Penguin in Transit

As promised!

Above: Train from Rome to Venice

Train from Strasbourg to Lyon

TGV from Paris to Strasbourg after my week traveling with Mom

Sleeper train from Paris to Madrid

Train from Basel to Strasbourg

from venice with island love

I'm in the hotel in Venice, the internet is expensive and slow. I'm trying to email my mom some pictures from the trip so far but it's taking forever... Hopefully they will send before my 20 minutes remaining runs out but at this rate it's not looking good.

here's a few just for kicks, including a frozen fountain from Lyon, a canal complete with gondola from Venice, and St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

Recap- Lyon, Nice

Well this is getting interesting. Since I have a bit of time, let's see where I've been.

Lyon:
Beautiful city, but better viewed in late spring or early autumn. Too cold during winter to really appreciate it all. The Basillica atop the hill in Vieux Lyon is beautiful, and the view, which not obstructed by snow and low clouds, is marvelous, or so I've been told. The food was spectacular and though it was snowy and freezing, I greatly enjoyed wandering around the city and happening upon an old church tucked away down a side street.

Nice:
Come here during summer. Or, better yet, go to Antibes or one of the small towns on the opposite side of Cannes. The beach is rocky and this whole place feels like Naples flordia, a bit geriatric (did I spell that right? If I'm going to be insulting I at least want to spell it right).

Apparently they've cancelled trains to Genoa due to economic reasons. We're winging it from here, and Lacy is already 2 hours late. She said she had bad luck with trains, let's see how we can do. My goal is to be in Rome by midnight. If the genoa train existed we would have arrived by 8. I am confident. No idea why, but I am. Phone and Internet will be off forthe most part once I cross into the Boot... Wish me luck! Lord knows I'll need it at this rate.

Also, if there's Internet at the hotel in Rome I will totally be posting an awesome gallery of pictures. Of Pengie in transit.

Location:Nice Ville Gare

Somethin I'd love to one day have

A little place by the water on the French coast. Nothing big, nothig fancy even. A bedroom, a kitchen, a porch lookin south, a bathroom. That'd be enough.

Location:La Pantiero,Cannes,France

Train to Lyon

I'm on the train to Lyon and there's snow on the ground! Makes me smile.


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Location:Gommersdorf,France

An absolute discrace.

I am absolutely astounded right now. Yesterday afternoon, we had an exam scheduled for history of the Fifth Republic. Less than an hour before the exam and without notice the professor moved the date of the exam to Friday. My train leaves at 8 am Friday and he is expecting us to do an exam in the afternoon. I am not going to throw away the money spent on a hotel in Lyon and the train ticket in order to appease a teacher who showed no respect to his students by changing an exam without warning. We were present at thr stated time, ready, an he was not.

On top of that frustrating event yesterday, the post office lost a package from London for me. I did however receive my cookies from my mom and dad which are delicious. I had to twist the arm of the recpetionist in order for her to hold the package because apparently they have a no package policy...

France, until yesterday we had been good since the begining of October, and now you went and scuffed it up. My train is at 8am, I'll be back in a few weeks...


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Location:Rue Stimmer,Strasbourg,France

Sunday Evening

Study Study Study! That's been the theme of the last week.

In a weekly rewind, it's been studying during the day and taking breaks in the evenings. Last night we went ice skating which was a nice pause. It was the traditional Canadian celebration for Katherine's birthday, which is on Christmas Day. Friday night we celebrated the birthdays of two of the English girls, Hannah and Charlotte, with a party at Charlotte's place. Other than that, it had been a pretty laid back week, buckling down and reading plenty to make sure we're all prepared for the exams that start tomorrow.

In other news, I have planned my trip(s) for next week. I'm leaving Friday morning, and will be traveling up until the 30th. I am spending a few days in Lyon (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), then Nice (Sunday, Monday), and then Tuesday will be mostly spent traveling between Nice and Rome (via Genoa) where I will be for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Sunday I'm going to Venice, and then Tuesday night I'll hop a night train to Pairs.

I'm really excited to see Rome (again, last time we tried to do too much in too short a time), and Venice (even though I've heard it's smelly because of the Lagoon, but I watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and he had a good time in Venice circa 1935...) And I just love to travel so I am excited for that part too!! Lacy's meeting me in Nice since she has classes on Friday. I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures while I'm traveling, and put as many on here as I can. I've got hotels covered in each city already so I know I have a place to stay, which is really nice. Last time, Ross and I just kind of tried to walk in and find a place, which is tough. Especially in Rome at Christmas. But Rome was the cheapest hotel I found!

Alright, I'm going to read some more History of International Relations... I hope everyone had a nice weekend.

It's snowin!!!

:-) snow!





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Location: Boulevard de la Victoire,Strasbourg,France

Finals

I think my window faces the worst possible direction. It's facing somewhat (runs to find compass that Milan gave me since I have no idea which way north is...) completely north. It means i get no sunlight whatsoever other than refections off windows across the courtyard. It also means I have trouble waking up. Even with alarms! It's just no good.

Finals start today. I have a written exam in Gender and Politics this afternoon and then another written exam tomorrow in Europe and International Crises. Next week I have exams Monday through Thursday (ending with a doubleheader) and then I have one exam in January (on the day before I leave...). Though the formats will be different, including some of which are oral exams, I am confident at this point.

But back to work! More re-reading of notes...

Miles Davis

It's an overcast and cold Sunday morning. To be honest, there's not been much going on here of late. There was a birthday party on Thursday, we played football on Friday with some french guys, and yesterday we wandered the christmas markets.

Yesterday I purchased my EuRail pass so that I can travel for Christmas. It turns out to be cheaper than buying each individual ticket, so we have 8 days of travel throughout the course of 2 months (or for me, 1 month). The "we" is not a Royal We, but rather myself and Lacy, a girl from LSU who is going to be traveling with me. We're going to Lyon, Dijon (only because that's where the train to Rome departs from), Rome, and then we don't know. We have the 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th to deal with still... I am voting for coastal areas. I would like to swim, or at least lay around in the sun...

Last night I spent an hour hanging out with Katherine (Canadian) and giving her music. She left with over 1,000 new songs from my computer and is happy that she now has more music on her computer than her iPod can fit! I always enjoy spreading music around like that. Hopefully she'll like some of the stuff I gave her. I was proud that she already had 'Kind of Blue' by Miles Davis. I'm listening to Porgy and Bess right now.

This week begins the lead-up to exams. I intend to spend the majority of my time reviewing notes and writing my two papers. Lee has already started to hole himself up. Same with Heledd. I'm comfortably optimistic, yet know that I will need to be prepared.

I come home in 1 Month. It sounds like a short period of time and I'm sure it'll go quickly. Every time people talk about it I get a bit sad because I love the people I've met here, and I'm going to miss them.

Also, I know I'm a bit early here, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!

Cold Thursday morning

I've stopped for an Italian pizza between my classes, the pizzeria is run by the same family that runs a cafe where I spent the majority of my first few weeks using wifi.

We are going through the planning process for exams and I am feeling confident. I have 10 exams, some of which are papers written at home, some of which are oral, and some written during the exam period.

I am also in the process of arranging my travels for the last two weeks of December.

The last few days have been quiet other than watching the local football club win on Tuesday night. I listened to last nights epic Chelsea match (a penalties loss to Blackburn in the Carling Cup quarterfinals) while cleaning my room and finally folding laundry...

There are two birthday parties in the upcoming week, and a Chelsea match this weekend. Other than that it's just going to be organizing myself for exams!


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