This weekend I went on a fantastic two-day snowshoeing trip in the Black Forest with a small group from the University. Did you know that the Black Forest is apparently the national resort of Germany where everyone goes on holiday, like the Côte d'Azul in France? It was so incredibly beautiful, not to mention sunny and with lots of fresh air (two things I haven't had much of because Strasbourg is apparently in a valley that enjoys trapping clouds and pollution). And even though I haven't strapped on a pair of snowshoes since grade 3, it was so much fun! There's actually an impressive amount of technology that goes into those things, not just in terms of the whole avoiding sinking above your knees in snow concept, but also being able to saunter up steep, icy slopes without a problem. I'm now a total snowshoeing convert! I also knew no one on the trip, which ended up being a very friendly and varied group of students, including a girl who was blind!!! (No kidding, she had a roommate on the trip who helped her out, but terrain was challenging enough for the rest of us, and she was incredible!) We ended up staying the night in a hostel that used to be an old German barn - meaning that the huge wooden ties coming down from the ceiling were only a foot and a half above those of us lucky enough to get the top bunks (you literally had to slide in and out of bed). Anyways, I am now exhausted, with two black toenails (courtesy of borrowed hiking boots), but feeling totally rejuvenated after escaping the city for a couple of days.
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