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!