The Dam

We met my friend Brian in Amsterdam....

A very public restroom..

Deutchland

We made two stops in Germany, Frieberg in the Black Forest and Cologne.


The mighty Rhein.



Frieberg's Meunster.

Grindelwald

From Italy we took a train to a small town in German Switzerland, near Interlaken. It was beautiful to the point that it didn't seem real.

We took a gondola up the alps for a hike and picnic.

Italia

I started my trip in Milan, where I met up with my friend Marco.
Marco and I in front of the Duomo.
Then I took a train down to Cinque Terre on the Mediterranean coast. We hiked between five small towns on the coast.

There were many vineyards on the coast.
The best pizza I have ever had.

French people on strike

On the way to get falafel, I came across this scene in front of City Hall. Trash was everywhere. I was informed that the sanitation workers were on strike and many had purposely dumped out trash bags on to the street.
For employees to intentionally litter seems unnecessary (and stupid considering who is going to most likely be cleaning up the mess when the strike is over). Trash is one thing...but now the train employees are striking. Thousands and thousands of tourists are stuck at the airport trying to figure out how to get to Paris. Many end up paying close to one hundred USD for a taxi ride. When striking makes a public square dirty or makes television networks play reruns for a few weeks, life goes on. But when people rely on a transport system to get them to meetings, jobs, flights, and school, I think the strikers are being a little selfish. Not that they shouldn't have the right to strike, but they are causing so many people problems who have nothing to do with whether or not the employees get what they want.

Tartare

The first thing I noticed was that people would walk down the street carrying a baguette under their arm, completely unwrapped and uncovered. Next, I saw oysters on display in front of restaurants sitting out in the sun. Then it was all around me. In the grocery, cheese, milk, and eggs sit on shelves unrefrigerated. I recently tried steak tartare, raw ground beef mixed with a raw egg, garlic, onion, sauces, and spices. While this dish is a staple at any French brasserie, it is rarely found in the U.S. How many U.S. restaurant would want to take the risk of serving uncooked ground beef and plus how many customers would even want to eat this? The difference is the quality of the beef and how fresh the beef is. Usually, the beef is ground to order. It is surprisingly good and I didn't get sick.

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

One thing I enjoy about Paris....is how much people love this city. Not only is this the biggest tourist destination in the world, but it is overflowing with Parisians who feel that their city is the greatest. I have heard countless Parisians refer to their city as the most beautiful city in the world. Today, my friend says, "I was born in this city, I will live my whole life in this city, and I will die in this city." I find this so foreign to me...I have no idea where I will live in ten years, definitely not Atlanta. It would be strange knowing that you, your family, and all of your friends will live in the same city for your entire life. But I think this says a lot about Paris and how great of a city it is. Paris is the city of love and a city that people fall in love with. It has its look, its smell, its tastes, its sights, its feel, heart and possibly a soul. The French love their country and they love their lives. Throughout history, it seems that the French have had one principle guiding their foreign affairs...protect their beautiful city! For better or worse, it worked and the result is one of a kind.

Le Penseur

Today I went to Musee Rodin, a museum recommended by my landlord:
The Thinker:

Roman ruins in Parc Monceau:
Heart-shaped French cheese, one of the foulest cheeses I have tried, but kind of cool:

The Last Weekend in Paris

Saturday was the Festival of Music...there were hundreds of bands playing all around Paris. Walking from my apartment to the metro I passed more than ten bands. My RA from UGA was in Paris so we met up and walked around the city, watching music along the way. We even saw concerts inside of the Senate and the Royal Palace.

Cool pics of the canal near Bastille





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