Anyway I decided to put up a few of my pictures and give you a brief run-through of the "big stuff" I've done so far with less than a month to go!!
Normally a trip to Brussels really isn't anything to boast about: you see the little Manneken Pis and you drink good beer. I, though, did things a little differently during my stay. This is me outside the American Consulate of Belgium, aka my crash-pad for three days! Gotta love how those "friend of a friend" things work out so nicely sometimes...
The three of us inside. Felt like a little, well maybe a big, slice of good 'ol AMUURICA.
Thumbs up for Obama. Eat your heart out Republican parents!
****THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK DUE TO THE VOLCANIC ASH DISRUPTION OF MOUNT EKYLLLAJUFUSTUIPDICELANDKULL**** During our Easter break we had planned on traveling around Italy. We were not able to get to Rome, and therefore I have no pictures to show you. We did, however, manage to take a train to Florence and finish out our vacation from there.
The five of us in the Medici gardens in Florence. Behind us is a great shot of the Duomo which we climbed earlier that day.
The Art History buffs in front of a replica of where the David stood. We would later visit the real-deal in the Academia building.
Our gondola ride in Venice. The gondolier took this for us.
I intentionally juxtaposed this picture with the following. This is me on top of one of Venice's many bridges with possibly a sangria hanging out at my feet. No bridge-dancing happened when the parents arrived unfortunately...
And finally the parental visit! I had a great time showing off Paris to them. Some highlights included:
*6 hours of pure shopping bliss at the Foire de Paris
*Showing off my navigational skills via walking, busing or metro-riding
*Visiting Reid Hall
*Eating a falafel in the always-amusing Marais district
*Going to a very French cabaret in the 18th and my mom coming out of it saying it sounded like "a bad American Idol audition" (can't win them all)
*Yves St. Laurent exhibit and my Dad coming out of that with a typical "guy" comment of "Huh, there were a lot of dresses in there"
*Snacks at Laudree including macaroons and chocolate eclairs
*Spending half the day at the Flea Market where they managed to find the most obscure thing possible to frame on our dining room wall: a 200 year-old gold and peach-colored priest vestment.
*The final dinner with my 70 year-old host mother who doesn't know any English and my parents vice versa. They thoroughly enjoyed their free translator, but also felt bad for me at the end of the meal when they realized I really didn't have much time to eat.
I hope to add a few more little updates during my last weeks here in Paris.
