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Published: October 27th 2007
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The beach in Marseilles
We wanted some sun, but sadly it did not come... Wow! I know it has been over a month since I last updated this, and I am so sorry. It has been a busy month of traveling, midterms, lots of papers, etc., and I have just not been able to find an open hour to write. Here we go, though... it is going to be a long one due to everything that has gone on, so prepare yourselves to read!
Three weeks ago, Tony and I took our second official trip to the Southern coast of France along the Mediterranean Sea. We had originally wanted to go to Nice and Monaco, but due to a few complications with the train scheduling, we were forced to go to Marseilles for the first day instead. We left on Thursday expecting some peace and quiet on the train, but were surprised to find a COMPLETELY packed train instead. The guys sitting across from us told us that everyone was going for the Rugby World Cup, so we of course checked that out a bit while we were there. We couldn't get tickets at all, but we did hang around the stadium for a bit and watched all of the die-hard fans. Friday we
Nice at Night
Palm trees galore with pretty lights were able to get up and run along the beach, which was gorgeous, and then we left for Nice Friday afternoon. Nice (pronounced "Neece") is exactly how it is spelled - super nice! The beaches are gorgeous (and in true European fashion - topless), and the shops and streets are really cool too. Saturday night we then actually dressed up and headed to Monaco to visit THE Monte Carlo casino. For those of you who do not know much, Monaco is the smallest "country" in the world with only about a square mile and a half of land. I'm pretty sure it is also the richest per person country, considering that the royal family is worth a ton and every single person in the country drives at least a $50,000 car. Like true Americans, we were hungry for dinner by 4:30, and since no restaurants in Europe open until at least 7, we ate dinner on the beach at a snack shop. Then we headed to a few casinos, making our last stop at the Monte Carlo Casino. In all, I lost 5 Euros (about 7 dollars) - not too shabby, but still not quite what I'd hoped. I was
And the beach in Nice
It was so gorgeous, and luckily, we got some SUN! really thinking beginner's luck might help me pay for medical school or something. I guess not. Sunday morning we had to leave at like 5 am, so we took the train back and took naps to catch up. It was pretty fun!
Two weeks ago, eight friends of mine (most of them from SLU) and I went to Luxembourg for the day. It was a three hour train ride each way, and so to maximize time we all left our houses before 7 am. That ended up being a mistake as we all found out later, as we ended up being so tired that we left earlier than we had planned to come back. Luxembourg is gorgeous, but in a different way than Nice. The city is built on a humongous hill, and so as you look out over the higher spots, you just see valleys and hills of red, green, and orange trees, sweet older buildings, nice bridges, etc. I was SO glad we were able to go just as the trees were changing. Brussels doesn't really get a true autumn, so I able to experience a bit of the beauty this way. While there, we spent two
Eating on the beach in Monte Carlo
So happy to have food in our stomachs! or three hours touring the old fortified city, which includes miles of underground/aboveground fortified passageways and rooms that were built over 600 years ago. They extend so far that in WWII, Luxembourg was easily able to pack 35,000 people into the tunnels during bomb threats (which pretty much includes the entire population of Luxembourg)! Only two of the original 16ish passageways are still open today for tourists, but those two alone still managed to get us lost for awhile. Overall, it was a good day, and it is really true that Luxembourg is better seen as just a day trip...
Finally, one week ago I went to Amsterdam with three of my friends here. We were able to meet up with some SLU friends who are studying in Madrid right now, so there ended up being a bunch of us. Luckily, Dan (one of my friends in Brussels) has an 83 year-old great aunt who lives in Amsterdam, so we stayed with her all weekend. She was pretty amazing - not only did she cook us breakfast and dinner every day, but she set tea out for us every chance she got. I am not a humongous fan of
The Monte Carlo Gardens
We got all dressed up for the big night! tea, but my only other option was coffee, so tea it was like 4 times a day. On Friday, we toured the Heineken Brewery in the afternoon and it was sweet! 11 Euro paid for three beers, a beerbottle souvenir with a nice bottle cap opener inside and a pretty cool tour. At one point, we did this digital-imagine yourself as a beer bottle simulation, which involved us standing on a moving platform and watching the beer bottling process as the platform jolted us about accordingly. It was pretty funny. We ate dinner with Dan's great aunt and two of her daughters (so his second cousins I think???) and then went to the Red Light District Friday night. I was warned ahead of time what to expect, but I was still surprised at how weird I felt there. It really is true that for about a 5 square block area, there are just tons of girls in lingerie behind glass floor to ceiling windows who attempt to get business from every guy who walks by. Pretty sad... Saturday we went to the Rijks Museum, the Royal Art Museum of Amsterdam. It was pretty cool (which is a BIG statement coming
The Monte Carlo Casino
I did actually gamble in THE Monte Carlo Casino, but sadly did not win... dang it. from someone who most definitely does not understand nor appreciate art quite like I should). Rembrandt's "NightWatch" was there as the final piece, and it really was cool. "NightWatch" has been attacked and slashed with knives multiple times, and they have still been able to restore it to it's natural state. We ate lunch and spent the afternoon wandering along the many canals and streets to shop and just see the city. For dinner, Dan's aunt made us true Holland pancakes, which were delicious. In some, she put pineapple and cheese... interesting, but good nevertheless. We did some more shopping and ate a long brunch on Sunday, but sadly had to leave before we were able to see everything. I think I may go back in a few weeks to check out a few more museums, including the Van Gogh museum, the Anne Frank House, and the Jewish History Museum. Also, another strange fact, but Amsterdam (and most of the Netherlands) is completely below sea level. The city was built by sticking wooden platforms into marsh and then building a "ground". They are currently in the process of exchanging every platform for metal instead of wood, because surprise surprise -
The Streets of Nice
This was just one of the many streets of shops in Nice - each street had a LOT to offer. the wood is beginning to rot a bit. The water level in all of the canals is super high due to the rising water levels lately (global warming...), so if you want to see Amsterdam some day above water, watch out for how much you're contributing to the lovely greenhouse effect!
Other than that, I have been super busy in Brussels trying to get all of my papers and tests done for classes. Strangely, all of my "vacations" have been cutting into the time that I would normally spend on homework, so I have had to really pack it into every free moment here. I think I may have a little break for awhile, though. Next week we are completely off of school for fall break, and so I will be in Paris from tomorrow until Thursday and then in Barcelona until Saturday night. I am pretty excited to see Versailles (the castle of Louis XIV), the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the catacombs, and whatever else pops into the intinerary. I am going with Dan's art class, so our days are pretty much packed with activities - we will see what all that includes.
I hope everything is
Luxembourg!
The city on the hill is really pretty gorgeous in the autumn! going well with all of you, and grandma - keep on going! I know we are all thinking and praying for you. I miss all of you a TON, and I am getting very excited to come home in less than two months. Thanks for all of your messages and support, and have a great Halloween!
Love,
Rae
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Sharon
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Rae- what an amazing time it looks like you have had. I have really enjoyed reading and looking at your pictures. Can't wait to hear about it at Christmas. Look forward to each new blog you write. Take care! Sharon