It's the final Countdown...

Sorry for my silence recently. It's been a crazy past few days. This post is coming on Saturday. In less than 48 hours, I will be back in the USA, getting ready for school. Crazy, huh?

Anyway, since my last post, nothing interesting yet everything has happened. Here's a rundown:

Monday: We got back from Paris and enjoyed some nice R and R. It was actually sunny and nice out, so some of us ventured outside to play! Good times were had.

Tuesday: Easy day for my group. One short class then spent the rest of the day relaxing again. Liz and I went on a nice bike ride and followed the river. We saw Germany!

Wednesday: Final internship day. Sad times. It was cool though because the kids were doing a practice run of their Odyssey of the Mind projects and my group were the judges. All the groups did a good job. Rest of the day was prepping to pack

Thursday: FREE DAY! I went out on the town to get some souvenirs, do a last-minute visit to places that I wanted to go to (ate some beignets!) then packed up. Spent as much time as possible hanging out with the GSU people. I'm gonna miss those guys.

Friday: Up early for our train to Munich. We pretty much checked into the hotel then spent the rest of the day around town. Nothing too crazy except for the "beer challenge" we went on. Essentially, it was a guided tour of different establishments where we could get drinks. I paced myself because I wanted to be ready for the tour tomorrow.

Saturday: We visited the former concentration camp Dachau. It was a really sobering journey. I can't even describe how it felt to walk on the ground where thousands of prisoners lived, 70 years ago. I got chills down my body as we walked through the crematorium. Definitely a creepy feeling. Once we got back, we went to a restaurant we visited last night and I got some Schnitzel, which was delicious. Went back to the hotel after exploring with Claire, visited the hotel pool, then relax time.

Future plans: We leave for Frankfurt tomorrow. I think we plan on seeing a movie. After this trip, I think this group just needs some time to sit, relax and not think about anything. Stateside soon....

Parisian Paradise

So, just spent the extended Easter weekend in Paris! Woo! Instead of giving you a day-by-day account, I'll just post the highlights.

Eiffel Tower: Day
Drew and I decided to spend some time around the city before our tour of the Louvre. First stop: Eiffel Tower. We decided not to go to the top, as it would be a better sight during the evening. We did get pictures around it though with our flags and were even accosted by a street vendor! Good times.

Arc de Triomphe
Our second main highlight of the day, it was a decent walk from the Eiffel Tower here, though made much easier once we found where we were supposed to go. We walked around it getting pictures and met a guy who recognized our flying WV flag (he went to VT. meh.) We couldn't get pictures underneath it or go on top, as there was a long line and we had to meet everyone at the Louvre.

The Louvre
I could have spent all day here.  We spent 2 hours and I didn't even get to visit all the places in one of the wings. There are 3. I did make it a point to visit all the Greek and Roman statues/paintings though. And of course, saw the Mona Lisa, though.

Eiffel Tower: Night
This time, we ventured to the top. Claire, Drew, and I decided to make the trek to the top on foot (well, to the 2nd level then had to ride the elevator up.) It was definitely worth the wait. Seeing Paris during the night was a remarkable experience. I took pictures but they definitely won't do it justice. The only negative was that it was cold and windy at the top. Also, a random fact, I met some 4-Hers! I don't know where the first couple were from, but the second group was from California! How-How for 4-H!

Free Walking tour
We went on a free walking tour around Paris that was led by a student from the city. We saw Notre Dame from a distance, visited Pont Neuf, the Love-Lock Bridge, stopped by the Louvre, and ended in the Place de Concorde and saw where the guillotine was. Cool tour. Lots of pictures

Moulin Rouge!
Yeah, that's right. I went to the Moulin Rouge. And it was AWESOME! I don't even know how to explain it. The whole experience was spectacular. The show was split into different parts. The main dancers would do a themed performance (Amazonian dance, 50's jukebox, circus, etc.) then there would be a intermission act while they set up the next act. The intermission acts were pretty cool. The acrobatics performed were astounding. I saw a girl do a headstand on a guy's head, the same guy holding the girl doing a handstand, bend backwards over a chair then stood back up. CRAZINESS! A good way too spend the evening.

The Gardens of Versailles
Wow. The Gardens were spectacular. It can only imagine what it looks like once the trees and flowers are bloomed.  It was all very symmetrical and well-kept and amazing. Still, it was interesting to go around the area and hear the history of Louis XIV until Louis XVI. There were lots of fountains but no water was running as it would cost WAYYYY to much money. We weren't able to go inside though, because they had closed the ticket office by the time the tour was finished. Oh well.

Hotel d'Invalides
So, because of Easter, I didn't get to see much of this. I saw the main courtyard but the actual Army museum and Napoleon's grave were closed off. Still was kinda cool to see.

So, that was my Paris trip in a nutshell. Good times were had by all.