A pair of pre-packup parties, multiple Michelles and a fourth time in fabulous France

Wednesday, July 26

Christina (fellow Melbourne Uni exchange student) had a farewell party tonight, marking the second departure of our acquaintances. She's leaving tomorrow.
The party involved sitting on the lawn in the middle of town, in front of one of the Uni buildings, have a few drinks, throwing a Frisbee and discussing multiple topics in multiple languages.

Friday, July 28

Shell, friend and former housemate, arrived in Freiburg around midday today - around 4 hours late after her train from Copenhagen was delayed due to severe thunderstorms last night which caused power-outages. She's spent the last 5 weeks in Copenhagen studying Danish in preparation for a semester's exchange there. Michelle (my American - as opposed to Shell) and I met up with Shell and Caitlin (an old friend of Shell's from her hometown), walked a little around the city, visited the cathedral and had a coffee before buying supplies to head to a farewell BBQ at one of the student residences. James, another Australian from Echuca/Canberra, was heading home and went out in true Aussie style (there was even some backyard cricket played - a first for me in Germany).

Saturday, July 29

Today John, Caitlin, Shell, Michelle and I met at the train station at 10 bound for Strasbourg, France. Although I'd already been to Strasbourg during the language course, the whole time we were in the city it was pouring rain, so I saw Strasbourg in a dash from place to place under an umbrella.
I got the impression then that Strasbourg was a beautiful city and I was not disappointed. We spent most of the time wandering the streets, lined with Fachwerkhäuser (German-style criss-crossed wooden houses - now a rare sight in Germany due to the bombing of the war, but still very much present in this former German part of France), avoiding a hectic flea market and walking along the river. After lunch we visited the cathedral before a bit more walking and then heading back to the train station and, eventually, Freiburg.
I may pay Strasbourg yet another visit before I'm done here. It's well worth it.
Back in Freiburg after a dinner of Chinese, I went a Uni end-of-semester-party which I was too tired and sick to enjoy. (I've now been sick with a chest cold for two weeks and very much over it. Might visit the doctor on Monday. I don't really want to deal with the hassle of travel insurance though.)

Sunday, July 30

After Mass a group of us met for the usual Sunday morning Uni-Café Stammtisch brunch, this time with the special purpose of farewelling Astrid, who headed back to Denmark with her family. After a couple of hours eating, drinking and chatting, Caitlin, Shell, John, Travis and I headed down to the Dreisam (river) for a paddle and a walk. We ended up walking a couple of k's outside of the town border. The sun was shining, and it was great to walk along observing the locals swimming in make-shift water holes and building dams, channels and piles of stones in the river.
We caught the tram back into town for a beer at the local house brewery before I headed home.