Ice Skating!

24.1.12- Tonight was rather brilliant! After a spontaneous run at 9:30 last night around the lake a few times my legs were a little sore already, but now I really feel the reward! 40 of us GTL studients made our way over to the ice rink coordinated by our BDE equivalent to student government, led by Ryan Lewis as President, and our Vice President; Kevin (the person who lead the Luxembourg group around).

Brian

 I haven't skated in a year and a half or so, and had no idea how it was going to go- especially as my blades were very dull. (next event I'm going to I'm going to look up French vocabulary to suffice for that event) Started out splitting a nice warm frozen-->microwave-->oven cheese pizza with Brian, (your welcome Siyi).

There was kereoke going on, so we also got to hear all the wonderful singers in our group as we skated on ice! ; )

 When the rest of the group arrived I got in line and asked for size 38 for skates in french :) (My feet grew horrendously since my time in America... I used to be a 7!)  I progressively got more comfortable on the ice, but there was a small group of guys doing tricks in the middle, so I guess the competitive side of me took over/the desire to learn to do something new!

Jamie, Joseph, The Man

It was cold pretty cold until you got moving around more, but I think we all had a really fun time!

Even when we were on the ground!

Well, most of us!

I eventually made it up to doing a 360 jump a few times, tuck jump 1/2, took a knee-turned- got up-jumped 1/2, that was a really fun one. Many of these instances were accompanied by a series of uncontrolled turns until I ran out of momentum. These guys did free style so they were more into dance on the skates than actual figure skating moves like scales, of which apparently they called a "swan dive?" I'm not sure, they only spoke French, Fabien and Kevin helped me at times to communicate to them. -Thank you. Jamie and Joseph courageously joined as well :)

Disclaimer: Brian is not flipping me off, he has a peace sign up , it's just hard to see his pointer finger.

But it is a smiley face!!

  I can't wait to go again sometime soon I hope! Though not too soon because my legs are currently raw. Thicker socks next time. : p

Strasbourg

22.1.12; arrival at Strasbourg train station 10:30:

From a distance la Gare de Strasbourg looked like a giant jelly fish.

Interior decor at Metz

Brenna, Tony, and I caught the 7:50 bus to the SNCF train station in Metz. We were pretty sleepy at least until we arrived in Strasbourg. Overcast and light sprinkles were a blessing, seeing as it rained even harder in Metz today. Northeastern France... yeah. Dear Edward Cullen, Forks is not the rainiest place in the world.

I am walking here in between the aboral surface of the jellyfish and proximal-distal axis.

We decided it might clear up a little later, so we ate a very early lunch at another nice restaurant, Chaîne d'or, though this time it was not as expensive.

Mural in the restaurant

 Eating is more of an art here if you have not yet noticed. Less about how much you eat, more about what and how.

 

And yes, "globelazation" does make the world appear smaller. 

I tried duck and liked it a lot, though everything else there is delicious too, so perhaps what is not as important either and more of how. For dessert I split Creme Broule with Brenna and tried some of Tony's blue-berry pie

We went to the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg. It was the world's tallest building until 1874.

(Which is why I do not have a picture of its entirety)

Very impressive Gothic architecture blends Strasbourg's heritage of German and French as well as Romanesque features. Approaching the cathedral we traveled back to the Middle Ages where a minstrel told stories of long ago with a mandolin and song.

The manger set was still laid out in the church.

Astronomical Clock

 

Now look very closely at these next 2 pictures.  The first picture coincided with an flash from another camera creating this blue light. I retook the picture but compare the bottom right corner with each other.

And note that there really is no one standing behind the wooden rail.

Eerie?

 

We spent a while in the cathedral, there was so much to see. But we had to move on.  Strasbourg is the capital of the Alsace region, and houses the European parliament and council. That is where we were off to next. Tony was happy to be in Kevin's seat of official tour guide. 

We saw doll houses

And aliens.

Universities and knobby trees

 We met the inventor of the revolutionary printing press; 

Gutenberg

 And our friend philosopher and German writer; Goethe

and his nice lady friend who place the lyre;

 

"The day I'm lost is the day I have my own world
 premier."

 

We continued to travel back in time;

 But time slowly caught up

I bought this for you Dad! ( I wish I wasn't kidding, it's definitely your style plus a little roof addition for Mom)

Or something like the present...

 I was reminded of the Swan Princess

 .......

 ....

 ..

 .

 ..

 ...

 ......

 .........

 ....and Voldemort.

 ...and Mario!!

 

 Over the bridge and through the woods, we finally made it to our desitination!

Counceil de l'Europe

 Another walk through park

Sphinx

 Though this one said she nose better days.

How eccentric?

 But I guess even natural things look wierd, but neatly topped by a storks nest.

 The park looped us to the European Parliament building. 

We passed by tents with people begging to be heard

.Though if they were these birds they would have a better chance being heard.

French people kept asking for a lighter but none of us had one so I bought one at little shop. Actually yes and no, I did buy one because I can use it for lighting candles, it was very inexpensive, and a little souvenir in case I don't make it back there.

 

 We made our way back to downtown, guided by our "North Star"

An impressive Jewish Synagogue

Modern art is sometimes hard to relate to;

But then I guess, so was this.

The statues were all very impressive. And every good day needs to be a little unique.

 

Here stands the hero who freed Strasbourg from the Germans!

Later, stopping at a bakery shop, we enjoyed a croissant and chocolate chaud. It was so nice and warm inside we were in no rush to leave.

There's a little inhabited island; Grande Île (you wouldn't even realize that it is an island though) we included on our path back to the train station. I was given the option of direction, I chose the dead end, though it was worth it because it was a modern art playground looking thing, though it was unfortunately too dark for pictures. Imagine a normal playground, Imagine the sculptures on Beetle Juice, and now combine them. You may feel free to add the crow squawking in the background to add to the effect.

Day trips may be best for Saturdays. Friday you rest. Saturday you exert energy. Sunday you rest again. Though traveling on Sunday... the previous days of the weekend may have just as well consumed the energy. We got back to the train station and waited in comfortable silence.