Year Abroad: The Best Bits

In the first part of this Year Abroad series, I wrote about some of the challenges I came up against during my own Year Abroad, all of which are fairly common issues students abroad face, and I shared some tips on how to deal with them. So it makes sense that the second part of this series should focus on the biggest advantages of doing a Year Abroad!

While it's true that some students have a less positive experience than others, I think everyone finishes the year with improved language skills and a sense of accomplishment. My personal experience was that it was the best year (well, 15 months actually!) of my life so far, and it changed me in ways I'd never expected.

In this article, I'll be writing about the six best things that happened to me during my Year Abroad. I'd say that most people who go to live abroad experience the majority, if not all, of these things, so hopefully this post can serve as inspiration for anyone debating over whether to do something like this!

Travelling

Mendoza, Argentina

One of the main reasons that people decide to live in another country is because of the opportunities it gives you to explore a different part of the world. I split my Year Abroad across three countries (France, Austria and Chile) and had the chance to visit several regions in each of them, as well as five neighbouring countries (Italy, Slovakia, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Argentina). Five of those countries were ones I'd never been to before, and South America was also an entirely new continent for me, so I finished the year feeling like I'd seen a lot more of the world. It's an amazing experience to get to spend an extended period of time discovering different cities, regions and countries and learning about their cultures and languages. I'd say the most memorable travel adventures of my year would include my trips to Valparaíso, the south of Chile, Vaduz, Bratislava and Udine, as well as my few weeks in the south of France. But to be honest, I loved nearly all of the places I went to!

Experiencing a Different Culture

Musée du Louvre in Paris, France

When you spend several months in another country, it's inevitable that you'll learn quite a bit about its culture. Obviously it takes years to fully understand a culture, but you can definitely learn many interesting things within a short space of time! Some of the cultural activities I participated in included visiting art galleries and exhibitions in France, learning how to do a traditional dance in Austria, and cooking some local recipes at a university workshop in Chile. And I also learnt about the customs of daily life in each country; for example, Pünktlichkeit (punctuality) is highly valued in Austria, whereas in Chile, people often show up to events at least half an hour later than planned! It's really interesting to find out things such as this, and it also helps you learn how to become a more adaptable person.

Improving Your Language Skills

Sargans, Switzerland

Of course, if you're studying a languages degree, the main goal of the Year Abroad is to become fluent in the languages you're studying. (Well, at least in theory, that's the main goal of the year. 😉) The whole reason universities include a Year Abroad as part of their syllabus is that it's so much easier to pick up a language when you're actually living in a country where it's spoken. I would say that if you spend a semester or a year abroad, and you make the effort to speak your target language on a daily basis, you'll certainly become very fluent. In terms of the languages I was studying, my French was already quite fluent at the start of the year, but it still improved a lot during my weeks in the country (though sadly, I'm now quite out of practice!). My German was pretty poor when I arrived in Austria, and because I was working in a mainly English-speaking environment there, I still wasn't fluent when I left four months later. However, my listening skills had improved immensely, and I can thank the German versions of Say Yes To The Dress and Come Dine With Me for that! As for my Spanish, it was definitely the target language that I improved in the most. Chile was the country where I spent the longest amount of time, and not everyone speaks English there, so I had lots of opportunities to practice. And I also picked up a whole new vocabulary while I was there. Qué bacán po!

Gaining Work Experience

The scenery outside my schools in Feldkirchen in Kärnten, Austria

A Year Abroad can be the perfect opportunity to gain some useful work experience - something many students are lacking in. I'd done some casual work during my Gap Year, but I'd never officially been employed prior to my Year Abroad. So my placement as an British Council English language teaching assistant in two schools in Austria was my first "proper" job and a really valuable experience for me. It was great to get to know the world of work better, and especially to be introduced to the sector of teaching English as a foreign language, which is the same sector I'm working in now! I also ended up doing some shorter work experience placements in Rouen, France: one in a veterinary clinic and one in a cat café. Neither are fields that I expect to work in again, but I loved spending time with all the cute animals! 

Finding Friendship or Love

Cerro San Cristóbal in Santiago, Chile

If you do a Year Abroad, you'll meet a lot of new people, some of whom may turn out to be lifelong friends or even something more. Of course these things don't always work out, which is something I wrote about in my previous post, but some people do find love abroad and stay together afterwards. I am one of the lucky ones, as I met my boyfriend Claudio in June 2018 when I was living in Santiago, and we're still together nearly three years on. I think it's great to have a boyfriend from a different country; we teach each other interesting things about our languages and cultures, and we act as each other's tour guides when we're exploring Chile and the UK! Soon I'll be moving back to his city, Santiago, for at least a year, which I'm really excited about. It just goes to show how much a Year Abroad can change your life and open up a new future for you.

Personal Growth

Cerro Manquehue in Santiago, Chile

All things considered, I would have to say that the best thing about completing a Year Abroad is how much it makes you grow as a person. Before I started the year, it seemed crazy and overwhelming that I was going to go and work in a different country for several months, and then travel to the most faraway country in South America on my own and live there for half a year, not to mention fitting ten weeks in a third country around both of these things. But I did it, even though I didn't always believe I would. There were plenty of challenges along the way, but they helped me become stronger and more adaptable as a person. Overall, I'd say that planning and completing the year is one of my proudest achievements.

So those are just some of the best things that I gained from doing a Year Abroad, but it's by no means an exhaustive list! The advantages of doing something like this are huge, and all I would say to anyone who's undecided is just to go for it. You definitely won't regret it!

The final part of this series will be about planning a Year Abroad and will be on its way very soon...

Read Part 1 of this series here and Part 3 here!

Year Abroad: Dealing With Problems

As promised, I'm going to be writing a series of posts about my experiences of completing a Year Abroad, with some tips for getting the best out of a Year Abroad, and this post is the first of three. This series is going to be mainly aimed at modern languages students who go to study and/or work in one or more foreign countries as part of their degree, as that's my area of experience, but some of the advice will be relevant to anyone who's planning to spend an extended amount of time abroad, whether that's for university, work, a Gap Year or any other reason.

This first post is going to focus on some of the problems students come up against during the Year Abroad, and how best to cope with them. It's natural that doing something like this will involve challenges, and that's part of the fun of it, but it's also good to know how to manage these challenges so that they don't put a dampener on the year. 

So here's a list of some of the issues I faced during my own Year Abroad (which are all fairly common problems), and some tips on how to deal with them!

Nerves

Montpellier, France

Personally, I struggled a lot with nerves both before, and at times during, my Year Abroad. I was a very shy person before I started the year, so the prospect of living, working and studying in three different countries across two different continents was quite overwhelming. To make things worse, my first placement as an au pair in the south of France went very badly wrong, and I had to come home after just 10 days. Following this unpleasant experience, I was having serious doubts about the rest of the year, and even considered switching my four-and-a-half-month placement in Chile for a three-month placement in Spain. But then I went to Montpellier in France to spend a few weeks studying at a language school for my second placement of the year. Those few weeks were a really great time, filled with travel and fun moments, and they made me realise that I wanted to make sure I had the Year Abroad I'd always dreamed of. So I decided I would go to South America after all - a decision I definitely didn't regret. And although I still felt nervous before starting my semesters in Austria and Chile, I wasn't crippled with nerves like I had been before going to France.

My tips: It's completely normal to be nervous before moving abroad - I think you wouldn't be human if you weren't! But it's important to remember why you wanted to do the Year Abroad in the first place; usually it's because you want to experience a new culture, travel to exciting places, and improve your language skills. If you focus your thoughts on these positive things, rather than the things that could potentially go wrong, you can convert your nerves into anticipation!

Bad Employers

Rennes, France

Finding jobs abroad can be a challenge, so it's pretty common to end up doing a job that's not your first choice, just in order to complete the requirements of the Year Abroad. And unfortunately, many students end up working for bad employers. This is something that happened to me twice in France, in July 2017 and July 2018. I hadn't been successful in applying for any of the "proper jobs" that had been advertised by my university, so I was forced to look for more informal kinds of jobs on the internet. The first of those jobs was the aforementioned au pair job in the south of France, in which I had to deal with daily insults from the parents, behavioural problems from the child, 15-hour days, and no pay (although it was meant to be paid work). The second job was at an animal park in Brittany, where I'd agreed to work for free as an English-speaking tour guide in exchange for accommodation. However, the job turned out to involve putting frozen food in a microwave rather than showing tourists around, and the accommodation was a dirty, wasp-infested caravan. (I ended up having to sleep on a table in the cafeteria!) That time I didn't even last a week!

My tips: It goes without saying that you should research any job offer really well before you accept it. If you're not able to find any suitable work, get in touch with your university, who will hopefully be able to help you. And if you have to leave a job, try not to worry. Usually your university will let you pass the Year Abroad, even if you haven't completed all the requirements, as long as you've tried your best to do so. I passed mine with only 9 "official" weeks of placements in France rather than the required 10, as overall I'd spent 11 weeks in the country.

Travel Disasters

Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria

Most people want to travel a lot during their Year Abroad, but not every trip goes to plan. Probably the biggest mishap I had was when I was trying to get back to Feldkirchen in Kärnten (the town in Austria where I was living) from Vienna. The day I left, there was a massive wind storm affecting travel in the city, meaning I was left waiting in the main train station for hours, constantly watching the noticeboard only to see every train to Kärnten getting cancelled. Eventually, I managed to get on to a crowded train to the nearby city of Wiener Neustadt, from where I planned to get another train in the direction I needed to go. But two minutes before that train was about to arrive, the platform number was changed, and I ended up missing it. To make matters worse, there wasn't going to be another train until the next day! In the end, I had to spend the night in a hotel in a somewhat dodgy part of the city. Thankfully, the next day was one of my days off, so I didn't miss work, and everything worked out fine in the end!

My tips: It's natural that not everything will go to plan when travelling, especially if you're in a place you're not familiar with. Just try not to panic when things go wrong, and try to think logically about how to solve the problem. Often you'll end up with some fun stories to tell later on!

Language Barriers

Feldkirchen in Kärnten, Austria

For many students, living in a country where they speak a different language is a big challenge. I had some difficulties speaking German when I was living in Austria, particularly when I first arrived there with a pretty low level in the language. And it also took me at least a couple of weeks to adjust to Chilean Spanish, a dialect which is notoriously fast and which has a very different vocabulary to the vocabulary I learned at college and university. 

My tips: You just have to go for it and practice as much as you can; otherwise you'll never improve! However, it can actually be hard sometimes to find opportunities to speak the language of the country you're living in, especially if your placement is in an English-speaking workplace. So my advice is to speak to native speaker friends or colleagues in their language whenever possible, instead of automatically using English. Another good idea is to go to language exchange events, which are pretty common in big international cities, and which are also a great way to meet new people. But be warned that a lot of people will be there to practice their English!

Breakups

Santiago, Chile

Sadly, breakups are common during the Year Abroad, because distance can put a strain on some relationships. It's well known that many students living abroad end up breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend from back home. And it's also pretty rare for relationships between couples who meet during the Year Abroad to work out (although I know from experience that there are exceptions!). I personally had a bad experience of a breakup while I was studying in Chile. Shortly after I first arrived in Santiago, I started dating a guy from my host university, but unfortunately, the relationship quickly turned toxic. After a very turbulent three months, it finally ended for good, leaving me devastated. This was definitely the biggest setback I had to deal with during the entire year. At first I just wanted to cut the semester short and go back home to England, but after about a week I realised that I couldn't let this ruin what was meant to be one of the most exciting times of my life. I decided to make the most of the rest of the semester, and it turned out to be far better than I ever would have expected. I actually met my boyfriend just a matter of weeks later, and we're still together nearly three years on!

My tips: As hard as it sounds, you just have to be philosophical about these things and accept that if a relationship doesn't survive the Year Abroad, it probably isn't meant to be. But I know how tough it is to get through a breakup when you're living in a foreign country. One of the things that helped me most was having something to look forward to - I booked a trip to the south of Chile in order to convince myself to stay in the country for the rest of the semester. And by the time the trip came around, things were so much better! Because no matter how much pain you're in, you will get through it eventually, and probably quicker than you think.

Finishing the Year Abroad 

Puerto Fuy, Chile

No one ever tells you this, but one of the most difficult things about doing a Year Abroad is finishing it and having to go back home! It's hard to adjust back to a life of less fun and more responsibilities - one minute you're having a great time travelling the world, and the next minute you're back at university in a cold, grey city in England, struggling under a mountain of work. I certainly missed life abroad (particularly life in South America) once I was back in Nottingham, and I soon realised that I wanted to get a job after graduation that would allow me to live in Chile and travel in Latin America again. (Over two years on I've got the job, but the whole global pandemic thing has prevented me from actually starting it yet. Hopefully, I won't have to wait too much longer!)

My tips: It's a nice idea to document your Year Abroad in some way, whether that's by writing a blog or by keeping a scrapbook or something similar, so you can look back on it and relive all those great memories in the future. And if the year has given you the urge to be back abroad again, you can start looking for a job in a different country for when you graduate. Teaching English as a foreign language is the career path I've gone down, and it's a really great one if you're looking to travel and learn about different cultures.

These issues are all things that I didn't write about in much detail in my Year Abroad blog at the time, as I wanted to keep a record of the year that was mainly positive. However, I think it's important to acknowledge that a Year Abroad can't possibly be amazing 100 percent of the time, and that the challenges you face while living in a different country can actually really help you to grow as a person, and can make you appreciate the good times even more.

But it also must be said that the advantages of doing a Year Abroad far outweigh the difficulties, and that the vast majority of the time, life in a different country is great fun. In fact, many people (myself included) say it's the best thing they've ever done. 

In the second part of this series, which will be coming very soon, I'll be writing about the best bits of the Year Abroad in order to fully demonstrate just how much it can change your life for the better!

Read Part 2 of this series here and Part 3 here!

Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities

It's been a while since I last wrote a Travel Tips article, and as I won't be going on another outing until later this week and therefore have no new place to write about, I thought it was a good idea to use the spare time I've got today to write a little piece about my favourite cities. Besides, in recent weeks this blog has been filled with images of little towns and villages in the West Country, so now seems like a good moment to shake up its aesthetic a bit!

Visiting new cities is something I find really exciting. They all have their own personality; some are old-fashioned and charming, while others are shiny and modern. Some are situated by beautiful beaches, others are surrounded by mountain landscapes. And they all have their famous landmarks that tourists flock to, as well as their lesser-known gems which are harder to find.

I have been lucky enough to have visited many amazing cities across Europe, South America and Canada, and all of them have left some kind of impression on me. However, for this article I have narrowed my list down to just ten of my favourites as well as some honourable mentions.

I hope you enjoy reading my list!

10) Vaduz, Liechtenstein

A European capital city quite unlike the rest is Vaduz. I visited this tiny city within a tiny country during my Year Abroad, and found it to be a fascinating place. With its mountaintop castle, it really is like something out of a fairytale. Additionally, it has two brilliant museums: Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts) and the Liechtenstein National Museum.

Read more about Vaduz here!

9) Lisbon, Portugal

Last year, I ended up taking a spontaneous trip to Madrid and Lisbon, and while I liked Madrid, I really loved Lisbon. It's such a beautiful and colourful city, with amazing viewpoints from its many hills. My personal highlights were Castelo de São Jorge, Torre de Belém, Jardim Vasco da Gama and the botanical garden.

Read more about Lisbon here!

8) Kraków, Poland

Having visited several Eastern European cities, I have to say Kraków is my favourite. I went there last year when I took part in the Angloville volunteer programme teaching English in Poland, and I was so impressed by its magnificent architecture. Highlights include Wawel Castle and Rynek Główny, the city's main square, where you can find St Mary's Basilica (pictured above). 

Read more about Kraków here!

7) Valparaíso, Chile

Moving across to South America, the next item on my list is the amazing Chilean port city of Valparaíso, which is the capital of the region of the same name. Like Lisbon, Valparaíso is built on a series of hills and features many colourful buildings. It is also very famous for its vibrant street art which covers its walls and staircases (I particularly liked the one pictured above), and its funicular railways. The city has a very lively, Bohemian vibe, and I absolutely loved spending a day there during my semester in Chile.

Read more about Valparaíso here!

6) Bath, England, UK

Bath is the first of two British cities in my list, and it happens to be in my home region, the southwest of England. Many would consider Oxford to be the most beautiful city in England, but I would personally put Bath at the top of that list. In addition to its picturesque architecture, it also has a fascinating Roman and literary history; the Roman Baths and the Jane Austen museum are both must-see attractions. One thing I really like about Bath is that it feels like a truly European city, where different cultures are appreciated and signs are written in French! It was even used as a stand in for Paris in the 2012 Les Misérables movie, and Pulteney Bridge (pictured above) was the setting for Javert's final song.

Previously on this blog, I wrote about The American Museum in Bath, which is actually located quite far outside of the city. I plan on writing a post about the city centre soon.

Edit: I finally wrote a post about Bath in December 2020! Check it out here!

5) Montpellier, France

I spent a few weeks studying at a language school in Montpellier in the summer of 2017, which was definitely the best bit of the French part of my Year Abroad. Located in the Occitanie region in the south of France, Montpellier is an amazing city with beautiful architecture, plenty of green spaces, great weather and a nearby beach! I would really like to go back there at some point in the future.

Read more about Montpellier here!

4) London, England, UK

I'll round off my list with four great capital cities, starting with London. Although London is not far away from me, it's such a different place to Wiltshire (where I'm from), and I always find it so exciting to spend a day there. Throughout the city, you can really see the influence of different cultures from all around the world, which I find fascinating. Last time I was there, I visited Chinatown (pictured above), a really interesting area to see. Walking around there was like being transported to China, which for me was great, as I haven't been to Asia yet. (But I'll definitely go in the future!)

Read more about London here!

3) Paris, France

As much as I love London, Paris has to be my favourite European capital city. There's something just so magical about exploring its streets, parks and museums. My favourite parts are the Montmartre district (where you can find the Moulin Rouge club and the Sacré Cœur basilica), le Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries Garden, and of course, the Eiffel Tower! I don't think I could ever get bored of being in Paris, and I hope I can go back there in the future with my boyfriend.

Read more about Paris here!

2) Buenos Aires, Argentina

Back to South America, and the incredible city of Buenos Aires. I went there in February this year and had an amazing time. (I can't believe how much things have changed in the world since then...) My favourite part was La Boca district (pictured above) with its colourful buildings and tango dancers. I also loved Casa Rosada, Puente de la Mujer, Ecoparque BA, and the Japanese garden. I would 100 percent go back in the future, as there's just so much to see there.

Read more about Buenos Aires here!

1) Santiago, Chile

And finally, the award for my favourite city goes to Santiago. Okay, maybe I'm a little biased, as this is the city where I used to live, where I met my boyfriend, and where I will be moving back to as soon as it's possible to do so. But objectively speaking, it really is a fantastic city to visit. Here you can find many examples of amazing architecture, such as the Costanera Centre (pictured above), beautiful green spaces like Parque Metropolitano (where I took this picture), as well as the impressive Andes mountains surrounding the city. I can't wait to move back there again!

Read more about Santiago here and here!

Well, I've had a lot of fun compiling that list, and I hope it can serve as travel inspiration for when the world starts opening up again!

By the way, my honourable mentions of other cities I've loved visiting are as follows: Udine, Italy; Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bruges, Belgium; York, England, UK; Cardiff, Wales, UK; and Montréal, Québec, Canada.

I also have a long list of cities I would love to go to in the future, including: Brighton (Edit: I made it there in December 2020!), Edinburgh, Amsterdam (Edit: Made it there in December 2023!), Copenhagen, Tallinn, Riga, St Petersburg, Moscow, Barcelona, Granada, Rome (Edit: Made it there in March 2024!), Athens, Istanbul, Singapore, Sydney, Casablanca, New York, Miami, Havana, Cartagena and Rio de Janeiro (Edit: Made in there in December 2022!). Let's just say I'm not short of travel inspiration!

My next blog post will most likely be about the trip I'll be going on with my parents later this week, but I plan to write more Travel Tips articles in the near future...

Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here! 

Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Places to Visit in France

I think my passion for languages and travelling really started when I was studying for my French GCSE. Around that time, I visited the south of France and Monaco (as well as Montréal) with my family, and I made it my goal to become fluent in French and dreamed of living in France someday. I also developed an interest in learning about foreign languages and countries in general, but the French language and France were what fascinated me the most.

Now I've achieved my goal of becoming fluent in French (though I'm a bit out of practice now!) and although I was never officially resident in France, I spent about three months of my Year Abroad there, so I do kind of feel like I've lived there. Those months were actually a bit of a wake-up call for me, making me realise that France wasn't quite the perfect, wonderful country I had previously thought it was. Although I had a great time studying at a language school in Montpellier, my "dream job" au pairing in the south of France turned out to be a nightmare, as did the job I got at an animal park in Brittany. And given the choice, I can't say I would have chosen to spend the majority of the French part of my Year Abroad in Rouen, a city in the north of France that didn't really seem all that different to England apart from the language.

But even though my dreams of spending an amazing few months living in Paris or the south of France didn't quite become reality, my time in France was definitely a useful experience that I learned a lot from. I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit lots of interesting places around the country, and I have great memories of those trips.

France is the country that receives the highest amount of tourists, and when you visit, it's easy to see why. Not only does it have one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world, it also has plenty of mountains, scenic countryside landscapes, fairytale castles and great beaches. So in this post, I've compiled a list of ten places I've visited around the Hexagon which offer all these things and more!

Montpellier

Montpellier in the Occitanie region is quite possibly my favourite city in France. Its architecture is beautiful, and it has great museums and a really relaxed vibe. Oh and it's only a short distance from the beach! The few weeks I spent there were so much fun. I'll definitely try to go back at some point in the future...

Read more here!

Nîmes

A short distance away from Montpellier, you can find Nîmes, a city filled with Roman architecture. With highlights including the Temple of Diana, the Arena and Maison Carrée, it's a very attractive place to explore. I recommend finding the crocodile statue and touching its nose, which is said to bring good luck!

Read more here!

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

This enchanting village in the valley of the Gellone river is considered one of the prettiest places in all of France. It's also rich in history and culture; not only is it located along el Camino de Santiago (or le Chemin de Saint Jacques as it's known there), but its monastery is believed to have once held a piece of Jesus's cross. My personal favourite sight there was the mountaintop castle overlooking the village. Legend has it that a giant lives in it!

Read more here!

Sète

Mont Saint Clair in Sète, with its statues of the cross and the Virgin Mary overlooking the sea and the rest of the city, is rather reminiscent of South America to me. However, down at sea level, you can see why Sète is known as the Venice of France, due to its series of canals that you can take a boat trip around. And you'll be glad to know it's a lot less expensive and crowded than the real Venice!

Read more here!

Cap d'Agde

Like the four previous places I've listed, Cap d'Agde is located in the southern region of Occitanie. However, unlike the others, this is less of a place for exploring and more of a place for relaxing. Known for its volcanic sand, it's a great destination for a day at the beach. But be warned that part of the town is a nudist resort! I'm glad that I went on a guided tour that just took us to the beaches where people wear clothes!

Read more here!

Avignon

Now I'm moving on from Occitanie to Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the city of Avignon. Avignon is very popular with tourists thanks to Palais des Papes, the former papal residence, and Pont Saint-Bénézet (pictured above), the bridge from the famous song "Sur le pont d'Avignon"! The city centre is so beautiful that it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Read more here!

Nice

My first trips to France were all to the French Riviera, as my granddad lives in the area. In this part of the country, there are plenty of glamorous, showbizzy places, such as Cannes and the microstate of Monaco. Visiting those places is definitely an interesting experience, but I personally prefer the more relaxed city of Nice. Its historic centre is a beautiful place to explore, and Promenade des Anglais (pictured) is an impressive sight to see. (Excuse the fuzzy picture - I took it many years ago!)

Read more here!

Le Havre

Now I'm moving on to talk about the north of France and the region of Normandy, where I spent several weeks of my Year Abroad. I've got to admit that I much preferred being in the south of France, but I still found it interesting to visit places around Normandy, such as Le Havre. Le Havre's art gallery, Musée Malraux, has a great collection of paintings, including many impressionist works. I also recommend taking a look at the city centre's architecture, including the cathedral (pictured above).

Read more here!

Dieppe 

Dieppe was probably my favourite place that I went to in Normandy, mainly because of its fairytale-esque hilltop castle! Inside the castle is the Dieppe museum, where you can see various historical artefacts as well as paintings depicting scenic views of the town.

Read more here!

Paris

Obviously no list of places to visit in France would be complete without mentioning Paris. Even though my attempts to find work and accommodation there during my Year Abroad didn't work out, it still remains one of my favourite cities in the world. Everyone knows about the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, but I particularly love the neighbourhood of Montmartre, where you can find the Moulin Rouge, the Sacré Cœur Basilica (pictured above) and the café from the film "Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain"!

Read more here!

Of course this is by no means a definitive list of places to visit in France! It is limited to the places where I've been, which by coincidence happen to all be either in the far north or the far south of the country. Although Chile turned out to be the country that stole my heart during my Year Abroad (in more ways than one!), I'm sure I'll still return to France at some point in the future. I'm interested in visiting Strasbourg, Marseille and Carcassonne, as well as some of the châteaux of the Loire Valley. And I definitely wouldn't say no to a trip to Tahiti!

Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!