Flew in a French Translator

March 8-17
Munich, Germany & Strasbourg
Featuring: Mom and Liz

My mom came to visit me because she knows I’m not coming back, Lizzy came so she could brag to all her friends. I met them in Munich, and then they visited me for a few days in Strasbourg before they headed to Lucerne, Switzerland.

Okayyy Germany

I got less than 24 hours in Strasbourg before I caught a bus to Munich. Whenever there is a train strike, FlixBus becomes my bestie. This time it was the Germans and not the French on strike. It was close to a seven-hour ride. Although hearing about my mom and Lizzys' experience with the trains, my journey was better. I'm a professional traveler now, so I had snacks, a pillow, a blanket, and movies downloaded. At one point during Cheaper by the Dozen, I looked out the window and realized we were driving through the mountains. I think it was the Black Forest. I arrived close to 10, so I headed to the hotel right before my mom and Liz crashed.

That's Lizzy not Me

We spent most of Saturday at the Dachau Concentration Camp. It was the first concentration camp and used as a model for all the others. Visitors can go into the buildings, and one was filled with information plaques. We then returned in the evening and went into a few churches. I then introduced them to Rituals. It is a fancy European Bath & Body Works that we’re obsessed with. Liz was sold. We then went into an H&M home and a H&M with a cafe and makeup section. Cultural shock. We also went into a Lego store. In every Lego store we’ve been to, they have the country's landmarks. So, I’m tempted to make a whole Instagram post of my travels, but they’re all the Lego versions. In one of the churches we went into we decided to go to mass there that night rather than Sunday morning. After, we went to dinner. I got another schnitzel, and we got a dessert that was similar to bread pudding.

She Twinned with Me, not the
Other Way Around

Just a Little Tipsy

On Sunday, we went to a former palace. It was the first palace I’ve been in on this Europe trip. We had the free audio guides and were listening to every audio in each room, until about halfway when we all collectively gave up. The rooms were just as pretty when you didn’t know anything about the history of it. Afterwards, we went to a beer garden. I don’t know the names of anything because I was just following my mom and not planning. I got coke at the beer garden. But don’t worry, I still got drunk. There was a band playing music, and I was getting flashbacks from the polka episode in The Backyardigans. We walked around after and saw a random Michael Jackson shrine on someone else’s statue. Who did it better Lizzy or Me?

We caught the train back to Strasbourg Monday morning and I became a tour guide for a city I leave every weekend. Although, I was showed up just a little because my mom has seven years of French under her belt. I showed them Primark, and they were not fans 😢. They were fans of tarte flambee though. I took them to our go-to tarte flambee place. They are a traditional meal from our region in France. It’s a flat crust with cheese cream and onions, ham bits, and any additional topping. It's good, but for €6 it’s delicious. Before dinner, I showed them around and we went into the business school.

On Tuesday morning we walked around La Petite France, which is my favorite area. When you look up pictures of Strasbourg it shows you that area. Mom then bought me a coat, which meant Lizzy wanted something too. I came back for two back-to-back lectures, which were both oddly online. I think my mom and Lizzy went on a walking tour. About an hour into the lecture, I logged out of Zoom because the professor still had not joined. She sent an email later saying she had problems, but all of us could get on, and it said on our end that the host never joined. This is the same professor who has canceled five previous classes, so I’m not really buying it. Liz and Mom were already off on their adventure, so I just stayed in till my other one started. We got dinner at the best restaurant I’ve been to in Strasbourg. After those two restaurants, I was out of places to take them for French dinner. My mom found a good one for the next day, so I was saved.

Wednesday I spent all day at the business school, while they went to Colmar. After my class got out at noon on Thursday, we had a picnic near the river to celebrate the first sunny day Strasbourg has seen this year. I’m excited for it to finally get warm here because that’s the Europe I want. We went on a river boat tour. I finally learned a little about the city I've been living in for two months now. Mom and Liz left that evening, and I finally had their clutter out of my apartment. Now I’m just waiting for Mary Katherine to get here. I stayed here this weekend because I suppose it’s about time I study during my study abroad. I’ll also be here next weekend because I have a class all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I’ll go back to easy class and travel the week after, don't worry.

Au revoir!
 

My French alter-ego was on Full
Blast for Them