Guten Tag mes amis!!!
I am officially back in Montpellier and back to reality. My spring break was amazing to say the very least. It started off on Friday, February 16th. I met my dad in Marseille. It was kinda cool because my group of travel buddies were going elsewhere for spring break, so it was my first time getting anywhere completely on my own! (J’ai fait l’indépendance!!!) I took the train from Montpellier at 10am, which got me to Marseille for about 11:55. I had to be careful because Marseille wasn’t the final destination so I had to make sure I didn’t fall asleep and wake up in Nice…wouldn’t have been a good start to my trip!!! I got to Marseille and checked into the hotel (it looked much nicer on the internet and I got freaked out by the incredibly small elevators!) Since I had already toured Marseille, I decided to just walk around and get some sun (it was 25 degrees!!!) On my hunt for some food, I realized that some guys really don’t know how to pick up girls! Banging on the windows as they walk by and screaming that you’re the hottest thing they have ever seen does not seem to me as a successful way to pick up women. But hey, what do I know. Anywho, I ended up meeting my dad at around 4pm and after trying to find a place to park (my dad rented a car) that didn’t require us to drag the luggage for an hour, we went to the port for dinner. It was so nice to have a good meal that wasn’t caf food!!!
The next day we left for Switzerland. Our first stop was Geneva. I was very excited because it is where all the main international law conventions are held (hence the four Geneva Conventions!!!!!) We got there early afternoon and spent the rest of the day touring around. Our point of reference for everything I really wanted to see was Rue de la Fontaine. Now, usually, a street can’t be that difficult to find…especially when one has a map. For the Trainor’s, however, this was a very difficult task. You know that feeling where you are so frustrated that you can’t really do anything else but laugh? Ya, we got to that point! Eventually we gave up and just walked around and it was then that the street randomly appeared. Go figure. We ended up missing the Jet d’eau which is basically a fountain that shoots up water with an incredible force to create a 140m-high plume. I, instead, painted a pretty picture of what it may have looked like in my head. It was extraordinary! I did, however, see swans on the Geneva Lake which made everything all better! Afterwards we took a scenic walk through the old town and visited the Gothic Cathedral St Pierre. It’s huge. We resemble miniature figurines when we posed for pictures in front of the gigantic church. I was also able to buy a normal size coffee at Starbucks. This was exceptionally exciting for me because, for the past two months, I have been drinking “shots” of coffee (the coffees in France are very small.) At any rate, I was very excited…not so happy to find out that one coffee is 6 euros but it was definitively worth it! Afterwards, I went to take picture in front of the Palais de Justice (naturally!) and then went to the United Nations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum (can you tell im taking an international humanitarian law class?!?!) Soon after we were back in the car heading towards to the Alps! I managed to find the mountain which apparently has the best skiing on the continent. (If you’re gonna do something, might as well do it properly right?!) On our way up, we took a short pit stop so that I could pee. I went into a bar and was greeted by ppl dressed up. I got the dirtiest look from five witches when I started speaking French and then even dirtier looks when I spoke English. Since I clearly was not welcome in that pub, I went to one next door. Once I got to the second bar, I found that they were also hosting a costume party of some sort. I tried to be nice and say hello (in German!), but apparently I was invisible. Needless to say, I went to the bathroom and left. There was this person dressed up in this sort of mascot costume and followed me outside and down the street…and just for the record, not only do I not like ppl following me down the street, I’m also terrified of ppl dressed up in costumes where I cannot see their face…so clearly, this was not a very fun combination for me. When I got back to the car and told my dad about the costume party, he told me that three ghosts had tried to get a lift from him and had been playing with his windshield wipers for the last five minutes! After my pee break and a quick orientation of where exactly we were going, we left the creepy town and were back on our way. Finding a hotel was a little difficult, however we managed to get a super nice one right at the base of the mountain. The next morning we were up early and ready to ski!! We accidentally drove right up into the mountains until we were told that cars were not allowed passed a certain point which we had passed about 20 minutes beforehand. A classic mistake which allowed us to take a nice scenic drive through the Alps! Once we finally rented our equipment, we were informed that we must take a train up the mountain. Its nature is similar to that of a chairlift. Basically you get on the train with all your equipment and there are numerous stops at different heights on the mountain. I, naturally, wanted to go to the top. I meet some nice ppl from Amsterdam on the way up. There was a little boy who was very excited to tell me that he plays hockey and that he likes the Canadians!!! Go Habs Go!!! Once we got to the top, we skied down once which took a good 45 minutes (and I don’t even think we made it to the very bottom!) Next we decided (actually I decided and dad agreed out of obligation!) to take the gondola all the way to the highest and most famous peak in the Alps…the Matterhorn. On the way up I met a guy from Sweden who took pride in telling me he did 10 runs up until now. In reality, however, he did like 3 because he was cheating and only doing like 1/8 of the hill at a time and then taking the chairlift back up and going down again. At any rate, we started talking and when I told him that I was studying in France he replied, “I’m sorry to hear that.” I’m guessing the French really haven’t made a very good impression on the rest of the world! Once we got to the top of the hill I became speechless (and honestly, how often does that happen)…it has such a beautiful view…a classic postcard picture. (Shout out to Pat and Jay Peak!). It had snowed all morning, so everything was white and we were up in the clouds…we were so high up that it was a little harder to breath. It took us about an hour and a half to ski all the way down the bottom. At one point we were skiing down a steeper part of the hill with moguls and I got so excited and so I was bombing down the mountain and evidently I completely whipped out. Luckily the snow was so powdery that I didn’t hurt myself and got back up right away and continued down the hill. After a few runs we were dead tired and decided to call it a day. We relaxed in a pub called Potter’s Pub (like Harry Potter!!!). That night we feasted at the hotel restaurant and I practiced my German with the waitress.
The next morning we were up bright and early once again, heading north to Germany. We decided to drive through Bern and Zurich to our first German destination, Munich. On our way to Bern we had to take a train. But this wasn’t any normal train. Its purpose is exactly the same as a ferry, except instead of going on water, it takes us (along with our car) through the mountains. It would have been really fun, except for the most part, we were in the dark since it literally takes us THROUGH the mountains (i.e. through dark caves). The rest of our drive consisted of beautiful scenery and random little villages in the mountains. Bern is the country’s capital and one can easily get lost in the curving cobbled street. The architecture of the buildings is amazing and there are many little secret tunnels and paths that lead from street to street. Our fist stop was the unmistakably gothic, 15th century Munster (aka Cathedral)…the details and stain glass on this church is striking. We continued touring the city and saw beautiful parks, the houses of Parlement, and we ate at this small little café (the waitress thought my dad was leaving her a 30$ tip for a 10$ meal when he didn’t pick up his change right away!!!). We also saw lots of statues (one of which included a giant enjoying a meal of children and a colourful clock tower. Afterwards, we got back into the car and headed to Zurich. We got there early afternoon and walked down the elegant Bahnhofstrasse (the city’s infamous shopping street) where the bank vaults underneath are said to be crammed with gold and silver! We also walked around and saw the 13th century tower of St Peterskirche (St. Peters Church) which has Europe’s larges clock face (8.7 m in diameter), the dual tower Grossmunster and the 13th century Fraumunster (cathedral) which has some of the world most distinct stain class designed by Chagall (I had been to his museum in Nice). We eventually had to say goodbye to Switzerland and head northbound to Munich. Now, since Switzerland isn’t part of the European Union, you get stopped at the border (in all countries that are part of the EU, you just drive right through). When we were about to leave Switzerland, a guy directed us around the border until we reached a small town. We weren’t even sure what country we were in anymore. My dad to stop at a corner store and ask! Turns out we were in Austria. We decided to eat dinner (cause you know, clearly Switzerland wasn’t good enough so we had to eat dinner in Austria instead! Loves it!!!) After dinner, we continued on till Munich. Once we got to Munich we checked into our hotel and then headed off to drink a L of beer at the beer garden Hofbrauhaus. It is amazing in there! The set is similar to a cafeteria except there is a live band that plays local music and the waiters wear Leiderhosens…which is funny! I, sadly, did not get to drink a L of beer because they stopped selling alcohol at 11:30. I did get a taste of the atmosphere and to make up for not drinking my L of beer, I drank 2x ½ L of beer…not as fun but still very funny! We also walked by the Englischer Gardens which is one of the biggest gardens in Europe. Since we were on a time constraint we only briefly saw the garden, but from what I gathered, there were no naked old men sunbathing like Stephy got to experience haha! (I think I may have vomited a little in my mouth!) I was talking to a friend from Montpellier who is German about Stephy’s encounter with naked old men, and apparently sun bathing naked in the summer is the rule rather than the exception. Although sunbathing naked would save on money usually spend on bikini’s, there would be nothing left for the imagination, and where is the fun in that. We also got to see numerous gothic churches. The main one, Neues Rathaus, is situated in the town square and it is at that location that we observed everyone drinking and dressing up in costumes for Mardi Gras at 9:30 AM. (I think we may have solved the mystery about the costume parties in Switzerland!) While I was a little shocked to see people drinking that early in the morning (even though it was a “holiday”) I do not think the German’s really need a holiday to drink in the streets in the AM. We then headed out to Dachau Concentration Camp. Initially we were supposed to be with a tour, but since it was Mardi Gras, I think our tour guide might have gotten carried away with all the festivities that s/he forgot to show up… so instead we headed there ourselves and got a really good audio guide which brought us through the entire camp. I cant really describe to you the feelings you get while you’re walking through the camp and the emotions you feel while you look at the gas chambers, dormitories, prisons and crematories. The camp was established in 1933 and was the first Nazi concentration camp and was used as a model for all the other camps. When you first walk into the camp the words “Work is Freedom” is written on the door. It was meant to be a mockery for the Jews when they entered the prison. Once inside you can see the courtyard where they used to do role calls, the maintenance building (which the prisoners were forced to build themselves) and the dormitories. On the roof of the maintenance building the saying “There is a path to freedom. Its milestones are: Obedience, Honestly, Cleanliness, Sobriety, Hard Work, Discipline, Sacrifice, Truthfulness and Love of thy Father Land” used to be written in big white letters in order to mock the prisoners every time they read it. When I head this I honestly became sick to my stomach. There was so much history in that one camp it was a lot to take in one day. I took lots of pictures however I made sure neither I nor my dad were in any of them. I mean how can somebody smile in a photograph while standing next to gas chamber, or a jail cell used to imprison individuals who were considered “undesirable”? I saw a guy stand beside a monument for all those who died at Dachau and smile while his friends took pictures of him. Maybe it’s just me, but I just wouldn’t feel right doing that. We also got to walk through the different stages of the gas chambers. First stage was the waiting room, next stage was the undressing room, and finally the showers/gas chamber. This place sucks every little bit of happiness out of you. (If it’s appropriate to make a joke here, they are kinda like Dementors!) Once we left the Concentration Camp, we headed off to Berlin. I got to drive on the highway…WITH NO SPEAD LIMITES!!!! I won’t tell you how fast I actually drove, because my mother will be reading this and I’d rather not give her a heart attack (love you mommy!!!!)
We got to Berlin at around 11pm and we were both too exhausted to do anything so I went to reply to some emails and my dad went to have a beer at the bar. A waiter came up to me and served me a bloody mary while I was on the computers! How cool is my dad! Loves it! The next morning we did a walking tour of Berlin. Our tour guide was AMAZING. She was initially from Australia (naturally I though of you Steph!) and moved to Berlin a few years ago. She made history so interesting and humorous! The tour included all the main sites like the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, Hitler’s Bunker and a Jewish Memorial. We also did the Topography of Terror which is the remains of the Gestapo/SS headquarters. It basically outlines everything you need to know about the War, the Concentration Camps and the rise and fall of the Nazi Empire. I was exceptionally interested in the Nuremberg Trials which is where they tried all the accused for their participation in crimes against humanity. That night I went on a pub crawl. It was really fun because since I was alone I was forced to meet random people. And let me tell you that I think I met the craziest people EVER! They were from all over the world (Macedonia, Australia, Ireland, England, USA, Belgium, Africa) and they were so much fun. There was free beer before the pub crawl even started and then between bars we got free vodka shots. We went to four bars and one techno Club. (I thought of you Pat!) I officially have a place to stay if ever I got to England! Haha…that’s the key to traveling…meet people who live there so that you don’t have to pay for hostels!!!
The next morning we were up early and on our way to Hamburg (obviously daddy drove because I was still tired from the night before!) Hamburg is a port city and very beautiful…at least the port is! The red light district is Hamburg’s “other half.” The main street is called the Reeperbahn…home to the Erotic Art Museum and the giant condom along with many strip clubs and sex shops. The museum was something special to say the very least. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it yet. Sometimes I wasn’t really sure I was looking at art but rather porn. There was even a sculpture of a woman having her period. I’ll leave it at that. That being said, how do you make your father uncomfortable in under 10 seconds? Bring him to the Erotic Art Museum! Haha We both decided that it would be better if I spent an afternoon alone doing my museums and what not and that we’d meet up later on! I also got to see the giant condom, and I think Stephy say’s is the best, “if I ever saw a guy that could fit into that, I run the other way screaming.” Sadly, my picture didn’t turn out because it was foggy the whole time I was there so the condom kinda blends in with the background. There is also a street (Herberstrasse) that only men over the age of 18 are allowed to go. (Women aren’t allowed to be there, but naturally I went anyways.) It is a street with windows and prostitutes pose in windows and offer their goods. We meet up at a local bar (one of the very few where you weren’t sitting beside prostitutes). This bar was awesome and the bar tender was even cooler! She knew everything there was to know about the area. It’s fun to talk to the locals because you get to paint a totally different picture of the city. We even took a shot together (vodka cherry….sooo good!). That night my dad treated me to sushi…even though he’s not a big fan! We went to a place where the sushi goes around and around and around and you just pick what you want to eat. This concept is amazing, however it can be dangerous because you never know how much your bill is gonna cost. My dad let me eat all the sushi I wanted until my craving was satisfied! Love you daddy!!!! I got to watch him try and eat sushi with chopsticks, which was probably the highlight of my evening! The next morning we took a bus tour of the city. My pictures once again didn’t really turn cause not only was it foggy, but I was in a bus so they were kinda blurred. At any rate, we got to see the whole city which includes numerous churches, the Supreme Court, the port and the remaining tower of St. Nikolai-Kirche (which is presently an anti-war memorial). That afternoon I went to Dialog in Drunken (which means dialogue in the dark.) This experience was amazing…I cant even begin to describe the sensations you get when you loose your sight. You enter a room that is completely dark. There is no light that enters so there is no way for your eyes to adjust to the dark. Then they walk you through different rooms (i.e. the city, a ship, the port, the market, and finally a bar. At the bar you can buy a beer and if you ask for a glass (like I did…you know…for the extra challenge!) you hafta pour your own glass of beer without spilling it all over the place. Now I can assure you this is not as easy as it sounds. I had to put two of my finders around my glass so that I had a bearing for when I poured the beer. When I had first made the reservations I specified that I needed an English tour because I did not understand more than ten words in German. When I got there, however, they said that they were putting me with a German tour and that I would find my English guide inside. Once we walked in, the tour guide started speaking in German and everyone was moving and hitting me with their canes (we were given walking sticks) but I couldn’t understand anything, so I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing, so I started to panic. Luckily my guide eventually showed up and my blind experience enhanced immensely. That night my dad and I spoiled ourselves at the hotel resto-bar. The bar tender made me all these super good drinks! To say the least, I slept well on the train ride to Paris. The next morning we arrived in Paris. We had 5 hours to kill before we had to catch our train to Montpellier, so we decided to go see the Eiffel Tower. I ate a French pastry underneath the Eiffel Tower… what a stereotype…loves it! My dad has issues with the camera. Some of the pictures of the Eiffel Tower look more like the leaning tower of Pisa! We then took the train back to Montpellier and my dad got to see my school and my horrible rez…I think he may have felt a bit sorry for me…even if it was only for a short second! We wined and dinned and the next morning, he was off to Montreal. I really had a great time on my daddy-daughter trip! I love Switzerland and I love Germany and I know my dad always wanted to go there, so it’s awesome that I was able to travel with him to those countries!
Hope you guys had a great spring break too…what with all the snow, your options are endless…you can build snowmen, and make snow angels and have snowball fights. Then you can drink hot chocolate and watch movies! Loves it!
Miss you guys lots! Sending French kisses all the way from France!!!
-Ash
xoxo
p.s. Special thanks to Stephy for the amazing itinerary!!!!
p.p.s. Saturday we went to a vineyard and I was able to do a taste test with different types of wine!! Sunday I we went to the beach. The water was cold, but that didn’t stop me from swimming…it just restricted the amount of time I could handle being in the water!
If you go to Berlin, you hafta experience the nightlife. We did four bars and one techno club. Free beer before the pub crawl actually starts, and free vodka shots between each bar. 
The pretzels are gigantic in Munich…loves it!!!! And since it was Mardi Gras when I was there, people were drinking in the streets at 9:30 AM…again…loves it!
