I really do wish every day was Brat Day. Here's Paul, giving a shout out from the East Coast. It's been an eventful summer and the time to blog about it has arrived.
Shortly after Mark and Jana's wedding, I was off to Europe on a tour of pleasure. This journey took us to London first, then to Corsica, Switzerland, Normandy and Paris. Highlights include Corsica and Normandy.
Corsica was much more rugged than I expected. As we hiked along the coast of this island, we
gained and lost over six thousand feet in six or seven miles. While it is only one hundred miles long, it has peaks high enough to be snow capped throughout the year. At sea level, numerous castles guard the island's bays against pirate attacks. Communication was near impossible in most of the tiny villages we waked through, but somehow I managed to try the local cheeses and dried meats (most of which were scrumptious).
Here's a picture of Normandy. Normandy is wonderful because of its quaint medieval villages and WWII sites. This is the American Cemetery on Omaha Beach. If your American citizenship ever has you down, I recommend spending some time in this part of France. Its crawling with American veterans/tourists and packed with French monuments which memorialize American greatness.
Now, as all of you undoubtedly know, Saturday, July 31 was Brat Day-- the commemoration of both the bratwurst and the approaching end of summer. A proper Brat Day celebration starts out with a dip
in the drink. (To facilitate this, my roommates and I invested in an above ground pool this year). After that, bratwursts are enjoyed by all participants. Finally, the Brat Day Song should be sung throughout the day (see video at bottom).Brat Day started in 2002. That first Brat Day, there were three of us--Scott, Emily, and myself. This year, conservative estimates put worldwide observance of Brat Day up around 70 with reports still coming in. It has also appeared on networking sites such as facebook and twitter.
Well, thats just about it. I love all of you, so keep in touch.
