Colmar

Brief summary of the end of the week: Thursday we had a great class based on an article about Body Mapping, so we did an exercise where we body mapped ourselves and discussed the commonalities of race, gender, class etc. That night we went out on the town (in Barf-Platz haha) with some Swiss students (our country coordinator, Caroline, just went up to them one day and asked if they speaked English and would be willing to take out a bunch of abroad students.. what a great lady!). We all hung out by the Munster Cathedral along the Rhine to get to know everyone, and then went out dancing at a club that featured mostly classic 90's jams- such a fun evening. Friday we had a looooong day of class, then packed and slept up for our weekend!

Colmar, France is a beautifully quaint town right across the border from Switzerland, and is considered a German area of France. Twelve of us jumped on the train and gazed at the Swiss/France countrysides that were filled with villages nestled in the mountains, and silhouettes of steeples and castles against the September blue sky (AH already september?!). We jumped off the train, had lunch at a cafe that bordered a beautiful cathedral, then checked in to our hotel which was about 10 minutes outside center city. We explored the labyrinth of cobblestone streets that were packed with cafes, shops, churches and random attractions like a mansion that Voltaire inhabited for just a year (and was on sale.. anyone want info?). We then all flopped on the lush grass of Rapp park that was bustling with active families, bicycling children and poised french dogs. We ended up resting and chatting there for about 4 hours, accompanied by a local a capella group, and interrupted only by trips for gelato, wine, or an open bench to nap.

We went and explored a local pharmacy, where we learned that pharmacists play a bigger role in prescribing and advising medicines rather than just measuring and supplying it. Then we had a three hour dinner at a well-rounded restaurant that had cuisine ranging from escargot, to pizza, to traditional stews and cordan bleu. I split a salmon pizza and trout (skin and eyes included) & almond dish. Had an early evening so that we could indulge in a wine-tasting session in this morning, hosted by a local winery. It was such an enjoyable trip!! Came back for an afternoon of meditating, workout, capture the flag, and reading. Early night tonight, and class tomorrow!