Hallo aus Deutschland

(That means 'Hello from Germany,' definitely had to look that one up...)
Well, I am writing this little post from the comfort of my cousin Brian's Heidelberg flat, courtesy of the US Army internet connection. Let me tell you, the Army hooks up their men. This two story apartment is fully equipped with vaulted ceilings, a flat screen tv, washer and dryer (!!), and a full kitchen including an oven! I don't even know what to do with myself. In Spain, we use the good 'ol clothesline and cook food on the stove... life is hard.
We got to Heidelberg a day later than expected because all the trains from Paris on Sunday were full. We didn't realize that even though we had a Eurail pass, we still had to reserve tickets. Another night in Paris... not a problem.
Backing up, Paris was amazing. Bromley and I got to see all the big sights: the Louve, D'Orsay, Tour Eiffel, Seine, Jardin des Tuileries, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur. We went up the Eiffel Tower and cruised down the Seine in one of the tour boats. Five days isn't much, but we made it work. The weather held up for us too; even though it was overcast, it was a decent mild temperature and only slightly rained one day. We metro-ed all over that city. More about that later.
Back to now- Germany is fab. Especially after being in Paris, Heidelberg is a very comfortable, relaxed, hometown sort of place. Everyone is very friendly and most speak English, or at least try. (Which is good because German is nothing like anything I have ever heard in my life. No clue.) Brian's flat has to be primo real estate zone. It is literally right in the middle of the cutest block in town. The Euro 2008 soccer tournament is going on right now and Brian lives right above an English sports bar, so we got to see the game last night and tonight, in English, a luxury these days. Holland beat world champs Italy last night, which made the Germans very happy, and Sweden dominated Greece tonight, which did not make the Germans happy. Over the past two days we have walked all over 'Old Town,' the historical district of town where Brian lives. Also Bromley and I went for a run down the Necker River earlier tonight. There are mountains and trees all around, very beautiful. Heidelberg has been a nice relaxing place, makes me not want to leave.
Tomorrow morning we leave at 6:00 AM for Lucerne, Switerland. We will be back in Alicante on the 18th! I will have a much more thorough report from there. (And a million pictures, get excited!)