Europe

And yet another post- I know, it is hard to believe you get two posts in 1 week after complete silence for almost a year. That's what happens when my husband works a lot of overtime!

Over spring break I had the opportunity to help lead a short-term study abroad trip to London and Rennes, France. The topic was history of crime and my colleague has been doing these trips for over 20 years now. This is definitely his area and it was exciting to see his passion come out during the trip. While he did most of the lecturing during our 'crime walks,' I did get to add in my two cents every now and then. As this was my first time to go, I wasn't sure all the topics he could cover. Now that I have seen it, I will be able to contribute more in the future and introduce topics such as comparative corrections and juvenile justice.

Part of the original Roman wall around the City of London.

We had to get a picture in front of the Easter Island statue at the British Museum

The requisite fish and chips (delicious!)

Outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London

More of that complex

My colleague doing his thing during a crime walk

If you're ever in the UK, you have to try
this chocolate bar. It is unlike anything I've
had in the US and it is SO good!

Outside the Tower of London

Matt came with me for the first leg to London and we had a great time exploring the city together. When he went back to the US, I, along with the rest of the group, took the Eurostar train from London to Paris where we then caught another train for Rennes, a small town southwest of Paris. 

Inside the Tower of London

My colleague, who is a London native, took us to Broad Street which is known for its Indian food. You literally barter for your meal. As you walk down the street, you are approached by different individuals, each representing their Indian restaurant. One will offer you a complete meal for say, 9 pounds, and then the next will offer you the same deal for only 8 pounds. You can then ask the earlier guy if he will reduce the price, etc., until you reach a deal you're happy with. I let my colleague handle that part and the results were delicious!

I took the train one day to Cambridge to have a couple of meetings with colleagues there. While exploring the vast campus (the University of Cambridge is made up of distinct colleges, each with its own grounds), I absolutely fell in love with the beautiful grounds!

This was part of King's College

More King's College

While waiting at King's Cross station for your husband, one must get their picture taken at Platform 9 3/4! 

Given its smaller size, it had a much more relaxed pace than London did and it felt nice to breathe and just wander. The city was absolutely beautiful- old cobblestone streets and buildings dating back to the 13th or 14th century. I spent many hours just exploring and also enjoyed walking around the large park. 

Welcome to Rennes!

This was actually the largest women's prison in France. I, along with a smaller group of students, were able to tour the facility. It is the only all-women's prison in the country.

Switching gears, back to pretty buildings!

One of the original gates into the city.

Rennes' city hall

The park they had was absolutely gorgeous!

On my last full day before flying home, I had the day to spend in Paris, solo. In order to maximize the number of things I got to see, I opted for a bike tour of the city. I highly recommend this as a great way to see the city! We got to see most of the major sites and it was actually fun riding a bike through the city streets.

Notre Dame

Not a bad way to end the trip!