Madi’s travel adventures, part 2

Madi continued her travels in Europe by heading from Italy to Switzerland. In Switzerland she was hosted by former Basinite and friend of Jeb Adams, Josh King and his family. She spent four days with them in Lucerne. They spent time sightseeing around the lake and among the mountains. 

“The mountains put Wyoming mountains to shame, even the Tetons would be dwarfed by the Swiss Alps, Madi said.  “The mountains there are so big and rugged. Things are so clean in that area, not all of Europe is that way, but I found Switzerland to be quite clean.”

She was able to visit many attractions there but one particularly caught her attention.  The Lion Monument, a colossal rock relief of a dying lion carved into a sandstone cliff. It was carved in 1820-1821 to commemorate the Swiss Guards who were killed in 1792 defending King Louis XVI at the Tuileries palace in Paris. The sculpture is a mortally wounded lion with a spear in its side and its paw resting on a shield. Madi, who loves art and would love to study abroad was quite impressed by the sculpture. 

“I just found it very moving,” Madi said. “It seemed just very touching to my soul.”

From Switzerland Madi traveled on to Paris, France where she found another friend from a hostel to explore the city. They were able to see an art museum, but not the Louvre. She and her friend enjoyed the one they did visit, though, as well as seeing the Eiffel Tower. 

“I didn’t like Paris and Rome that much,” she said. “They were to big and dirty and there were lots of pickpockets. I didn’t really feel unsafe anywhere, but I felt less safe in Rome and Paris than in the smaller cities.”

Madi had to try the famous French pastries and found them to be everything that they are claimed to be. She found all the food in her travels to be much better that food here in the States. 

“I felt much lighter and more energetic,” Madi said. “I wonder if it is because Europe has already banned a lot of chemicals in their food that we still have here in the states?”

From Paris her route took her to Cologne, Germany. She was only able to spend one day there and of course she had to “buy some cologne in Cologne.” She also visited a “huge cathedral” during her short time there. 

From Cologne she took the train to Frankfurt, she had planned to spend the night in Frankfurt. But was advised against it so she waited and took the morning train, which took her directly to the airport where she caught her flight to Denver and then to Cody. 

“I didn’t really feel ready to come home,” Madi said. “I want to go back, maybe to study there. Everywhere I went people went out of their way to be helpful. Even if language was a problem, they would draw pictures, use Google language apps, or ask others. In the meantime, people here were wondering if I was okay. They wondered if I was going to get kidnapped or something.” 

Yes Madi has plans to go back, she must work and save up some more money, maybe get some scholarships to study art there, but be assured she will be going back.