I apologize for the delayed post. I have been very busy sightseeing, traveling, and STUDYING. Yes, school has started and I spend a great deal of my time each day doing french grammar exercises. But no worries, I have had plenty of time to continue my adventures around Paris and Europe.
Two weekends ago, my friends and I took a day trip to Champagne. Not only was the trip delicious, but we learned a lot about the process of making champagne. Just a quick tip, if the grapes were not grown and fermented in the Champagne region of France, the bubbly beverage cannot be referred to as "champagne," but it is merely a sparkling wine. Therefore, the three dollar bottle of Andre that can be found in the grocery store, and purchased in bulk on New Years Eve, does not qualify.
In honor of Valentines, we got to taste a Rose after our tour of the champagne caves at Champagne Mercier.
In my history of architecture class, we took a trip to the Chateau de Vincennes. Orignially, a fortified castle of King Charles I of France, this beautiful tower looks like a place where Rapunzel would have let down her long hair. My architecture class has already provided a great deal of insight on how incredibly advanced the architects of the medevial and gothic times really were. I still can't fathom how they had the means to pull these types of things off without the techonology of today, but they did it and they did it well. Here's a picture of the chatelet or castle.
My most recent excursion was a wonderful trip to Amsterdam this past weekend. Now, before you let your mind wander to all of the "scandalous" aspects of this culture. Let me just say that the adorable city much more to offer than a red light district and an unusual drug culture. Often referred to as the Venice of the North, the city is intersected by many small canals. One of my favorite parts of this city is it's ecologically friendly transportation. In Amsterdam, the bikers have the right away. There are bike lanes everywhere, bikes locked up on all the bridges, bicycle traffic lights, head lights and bells. It is the best way to get around. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow bikes from my friends who were hosting me and got to experience Amsterdam at it's best.
So now, I am back in Paris and back to doing the usual every day things. (I'm sure you feel really bad for me, I know.) I'll be back to update you soon. In the meantime, here's another photo just to remind that although I love traveling through Europe, I couldn't be happier to call Paris home. Bisous, Erin <3
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