Trip to Paris and London!

hmmm, let me think...where to start???

It feels like I left Strasbourg a really long time ago to start my week of vacation in Paris and London, but really it has been less than a week and a half. All in all, the trip was wonderful. Paris was great, but London was the true gem of the whole trip.

The first day in Paris I walked around with some of my friends and just soaked up parts of the city. I’ve already been to Paris twice before, so this time I really wanted to just walk around the fun neighborhoods and see the Paris life. Notre Dame was really close to our hotel, and it took my breath away when we walked down the street, walked along the river, and saw it right before us.

MJ and I standing in the street!

That is one thing about Paris that truly makes it magical, no matter how many times you go, the sights and the history are both so grand that it feels like a dream world. The Eiffel tower, no matter how commercialized it has become, still never fails to make me stop and think about where I am and all that has happened in this great city. Here are some shots of the tower from around the city, and also up close and personal!

We went on a tour of the Opera house (where the Phantom of the Opera takes place), and I have to say that it was truly my favorite thing we did the whole time. The history and the culture that have all passed through the doors are so overwhelming that it is sometimes hard to understand. Here are some great shots that explain it all….

^^Some of us on the tour of the Opera House

My second favorite thing I did in Paris was the Rodin Museum. Not only were Rodin’s sculptures overwhelming, but the gardens surrounding the museum, where some of his works are displayed, was so breathtaking that once again my pictures do it more justice than anything I could write…

Since we were only in Paris for three days, I didn’t make it back into the Louvre but I took some great shots of the outside, and spent an afternoon walking from the Louvre to the Eiffel tower an around the area! Here are some shots from that day:

Next stop…LONDON

^^This picture of Haley and Todd sums up just how great London was!

Such a great city. I had never been before and there was so much to do and see, I know I will be back again soon. The first day there we decided to hop on the tube and talk along the river front. I was blown away by everything around me! Later that afternoon we crossed over the millennium bridge and made it to Tate modern. It was a great place, and FREE! Gotta love London.

^^The London Eye

One weird thing I noticed while in London is that EVERYONE jogs. At all hours of the day you can see British people jogging around the city, being physically fit—something you don’t really see that often in France. Weird. Below is a shot of a British man taking a jog...haha

Also, British people are SO nice. Everyone wants to help you if you get lost, and we met some really neat people during our time spent there. Haley had a friend who spent sometime working at Monmouth Coffee Shop, and while getting coffee there we met this neat guy who had met her friend when visiting Michigan? Small world, eh?

^^More London

On of the neatest things we did in London was climb to the top of Prime Rose Hill at sunset and saw the city at night. The view was amazing, and loads cheaper than the London Eye which costs about 30 dollars—needless to say I will save that for the next time I go to London!

We made to Hyde Park, Harrods (the scariest place on earth), the National Portrait Gallery, and to lots of other neat places in the city. London was pretty easy to get around in, and I spent less than 20 pounds on transportation the entire time I was there!

^^Shot of the Eye from Hyde Park

BUT if I had to pick one thing to recommend seeing it would hands down be the British Museum. I’m not much of a history buff, but the amount of history and culture that is found at the British Museum is unlike anything I had ever seen before. From mummies, to old records, to African artifacts, I think I could spend an entire month just wondering the halls and finding new things to see!

So, all in all it was a great trip, and now I have to focus on my time here in Strasbourg, and prepare for the weekend ahead in MILAN! Woo! I am only going for one night but I think it will be grand!

I will be sure to keep you posted!

Long time no post!

Hello All!!!

Before I start my blog update I just have to point out how hilarious the picture above is. I mean really France, what does this roadsign mean?

Well it has been such a long time since I last updated, Im not quite sure where to begin. Last weekend was the weekend of my 21st birthday and I had a great one! My friend Haley and I traveld to the small town of Colmar on Saturday and checked out some of the history of Alsace, and had a great lunch with some wonderful local wine. Then Saturday night a couple of my friends and I made mexican food to celebrate the soon to be birthday that was coming at midnight! On the actual night of my birthday my host family and I drank champagne and ate birthday cake! It was great listening to them singing me happy birthday in English with their wonderful french accents!

These past couple of weeks have gone by so fast and I can't believe how much time has already gone by. The weekend before last I stayed here in Strasbourg, and it was great to just have a weekend in the city wondering around the island and finding new things to see. I went to Petite France for the first time, which is a small island here in Strasbourg that has wonderful buildings and it is like walking into a French wonderland. The more I wonder around Strasbourg the more I love it! Here are some pictures from my time here on my birthday, and in Colmar!
^^The island of Petite France

^^A beautiful shot of Strasbourg, you really have to come visit for yourself!
^^The tram! AKA my new best friend during the rain

^^Ah Strasbourg, so oh French, n'est pas?
^^Haley in Colmar! (this shot was taken for her mom!)^^Colmar! This city still has many of it's buildings from preWWII because (according to Rick Steves) they made sure not to bomb the city center because of it's known beauty and historical meaning! pretty cool?

^^Comment dit-t-on (how do you say), Im wishing...Im wishing??
^^Haley and Penelope about to eat some great food!!!
^^The group!

Well! more to come next week I promise! I'm off to Paris on Saturday for 3 days and then London for 5!!! Should be exciting!!!!

Bikes!

Hello again!

So this past weekend was great! On Saturday three friends and I decided to rent bikes and go on a little tour through the wine country. Sounds easy right? Wrong. We got lost a lot, and ended up biking on the highway for a while...but all in all it was once again one of the most beautiful things I have ever done in my life. The hills weren't too tricky, but we all too soon discovered we are not as great as Lance Armstrong when it comes to mastering the French mountains. I ate the best grapes of my life on the side of the road, given to us by a farmer who set up a tent with grapes and grape juice for sale!

Here are some pictures of what we saw:

Once again the weather was perfect, and the sun was out!
our bikes! *with only one gear...*

On Sunday, I forgot to take my camera with me...but I went hiking through the hills with my entire host family, which was hilarous. They have four older children, who are 22, 24, 26 and 28. We all squeezed into a tiny rental car and drove for about 45 minutes to this "trail" which really was more like a paved path in the woods. After doing a little hiking we went and had a huge dinner at this amazing place and drank some serious wine--this stuff didn't mess around. Normally I am a red fan, but I had some of the best white wine I have ever tasted. Needless to say, after 3 bottles and some coffee they decided to go hiking again, and this time we ran into a chateau! It was great fun, and it was nice to be around a family setting again with people joking/arguing/and doing things normal family's tend to do!

I don't have any big plans for this weekend, which I think will be a nice change of place from the past couple. I'm excited to just hang out around Strasbourg and catch up on some sleep!

SWITZERLAND

Hello all!

So this past weekend, four friends and I went on a little trip to Basel, Switzerland. It is right on the border where Switzerland, Germany and France all come together. It is about an hour and a half away from Strasbourg and the Rhine runs right through the city...needless to say, Basel is amazing! It is larger than Strasbourg and has a more modern feel to it, but still has an old world charm throughout the streets. I really really loved the city and could see myself going back there.

We went on a Saturday, which is a great day to go because there are plenty of markets with fresh veggies, people playing music all around, and lots of great people watching!

One thing I loved about the city were all of the "water founatins"...I was under the impression that they weren't used for drinking water, but they seemed to be everywhere! Here are a couple!:

The one of the dragon is by far the coolest....

Like most of this part of Europe, Basel was breathtaking. It also could be that the weather here has been so nice these past couple weeks, that everything and everyone just seems to be having a great time in the sun. Normally it is never this warm and sunny during the end of September, but when we went to Basel it was in the 70s and sunny! Could you ask for more?? Here are some pictures of the view from the Rhine, and from the hills that are around the city...It was also really cool to be back in a city with hills!

^^This is this really neat ferry that goes across the Rhine and is connected from one side of the bank to the other by a zipline type thing with colorful flags on it....?? Swizterland ??

^^Once again, why is everything here so pretty??

The cathedral of Basel is called Munster (yes like the cheese) and is on top of one of the hills, and has an amazing view of the river from it!...Here it is!


I really would like to go back to Switzerland at some point, but I'm not realy sure if I will make it back there on this trip!

I have some more exciting things coming up this weekend, including a selfguided vinyard bike tour with a couple of friends, so I will be sure to post pictures and tell you all about the amazing wine I will soon discover!

HAPPY OCTOBER!