Bonjour, Paris! Part 1: Monet's Gardens

When I’ve told people that I’ve been traveling around Europe for the past few months, people will ask, well did you go to Paris?

Paris seems to be (in American’s minds) the ultimate European destination. Its full of romanticism and beautiful architecture. The movies always talk about how you can’t beat this place.

But when I would talk to people in my ward and I would ask how they liked Paris and they would almost always answer the same way.

“Yeah.. Paris is... Paris.”

“I liked it. Yeah I guess I liked it.”

But you have to go right? You can't come anywhere near western Europe and not at least grace the city with your presence.

So on a nice Sunday afternoon with my good friends the Stewarts, they tell me that they have family coming to Germany and they're going to Paris on a weekend. They just happen to have a extra seat in their car that a mooching 21 year old may take if she pleases.

So at 4 AM I jumped in a car and drove for four hours.

We didn't start in the city, we started in Monet's gardens.

I'm such a fan of the impressionism style so I was stoked to see it.

Overall, I enjoyed it but there were way too many people.

Also someone from my group fell in peony bush so that made it even better.

To be honest though I was just itching to get to the city.

And it was after that, and a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, that we made our journey into the city of Paris..

Prague, Czech Republic

One of my favorite questions to ask people is "If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

It gives so much insight into that person, their ambitions, what they like to really do in their free time, if they're more free thinking, etc.

Before I started this absolutely grand adventure my answer was almost always Prague, Czech Republic.

Something just seemed so enchanting about it.

It was on my German test trip that my host parents informed me that.. My dream was coming true..

We were going to Prague.

Let me tell you, I didn't have too high of expectations. This city was everything I imagined.

The most beautiful old world architecture. Every corner was full of beautiful things to see.

Unfortunately I truly had no time here. I think I spent less than a few hours walking on the streets. This was, of course, totally not up to me but that's neither here nor there...

I could have spent days in this place.

When people ask me what my favorite place has been, Prague is on one of the top spots. (It's probably number 2 now, but I will tell you about that later)

Dresden and the dreaded A1 Deustch test

So I know this is so stupid to always say but I will be back updating my blog. A crazy amount of things have happened and for some reason on a 4 hour bus ride today, I had this feeling like I should be back to blogging. So I'm starting all the way back in April because yes, I have not updated since then.. embarrassing. 

In order to be an au pair here in Germany, you're required to take a test on the language. Needless to say, if I didn't pass then I would be kindly asked to leave when my tourist visa expires after three months of entering the country.

Unfortunately (kind of) we waited to long to sign up for a test that was near us so I had to go all the way to

Dresden

If you know where that is, I'm thoroughly impressed. Basically though, I live in about the most west you can be in Germany and Dresden is almost the most east you can go.

So my host family and I made a trip out of it! All six hours drive worth.

I listened to German CDs all the way there about how to order a cup of coffee, how to ask a train person how to get to Hamburg, etc. It was maddening. 

And so, there I was. I was at the Goethe Institute where my fate for the next six months was going to be decided. I sat in a classroom full of so many other people thinking the same thoughts I was probably thinking.

"Shiz what if I don't pass this test? I don't want to go back to my home country yet! So many German things I have yet to experience! I can't leave all the delicious brotchen."

I was sweating through my leather jacket as I tried so hard to listen to the CD that played the hearing portion of my test. "What time did they say that they were going to the movies?? Was it at 4:00? or 14:00? Oh gosh so much dialogue."

I muddled through it, not completely confident but.. confident that I at least passed. And for now, I was done.

I was alone, and not quite ready to back to the hotel. So I did what I love most, walked around a city that I didn't know.

And a beautiful city it was. Full of amazing old architecture (pretty rare for Eastern Germany). I'd go back in a heartbeat and spend more than just an evening.

Dresden will always have a place in my heart.

(Totally passed my test by the way. Solid 80%)

Castle hopping.

I live in such a beautiful place. If you could see what my eyeballs see every morning on my morning jog, you'd be flabbergasted. (I've had to jog every morning because the constant German bread, French cheese, and Belgian chocolate intake are really weighing me down. Literally.)

This past Saturday, a real nice gentleman named Jacob invited me to go to see some castles. Yeah that's just a typical Saturday thing..(I still can't get over how unreal my life is right now). So we ventured off into the land of castles with our good friend Allie and her Norwegian fiance.

So we started our journey on to Manderscheid.

A castle of true wonder, I'll say.

It's basically ruins.

It's a beauty that must have gone through a lot. Jacob said a couple of pretty nasty wars.

It's split into two parts with a couple of lookout towers on each one.

Not my favorite castle since it's not the type of feeling you really get from going to a fully built castle.

It did have a beautiful courtyard with a river running through it.

Next we stopped, on the way to our next destination, to a nice abbey.

There were nuns walking around, a humble little bookstore that sold jam that I was tempted to buy, and a delicious bakery where I consumed a top notch pastry.

Seriously America, get on the bakeries full of pastries wagon. I don't know how I'll function without them when I come home.

After we ate our pastries, we went on our way to our next destination.

Burg Eltz

Words can't describe my love for this castle. I know I love the sight of something when I see it and I gasp.

It's only happened to me once before, in China, in Zhangjiajie.

It looks unlike any other castle and I couldn't keep my eyes off of it.

We went down to the river next to the castle and skipped rocks for a bit. Felt like quite a day at the old palace skipping rocks with my chums.

Such a fan

Did you know I live in an old outpost of the Roman Empire?

That's right.

20 minutes away from my humble abode lies a city called Trier.

It was one of the outlying cities of the Roman Empire.

We looked to the sights that still remained in that city.

and I touched Caesar's foot.

haha okayyyy so it was made of stone and he put them in every major Roman city to show that he was powerful and had his "foot" everywhere.

We also ate at the best place I've eaten at so far in my visit to Europe.

It's called Kartoffel Kriste? (I'm not so sure about that and too tired to look it up)

Kartoffel is potato in German. Every dish in this restaurant has something with potatoes in it. It was just plain scrumptious. If you're ever near Trier, you need to eat there. I can't overhype this place enough.

All in all, this whole day trip was simply magnificent in every way.

Auschwitz

On the second day of my Poland trip, we drove an hour to place that some people wouldn't dare to set foot in.

This is Auschwitz.

I saw the prisons they were held in.

I saw the barracks they slept in.

I saw the gas chambers in which some died in.

It was the most humbling experience of my life.

You read about all of the people in concentration camps and I feel like it's all been sugar coated.

So. Many. People. Died.

They were brought to that place not knowing that they weren't ever going to leave it.

Rooms full of suitcases, shoes, household pottery proved it and it was heartbreaking to see.

If you ever get the chance to go to place like this, I encourage you to. It isn't for everybody but if you feel you can handle it then do it.

It's there to give you a true perspective and to teach the world a lesson. And I think the plaque that's displayed in many languages says it all.

Polski

Every month I'm planning on going on at least one major excursion.

This month of March I was able to keep with that goal where I was able to go to....

POLAND

What?? What has my life become that I get to go to Poland?

The dream life. That's what.

We packed 8 people in a 9 person van and drove 11 hours-ish.

And it was awesome.

Day one was spent on a bike ride through the beautiful city of Krakow

I adored Poland and it's beautiful country full of great, great sadness of which I will attest to in my next post.

luxembourg city

Adventures ho!

My first excursion was couple of weeks ago on a short day trip to Luxembourg City. This city is only a 40 minute drive from my village and quite impressive. I put on a couple layers and a scarf, grabbed my camera and set out.

It was a downpour of rain and I often had to duck in the nearest shop because I was deathly ill at the time and I did not want to prolong it. But for the most part, it was a lovely city.

I will probably visit it many more times considering it's only a bus ride away from my village.

Beautiful cobbled streets and the architecture is riddled with old world looks.