New New Year's Resolutions

Last year, one of my new year's resolutions was to visit at least 10 cities/towns on my "German list".  Well, I almost made it:

1. AACHEN

Charlemagne's throne is in this Cathedral. You have to go on a special tour to see it ...and I didn't.

 

 

 

2. BAMBERG

 

 I visited Bamberg three times (!!!) this year with visitors. I may need to go back and take better pictures, though. My photos don't do it justice.

Above: Bamberg in May, and below Bamberg in December

  

    

 

3. BERCHTESGADEN

 

 This one should go back on my list...the trip was too short. I want to go back!

 

 

4. FREIBURG 

Sunny stop for lunch on the way to France last summer

 

 

 

5. KÖLN

I need to do a blog post just about Köln!



 

 

 

6. NUREMBERG

 I cheated a little by having this one on the list, since I knew I would be going there on the school trip.

 

 

 

7.  PASSAU

Amazing view from the hostel in the Oberhaus fortress...I highly recommend it, if only for the view!

 

 

 

 

8. QUEDLINBURG...I did manage to blog about this one here.

 

 

 

I was close to my goal, but I didn't make it...so, that means I have to try harder this year!   I've decided a new goal is for me to have visited all of the 16 states in Germany, and I don't need that many (Bremen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saarland, Thüringen). I also found out about some cool places on top of the other cool places I didn't get to visit last year, so here is my revised list for 2013:

 

1. Bastei

2. Bremen*

3. Dessau

4. Eisenach* (Wartburg Castle)

5. Garmisch

6. Hildesheim

7. Lübbenau

8. Lüneburg

9. Mettlach/Saarschleife*

10. Rüdesheim (during the Christmas market)

11. Rügen or Stralsund*

12.Sylt or Amrum

13. Weimar*

*These cities represent states that I must visit!

 



 

I'm going to try to make it to at least ten of these places this year.  Another of my new year's resolutions is to average three blog entries per month...so far, so good!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Paris in the Fall

Yes, it says Paris in THE FALL.  I am VERY behind on my blog!

I went to Paris in September, and I have to say that it did NOT meet my expectations.  I mean, no one was rude to me; everyone spoke English, and looked happy about it. (It's not that I expect everyone to speak English to me wherever I go, it's just that, well, being an American, I have heard a few things about Parisians.) The people were friendly, the weather was perfect...

Arc de Triomphe after shopping on the Champs-Elysées

This is why I shouldn't wait months after I have taken pictures to blog...I think this may be behind Notre Dame Cathedral, but I can't be sure. (So embarrassing!)



 This place I am sure of! It's the Sacre Couer Basilica. It's beautiful, and there is a great place to buy crepes across the street if you are hungry. Be sure to hold on to your purse, though!

 

 

 



The Paris Opera House...can you see me on the balcony???

The Eiffel Tower at night is really something to see! I think if I were to do it over again, I would skip the trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It took so long, and there were so many people.  I preferred being in the park area below, just gazing up at the tower.

I think there are two kinds of trips: the kind where you take the time to stop and smell the roses, and the other where you take pictures of the roses while you run to the next garden.  This trip was the latter.  We arrived late Friday night and left Sunday afternoon. So, we did the American thing and ate on the go, and that included eating at Chipotle. (Hey, don't judge--there are no Chipotles in Germany!)  We did make some time for a few drinks before we left, as well as a few desserts.  The awesome French cuisine I have heard so much will have to wait until the next trip.  Yes, I said the next trip.  I'd go again!

 

 

 

   

Winter Wonderland

Yesterday school was cancelled for the first time since I have been here. It was a good thing, too, because ice covered everything.  Fortunately, a few inches of snow have fallen since then, and it was safe to walk around and take pictures today.  I felt like a tourist again in my own town. I already have pictures of most of these things already, but what doesn't look prettier with a few inches of fresh snow?