The Return Journey

I left Strasbourg around dinner time that day. Aurelie walked me to the train station and made sure that I found the right train, and with that, I was off to Offenburg, Germany. The ride to Offenburg was a short one, which I was happy for, since the train was similar to a bus ride in the US (not exactly my favorite thing in the world). I made it to Offenburg with plenty of time to  hang out on the platform--there really wasn't anywhere else to go or anything else to do, since it was evening and everything was closed. I just waited on the platform. Eventually, I started talking to a girl my age who was also waiting. She was a backpacker from Canada, and she spoke mostly French, but her English was quite good as well. We talked for over an hour, comparing travel stories before the train arrived. When the train arrived, we headed to our separate cabins. I'd bought just a simple, reclining seat, so I wasn't expecting the world's most comfortable train ride, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. The seat reclined so far that I felt like I was almost lying down, and I fell asleep almost right away. I actually much prefer it to sleeper cabins on the overnight trains, now that I've experienced those as well (more on that to come later!).

The train arrived in Berlin early the next morning, and I had a few hours to kill before I needed to even check in at the airport, so I wandered around the train station, got something to eat, paid a euro to use a bathroom (seriously, why doesn't Europe have free bathrooms anywhere?), and finally headed to the help desk to ask how to get to the airport. I waited to be helped, and listened to the rather painful conversation between the German woman at the help desk and the three Asian tourists who were trying to talk to her. So I was, of course, very proud of myself when I was able to walk up to the desk and say "Entschuldigen, sprechen Sie Englisch?" She explained how to catch the bus, and I thanked her, and was on my way.

When I got to the airport, I had to wait another hour before I could check my bag and go through to wait in the terminal. So I wandered through the gift shop, and then went to the Burger King to buy some fries and pass the time. Finally, I was able to check my bag and go through the gate. When I got to the gate, I gave the immigration officer my passport and he flipped through it, glared at me, stared at the passport some more, glared at me again, and then--just as I was starting to think that maybe I should start explaining why the last stamp was from Paris, and here I was, standing in Berlin--he stamped my passport, handed it back to me, and waved me on without saying a single word!

Before I boarded the plane, I bought some of Europe's finest M&Ms from the duty-free shop. Seriously, European M&Ms are the best in the world! Then it was time to board the plane. It was a long eight hours from there until the pilot announced that we were entering US airspace, and it felt like several more hours passed before the plane finally touched down. I was home (almost)!

It didn't take long for me to get through immigration. The immigration officer asked a few questions about where I'd been and welcomed me home. I thanked him and went in search of my bag. I seem to have a pretty consistent streak of getting the last bag off the plane, no matter when I check in. Usually my bag rolls around the corner right when I'm starting to think "Well, that's it, they actually lost my bag!" But, like it always does, it came around the corner, and, with all my belongings safely in hand, I headed out onto American soil to meet my family.

We stopped at a restaurant on the way home, and, since I'd eaten on the plane, I didn't order anything except a water. I joked with my family that I probably looked as though I'd just returned from fat camp--I was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and extra-baggy sweatpants, and I wasn't eating anything. I did, however, show off the knowledge that I learned in Scotland by thanking the waiter with a "Cheers!" when he brought my water back.

Finally, I made it back to the house--home sweet home. I was super excited to see Koda. I'd seen my family and talked with them while I was abroad, so although I missed them quite a lot, I didn't feel as though I'd been completely separate from them while in Scotland. Koda on the other hand, doesn't quite grasp the concept of skype, so this was my first time seeing him in four months. Excited, I went into the house--only to be greeted with a head nod, and a bit of a glare that pretty clearly said "I can't believe you left me for so long." Regardless of the greeting I received from my dog, I was glad to be home. And I was thrilled to see my bed, which has never seemed as inviting as it did after about 36 hours of nonstop travel.

I was home, if only for a while. Which is why the story will continue, this time, in France!

Staying in Strasbourg

I made it from Versailles to Gare de l'Est without much of a problem (although it's really rather difficult to navigate through a city when your knowledge of the language is all but nonexistent!) But I made it to Gare de l'Est with plenty of time to hang out and wait for the train to arrive. I walked around the train station, found a cafe with free wi-fi, and connected to the internet to pass the time until my train arrived. Finally, it was time to board the train. I got to share the two hour train ride to Strasbourg with a carriage full of school kids (probably 8-10 years old) who were either going on or returning from a school trip. Thank god for my iPod, because I think I would've gone crazy from the noise otherwise!

The front of le Cathedrale Notre Dame.

I arrived in Strasbourg and met my friend Aurelie just outside the train station. No matter how often I meet up with my friends, I still can't get over how amazing it is that I met these people during a volunteer trip in Africa and then stayed with them in France. I guess it really can be a small world! Aurelie showed me through downtown Strasbourg as we made our way to her friend's house for a small get together. We went to her friend's house and they were incredibly welcoming--serving me some wine and telling me to help myself to the food. They talked among themselves, and I did my best to participate even a little bit. This was after just two semesters of French, so I could catch a few words here and there, but I had no clue what everyone was actually saying. But Aurelie and one of her friends both spoke English quite well, so I talked with them for most of the night. When I was just about ready to fall asleep on the spot, Aurelie and I headed back to her flat.

I'll apologize here because I was in Strasbourg exploring for two days, but it's been almost a year since then, so all the events are kind of mixed up in my memory, so I'm not even going to try to separate the two days properly. Just know that everything that follows happened over the course of two days, not one!

One of the first sites I went to see during my time in Strasbourg was le Cathedral Notre Dame de Strasbourg. It's a really grand cathedral, and, like many of the old churches in Europe, the architecture is nothing short of amazing. There's so much intricacy that goes into the design of these old churches, and it just amazes me to think that it was done without the advanced technology we've got today. Both the inside and the outside of the church are works of art--from the architecture to the stained-glass windows to the statues and paintings inside the church. I wandered around the church--inside and out for nearly an hour, just admiring everything.

A viez of the houses on the riverside in Strasbourg

After visiting the church, Aurelie and I took a tour through the town on a train of little cabins pulled along by a car at the front. Aurelie had never seen the city like that, so she thought it was really interesting to get an idea what the city looks like from a tourist's point of view. I just enjoyed seeing so many of the city's sites without getting rained on (I think the rain followed me from Scotland, to be honest). Strasbourg is intersected by the River Ill, so much of the tour was along the river. The houses were adorable houses. A lot of the houses that hugged the river were wood and plaster houses, some of them with flower pots hanging out of the windows. I thought it was just the most picturesque view.

Aurelie and I went out to eat for lunch at a little restaurant near le Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg. I ordered a tarte flambee with goat cheese--it's kind of like a pizza, but there's no tomato sauce. Mine had cheese and some kind of oil dressing. It's difficult to describe, but it was very, very good. The traditions and foods in Alsace are a blend of two cultures, since the land has traded hands between the French and the Germans so frequently.

Later during my trip to Strasbourg, Aurelie had to study, so I went to the River to take one of the boat tours through the city. The boat tour really was the best way to see all the sites, since much of the city was built up around the river. My only complaint about the boat tour was that it started to rain and I hadn't thought to bring an umbrella, so I got rained on for about half an hour. I found some amusement from another American on the boat: when we saw lightening on the horizon, this woman completely freaked out and went to talk to

You know it's raining when people hide under lifejackets.

the boat captain to try to get them to turn the boat around because she said it wasn't safe to be on the boat if there was any lightening. I was simultaneously amused and embarrassed by this woman--she was so furious about a bit of rain and lightening, and it was easy to tell that other people on the boat were annoyed by her antics too. I think I did a pretty good job of representing the good side of American tourists though!

The official bird of Alsace--a stork.

Once the weather was nicer, Aurelie and I rented bikes so that I could ride through Strasbourg and get a different kind of tour. We met with one of Aurelie's friends who also spoke English quite well, and the three of us rode through Strasbourg for the afternoon. Strasbourg is an incredibly beautiful town, clustered around the river. It was great to be able to visit the city, to see a friend again, and to just have the time at the end of the semester to fit in a few more incredible experiences. I was only in Strasbourg for a few days, but I really enjoyed my time there. It
was definitely a good way to end my experience in Europe.