Grüsse aus München!

Yikes, time is flying! I'm in Munich right now, and I'm leaving early tomorrow for Switzerland. I didn't even say anything about my last day in Paris! I mostly spent it in Montmartre, the hill above the city famous for artists and a "bohemian spirit." I have to say, this was my favourite neighbourhood in Paris by far. It's much more like a little village (and hey, Amelie takes place there, too! I saw the grocery and the cafe - Les Deux Moulins - where she worked in the film. So fun!). I spent some time just chilling at a piano bar, eating a crepe and writing in my journal. It was a perfect Sunday.

Sunday night I left on an overnnight train for Munich. That was a neat experience in itself. I quickly realized, however, that the easy part of my trip was over. You know, the part where I speak the language. It was great being able to just speak French wherever I went, and I realized when I couldn't even ask where to get some breakfast on the train in the morning that things were going to be a little different from here on in. Good thing I have my trusty phrase book with me!

Paris was amazing, but I kept SUCH a hectic pace. I totally pooped myself (and my poor aching feet) out in jsut three days. I was kind of thinking on the train that I need to strike a better balance between tryig to see and do everything and just chilling out and enjoying what I can, and not worrying about what I can't. After all, that's what next time is for, right? Munich was much more like that. I am staying with a friends that I met 5 years ago in Quebec at a French language school, and so she met me at the train station. She had gotten breakfast and a day pass for the transit system for me, and also had a map, a key, directions to her house, and a cell phone she borrowed from her work for me! Holy smokes!

I dropped off my stuff, had a nap, and went I to explore Munich. I ended up taking a city walking tour, where I learned all kinds of neat things about the city. I also met Anna, a woman from Winnipeg, on the tour. She and I were planning to do the same tour of the Dachau concentration camp the next day. We met up for the tour and then just hung out at a beer garden and chatted over a couple of Radler (beer mixed with sprite). I am now a beer drinker, folks. Yeah, yeah, bug me about it not being real beer, whatever. It's a first step, leave me alone! ;) A few good Bavarian meals, a few good beers, a few (ok, a lot) of pictures, and a very sobering tour of Dachau, and off I go now to Switzerland.

For those of you who are asking me if I'm taking pictures, let me jsut say this: it's going to take me WEEKS to sort through, post, and write captions for all the stinkin' photos I'm taking. I've got almost 700 already. In five days. And no, I will not subject any of you to all of them. I'm still working on geting a few posted here. I hae to get them off my camera first. Soon, I hope (mainly cause my cards are filling up!).

So thanks for all your comments! It's always fun to read them when I get a chance to check email! For now, I'm off to bed. I have to leave Colleen's place at 6:10am tomorrow! Eep.

Hope you're all doing wonderfully! I'll try to post again soon!

Tschüss!