Blessed

Hello! Or should I say...Bonjour!

I have just gotten back from an amazing day spent in Strasbourg, France. Yesterday I was feeling brave and decided to look up cheap bus tickets. Lo and behold, there was a train that would take me back and forth to France for only 12E. And who am I to ignore a great deal? I spent the rest of last night planning my day away. I was planning to see three museums, four churches, and visit a library for my dear Olivia.

However, plans always change. As I stepped off the bus and found my tram, I was planning on having a week of visits within a six hour time period. Ambitious, yes -- but anyone will tell you I walk too fast for my own good. Since I was by myself, I constantly watched for pickpockets. I'm not sure what I would have done, but I have some cardio-box routines in my arsenal. I stepped off the tram at Langstross and followed the steeple. Finally, I was at the base of the Notre Dame Cathedral, Strasbourg. This church took my breath away. I have never been in such awe. The church was constructed around 1200 and still stands as one of the most magnificent cathedrals in the world. I planned to spend about 20 minutes in the cathedral, but that turned into an hour. The stained glass had such detail. The entire church looked like it was planned by God himself. It was beautiful.

After tearing myself away from the church, I headed towards St. Pierre's. The church is closed during the winter months, but I was able to take some outdoor pictures. Since it was around 12:30, I headed off to a French bistro. I promised my dad that I would eat something French-y while in France. I was not brave enough to try the escargo listed on the menu, but I settled on a quiche that was mind-blowing. I never finish my plate in the states. I was practically licking the plate clean for these people. Plus, it was under 5E and I was stuffed to the gills.

Since my adventures were taking longer than planned, I realized I only had 3 hours left in the city before I had to catch my bus. I decided to go see the Notre-Dame museum. Within this museum, there were stone artifacts dating back to 900 and 1000 AD. There were ornate stained glass depictions of the Christ story, the original top of the cathedral, and so many more artifacts in this beautiful museum. I was distracted for 2 of my 3 hours. With one hour left, I decided to try my very first French beignet. It was a whirlwind of raspberry amazing ness. We should have these in the states. I'm not sure what it is, but they are WAY better than cream-filled donuts. After stuffing my face some more, I decided to just take the city in during my final time.

The amazing thing about Strasbourg is that the city effortlessly unties German and French culture into a beautiful place. Although the city looked like Bavaria, it had the classiness of a French town. I loved every second of my time spent in Strasbourg. I'm ready to go back. :)

Tonight I was able to Skype my wonderful roomies back in the states. It is so wonderful to have a support group to listen to your crazy stories. Even though there were much better things to do on a Saturday afternoon (like sleep), they were willing to bring me up to date on their life. I am just so lucky to have these girls. It is wonderful to see people in the states, even if only through a webcam. I love being able to stay in touch with everyone.

That's all I have for now. Au revoir!

Faith