Switzerland!

This weekend we went to Zurich!! Switzerland was amazing, but I don't recommend the overnight train to get there. We were exhausted. After a wild Paris weekend, relaxing near the Alps was perfect. Colleen's parents knew a family in Zurich and they offered to let us stay with them. Henriette is about our age and she met the group at the train station and helped us navigate. We took a ride around the lake with Lindt chocolate and delightful treats called Luxembergelis. We went up to the top of a mountain called Uetiliberg and found an awesome view of the city. On Saturday we tried a high rope course in the tiny town of Atzmanning. Getting up there by train, then bus, then van was interesting! The Grimmels treated us to a real Swiss cheese fondue dinner that night with Movenpick ice cream. Mmm mmm good! On Sunday it was back to Maastricht to study and prep for the week. Zurich might just be my favorite spot so far this trip!

Vive la France!

Hey everyone! I know I'm a little behind on this, but here are some pics from our Paris weekend! We took an early 5:58am train to Paris and hit the ground running. The entire Baylor group went to the Pasteur Institute and toured Louis Pasteur's apartment and lab. At 7 that night we went on a bike tour of the city. It was beautiful! We rode through the Latin Quarter and stopped on the Ile de la Cite to look at Notre Dame and eat Berthillon's ice cream. I recommend the passion fruit and pear :) Then we rode around the Louvre at night and along Seine to jump on a river cruise. The next morning Annabelle, Jordan and I took a train to the town of Chartres. The largest cathedral in France is there and it's famous for the stained glass. The glass was stored piece by piece during both world wars and is gorgeous. We also made time for the Musee d'Orsay and the beautiful impressionist paintings there (Degas was my favorite.) On Sunday, I went with the family, who was still enjoying their Parisian vacation, on a tour of the Loire Valley. The castles and countryside are beautiful. The three castles we saw are Chambord with hundreds of chimneys, Chenonceau across a river and Cheverny with its hunting dogs. Sunday night was a fun night hanging out at the Eiffel Tower only to catch a train back to Maastricht bright and early on Monday.