Tuesday, June 17, 2014

From Germany to France to Switzerland and Back!

The past few days have consisted of many short trips from one place to another. Many mornings we've woken up in France and quickly headed to different places to attend tours and view scenery. In Germany we visited Showerworld, partook in a guided tour of the Hansgrohe factory and museum, and explored the beautiful Triberg Waterfalls. The weather, supposedly a usual temperature of seventy degrees, has reached a high peak on most days that we've been here. May I just say, we feel as if at home in this "Texas" like weather. The waterfalls were beautiful, but the hike up was quite the challenge.
Trying out faucets at the Hansgrohe Museum
Triberg Waterfalls
                                               
Giant squirrel in Triberg
 
This past weekend we were given the opportunity to split off in different directions to plan a mini trip of our own. Several different groups had trips planned and train tickets purchased, entirely ready to depart as soon as our Friday morning class was over. These plans all changed when the French train station went on strike (supposedly a common occurrence here in France) and many of the different groups had canceled trains. A few of us planned to visit Switzerland for the weekend, and before we knew it, we had a total of ten people exploring the beautiful city of Lucerne, Switzerland. We spent the first night wandering the city, taking in the beautiful Swiss architecture and the scenery, as in the art work on the famous Chapel Bridge. The next morning we anxiously took a boat ride, took a trolly up to the top of Mount Pilatus, and ascended on a cable car. However, when trying to depart from Switzerland, we were faced with the French rail strike scenario once more, having taken several unexpected train rides, making our returning plans quite difficult and making us extremely thankful to be back at our Chateau.

Waiting at the train station in Strasbourg
Reuniting after cancelled trains

Lucerne, Switzerland!
 
Chapel Bridge in Lucerne

Hunter in front of the swans
A few of us girls on the boat tour
Caleb was happy to be in Switzerland
Mount Pilatus


Riding the trolly up to the top of Mount Pilatus

 
Mount Pilatus!
 

Cable car rides
                          Lucerne's famous lion monument for the Swiss mercenaries who lost their lives in the French Revolution
 

Today we visited the European Council and attended our last official class lecture at the EM School of Business here in Strasbourg.

The group at the European Council

European Council


We were sent off from the school with a wonderful farewell dinner, where our lovely hosts gave each and everyone of us a stuff animal stork to remind us of the region of Alsace, where Strasbourg lies.

Some of the guys with their celebratory storks! (hehe)

With our next event including our farewell dinner, we will be on to our next stop before we know it!

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