From the relaxed chaos that is Italy, we Contiki-goers made our way to the on-time and ever-clean country of Switzerland…and what a stunning country it is! Seriously, folks – the scenery is wild. Upon entering the country, we hopped onto a tram and headed up into the mountains to appreciate the Alps and lakes spread out beneath us. Even the most talkative were left momentarily breathless (and not just because of altitude). We rocked out with those big horns you see in Ricola commercials (what are they called again?) and pretended we were mountaineers, standing tall and proud above the green and snowy peaks. I’ll tell you – that’s a great way to clear your mind. If ever you’re in need of some R&R, hit up Stanserhorn. After that, we ventured on to Lucerne, a stunning little place! We wandered about awhile before drinking in the scenery on an evening cruise upon the lake. Then back to the hotel…a converted women’s prison. Uh, what?? Not as creepy as it sounds, though…unless you’re alone in a 4-bed room like I was! Oh dear :)

Then after Lucerne, we made our way to the city of lights and love: Paris. Upon entering the city, Pom Pom and our driver Super Pete took us on an absolutely fabulous Illuminations Tour of the city by evening. In all seriousness, I had been to Paris twice before, and this tour made it new again. New and perhaps even more exciting than it had been the other times. Honestly! We got jokes, history, and unparalleled guidance before making it to the Eiffel Tour just in time to see it light up with flashing fairy lights it displays each evening. It was an entirely magical evening.

The following day we were free to roam Paris, so I attended the optional perfumery tour, got all snazzed up with a new fragrance, then explored the city with some of my newfound Contiki friends. We made sure to visit cathedrals, drink plenty of coffee, and ride the carousels like any good Parisian would do. And if that’s not Parisian, well…okay, so the carousels bit isn’t really, but it was a blast anyway! Then on to the Arc de Triomph and Champs Elysees for some shopping. That night we hit up a traditional Parisian cabaret which was absolutely nuts! Balancing acts, women twirling about on ropes hung from the ceiling, magic, juggling, dance and song…not to mention the delicious dinner and drinks. Wow, buddy was the show awesome! And after that, we had one last night all together in the big city of Pah-ree before heading our separate ways the next morning. Let me just say that it was really difficult to say goodbye to all the people we’ve gotten to know so well over the last two weeks. I really miss them already!

Alas, the incredible whirlwind of a trip has come to an end, and I can’t stress enough how blown away I am by the amount of fun I had on this tour. I met an insanely fun bunch of people, visited a crazy number of vastly different cities and countries, and mixed the cultural, social, and geographical in ways I didn’t think possible in 13 days. I miss my new friends and Tour Manager and Driver so very much already, and I can only hope that you’ve gotten from my blogs even the tiniest glimpse of all that Contiki has to offer.

Take my word for it: if you’re up for a challenging and insanely rewarding time, you’re ready for this trip. Yeah, European Discovery!

Thank you, Contiki. I hope to meet again someday!

And for those of you who have been asking about my tech gear, I’ve been using the most chic little black Mac you’ve ever seen. I’ve heard more pickup lines while carrying this thing than during the entirety of my life…all the youngsters just want my laptop ;) I’m using iMovie and iPhoto for the pics and podcasts, so check them out if you’re into user-friendly programs! You’ll all feel like tech wizards soon enough. Oh, and we get up to 10% off Macs with our ISIC cards! Check out "Apple":http://apple.com/education and "ISIC":http://myisic.com for details.

Off to Berlin tomorrow to meet up with tour two, so wish me luck! Look forward to being in contact soon.

Rachel