EURO TRIP!

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Hey everyone… as always I have been only the busiest person on the planet! Where do I even begin? Well, for starters I swam in the English channel, Easter morning..And just for the record it was freezing! But totally worth it. Next day I started my Euro Trip! First day Paris! About 60 exchange students met up in one of the train stations in Paris and took all of our HUGE suitcases down like 9 sets of stairs and ended up breaking suitcases before we even could get started..just imagine walking down the street in Paris and seeing about 30 kids in a line trying to run through traffic with their suitcases, I’m sure it was a site to see =0 So we make it to the bus and realize just how much fun this trip is going to be but how many new exchange students who were from the south of France came so it gave us the chance to meet some more wonderful friends. The 2nd day we went to REIMS / STRASBOURG where we saw beautiful churches and houses. I believe this was one of the days we took a boat around the town in Strasbourg and listened to a tour guide as we took many many pictures of the beautiful scenery! Next day STRASBOURG / MUNICH, what does that mean? I went to GERMANY!!! First thing I noticed and noted..soo many bikes, everywhere in another country where you would see car parks there were just piles and piles of bikes all over the place. Also the Tram, a train that goes through town and is on wires like a trolley, super sweet to ride on but there are no lights telling you when the tram is coming so you just have to run and hope nothing comes! Germany by far was one of the most beautiful places I have been to. It was filled with fields of bright electric yellow flowers, and finally once again I saw real woods, not only 3 trees or so it was just as if I was at home. Another thing is Germany was that even though we didn’t speak any Germany we used English or French and everyone was so nice to us and were happy that we were in their country and were not so negative about us not having much German language skills, sometimes in France I felt like people were very judging about others who don’t know much of the language and it just felt nice in Germany that people were nice no matter what language we spoke. I also noticed how people in Germany are really proud of their beers, its like in France how people are proud of their wines, it is really something that makes their country particular from everyone else, its really nice that they do something that they can pass on for years and there is actually lots of history behind it. Next day was MUNICH / LINDERHOF / INNSBRUCK. We went to see a huge castle with rooms of pure gold it was absolutely beautiful! We also went into a little cave filled with brightly colored lights and guess what! There was even snow??!!! We had a little snowball fight we were so excited because none of us have seen snow in so long and also for some kids it was the first time they have ever seen snow..imagine that one! In the towns the one thing that I can remember so clearly is all the coo coo clocks! I mean there must have been 200 in one store! Later that night we went to a hostel and what was right outside? A huge huge mountain, the Alps! SOO BEAUTIFUL! We even all snuck out on the roof to sleep one night to watch the stars and look at the mountains, absolutely breath taking! Also that night the rotary took us to the only local place around, a piano bar where we all drank Coca cola and listened to someone play the piano. It was so strange because we actually ran into someone there who just happened to be born in Pennsylvania! What are the odds of that! The next day was INNSBRUCK / LIDO DI JESOLO here we saw houses that were the colures of the rainbow and they were all so unique looking. We actually got to go see the building where one of the Olympics was held a few years back. Innsbruck was so nice it was beautiful in the country side; however it smelled so much like cows it was hard to even go outside! It was the season unfortunately where they spread cow manure but if that was the only problem during the trip..thats perfect! Haha. The next day was LIDO DI JESOLO / VENISE
SOOO amazing! We ended up taking a boat to Venice and from in the boat looking over the town was just beautiful! As soon as we got there the first thing I noticed was how blue the water was! It was as if someone made blue Kool-aide! And it is true about Italy, there really are boat rides and little pathways of water! We even got to take one of the famous boats and have a little ride around Venice! Soooo amazing! I could not believe how nice it was! Just waling around in the streets made you feel like you were walking on clouds! AMAZING! We ate so much pizza, that really was the best pizza in all of the world, I eat a lot of Pizza so I would know! Although something happened where they gave us a 18 euro tax, (yeah pay attention in Italy with your money!) it was totally worth it soo yummy! And at the hotel we were RIGHT next to the beach!!! Once again, beautiful and the water was crystal clear and blue! We even asked someone to show us how to kite surf, and unfortunately got the poor guys kite stuck on the only thing standing on the whole beach! It was so much fun though. Later that night we go to dinner and there is the best Pasta ever and so everyone ate sooo much and then later came to realize..in Italy the appetizer is PASTA, THEN after the real meal…so we all ate the Pasta as if it was the meal when in reality there was a full course meal awaiting! I think I could come to love the Italian way of eating, that is for sure! Next day we went to LIDO DI JESOLO / LAC DE GARDE / MILAN and unfortunately it was raining just about all day but we made the best of it even if, We were in a boat across the lake for a little while and then saw a really nice old town and had a tour guide and of course like in every single country, we tried the ice cream! (Oh, by the way Italy won the ice cream contest between the other countries) it was a funny thing the people we meet, of course I see someone holding a bright blue ice cream cone and say out loud in English “ WOW, look at that ice cream, we have to try it!” and the kids turned around and were like “hey guys, you need to try it it tastes like icing!” they ended being from New Jersey!, I know once again crazy, and even crazier one of the girls with us was from Jersey so the kids start talking and turns out that they lived on the SAME road in New Jersey, they were comparing locally know businesses and everything and it was freaky, what a small world! And all due to a conversation about ice cream. Honestly I have meet so many people from PA and America while here in Europe, its funny how they seem to stick out =0 Next day was MILAN / BORDIGHERA where we had a tour guide and it rained a little also but we didn’t stay that long, but it still was just fun checking out the towns. Next day BORDIGHERA / MONACO / AVIGNON WOW, how beautiful, it was just like as if it was a movie! It even was like 70 degrees out! SOOO AMAZING! We even got to stick our feet in the water on the stone covered rocks, oh yeah there is not sand on the beaches but little pebbles! We spent all day marveling over how nice it was there! Everything was soo secure because in Monaco there is a lot of police and even chewing bubble gum in some places is not possible! And sometimes you could see like 7 cameras on one tree, palm trees yeah I never can get used to them they always seem fake to me because it is never warm enough to actually have palm trees in Brackney. And so if I was to live in Monaco I could get used to the always nice weather, but man is everything soo expensive! Everyone wanted to buy lots of things, but it was all soo expensive so we just settled for ice cream, which my ice cream was giving by this very nice older lady who was just thrilled to meet exchange students, once again I’m telling you the way to meet people, eat ice cream! Haha. Next day was AVIGNON / ANNECY once again near the Alpes, it was really nice because the flowers were out and blooming and it was just extraordinary! We climbed up a ton of steps to go into the old town and it was just all so pretty. Next and finally day.. ANNECY / GENEVE so what does that mean..we got to finally go to Switzerland! Soo nice out and even better chocolate everywhere, also once again lots of coo coo clocks and Swiss army knifes, grandpa I wanted to get you one but I don’t think the plane would accept it! So that day we just went around the town and Switzerland was really like I imagined it, there were old fashioned clothing with pants and overalls it was just so neat to see. My chocolate didn’t even melt in the hot bus as we were in UNITED NATIONS that was a site to see. We had a super sweet tour guide who would be like “everything I just said was very interesting and funny now wasn’t it” and he made sure we all could fallow and were not confused or not paying attention. It was really interesting seeing gifts given to the united nation from all countries and also over all the walls there were painting and symbolical pictures and things. Really a nice place. The last moment of the bus trip were spent in Paris right before everyone hopped back on the train to go “home” to their host families and it was actually very hard to say goodbye to all of them because more than half of them I will probably never get to see again. The bus trip helped me make some amazing friends and over all it was one of the best weeks of my life! So much fun!!!!!

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Comments

[Shawn kinnnnnggggg :D]

CUPPI
So, im so glad to hear your having a really great time! and the whole suit case thing... hahahahahahah!!!!!!! amasing!!! and looking at stars and such, man im so jealous. so i hope to hear from you personally soon :] miss n love you cuppy!