Thank you

I've been back in the States for a few days now, and I've recovered physically from the two weeks of craziness that was Europe and studying abroad. But my heart hasn't recovered, and I don't think it ever will. I've left a little bit of my heart in every city I've visited, and a little bit with the friends I made who are now scattered all across the country. It makes me sad to think that we will never be a 42 student strong group exploring Europe ever again.

So this post is dedicated to all of the friends I've made and the sights I saw with them. It's to the experiences I had, the things I've learned, and the locals I met. Coming back to America was like a reverse culture shock--everything and everyone was louder, the buildings higher, and the roads wider. I was no longer surrounded by unfamiliar accents and languages, narrow alleys, and fifty degree weather.

But I've learned so much in my time in Europe. I learned to be sensitive to different cultures. I learned to see things from a different perspective. I learned to appreciate what I have and to enjoy an experience while I can. I think the most important lesson I learned is that time flies and life is short. Experiences become nothing more than memory.

So this post is for my friends, for the people who helped me when things were tough, for those who saved me from guys at the bar and those who introduced me to a new world. As much as I learned from Europe, I learned from you too.

Claudia and I

Chad, Brian, me, and Alex at the Eiffel Tower

Lyndsey, me, and Joe in Germany

Joseph and I in Germany

Claudia, Joseph, me, Chad, Brian, Savannah, Josh, Kerrian, Ashlee, and Paige in France

Me making a silly face with Claudia and Chad in Heidelberg

Chad, Rachel, Joseph, me, Claudia, and Chad in Heidelberg

Claudia and I in Germany

Chad, Alex, Brian, Joseph, Jenny, Chad, Curtis
Rachel, me, Claudia, and Su in the Amsterdam Ice Bar

Us being silly on the top of the London Eye.

Thank you to the people who supported me the entire way, whether it was emotionally or monetarily. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Amsterdam

Our final leg of our travels in Europe ends in Amsterdam, unfortunately. By this point, I am at a strange point of being simultaneously exhausted and energized--exhausted from too many hours spent on a coach and energized from seeing Germany and heading to Amsterdam. The way to Amsterdam was relatively uneventful; it was quite clear when we had come into Amsterdam because the countryside changed from hilly to flat and filled with windmills. This was also the last time Franz would be driving us, so it was a bittersweet moment when he dropped us off at the hotel in Amsterdam.

After we checked into the hotel, Mark took us to Rembrandt square before letting us go for the rest of the day. Amsterdam is a very different animal from any other city I've ever been to--and that includes US cities. It is a city of canals and bicycles, and here, the bicycles, not the cars or the people, rule the road. If you don't move out of the way, you will get hit, but not before hearing an angry bell ringing. I had no idea a bell could sound angry, but the bike bells in Amsterdam do. As a result, I found that the people were pretty aggressive and intolerant of unawareness.

Amsterdam is full of bright flashing colors and shops that very explicitly showed their wares...if you know what I mean. It puts Las Vegas to shame. The fact that marijuana is legal there as well as the fact that Amsterdam is known for its Red Light District means that even the souvenir shops are full of references to these famous bits of Amsterdam. Let's just say that there were a lot of moments that were full of embarrassed laughter in these shops as we looked for some appropriate (and legal) souvenirs to bring back.

We found a place to eat that was highly recommended by Mark. We had Rijsttafel (please don't ask me to actually pronounce it in real life, I couldn't tell you if my life depended on it), otherwise known as "rice table." It is essentially a 19 course meal, served family style. If you have ever had dim sum, it is very similar to that in terms of portions and numbers of dishes. It was quite an experience, and a tasty one at that. After our meal, we headed out to enjoy the nightlife, which was awesome because Amsterdam is the world's capital for EDM, or electronic dance music.

The next morning, we headed out for a presentation by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). This presentation was given by Ilja Linnemeijer, the assurance partner and tech leader, and Robbert-Jan Ossebaar, the corporate recruitment manager. This presentation was very professional and relaxed at the same time, which impressed all of us. They began by talking about what Amsterdam is known for: the Dutch East India trading company from the very roots of Amsterdam; EDM; bikes; windmills; canals; the Red Light District, etc. Mr. Linnemeijer and Mr. Ossebaar then launched into talking about what PwC was about.

PwC provides industry-focused assurance, including tax and monetary services. They aim to build trust in society and solve important problems, and have three lines of service: audit and assurance; tax and human resource systems; and advisory services. For their audit and assurance services, they audit annual accounts and advice about the quality of financial processes and systems while also providing insights into opportunities and risks in the organization. Their tax and HRS service includes direct and indirect tax consultation, international mobility assignments, people and organization, and tax reporting and strategy. Finally, their advisory sector deals with financial reorganization and forensic research, guidance and support of mergers, acquisitions, and business recovery services, as well as strategic and management consultations. Essentially, PwC is a firm that works for many sectors by providing professional services, including audits. 

Some of these sectors include financial services, the public sector, retail, private companies, energy, technology, etc. It is a huge firm that employs 4,300 employees and has 11 offices in their Amsterdam branch alone. The presenters also spoke about how they recruit and what they are looking for in a professional. As most of us are business majors, it was a pertinent topic for us and we asked a lot of questions in regards to this matter. The presentation concluded with a lunch provided by PwC and a networking opportunity with PwC employees. 

I was very impressed with PwC. While the other presentations were impressive and very informative, this one seemed to be the most relevant to who we were as students and future professionals. We left PwC feeling important, valued, and impressed by what we saw.

After the PwC presentation, we had a wrap-up discussion for the group. It was heartfelt and we shared our various experiences with each other, as well as our bittersweet goodbyes and memories for each other. Some of us even cried. It's amazing what two weeks together in a strange continent can do!

After our discussion, we headed out on the tram to the Heineken Experience. It is the site of the first Heineken brewery that has now been turned into a museum and interactive experience for its visitors. We saw the first medals that Heineken had ever won, as well as the progression of the models of the bottles that the beer was held in. It was very cool--there were so many interactive things to do inside the brewery, including two glasses of Heineken that were included in the trip. I even won a free .25 L of Heineken for answering a question! I couldn't drink everything though, since I hadn't eaten much at the lunch and I'm a small girl. We learned everything from how beer is brewed to the horses that Heineken sponsors (and housed in the brewery) and finally how to properly drink beer. 

The Heineken Experience

We left through the souvenir shop, where I picked up a bottle of Heineken with one of my best friend's name engraved on it as well a couple other personalized things for my other friends. It was such a cool experience and perhaps the most fun "presentation" that IBS offered. After the Heineken Experience, we went back to the hotel, changed and rested before heading out for the night again. We visited the Red Light District just to say we did, and it was quite an experience. We didn't spend very much time in there, but it was interesting for the short time we were there. 

Rachel, Joseph, Claudia, Su, me, and Zack at the Heineken Experience

The next day was a free day. We got up early to travel to the Anne Frank Museum and waited for about an hour to gain entry into it. The wait was worth it. It was an incredibly intense and somber experience. I had a lump in my throat and goosebumps all over for much of it. It was powerful and something I can't really describe. We sat in the cafe after going through the entire house, mostly in silence, thinking about what we had just experienced. To see a place where fear reigned, where silence ruled and potentials stifled...it is something that I hope no one ever has to experience. Yet is happens every day in places all over the world, where persecution is common in certain areas. 

We left Anne Frank somber and quiet. We had to move on though, so we decided to take a tour of the canals on a boat. It was interesting, but because of how the boat was built, it wasn't conducive to taking good photos, so I will spare you those blurry photos. After the boat tour, we grabbed some lunch at a cafe and I had my first experience with stroopwafels. They are these flat waffles, with caramel in between two wafers and meant to be softened over a cup of hot tea or fresh coffee before enjoying. It was delicious and the whole pack was gone in a matter of minutes.

After lunch, we headed to the torture museum that was right next to the hotel. This was interesting and kind of horrifying--there were no demonstrations or very graphic images, just the actual instruments of torture, but it was chilling to see them regardless. Spikes can be used in a number of creative and terrifying ways. It's disgustingly amazing how creative humans can be when they wish to inflict pain. I'll spare you some of the details, but needless to say, I had sympathy goosebumps for the victims. 

Horrifying to imagine what this might have felt like

We split up after the torture museum as some of us wanted to go last minute souvenir shopping before we went to the Amsterdam Ice Bar. We regrouped a few hours later and headed to the Ice Bar, which was really really cool. We entered a room that was made almost entirely of ice, including the glasses where the alcohol was served! It was very cool--literally--and we were only allowed to be in there for 20 minutes. For some of us, it wasn't enough, but for others, especially those from California and the South, needed that time limit. 

Amsterdam Ice Bar

Ice Bear

After the Ice Bar, we headed out to dinner at a nice Argentinian steakhouse as it was our last meal and also, my birthday (in two days, but we wouldn't be together then unfortunately). It was nice and tasty end to our trip in Europe. Of course, a night in Europe while we are young and in Amsterdam wouldn't be complete without a late night, so we spent the rest of our time enjoying the nightlife.

Our journey ends with a coach ride to the airport. It was bittersweet and sad, and I miss so many people and so many things about Europe. I wish I could have stayed longer with the same number of people, and I wish that I could freeze time and go back so I can relive those experiences. Goodbye Amsterdam, you were beautiful and crazy and wonderful.

Sunrise in Amsterdam, on the way to the airport.

Heidelberg

Our trek through Europe continues with a coach ride straight from the World Trade Organization to Heidelberg, Germany. At this point, we have been almost constantly moving from place to place, staying up late and waking up early every day for more than a week. The exhaustion has caught up to us and every person on the bus passed out as soon as the coach began to move. I was certainly one of them; I don't remember a thing until we stopped at our rest stop in the middle of the Swiss Alps, and it is breathtaking. I thought the Alps were stunning on the way to Geneva, but this view of the Alps literally took my breath away.

Me in front of the Swiss Alps

Swiss Alps

 You know, looking back at these photos, the actual image of the Alps in my head doesn't even come close to the marvel that my camera captured. Breathing in the fresh mountain air, looking at a view that honestly looked like it was a green screen because it was so unbelievably gorgeous, surrounded by new, close friends--it's like something out of a movie, except better because you can't experience a movie like that.

After our rest stop, we boarded the bus again to resume our journey to Germany. The rest of the ride was relatively uneventful; the only thing I remember in between dozes was when we reached the Autobahn and I was watching cars zoom past my window. It was honestly a little terrifying, but it was still very cool to be a part of such an iconic bit of Germany.

Heidelberg is not exactly a major, bustling city like that of Frankfurt or Berlin. It is essentially our equivalent of a college town, except our college towns don't exactly have a majestic castle ruin overlooking our town. This was perhaps the quietest part of the journey so far, rivaled only by serene Geneva. We walked to Old Town after checking in to the hotel and then went to dinner at a place that served what can be considered as "traditional" German food. And by traditional, I mean sausages and meat galore, and of course, massive amounts of beer. About twelve us decided to eat in a group, and almost all of us ordered a liter of beer. Because why not, we're in Germany! And when it came, we were shocked because it was massive!

Joseph's liter of beer

Joseph and Joe's liters.
That is an iPhone 6 and a man's hand for comparison.

After a delicious meal (still not quite as good as Paris, sorry Germany), we headed back to the hotel to rest and change before heading out to enjoy Heidelberg's nightlife. We tried to find a place that I had heard about on the internet, but after about twenty, thirty minutes of walking, we couldn't find it...we don't like to talk about that. Actually, I don't, since I was the one leading the way...anyway, we actually found an Irish bar (in a German town, interestingly enough) that also supported the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the Pennsylvanians in our group, it was a goldmine.

The next day, we headed out to Frankfurt to see a presentation by Deutsche Bank, presented by the Vice President of Deutsche Bank, Corinna Fernando. Because we arrived early, we had an opportunity to explore the interactive exhibit that Deutsche Bank had. There were bits about how Deutsche Bank became a world player as well as some very cool art exhibits featuring Deutsche Bank.

Frankfurt. Excuse the Snapchat caption

This is what you see when you look up inside of Deutsche Bank

A floating and moving exhibit that forms into DB's symbol of the slash

Frau Fernando began the presentation with an introduction on the word "bank" and moved into how money and banking was developed through the years. Like almost every presenter before us, she stressed the importance of history and how it has influenced the world we see today. Much of how Deutsche Bank and the economy of Germany operates today resulted from the consequences that Germany faced from World War I and World War II.

Frau Fernando also described how the bank system in Germany worked. It is a 3-pillar system consisting of state-run banks, cooperative banks, and private banks. There are about 1,800 banks in Germany alone. Some of the challenges facing the banks today is the fact that there are too many employees. The cost to hire, keep, and fire an employee is very high, especially so in Germany, where the labor laws make it quite difficult to fire an employee. However, the fact that Deutsche Bank has decided to close branches and lay off a pretty significant number of employees is a sign that DB is in deep trouble. There have been some major changes to Deutsche Bank that will be effective for the first quarter of 2016 in order to make up for the losses they have incurred for the past year or so.

After the presentation at Deutsche Bank, we headed back from Frankfurt to Heidelberg. We had the rest of the day to ourselves, so after changing and finding a place to eat, we headed out to do some souvenir shopping and a walk through Old Town. However, we had no idea that it was a bank holiday in Germany! Almost every store was closed, except for some restaurants (thankfully) and a couple of souvenir shops. We then made our way up towards Schloss Castle (also known as the Heidelberg Castle). The only way to get up there was to traverse a lot of steps. And by a lot, I mean over 300 steps uphill. It was kind of funny and a little sad that some European tourists passed us on our way up, and we were all breathing hard and struggling while they looked to be enjoying a light stroll up a hillside.

It was all worth it in the end though. The view from Heidelberg Castle and the ruins itself were well worth the hard climb up. In a spur of the moment decision, I decided to climb some of the ruins for a photo op, which I'm glad I did!

Me after climbing the ruins!

Heidelberg Castle ruins

I unfortunately can't find a picture of the view from Heidelberg--I accidentally took a video. I'm not very good at this whole picture taking thing apparently! It was still very beautiful!

We headed back down from the Castle after taking in some of its sights and headed to a beer garden we found earlier. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a very local thing since almost no one spoke English and no one in our group spoke German, so it was a bit of a wash. We headed back to the hotel to rest and change before heading out for the night.

Unfortunately, our stay in Germany was too short and we had to pack up for the final leg of our journey to Amsterdam. Germany was an interesting experience--a country that combines sleek efficiency with beauty with a major emphasis on its ability to produce some very tasty alcohol. I had a lot of fun and I wish we could have stayed longer in Germany!

Genevé, Switzerland

As a continuation of my reflections, our journey takes us from the bustling lights of Paris to the serene city surrounded by the majestic Swiss Alps. And my, what a journey. We left Paris at around 8 am and arrived in Geneva at around 4 pm--an eight hour journey by coach, about six hours without the breaks we took for lunch and for the EU mandated coach rests for the driver, Franz, who would be accompanying us until Amsterdam. So of course, most of the students got some well needed shut eye on the coach after a late (for some, very late) night in Paris. Our snoozing was interrupted by what became the infamous hushed "Hellooo everyboooody" that Mark, our group leader, woke us with for our breaks, and became a running theme for the rest of the trips that we took on the coach ride.

However, I was able to see some of the amazing sights that we passed in between naps. It was a beautiful day, and as the French villages gave way to the French Alps, the view changed from charming countryside to majestic cliffs and mountains. Due to the relatively warm winter weather, the Alps were not covered in snow like they usually were, but it was still gorgeous nevertheless.

The view from the coach

More views from the coach

Franz drove like a maniac (according to Mark) and got us into Geneva before the listed time on the itinerary so we could enjoy Geneva before it got too dark. On our way into Genevé (that's how it's supposed to be spelled/said), we actually got to see the Jet d'Eau, a dramatic water jet on Lake Geneva. It is normally shut off during the winter, but I suppose they decided to keep it going because of how warm this particular winter has been. Unfortunately, it was too far away to take a good photo of it, and it was shut off by the time we exited the bus. It is a water jet that launches almost 140 meters in the air, with the spray going wherever the wind pleases. It's a fantastic sight, especially against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps and of Lake Geneva.

Genevé

After we checked in to our hotel, Mark took us to the streets of Genevé and pointed out the major landmarks and sights before letting us go for the rest of the night. We trekked to the famous Saint Pierre Cathedral, which overlooks much of Geneva, stopping to see the swans and the geese that lived on the Lake. They are not afraid of humans, which was very cool as I got to get up close enough to a swan to pet it. Now the geese are very much not afraid of humans, and are in fact terrifying. As terrifying as the Canadian geese are that flock to the lagoon in Dekalb and leave their droppings everywhere and also attack you if you get too close...these geese are even more terrifying. It almost made me miss the Canadian geese. Almost. 

Swans live on Lake Geneva. I got to pet one!

While crossing the bridge that spanned Lake Geneva, we stopped by an area with hanging lights and bells. I have no idea what it these signify, but it was very cool nevertheless. I can only imagine how pretty it would look at night, rather than on the cusp of dusk.

Some hanging lights in the center of the Geneva bridges

We passed through what I can only assume was the shopping district of Geneva and made our way uphill (almost a forty-five degree incline--yes, it was rough getting up there) to reach Saint Pierre Cathedral. You can see the French influence on the cathedral: I thought it looked quite similar to Notre Dame cathedral, especially the designs. We found a place overlooking Geneva that was quite gorgeous, even in the fading light.

Saint Pierre Cathedral

The Saint Pierre Cathedral peeking out in an alleyway

The view from Saint Pierre Cathedral overlooking Geneva

After we visited Saint Pierre Cathedral, we found a gourmet chocolate place and bought a few bars before heading out to find some food. I'm going to be honest, after eating in Paris, the food in Switzerland, while still good, simply could not compare. After dinner, we headed out to find another gourmet chocolate place only to find that everything closed at 7 pm! We walked around Geneva trying to find a place that was still open, but nope, every store was closed. So we window shopped as we slowly made our way back to the hotel, eyeing the expensive Rolexes and fashion items that we could never afford. In Paris, Catherine the tour guide told us that the term "window shopping" in French, leche-vitrine, directly translates to "window licking." The more enticing an item in the window seemed, the closer you get to it, so close you are almost licking the window. So...we window licked on our way back to the hotel.

We did find some souvenir shops on our way back, which we perused. A lot of the items they sold were quite expensive, but I bought a fairly priced Swiss army knife for my brother anyway. The man working the cashier pointed us toward a grocery store that sold chocolate, and we pretty much ran there. It wasn't gourmet chocolate, but it was Swiss chocolate and that was all that mattered to us. I bought so many bars, I needed a bag to carry it all. 

At the hotel, I met up with some of the other students and just hung out in my hotel room (which I shared with Jenny) and had some of the food we brought back from Paris--a baguette, some salami, camembert, and wine. We also had some of the chocolate we bought and it was fantastic. It looked like a college kid's attempt at being fancy, with everything spread out on a ripped paper bag, but it was tasty nevertheless. And we're all college kids anyway!

Me, Jenny, Claudia, Joseph, and Curtis enjoyed a fancy feast.
Photo taken by Joseph.

The next day, we packed up and put everything on the coach before heading to the World Trade Organization to hear a presentation on the WTO. Josep Bosch, the press and information officer of the WTO, gave a very interesting presentation on what the WTO does and how it handles issues. He made the analogy of traffic rules to WTO's purpose. The WTO creates regulations for its member countries, but also understands that there is no "one-size fits all" regulation for every member state. After all, with 162 countries in the WTO, it is necessary that the organization respects the rights of all member countries.

It was quite cool to be in the room that the WTO put us in. It was a sound-proof room with the name plates of the different countries set up in the last configuration that were there just a few days prior. I personally sat next to New Taipei, Taiwan's official name, which was very cool for me since my family comes from Taiwan. Mr. Bosch explained that all 162 members must agree on a decision and must therefore use extensive negotiations in order to arrive at a consensus. The power rests with the members, who act as a collective group. It is an inter-governmental organization, not supernational. Mr. Bosch detailed the issues that the WTO faced, such as solving trade conflicts between members and negotiating trade agreements, while also setting and monitoring rules to eliminate obstacles to international trade.

Mr. Bosch also touched on how disputes are settled within the WTO. The entire process for a single dispute can take up to 2 years and 7 months to resolve. Some cases that have been disputed were on issues of imported cigarettes from the US to Thailand; Costa Rica vs. US on underwear; Venezuela vs. US on gasoline; and the US vs. EU on beef exports. It was quite interesting to see that some things, such as underwear and beef, are disputed. These are not items that you would normally think of as being imported or necessary to argue about, but they were. The presentation at the WTO definitely opened my eyes to how the world and international trade works. 

After the WTO presentation, we boarded the bus and Franz whisked us away on the road from serene Genevé to Heidelberg, Germany. While Geneva was a little too pricy for my liking, it was still a wonderful experience and I wish we could have spent more than a night there. The next part of our journey will be continued in Heidelberg! 

Paris!

Hello to the States! I sincerely and deeply apologize for not being able to post in real time as I was travelling, but to travel five countries in thirteen days is intense and I definitely overestimated my ability to sit down and write some quality blog posts. However, now that I finally have time to sit down and reflect, I find that this has become more of a reflection post than a blog post. I did, however, write summaries and outlines of what I wanted to say in my blog posts with my good old pen and paper, since travelling on a coach bus is not conducive to writing long blog posts on my laptop. Here are my thoughts on Paris:

Paris, the sprawling metropolis of food, wine, and love. It is the city of lights, the city of love, and the city of history. We packed up our stuff and rode the Eurostar, the high speed rail system from London to Paris, early on New Year's day. I watched the countryside change from farms and quaint English countrysides to the neat rows of hedges and trees of French farms. The red roofs seem to be very popular in Europe--they dotted the countrysides and filled the French villages with its rustic charm. The train arrived at the Gare du Nord station and we disembarked and headed to the coach bus that was waiting to take us to our hotel. We finally arrived at the hotel and were greeted by a surprise: due to the recent terror attacks in Paris, security had been upped so high that our luggage and bags needed to be searched physically and with a wand.

Security aside, we headed to a nearby pizzeria to have our first meal in France and as a large group of over 50 students and faculty. I sat next to Joseph, Josh, and Ian, three of the students from California Lutheran. When the food arrived and I took my first bite out of it, my eyes rolled heavenward. It was phenomenal. The world was not kidding when they call Paris the food and gastronomical capital of the world.

My first French dessert. Excuse the Snapchat caption

The adventures in Paris didn't stop there for the night. We collectively took the metro to see Notre Dame Cathedral, which was absolutely stunning at night.

Notre Dame Cathedral at night

There's something to be said for the phrase "breathtaking." I've never experienced that in the places I've traveled to or been to. Sure, I've been awed by sights, but they never made me forget to breathe and cause my jaw to drop. They've never drawn out an involuntary "wow" out of me. But in Paris, the sights made me do just that. They took my breath away. Seeing Notre Dame at night made me drop my jaw, forget out to breathe, and an involuntary "wow" escaped me. Pictures simply don't do it justice, but they serve as nice memories for me to share with you all.

The next day, we started the day off with a presentation by Graham Brown on the European Union as well as presentation regarding tourism in France. Dr. Brown is a British born ex-pat living in France who is also married to an American woman. He joined the Navy at 15, got his MBA and worked at JP Morgan before receiving his professorship in France. Like Dr. White, he stressed the importance of how history has shaped the map of Europe as it is today, as well as the European viewpoints of Americans and the various cultural differences. Americans are loud (we discovered that ourselves) in comparison to much of Europe, and we live to work, whereas many European countries work to live. 

Dr. Brown also spoke about the challenges facing the EU today. Like Dr. White, Dr. Brown saw that there were issues in immigration, the freedom of movement within the Eurozone, and the euro. He also elaborated a bit more on these issues. In regards to immigration, the problems that the EU must solve involve the resulting migration from the Arab Spring, thanks to the Schengen agreement that allows for free movement between EU countries and Frau Merkel's decision to let many migrants into Germany. He stressed that there were three kinds of migrants: conflict refugees, such as those from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, who are fleeing from areas of clear conflict where their lives would be in danger if they had remained; political refugees, such as from Eritrea and Egypt, who are fleeing from persecution in their home country and arguably, whose lives would be in danger if they remained; and economic migrants, such as those from France, who are moving from their home country to try and improve their lifestyle and standard of living.

Another issue that Dr. Brown posed was that of terrorism. From the news reports of recent events, it is clear that a crisis much like that of the September 11 attacks is facing the EU in terms of security. How does one prevent terrorism? Much of this issue cannot be attacked without also attacking the Schengen Agreement. In addition, there is a distinct lack of cooperation and coordination between the police and security services of Europe.

The euro has been the subject of some discussion by Dr. White and also of Dr. Brown. The use of the euro is aimed at creating a monetary union between the countries of Europe, but the issues of debt ridden countries who also refuse to change their ways (such as Greece) are dragging down the economically stronger countries (such as Germany). It is another example of how the use of the euro means that the country also gives up the right to regulate the euro as well. 

Finally, Dr. White spoke about the European Project. Essentially, the aim of this project is to ensure a "United States" of Europe. Four basic steps are needed to take this project to success: freedom of movement (the Schengen Agreement); monetary union (the euro); and political and fiscal union (the EU). But this project is still much easier said than done, despite the progress that one can see. People are feeling more and more alienated from the EU, and several countries (the UK) are thinking of leaving the EU. 

I found this presentation incredibly fascinating and I was very appreciative of the time Dr. Brown took to speak to us. After the presentation, a group of us decided to go find some lunch, but did not have the time to sit down and actually eat as we had a city tour of Paris coming up. Our tour of Paris was led by Katherine who was incredibly knowledgeable about the city. We began at our hotel and ended at Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, seeing sights such as the Supreme Court of France, Les Invalides, The River Seine, the Louvre, etc. 

Supreme Court of France

The River Seine

The Louvre

Les Invalides

Eiffel Tower

Me in front of the Eiffel Tower

Arc de Triomphe

Champs-Elysees

The Obelisk

Roue de Paris (the Ferris Wheel)

The view from Sacre Coeur

Sacre Coeur

 Paris is known for being the city of lights, and as dusk fell on our tour, we could certainly see why. As the light faded from the sky, the lights began to come up over the Paris. After the tour finished at Montmartre, we had the opportunity to go wherever we wanted. We decided to go to dinner and then a boat tour of Paris that had been generously provided by IBS. 

You can see from these photos that Paris truly is a city of lights. Every sight that we passed on the city tour took my breath away, but to see them dressed up at night was truly a sight to see. 

L'Arc de Triomphe at night

The Eiffel Tower at night.
Photo credits to Claudia, my photo disappeared for some reason.

After a long long time out in the cold, we headed back to the hotel for some warmth and to meet up with some more friends so we could head out and enjoy the Parisian nightlife.

The next morning was a free-museum day, so some of us decided to get up relatively early to visit the Louvre. The museums are free only once a month, so we knew the lines were going to be insane. We waited for over an hour to get in, but it was so worth the wait. For a little context, the Louvre is a palace that was converted to a museum after centuries of use by royals. As a result, both the inside and the outside are lavishly and richly decorated with works of art all over the place. The windows, the arches, the doors, even the ceilings and walls were not neglected. We saw the great statues, the Mona Lisa, and the apartments of Napoleon. The tour guide from the previous day told us it would take over two months to look at every single item in the Louvre. I suppose that just means I'll have to go back to Paris!

Napoleon's bedroom

Some of the ceiling art of the Louvre

La Joconde (the Mona Lisa)

Some of the insane art in Napoleon's apartments

The ceiling of one of the rooms in Napoleon's apartments

Dining room of Napoleon's apartment

Stained Glass featured in the Louvre

The Liberty Leading the People
Inspiration for Victor Hugo's Les Miserables

As a history buff, it was incredible to see so much history and so much art in one place. I was simply in awe during my time at the Louvre. After exploring the Louvre, we went in search of crepes and souvenirs before heading back to the hotel to rest.

Unfortunately, the next morning we had to say goodbye to Paris, the city of love, the city of lights, and the city of food. Leaving Paris was incredibly hard, not only because we had to get up really early to make it to the coach, but also because the sheer beauty of the language, the culture, and the buildings around me had touched my heart. As we drove away on the coach, I bid not adieu, but au revoir to Paris as a promise to come back to its beauty and grace.

In my next blog, I'll talk about the amazing beauties of Switzerland and Geneva. Au revoir!