Phar & Wide: Haley Hall
Third-year student, Haley Hall, shares her summer travels to Europe
Story by Ryan McDaniel | Published October 3, 2023
Our series, Phar & Wide, follows the travels of UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy faculty, students, staff, and alumni. For this entry, we meet Haley Hall, a third-year student at the School. She is originally from Sparta, North Carolina and came to UNC for undergrad. She chose to pursue pharmacy after shadowing local community and hospital pharmacists when she was in high school.
Haley says she strongly values cross-cultural experiences and the opportunity to meet new people. So this summer she and some of her closest friends from UNC undergrad traveled to Europe. In this photo journey, we share Haley’s travels to London, Paris, Budapest, and Athens.
Afternoon Tea in London
A London classic, Haley and her travel companions had afternoon tea in London. The three-tiered snack tray included jelly-filled scones, sandwiches, and a variety of desserts. "The restaurant's view was beautiful - overlooking the River Thames and the famous tower bridge," Haley says.
A Celebrity Encounter
Haley recalls the best food she ate on her trip being at Bambini restaurant in Paris - fried calamari with pesto dipping sauce and "mouth-watering bruschetta." But perhaps the biggest highlight was spotting a celebrity. "The restaurant had a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower, but the coolest thing about the day was turning around and saying 'wow, that girl looks like Emma Watson,'" Haley recalls. "...and then doing a double-take saying 'Oh my god, that IS Emma Watson!' eating at the same restaurant as us!"
Visiting the Louvre
"Going to the Louvre art museum has been on my bucket list since art class in high school," Haley shares. "I was taken aback by the size of the museum, as we only saw a fraction of the museum in the four hours we were there."
The Mona Lisa
Of course, while at the Louvre, Haley had to see the Mona Lisa and snap a shot of it. She waited in line for a while before getting this close and had a similar reaction to many who see the world's most famous painting. "I was surpsied by how small the painting is in comparison to some of the others in the collection," she says.
At the bottom of the picture, reflected in the glass, you can see the large crowd gathered.
Overlooking Athens
The highlight of the trip, for Haley, was Greece. She loved the food, the atmosphere, the people, and the rich history. She recalls a walking tour, led by a local Athenian: "It was so cool to hear about the stories of the Greek gods as well as true war stories."
The Acropolis
Of course, no visit to Athens is complete without climbing to the top of the Acropolis. Here, Haley and her friends pose in front of the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess, Athena, for whom the city is named. Haley and her friends learned the story of the city's naming during their walking tour. "One of my favorite stories was the story of Athena and Poseidon battling to claim the city and thus give it a name," she explains. "According to mythology, Athena and Poseidon both presented a gift to decide who could claim it, and Athena won by presenting the first ever olive tree, one of the many things Greece is known for today."
A Midnight River Cruise
In Budapest, the group went on a midnight river cruise on the Danube. One of the highlights was the classic Hungarian Parliament Building, lit up in gold. Even more wonderful was the people they met. "We met another group of girls from different places in Europe on the boat who were staying in hostels, and we ended up hanging out with them all night!" Haley says.
Overlooking Budapest
Budapest used to be two cities, separated by the Danube River; Buda and Pest. The Pest side, on the east side of the river, is home to Parliament, bars, restaurants, and clubs. The Buda side on the west is known as more of a residential side. However, one of Budapest's most famous tourist sites, the Fisherman's Bastion, is on the Buda side. Haley and her friends visited this famous location and snapped this photo looking down on the Danube and the Parliament Building.
The For Sale Pub
In Budapest, Haley and her friends had lunch at the For Sale Pub. "The restaurant walls were decorated with notes written by the guests," she describes. "The notes had everything from names to travel guides to poems and quotes, and of course we got to add our own note."
Food, Friends, and Farewell
The last night of Haley's trip was spent back in London. She and her friends went out for dinner to reminisce on their journey. "We reflected on the trip, discussing our favorite foods, memories, and adventures of the past month," Haley shares. "It was a bittersweet goodbye leaving Europe, as well as our friend Gabby, who now lives there full time, but I was ready to come home."
Share Your Travel Photos and Stories!
Do you love to travel? Have you been on some interesting travel adventures? Share them with the Carolina Pharmacy community! We are always looking for stories and photos from faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Reach out to us through our Contact Us page to get started
Great article ,Haley. Such a great experience for you 🥰.