Traveling Naomi: Bonjour a Strasbourg!

Day One
Technically, I spent my entire first day on an airplane. I went to my final class of the semester at noon last Wednesday and went straight from GSU to the Atlanta airport for my flight to Paris. The flight at eight hours was probably about seven hours too long, and of course I got the dreaded middle seat next to a friendly but large British woman who was constantly searching for her neck pillow and had apparently decided that she owned all the armrests. Thank goodness Air France served wine and champagne with the meals/snacks because that was the only thing making the flight bearable. We landed in Paris around nine A.M., took a second much shorter flight from Paris to Frankfurt, Germany, then a two hour bus ride from there to the Chateau de Portales in Strasbourg, France.

Day Two
After arriving at the Chateau, the group was given some free time to go up to our rooms and unpack our things. Unfortunately, there is no elevator in the Chateau (which I probably should have suspected) and I was stuck hauling my forty-nine pound suitcase up three flights of stairs to the top floor. Even more unfortunately, my roommate Christa did not have to haul anything since her luggage (along with six other member of the group) was left in Paris and would not be reunited with her for a day and a half. After resting we were given a tour of the Chateau by our guide Sven, a young German with a blonde mowhawk.

Interesting Facts About Chateau De Portales:

The Chateau is 300 years old and was originally a hunting lodge for a wealthy family
In the 1970s it was converted into a university and then the study abroad program began 10 years ago
The reception area of the Chateau is use for weddings and fancy events. It is booked a year in advance.

After the tour, we made our way down the path of the chateau to the entrance where a small french restaurant is located right outside the gates. The food was delicious (and pictured here by request of my boss Mike) and I talked to Sven about the food in Germany. I learned some interesting things like the fact that organic produce is the same price or cheaper than normal produce and that they had always been strict on food in Germany. Before the EU there was no artificial color allowed, which Sven said meant "no gummy bears." Afterwords I walked to the grocery store with a friend and bought some chicken, vegetables, and wine for the nights that we are on our own for meals. Unlike the United States, the grocery store does not provide free plastic bags. Instead, people bring their own bags or can buy a reuseable one at the store for one euro. I think this is a great idea to help the environment, reduce waste, and save money! Another environmental difference I noticed was that all the lights are on timers, so that they don't waste energy by being on if no one needs them. In my opinion, this really should be implemented in the U.S. The night ended with a group of students sitting outside and drinking wine before heading to bed. Just as a night in France ought to be in my opinion!

Peace, Love, and Strasbourg! ~ Naomi

Pictures of the Day