zoom interview outside the palace gates for a summer internship.
Brick Lane – I made it a mission during my time in London to visit as many bookshops as I could. This is from the Brick Lane, which is a street in East London. It is the heart of the Bangladeshi community in London and is home the best curry houses in the city.
Here is another photo from Brick Lane. This Saturday I wandered down Brick Lane to check out the dozens of samosa and produce tents set out before continuing on to the Columbia Road Flower Market. There were hundreds of people out and about including this little chess table.
Here are two photos from Tower Bridge. Perhaps the most famous landmark in London. I did a little walk along the South Bank from Tower Bridge to Big Ben.
A view of St. Paul’s from across the Millenium Bridge.
A view of St. Paul’s Cathedral from the South Bank
This person was out blowing bubbles in front of the Tate Modern museum. Despite the cold lots of people were still out along the South Bank including lots of families.
My friends and I went for a ride on the famous London Eye. Despite the misty skies you could see out over much of the city.
Scotland
During my midterm break I traveled alone up to the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands.
Old Man of Storr, Skye, Scotland – The Scottish Highlands felt like a place out of a fairytale.
After a long journey from London to Inverness and Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh I finally arrived in Skye and spent two days exploring the island and hiking through the Trotternish Ridge. This is from my first afternoon on Skye.
The Fairy Glen – I took an early bus on my second day to Uig on the north of the Isle and hiked out to the peaceful glen.
Portree – The capital of Skye is known for its colorful street of houses. From here you can easily reach the mountains nearby.
Seville, Spain
The second half of the program is based in Seville, Spain.
Mercado de Triana – Seville is filled with beautiful markets and store fronts. West of Seville across the river is Triana where this market was located. When my family came to visit me during my birthday we wandered through the market and saw lots of fresh meat, cheese, produce, and baked goods.
Seville is the land of oranges and olive oil. There are orange trees lining the streets of the city and the building definitely take on similar color schemes. After 5 weeks in cold London the sunshine and trees were well received.
Centro Cerámica Triana – Seville is known for its ceramics and pottery. The city is covered with beautifully designed tiles and ornaments. Centro Cerámica Triana is a small museum about the history and process of Sevillan ceramics. I visited with my family and picked up a couple of pieces as souvenirs to bring home with me.
This photo was also taken at the Centro Cerámica Triana in the museum. In the left of the image you can see the ovens that were used to fire the ceramic pieces back when the factory was in use.
Puente de San Rafael, Cordoba – Our group took a day trip to Cordoba to visit the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. After exploring the mosque, my friends and I wandered around the city. This photo was taken while we walked along Puente de San Rafael.
A second photo from Puente de San Rafael in Cordoba
Cordoba – This photo was taken as we wandered back to the Cathedral after exploring Cordoba. There are lots of birds wandering around the cities in Spain. They remind me of the Carleton squirrels in that they seem to have absolutely no fear of people.
Muelle de la sal – The Canal de Alfonso XIII runs through the center of Seville, splitting the city into Seville on the east and Triana on the west. On sunny days, which makes up a pretty big portion of the days in Seville, I would walk along Muelle de la sal on the Seville side of the canal and find spots to sit and paint or eat Sevillan pastries with friends. The canal is lined with beautiful colorful homes and intricate bridges.