Feeling like a local

Sitting at the train station today, over four months into my study abroad, I finally felt like a local. Going from the Nice airport back to Menton I prefer to take the train because it’s cheaper than the bus and the bus often makes me motion sick. Anyways, I was sitting at the Nice St. Augustin train station waiting for the next train (which was running late, typical SNCF) and was approached by three American tourists asking questions about the train tickets. I happily answered all of their questions with the full satisfaction of knowing everything I was saying was correct. We chatted for a little (they’re from LA here for the Cannes Film Festival) then they went on their way. Within the next 20 minutes I was waiting for the train, I was approached by several native French speakers all asking me questions about the train. Not only did I understand their rapid French, but I knew the answers to their questions and I knew how to answer them in French. I am far from fluent in French but it’s life’s little victories like this that remind me how far I’ve come since arriving here in January. Never underestimate the little things.
À bientôt,
Erin

Gala de fin d’année

I’m currently listening to “Burnin’ Up” by the Jonas Brothers (don’t judge me, my iPod is on shuffle and I have a lot of old music), which is ironic because it is SWELTERINGLY hot in my train car. I’m currently on my way from Vienna to Bad Ischl where I’ll be hanging out for a few days with my good friend from school.

I’m starting to get nostalgic. I’ve only got 27 days left of my semester abroad! Where has the time gone? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was bailing on orientation week to gallivant off to Barcelona? I don’t think I’m quite ready to return to the real world.

Well my semester at Sciences Po will officially be finished one week from today after I take my last final exam. Since the semester is coming to a close, Sciences Po celebrates by throwing the “gala de fin d’année” (or what I will now be referring to as “prom on the French Riviera”). On May 7^th, Mariah (aka my date) and I got all dressed up and made our way to Villa Maria Serena for the start of prom. The villa is amazing. It was built in the 1880s by Charles Garnier (the same architect who designed the Paris Opera House and the Monte-Carlo Casino). The villa served as René Coty’s residence when he visited the Côte d’Azur while president in the 1950s. Basically, it is a really beautiful and fancy building. We arrived and I’m pretty sure just about every Sciences Po student was in attendance and dressed to the nines. The sun was setting as Mariah and I discovered the open champagne bar and once again I was taken aback by how absolutely beautiful my tiny, little Menton is. The Mediterranean Sea looked beautiful as dusk began to fall. We found our friends and, like any prom, took massive amounts of pictures. Dinner was catered Moroccan food and absolutely delicious. After dessert and several glasses of wine, we all made our way to Bar Napoleon. I will pause to allow you to be as shocked as I was to discover that there is a bar in Menton… Picked your jaw up off the floor yet? Good. The whole night was a really fun night and I’m really glad I went.

À bientôt,
Erin

Praha

After the most comfortable four-hour bus ride ever, Mariah and I arrived in Prague. Our first day there was rather uneventful because I had a paper to write, so we hung out in cafés as I finished my work.

The next day we were up early and ready to take on Prague. We got breakfast at the delicious Bohemia Bagel. Between the bagels and the bottomless coffee, I was a happy camper. So happy that Mariah managed to talk me into a bike tour. For those of you who know me well or have been following my blog, you know I am not a good biker. I don’t know why, but it’s not my thing. You know the saying, “It’s just like riding a bike!” Yeah, no one says that to me. Luckily, I didn’t crash once and I only ran into one person, but he was asking for it. Our tour guide took us all around the city and I was able to see everything and make mental notes of what I would have to go back to see again. We grabbed dinner at the James Dean Diner and called it a day.

The next day we returned to all the spots we didn’t get enough of the day before. We made our way to Old Town passing a few sites along the way including the Municipal House, which is a major civic landmark and concert hall. It was originally built in 1912 and the structure is said to be an artifact of the Czech nationalism of the time. We also walked right through the famous Powder Tower, a Gothic tower and one of the old city gates leading into Old Town. It was built as one of the thirteen gates to the original city of Prague. As the city grew beyond its old walls, the tower was used as gunpowder storage, hence its name.

Continuing our walk through Old Town, we came across Old Town Square. It was bustling with people, tourists and otherwise. Mariah and I walked up to the top of the Astronomical Tower and got to see beautiful views of Prague spanning out in every direction. We then made it down just in time to see the Astronomical Clock hit the hour. The clock dates back to the 15^th century and it considered a “marvel of medieval craftsmanship,” according to our tour guide from the day before. Tons of people gather around it every hour to watch as the doors open and the characters inside go around. One of the reasons I found Prague so cool is that I can really imagine what it must have been like to live there hundreds of years ago. Like the clock, for example: I can imagine the people of Prague marveling over it as it chimed every hour, clapping as it went. That probably sounds silly, but I can’t quite figure how else to describe it. I just loved the look of Prague: the buildings, the squares, the streets. It was just very apparent to me how much history the city holds.

Anyways, we then made our way to the Charles Bridge, the historic bridge that crosses the Vltava River. Its construction began during the reign of King Charles IV in 1357, but wasn’t finished until the beginning of the 15^th century. Until 1841, it was the only way to cross the river.

No trip to Prague would be complete without a stop (and a photo shoot) at the John Lennon Wall. In 1980, when John Lennon was shot, someone painted his face on a wall in Prague. The wall actually belongs to the embassy of Malta. At the time, Prague was under communist rule and Western music was banned. Painting Lennon’s face was a nice slap in the face to the communist government, but because the wall was technically the property of the country of Malta, they could do nothing about it. Since then, the wall has been ever changing with new graffiti on it every day. I even left my mark on the wall by writing “BOSTON STRONG.” It made me smile to see that I wasn’t the first to mention Boston on the wall. In general, it was awesome to see all of the positive, hopeful, and uplifting things that have been written on it. I wish I could thank the person who was brave enough to start it with that one single John Lennon portrait that is long gone underneath layers of paint.

The day was still young, so Mariah and I decided to hike up Petrin Hill and walk the 250 stairs to the top of the tower that sits on it to see the incredible views of the city. The long hike was totally worth it. I think the pictures speak for themselves. Of course, the best part of the day was finding a Mexican restaurant called Cantina, which was unbelievably delicious and there has been nothing I’ve craved more this semester than good Mexican food and margaritas.

Our last full day in Prague was a rather lazy one. We spent most of the day sitting at a café, eating and talking. However, we did make it to the Jewish Quarter where we walked around for awhile. It soon got dark and we made our way to the Charles Bridge, which I had been told was breathtaking at night. It was.

Lately, I have been overwhelmed by how happy I am and how lucky I am to have had this experience and it’s not over yet! I still have one whole month. Isn’t that crazy? Exactly one month from today I will be going to sleep in my old room in North Carolina. Where has the semester gone?

Sbohem,
Erin

München

I’m having another one of those “my life is not real” days. The past week has been incredible. I had my last official day of class on Wednesday, April 24^th. My first final isn’t until May 6^th. Obviously, Mariah and I took off from little Menton to spend a week in Munich, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic. Let me start by telling you about my few days in Germany (aka the homeland considering I’m about half German).

To save money, Mariah and I decided to train to Munich instead of fly. Longest travel day ever: Menton to Ventimiglia, Ventimiglia to Milan, Milan to Verona, Verona to Munich. We left Menton around 8am and arrived in Munich around 8:30pm. One of the greatest things about study abroad is the people you meet along the way. The first night in Munich, we met up with some friends we made in Dublin and two days later I bumped into the guys I met in Amsterdam. If this semester has taught me anything, it’s a very small world.

Part of the reason we chose to go to Munich this particular weekend is because Springfest, or Frühlingsfest, was going on. Springfest is a nearly 50 year old annual festival in Munich very similar to Oktoberfest, but on a smaller scale. I can’t even imagine how crazy Oktoberfest must get because I thought Springfest was a madhouse and it’s often referred to as a mini-Oktoberfest. Anyways, our first full day in Munich, Mariah and I spent the entire afternoon simply enjoying the nice weather and walking around the Englischer Garten, or English Garden, a huge public park in the center of Munich. Everyone was sprawled out throughout the park enjoying the sun and the massive amounts of beer and food. We even managed to find the famous Chinesischer Turm, or “Chinese Tower.” That evening we made our way to Springfest, which if you didn’t know any better, looks like a giant carnival. There were rides and stalls with tons of different food and, of course, beer tents full of drunken people singing and dancing on tables with liter beers in hand. It was definitely an interesting and incredibly entertaining experience.

Now, after an evening full of liter beers, carnival rides and food, what would be the appropriate thing to do the next morning? Find the best breakfast on the European continent. If you are EVER in Munich, Germany, you HAVE to go to Baader Café. It is completely tourist free (except for us, obviously) and has the most extensive and delicious menu I’ve seen since landing in Europe four months ago. It was so good that we went back the next day as well. I had pancakes the first morning and French toast the second. Seriously, their brunch menu can’t be beat.

After stuffing our faces, we made our way to the BMW Museum and Showroom. It is officially in my top 5 favorite museums I have ever seen, EVER. Now I don’t know about you, but I love cars. Half the reason Monte Carlo is so much fun to go to is because I can stand on the street and see an Audi R8 casually drive by. And, of course, the owner tends to see me drooling and will rev the engine as they speed away. The only souvenir I would’ve loved to come home with, but didn’t, was one of the BMWs in the showroom. We even bothered asking if we could test drive one because we were dying to get behind the wheel. Unfortunately, you have to make reservations to take a test drive and the day we were there was already completely booked up. Sigh, if only we had known. Anyways, BMW or Bayerische Motoren Werke (it’s okay, I can’t pronounce that either) was established in 1917 and was originally an aircraft manufacturing company. After World War I, BMW had to stop aircraft engine production because of the Treaty at Versailles. The company shifted to making motorcycles in 1923 and cars in 1928. BMW is now one of the best luxury automakers in the world. It also owns and produces Mini and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce.

Our last full day in Munich was heavy. We made the trip out to Dachau, the very first concentration camp in Germany. It is located about 10 miles north of Munich on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory. It was opened in 1933. The camp entrance had a large iron gate that reads “Arbeit macht frei,” translating to “Work makes you free.” It was originally built to hold 6,000 people, but overcrowding was always a problem. At one point, more 30,000 people were imprisoned there. In its 12 years of existence, more than 200,000 people from all over Europe were imprisoned in Dachau, nearly 42,000 murdered. On April 29, 1945, American troops liberated the survivors. Even walking around the camp, listening to the history, none of it seemed real. The idea that such inhumanity could take place here within these fenced in grounds while the world continued on just on the other side of the fence seemed unbelievable. At times I was so overcome with the weight of the events that took place at Dachau that I had to stop and sit down and remind myself to inhale and exhale. Tears streamed down my face when I tried to picture 30,000 innocent people living in inhumane conditions, walking the same dirt paths that I was now. Although it was a very intense experience, I am glad I went. I think it is so important to study history so that we are not doomed to repeat it. I can only hope that future generations feel the same so that the atrocities that happened at Dachau and other camps across Europe during Hitler’s reign of terror never occur again.

After a very heavy day, Mariah and I wanted to have a chill evening. We managed to find a really cool little movie theater that showed movies only in their original version. We decided to see a new British comedy called “I Give It A Year.” I don’t think it comes out until later this year in the States, but I recommend seeing it. It was very funny and just what we needed. The next morning we checked out of our hostel and hopped on a bus to Prague. Except for the fact that I still really don’t like the German language, I loved Germany. I really enjoyed myself there and I look forward to going back some day.

Auf Wiedersehen,
Erin

Disneyland et Paris

Phew, I’m getting tired. I’ve officially been traveling every weekend of April. I’ve lived out of my suitcase more than my own apartment. Not that I’m complaining, because really, I have no right to complain, but traveling takes a lot out of you. I’ve seen the Nice airport and the Milan train station more than any person really ever should. I’m currently on a train right now actually going from Milan to Verona, but more about this trip after it actually happens. How about I tell you how I spent last weekend in at Disneyland?

Last Wednesday was Mariah’s birthday, so to celebrate we hopped on a plane to Paris. For those of you who don’t know, I might as well be Disney’s poster child. I grew up in Florida and frequented Disney World as a kid. Even at 21 years old, I never pass up the chance to watch a Disney movie or, in this case, take a trip to Disneyland Paris. We arrived Thursday afternoon and spent the evening at Downtown Disney, did a little souvenir shopping and ended the evening at the Rainforest Café. It was like I was six years old again. The next morning we woke up, met up with three of Mariah’s friends also on study abroad in Europe, and spent the whole day at the Magic Kingdom. I felt obligated to buy Minnie Mouse ears and wear them all day long. We hit the classics like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, It’s A Small World, and Dumbo and also experienced some new like Space Mountain: Mission 2. It was like regular Space Mountain in Orlando, BUT BETTER. It had loops and corkscrews and was entirely unexpected and AWESOME. I, however, am a huge fan of roller coasters, so it may not have been for everyone. We had a great time though.

The day finished up with dinner with royalty: Prince Charming and Snow White, Belle and Cinderella. We had a delicious dinner and the prince and princesses strolled around the dining room taking pictures with all of the kids… and us.

We then made our way into Paris that night where I stayed with my friends Morgan and Jenna. Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL sunny day in Paris. We picnicked by the Eiffel Tower and visited a history of French haute couture exhibit, but my favorite part of the day was stumbling into the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore. I absolutely love books and I love to read. Shakespeare and Co. is officially my favorite bookstore I’ve ever visited. I could have spent hours there. It’s small, but not cramped, with floor to ceiling bookshelves full of books. Upstairs there is a room where a man I was tempted to ask to narrate my life was reading a story aloud in English. In the other room there was an old piano. A man was sitting at it playing a beautiful piece. He sounded like a professional the store had paid to come and play there. But nope, he was just another customer wandering through the store. He finished his piece, the few of us standing around listening to him play applauded and he stood up and left. Once he stood up, a girl took his place and began playing an equally beautiful piece. I was stunned that such talented strangers were just wandering through and I got to experience their talent, even just for a few minutes.

I had to wake up the next morning and leave Paris. Saying goodbye to my favorite city on the European continent is never fun, but I know I will be back again. However, riding in the taxi by the Eiffel Tower on the way to the airport made me indescribably sad because I have no idea when I will be back to Paris again. I am ridiculously lucky to have been to Paris four times in the past five years. Maybe I’ll just make a pattern of it? Trip to Paris once every 12-18 months? Sounds like a plan to me. Paris, je t’aime et tu me manques déjà.

À bientôt,
Erin

Amsterdam

This weekend, I went on my very first solo trip abroad. That’s right folks, I went to Amsterdam all by myself. Most of my friends and family were pretty sure I wouldn’t come back alive, but here I am! Still alive and kicking!

I got in early Thursday morning (let me tell you, ensuring I would only have class Monday-Wednesday has worked out gloriously for me) and spent over an hour walking aimlessly around the general area I was told my hostel was in. I literally had to stop and ask for directions FIVE times before I found it. Anyways, I dropped my things and immediately headed out into the city.

Being the history nerd that I am, my first stop was the Anne Frank House. I read The Diary of Anne Frank nearly ten years ago, but I still remember her story well. Being in the house that I had tried to imagine while reading her diary was heavier than I can explain. I learned even more about how complex she became after being forced into hiding. It was certainly a somber way to begin my trip to the Netherlands, but I am glad I went. It is important to study history, so that we learned from mistakes made.

By the time I left the Anne Frank House it was late afternoon and other museums and sites were closing, so I began to wander. Where did I so happen to wander into? The Red Light District. I was simply walking alongside a canal and all of a sudden there are women in their underwear in store front windows. So strange, but it’s so famous that I convinced myself to continue through anyways. From the sex shops to museums to ladies staring you down from the windows, the Red Light District leaves little to the imagination. I’m assuming you, my lovely reader, have probably heard about this neighborhood, and to be quite honest, everything you have heard is most likely true. Packs of men, both young and old, couples pointing and staring in shock, groups of women uncomfortably laughing as they stroll through and, of course, hoards of Asian tourists were all present and accounted for as I meandered the area. Eventually, I had had enough awkwardness of avoiding eye contact with the ladies in the windows, so I continued on my way, found a nice café for dinner and went back to my hostel for the night.

I woke up the next morning ready for Amsterdam, round two. The weather has not been cooperating with me this weekend. Lots and lots of rain. Luckily, I thoroughly enjoy museums and Amsterdam has plenty. The Rembrandt House was my first stop this rainy Friday morning. Rembrandt van Rijn was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered to be the most important painters and printmakers in Dutch history. The museum is the house where he lived from 1639-1658. The purchase price? Thirteen thousand guilders, which at the time was a huge sum considering the average person was making 300 guilders a year. Rembrandt didn’t have the entire sum up front, so he was allowed to pay it off in installments. Although he had a lot of success as painter and was earning a lot of money, he was unable (or unwilling?) to pay off the mortgage on the house. This was eventually led to his financial downfall. Between 1652-1656, Rembrandt was frantically trying to get the money to pay off his debt, but he was unsuccessful and was forced into bankruptcy. In 1656, Rembrandt’s property was inventoried for the benefit of his creditors, and everything in his house was sold. The house was auctioned in 1658 and sold for two thousand guilders less than he bought it. Rembrandt then moved to a small rented house, where he lived until his death in 1669. Sorry, that was a long history lesson, but I didn’t know any of this until I went to Rembrandt’s house, so I figured I would share. I traveled through the rooms of the house trying to imagine what it must have been like to live in 17th century Amsterdam, watching demonstrations on how artists made their paints and admiring all of the art (both Rembrandt’s and others). It was not uncommon for artists at that time to be both an artist and an art dealer.

After visiting Rembrandt’s, the rain continued and so I moved on to my next indoor activity: the Heineken Factory. With zero brewing experience, Gerard Adriaan Heineken bought a brewery 1864. His son, Henry Heineken took over in 1917. However, it wasn’t until the founder’s grandson, Alfred (or “Freddy”) Heineken took over in 1940 that Heineken gained the global presence it has today. He focused on marketing his product giving Heineken it’s familiar green bottle, “smiling” e’s, and red star. Now this is the second brewery I’ve visited in the past few weeks. Guinness was my first. The Guinness factory was more focused on the art of the lager. Heineken did a lot more with it’s brand and marketing. There was actually a huge room with enormous screens 360 degrees playing commercials like this one and this one.

Of course, the best part about the Heineken Factory was the free beer they give you after the tour. Just prior to this, I met four Americans on study abroad in Madrid who were also visiting Amsterdam for the weekend. I ended up spending the rest of the day with them, drinking way too much (especially considering how early in the day it was) and spending a lot of time searching for Dutch pancakes (which we eventually found, and the search was totally worth it). One of the great things to come from traveling alone is the confidence it gives me to just approach a complete stranger and strike up a conversation. I had a great time with my new friends and I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t have the guts to approach them (plus, they thought it was pretty badass that I traveled to Amsterdam by myself).

My last full day in Amsterdam was beautiful. It was the first time the sun decided to make an appearance all weekend. I decided it was about time I saw the “I amsterdam” sign near the Rijksmuseum. I made my way there to find an ENORMOUS crowd of people outside the museum. I was confused and curious enough to ask someone, “What is going on?” The man replied, “The museum is opening.” Well, duh… “But, why are there all these people just standing here?” His response? “The queen is coming!” THE QUEEN? Shut the front door. Just as I thought this, the crowd erupted in cheers. There she was, Beatrix of the Netherlands. What I didn’t realize at the time was that this was to be her last major public appearance before she abdicates in favor of her son Willem-Alexander.

After my brush with royalty, I made my way to the I amsterdam sign. It was covered with tourists, so I quickly asked someone to take my picture, then I was on my way. I didn’t have much of an agenda, so I literally spent the whole day outside, wandering the streets and canals of Amsterdam, enjoying the sunshine. At some point in the late afternoon on Saturday, I sat down on a bench on a side street somewhere. The thing about traveling alone is I found myself getting lost in thought. You have a lot of time to just think while traveling alone. While I was sitting on this bench, an elderly man stepped out of the building behind me. I really wasn’t paying attention to him until he interrupted my thoughts and asked me, “Are you lost, dear?” I snapped back into reality and, realizing I genuinely had no idea where I was, I responded, “Huh, I suppose I am.” He then asked, “Do you need help getting somewhere?” Again, I thought for a moment and realized I didn’t really need to get anywhere, I didn’t have a destination in mind. So I told him, “No, that’s alright. I’m just wandering.” The old man looked at the ground, smiled, looked back at me and said, “And not all who wander are lost.” I smiled back at him, “Wise words.” To which he quickly said, “If only I could take credit for them.” Then he tipped his hat and went on his way.

I couldn’t help but smile. I was overwhelmed by how incandescently happy I am at this point in my life. I am traveling Europe, meeting new people, and creating irreplaceable memories. Especially after the tragic events in Boston the day before last, I am hyper-aware of the fact that I am incredibly lucky and I don’t want to take a moment for granted.

Now finishing my weekend in Amsterdam, my last day was spent at the Rijksmuseum. I just happened to be there the weekend it reopens after a decade-long closure and a nearly $500 million rebuilding project. Let me tell you, it was worth it. From Vermeer to Van Gogh, Rembrandt to Mondrian, the Dutch have a lot to be proud of. The vast building has been restored to the beauty and elegance that characterised it when it opened in 1885 but redesigned to showcase Holland’s artistic treasures. It was incredible.

The rest of my final day was spent enjoying the 70 degree weather in Amsterdam, sitting outside a café, sipping on a cappuccino, eating Dutch pancakes, and reading. I’ve decided I quite enjoy solo-traveling. It gave me a lot of time to think, reflect and explore the city at my own pace. If you feel confident enough to book that adventure you’ve been thinking of, but have no one to join you, DO IT. It’s an experience worth trying, and I plan to again.

Vaarwel,
Erin

 

Boston

For the past 18 hours, I have been able to think of nothing but Boston (which is great because I have a 10 page paper due tomorrow). For those of you who don’t know, when I’m not traveling the world, I go to school at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Although I’ve only lived in Boston for a few years, it is as much my home as my hometown of Chapel Hill, NC.

Yesterday was Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts. It is a holiday commemorating the anniversary of the first battles of the Revolutionary War, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, on April 19, 1775 and it is observed on the third Monday in April. The Boston Marathon is run on Patriots’ Day every year, so we in Boston like to refer to it as “Marathon Monday.” If you’ve never lived in Boston, it’s kind of hard to explain, but this day means a lot to us. Basically the entire state of Massachusetts shuts down and you spend the whole day with your friends or family.

At 2:50pm EST, two blasts occurred 12 seconds apart near the marathon finish line on Boylston St. So far, the bombs have claimed 3 lives and more than 140 are wounded. An area of Boston that I have walked hundreds of times has been transformed into a closed-off crime scene. I am beyond lucky to say that all my friends and loved ones are safe and well. My friend Lauryn is here in France with me this week and we’re finding it hard to not think about all of the “what ifs.” What if I hadn’t been on study abroad this semester? What if I decided to volunteer at the marathon this year like I did two years ago? What if my friends had stayed an extra half an hour to continue watching the racers cross the finish line? I can’t stop thinking about it all.

You hear of this happening to other people, in other places, in other cities, and never imagine that it could happen to the place you call home. Watching the live new streams since it happened has been surreal. Seeing the familiar streets and knowing that such terror has happened there while I’m away, I can’t stomach it. I just want everyone to know that my heart and thoughts are home in Boston with my friends, my loved ones, and all those affected by what happened yesterday. Marathon Monday will never be the same.

In the words of President Barack Obama,

“Boston is a tough and resilient town. So are its people. I’m supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other, and move forward as one proud city.”

I don’t doubt that he is right.

Zürich

My little brother and cousin were here with me the past week. They left at 5am yesterday morning, and I miss them both already. Having them here was like having a little piece of home here on the French Riviera. After returning from Paris, we spent a few days here, then we left for Zurich, Switzerland.

Going to Zurich was kind of a spur of the moment decision. I didn’t know much about it until I bought the train tickets and did a little research. Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and sits right on Lake Zurich. It’s been permanently settled for around 2000 years, so the history of Zurich goes way back to the Romans. Today, it’s home to a lot of financial institutions and banks. It is also the most expensive place I have ever traveled to (and that’s including Monaco).

Even with everything being incredibly costly, we still managed to have a good time. We walked down the Zurich equivalent of 5th Avenue  to Lake Zurich and back up through historic Old Town. My favorite part of going to a new place is spending time exploring. Simply walking around the old streets, popping into little shops, stopping for tea in cafés, and getting to know the city.

We also managed to make trip to the Zurich Zoo, which is always entertaining. They had everything from birds (peacocks practically walked around like they owned the place) to gorillas to otters to llamas and alpacas to elephants. Mostly, I just had a great time hanging out with my brother and cousin. I can’t wait to see them both again when I am home for their high school graduations!

Auf Wiedersehen,

Erin

Monaco

After we returned from Paris, my little brother, cousin and I had a couple days before we were to jump on a train to Switzerland. There is not much to do in the small town of Menton, so I figured I’d entertain them by showing them around the Principality of Monaco. I’ve been to Monte-Carlo a few times now (mostly because that is where the closest movie theatre is that shows American movies in their original version), but I never took the time to really explore all that it really has to offer. We hopped on the train one late afternoon after I was finished with class for the day and simply walked around and admired the principality and its spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea.

À bientôt,

Erin

Paris

Since I began studying French (nearly ten years ago, does time fly or what?), I was in love with Paris. Even before I actually traveled there for the first time when I was 16, I was in love with Paris. My mother, picking up on this when I began studying French, bought a huge, framed picture of the Eiffel Tower with a quote by Ernest Hemingway on it…

“Wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

Ernest Hemingway was right. On the Thursday before Easter, Mariah and I woke up before dawn to jump on the first train to Paris. One of my best friends from high school, Claire, turned 21 this past weekend (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DARLING!) and met me in Paris to celebrate. My little brother and cousin flew in the same day to spend the rest of the week with me in Europe. It’s been nice having a little piece of home with me. I’ve missed them. Now this was my third time in Paris, but it will never get old. My French professor asked me a few weeks ago why I love Paris, and I had trouble even communicating how I feel about the city. It’s magical. There’s an air to Paris, it gets in you and it’s intoxicating. Except for a select few, I didn’t even visit any tourist sites this time around. We spent all weekend simply walking around and enjoying everything the city has to offer: sitting in cafés people watching, strolling through the Jardin du Luxembourg, popping into Ladurée for macaroons, roaming the streets, watching street-performers in Montmartre, stopping in more cafés and walking along the Seine. Although I am not a Catholic, Mariah and Claire are, so Easter Sunday morning we all got up bright and early for mass at Notre Dame. It was PACKED, even more so than I could’ve imagined. There was a jumbotron and stadium seating set up outside, it was THAT crowded.

I’ve found that the more my French improves, the better Paris becomes. It’s one of those cities that I know I will always come back to, and I can’t wait until I return.

À bientôt,

Erin