STRASBOURG!!! Day 4

So... I didn't post yesterday, but that is because I didn't make it home until 11pm and a 5 hour train ride really takes a lot out of you.

Here's how my day went yesterday:

Woke up relatively early, had a delicious breakfast, took a shower, got dressed, and bundled up in a borrowed windbreaker, and ventured forth into the rainy morning on a borrowed bike with Oriane and her parents.

Side note about windbreakers: they make everybody look like a dork, but they are magic. I must invest in one soon, and preferably one that is not twice my size.

This said borrowed bike was a cross terrain, yellow contraption with slightly flat tires and only one working break (the rear break line was disconnected from the break mechanism itself). I'll admit it was mildly dangerous, but the bike ride was wonderful and refreshing and I got to see all of Strasbourg via the bike path.

First stop was l'Orangerie, which is a gorgeous park with lots of gardens and a little mini-zoo. The lemurs were hiding indoors, which made me sad, but the rest of the animals were very beautiful and entertaining.

From the mini-zoo section, we biked through more gardens up to the European Parliament building.

Here is an artistic shot of it:

This lovely modern sculpture is supposed to be the symbol of Europe, but I think of it as a more intimate, erotic piece, personally. How is it a symbol for Europe when there is clearly a universal principle here, as well as being strikingly sensual (which is rather out of place as far as government policies are concerned). Oriane agrees with me on this point. It's still a lovely piece, but not one that represents a governmental body.

Getting home from the cold, wet, treacherous bike ride was a relief, and lunch was very welcome and delicious. All afternoon, we hung out in the living room, watching French TV (which mostly consisted of dubbed-over episodes of Dr. House and Monk).

When it came time for me to leave, I presented the bottle of wine I had purchased as a present, and received one in return. Mr. Kopp and Oriane walked me to the train station and saw me off. It was very sad leaving them, and I need to go visit again... maybe in the spring when it is not as cold.

To sum up: the Kopps are really nice people, Strasbourg is amazing and you should go visit, first vacation in France was a great success