This post is long overdue, but finally, thanks to a break in the action, I can begin to update the past few weeks. My boyfriend, Dave, came out to visit me during Northwestern's spring break. Both wanting to explore Europe a bit, we planned to spend a few days in Berlin, a 45 min flight from Copenhagen.

Dave arrived to Copenhagen on a Friday afternoon, and within 16 hours, we were on a plane to Berlin. Despite chilly weather and getting lost from the train station, we managed to find our hotel. In a very hip section of West Berlin, the Mark Hotel Berlin was a cheap, yet very stylish and spacious hotel space. I believe that our room at ceilings that were at least 12 ft high. Trying to stay in a place like that in Copenhagen would put you back lots of greenbacks, but not in the surprisingly cheaper Berlin.

Highlights of the weekend included a trip to the Pergamon Museum to see the German archaeological finds of the late 19th Century. Artifacts from the Middle East, Northern Africa, and other parts of Europe were on display in a beautiful open air museum. The photo below shows a huge gymnasium sized room that contains the remnants of an entire building. I'm getting very excited to go to Turkey to see the things the Germans left behind!















In addition to seeing foreign cultural attractions, we also investigated Cold War Berlin by seeing the Checkpoint Charlie museum as well as wandering around the Brandenburg Gate (the old entrance to the West). The Checkpoint Charlie museum was extremely interesting, and contained many "escape" stories across The Wall. The most interesting to me were the two families who built their own hot air balloon and flew across in the middle of the night. Nothing spells out desperation like that. The Gate was absolutely stunning. See the picture below.



















There were plenty of Soviet relics, including the hat my comrade Dave wears below. Every souvenir area had piles and piles of old Soviet uniforms, pins, gas mask, and all types of random memorabilia. In addition, every tourist shop offered pieces of The Wall for sale. Although Berlin is extremely hip and modern now, the remnants of 16 years ago still remain. The city was filled with scaffolding and construction, as they prepare to host the final game of the World Cup this summer. Overall, the modern city was beautiful, and seemed to leave behind the poor image of the past. I would gladly return to Berlin, although at a sunnier, warmer time of year. The delicious beers and sausages would be reason enough to return.

I was fortunate enough to visit Paris this past weekend. I can honestly say that I had an amazing time, filled with lots of walking, sight seeing, and of course, chocolate croissants and Nutella filled crepes. As a first timer to the City of Lights, I was assisted by a dear friend from both Missoula and Northwestern, Zach Pfau.

After leaving Copenhagen on a Friday evening (following a week composed of 4 exams and 2 papers due), I was ready for some relaxation and a change of pace. Zach was kind enough to pick me up at the airport and we sped away to Montmartre to check into my youth hotel.

Early Saturday morning, I awoke to begin navigating my way toward Tour Eiffel on the Paris Metro. Being used to the anxiety stricken Scandinavian way of time management, I arrived 45 minutes early. This, however, did not prove to be a poor move, as I was able to meander through the surrounding neighborhood and enjoy a delicious chocolate croissant. I then met Zach for a fun filled day! After visiting the top of the Tower (which, was abbreviated due to the cold winds), and gaining perspective on the city, Zach and I made our way to his neighborhood, and dined on a delicious Falafel sandwich while catching up on the past year of our lives. Then, off to the Louvre!

Our friend from Missoula, Lily Frandsen, is also studying in Paris at AUP. In addition to being a fun person to spend time with, she also has extensive knowledge of the museum due to her art history knowledge and part time tour guide duties there. Instead of navigating the museum on our own, she gave us the highlights along with some of her personal favorites complete with back story and commentary. Apparently if you were to spend 30 seconds looking at each individual piece of art, it would take 3 months, night and day, to see everything. Clearly, my weekend trip wasn't going to cut it. Luckily, we had Lily to guide us. Below is a picture of us in front of the famous pyramid structure that defines its courtyard.

The Venus and I also shared a moment...
Following our tour of the Louvre, Zach and I walked back toward Montmarte to see the Sacre-Caeur de Montmartre Basilique (The Church of the Sacred Heart). After climbing the hill, seeing the church and enjoying some street musicians, we met Lily and some of Zach's friends for a marvelous dinner complete with the best Onion soup and baguettes I have ever had, go figure. After 10 hours of walking, I was certainly ready for bed around midnight.

Sunday morning wouldn't be complete without a church service. After fighting with my leg cramps and chaffed legs (yes...that much walking on Saturday), I hauled myself out of bed and took the train down to Notre Dame. The sun was shining and the tourists were abundant. Arriving slightly before the 10 am mass, I wandered around the sides chapels, taking a few photos and absorbing the atmosphere. As I looked around, dodging cameras and tour groups, I was able to hear some of the mass in French as well as the beautiful youth choir sing hymns. After getting my fill of Catholicism for the morning, I enjoyed a Nutella filled crepe and watched rollerbladers do tricks with the sunshine and La Seine as my backdrop.

Unfortunately, Saturday was a bit overcast and cold, but Sunday's sunshine made up for it. I actually got a sunburn! Ok, I know what you're thinking: Caitlin, you Norwegian Fair Skinned Goddess, you'd get as sunburn sitting in front of a candle for ten minutes. Well, poo to you! I actually wore sunglasses that day, which was good, because Zach and I spent a lot of time outside again!

After my tour of Notre Dame, I met Zach at the Pompidou for some wonderful modern art, in particular, the Big Bang exhibit. After seeing some extremely provocative artwork, Zach and I enjoyed ham and cheese baguettes and chocolate eclairs. Following lunch, we walked, and walked, and I loved every calorie burning step (I felt as though I ate my way through Paris!). We made it to Bastille, walked along La Seine, passed by Victor Hugo's House, made a brief stop at the Luxemborg gardens, and then had several espressos to warm up, at two separate cafes. Following a brief interlude at my hotel, we had dinner at a delicious Thai Restaurant and then parted ways for the weekend.

I had an incredible time in Paris. I could easily spend months there simply wandering through the streets. I never once met a rude Parisian (granted, I wasn't looking for one!). The snotty stereotype was not fulfilled and I found the few people I interacted with to be extremely friendly and helpful. I will go back. I must go back.

Sunday, a beautiful sunny day, with Notre Dame in the background.