Normandy and Paris, Day 1.5

This weekend, we made a pilgrimage to Normandy and then came back through Paris to see Versailles and meet up with some of the French LBATers for dinner. It was peaceful kind of weekend, full of walking and observing. Our train got into Paris Friday night so we met Abby near the LBATers' place for a quick bite to eat. Somehow we managed to make ourselves believe that the metro closed at around 2:30 AM so we were thinking of things to do out on the night scene (we're a bunch of nerds so it'd be kind of funny), but then Abby looked at us like we were crazy and stated that she thought the metro closed at 1... When the culprit who mentioned the incorrect time was finally questioned, his response was, "Oh yeah, I just made up a number," and we all had a good laugh.

Four of us woke up early Saturday morning to catch our train to Caen while the two brothers went on their own adventure into Paris. Once in Caen, we picked up a rental car and headed up to the beaches after a few scary moments. All the cars in Europe seem to be manuals, and almost all ramps and major turns are busy traffic circles--our driver was a trooper. His most notable accomplishment was surviving my backseat-driving. :)

We trekked up to Pointe du Hoc first, and once we rounded the first corner the scene in front of us came into view and kind of floored me for a second. The whole earth was dimpled with giant craters and shattered chunks of concrete and twisted metal. Grass and weeds had covered most of it by now, and there was evidence of the famed cliffs eroding away, but that place evoked for me what war would be like. All this was occupied by the Germans, and those craters were put there by the Allies decades ago. World War II finally started to feel real, not just a chapter out of a textbook.

The monument that used to stand on the section of cliffs that the Rangers climbed isn't there at the moment because the face of the cliff is being slowly eaten away by the sea. To save this part of the cliff, they've got a big crane and lots of workers filling the holes in with concrete and steel beams. When they're finished with the inside, they're going to cover the work up with real rocks and earth that are already part of the environment so that the cliff looks like it's never been touched. Although they'll have to fix it again eventually, they expect it to last for about 50 years.

We climbed all over that pseudo-hilly surface like little ants. There was barbed wire and steel support beams sticking out of the earth, rusted and bent. Bunkers were like caves nestled down inside the ground, and going into them was like walking into a tomb. It was dark and damp and sad. At the edge of the top, we looked out onto the Atlantic, taking in the view of the cliffs all around and the drop in front of us. It was hard to imagine those 225 human beings scaling those cliffs under heavy fire from the enemy, and easy to imagine that only 90 of them survived. But the amazing part was that they accomplished their goal--they took down the German guns and won. I don't know if I'd ever be able to muster that kind of strength and determination.

Further along the road was Omaha Beach, where they landed for D-Day. As I stood there, I thought about Granddaddy and what it must have been like for him to finally arrive. I am the same age as he was, all those years ago, and I couldn't wrap my head around what he must have seen. I'm really looking forward to reading his letters when I get home. It was amazing to stand on that beach and see the little kids playing and the families enjoying their days in peace thanks to those who helped liberate Europe. Before we left, my fellow American travelers and I scooped up a good 10-pounds worth of sand in a bag and brought it back with us. I've got to bring it home in a used plastic water bottle, but it'll do until I find something nicer to put it in.

The next place we saw was the American Cemetery. After going through the small museum, we walked out to the Spirit of American Youth statue with the words, “This embattled shore, portal of freedom, is forever hallowed by the ideals, the valor and the sacrifices of our fellow countrymen,” displayed along the tops of the surrounding pillars. The reflection pool in front of it was beautiful, lily pads floating randomly and blooming pink. We saw a few graves, one of a man coincidentally named George Washington, and another of an unknown soldier.

The last place we went to was a site where some huge German anti-aircraft guns remained virtually intact. It was strange seeing the peaceful yellow fields and houses across the hill clash with the forbidding rusted guns aimed towards the ocean. We climbed up on one of the gun housings and admired the view, and then got back in our compact European vehicle and drove back to Caen, where we caught our returning train to Paris.

Strasbourg and the European Parliament

Today, we took a fieldtrip to Strasbourg to see the EU in action. They were just finishing up some last-minute discussions, and we got to sit in and put on the nifty translation headphones. It was kind of neat to see all different nationalities stand and speak so passionately, and to be able to hear it all in English almost instantaneously.

Before we went to the Parliament building, the buses dropped us off in Strasbourg, where we walked around for a bit, looked at the massive cathedral, ate lunch at a kebab place, and admired the huge drones of tourist groups and ugly souvenir shops.

The Parliament building was interesting--outside the front there is an abstract statue of two people "embracing" (or less lightly, having sex in a rather erotic position) that somehow is supposed to be interpreted as the "union" of European countries.... The only explanation for this we could come up with was, "Well, this is Europe...."

The building is kind of like a big arena; outside it looks like a cylinder, but inside it's a hollow oval shape, with windows looking inwards. We got to listen to a French representative talk about the basic principles of the EU, and we learned that she voted to keep Turkey out of the EU for now since she thinks it'd be better to strengthen the EU internally before growing again. The big room where all the representatives go is in this giant wood-paneled globe (it reeks of the 80s) inside the building. That's where we went to listen to the last of the discussion, which focused on North Korea's human rights issues and on pressuring China to pressure North Korea to fix these problems. It was an enlightening experience, and I was glad to have it.

Back at GTL, we had what was labeled a "BBQ, to celebrate July 4th" which really turned out to be an unorganized mess with not enough food for everybody (that's the general way events happen here so I shouldn't have been surprised). Anyway, I ended up with some free food at least, and now I'm getting psyched up for our Normandy/Paris trip this weekend!

London

For our 4-day weekend trip, we went to London! Initially, we were planning to go to Italy, but so did all the other kids in our program... The train station staff is almost crazy now that we're all scrambling to go to the same places. But London was totally worth the long trip, and we've saved Rome for our last big weekend here.

This trip, we met up with my roommate Abby who is getting her LBAT in Paris this summer. We flew Ryanair from Frankfurt-Hahn and Abbey took the Chunnel. It was awesome to have her with us! Hopefully next weekend after Normandy we will stop in Paris and visit.

We managed to cram in most of the main destinations--usually we got a quick photo as we walked by. We hit Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Little Ben, Saint Paul's, Trafalger Square, Picadilly Circus, the Soho district in general, the British Museum, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge, London Bridge, the Hard Rock Cafe, and last but not least, the London Eye.

A little group of us opted to go inside Westminster and the Eye, and to eat at the Hard Rock, and I'm glad to have seen it all. So thank you, Parents, for forgiving the extra pounds I spent for that little extra bit of history. ;)

Westminster was really cool, and I almost liked it better than the Museum. I mean, Sir Isaac Newton's grave was there! And all the poets (minus Shakespeare himself) and other scientists (like Charles Darwin) and royalty--this tiny collection of human beings shaped a significant chunk of the way we see the world today... It was beyond my ability to feel the reality of standing feet away from the dusty bones of such minds and creators.

Buckingham Palace was interesting. While we got there for the changing of the guard, it was hard to really see anything since there were so many people. However, I got some neat videos of soldiers marching around and horses and stuff. It was kind of funny to learn from Mom that the Queen was over in the States while we were in London over 4th of July weekend.

It was really cool and kind of bizarre to see the art and historical artifacts in the British Museum that (for years and years) I have seen in school textbooks. It's always strange to see the real thing after all you had was a photo to go on. It almost desensitizes you (as with the Mona Lisa) so that when you finally see it, you don't know what to think.

The Rosetta Stone was there in all its glory, and I was excited to see the Aztec double-headed turquoise mosaic serpent. The 13000-year-old reindeer sculpture was pretty impressive. But it was crazy to see the almost perfectly-preserved 5400-year-dead guy in his little glass box. I wonder what he would've thought if he'd known that millions of people every year would flock to the UK to get a glimpse of his remains.

The Hard Rock Cafe was intense. Prince's flowy white shirt caught my attention, and so did Madonna's leather jacket. I practically jumped for joy upon encountering Elton John's pink sunglasses on the way to the bathroom. There was a Jimi Hendrix box in the center of the restaurant, and we saw Eric Clapton's guitar over the main bar, the very first guitar ever donated to the HRC.

I was disappointed to miss when the rest of the group disappeared into the Vault underneath the store--there was a lot of cool stuff down there. But I'm happy with stealing their pictures later. :) The food was absolutely delicious. I got a California Burger and a fruit smoothie, and shared the nacho appetizer with the group. I almost had a heart attack, but it was amazing.

The best part was the HRC playing two versions of the Star Spangled Banner since it was Independence Day! The second one was Whitney Houston singing it at some sporting event. It was goosebump-inducing. And everybody (well, probably all the American tourists) clapped at the end. It made me a little homesick...

Right before we got on the tube back to the train station, we stopped by the London Eye, and a few of us went up in it. It was the biggest ferris wheel I've ever seen, right over the Thames and looking out across the whole city. We got some impressive pictures, and then we had to say goodbye to Abby before we headed off towards home. All in all, we got a lot done and it was a great trip.

This week we're taking a GTL field trip to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. More on that soon. Next week, a few of us are heading to Normandy and back through Paris. Only a few more weeks left! Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Independence Day

~*Happy 4th of July from London to my friends and family back home in the States!!!*~
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Nice, Monaco, and Villefranche Sur Mer

Back from our trip to Southern France. I could swim in the Mediterranean Sea all day if I could, it was so beautiful. I felt like I had jumped into a postcard, somewhere you only see in pictures and can't believe is real even when you're right there breathing it in.

We rode the night train both there and back, a good option if you want to "time travel." We arrived back just in time for me to take a shower and wash out all the sea salt from my hair before French class.

The first day we spent in Nice, exploring the city and the beach. The hostel we stayed at was pretty nice, not far from the train station. After dinner at a delicious all-you-can-eat mussel restaurant called Le Festival des Moules, we bumped into another Tech grad who completely understood why I was the only girl out of a group of 9 people. :)

The next morning we headed over to Monaco by local train, which was about as cheap as a bus ticket. I can see why all the richies want to live there--the view is spectacular. We grabbed some sandwiches from a street vendor and hiked up to the fort where the prince hangs out. After that, we walked down through a maze-like park that overlooked the Sea, and then back up a massive hill towards Monte Carlo.

The casino was neat from the outside. A few of our group weren't 21 yet so we didn't go inside; instead, we took lots of pictures of all the bajillionaires' cars and looked at all the fountains.

We decided to stop in a small town between Monaco and Nice called Villefranche Sur Mer. It had a fort you could climb up to, and we spent a bit of time up there enjoying the view before heading to dinner at a quaint little place. The French people like to take their time at dinner--we were there for a few hours, but the meal was delicious and it was nice not having to rush.

On Monday, we fulfilled the first stage of The Bet. The Bet, for those I haven't told yet, is about hair. Eric hasn't let his hair grow out longer than an inch for his whole life so I bet him that he couldn't go the rest of the summer without cutting it. Naturally, he decided to dye his hair an outrageous color so as to keep himself from shaving his head--after such an investment, it would be more economical to keep his hair. We couldn't find anybody who would take us seriously about blue hair, but we did find a nice lady who turned him blonde. Whether or not he can keep it is another story, but my end of the bet is that if he manages not to cut his hair, then I have to let the guys pick my hairstyle at the end of the summer. Don't worry, no man/bald/perm/make-dad-cry haircuts allowed, but color is game. Wish me luck.

The rest of Monday was spent climbing around the park we found up at the top of the city, where there was a man-made waterfall, and down at the pebble beach swimming and soaking up some sun. There was some commotion when people saw a dorsal fin off in the distance, but sadly, it turned out to be a dead dolphin rolling around in the waves.

Later, some of us went shopping and to MacDo's while the rest went off to eat at the mussel place again before getting on the night train back to Metz. It was a very nice trip--I felt like I had been on vacation, except that I had class at 10 Tuesday morning...

Not sure where we're going next, but I'll keep you updated!

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The Hackenberg Fort and the Saint-Avold American Cemetery

Paris

Just got back from our 2-day trip to Paris. It was originally intended to be Normandy, but due to travel complications we decided to postpone that and some more of Paris for next weekend.

We got a good deal of stuff done, hitting most of the big tourist landmarks and taking tons of awesome pictures.

The first day, we saw a palace of some sort on our way to tour Notre Dame. We climbed up several claustrophobically-narrowing spiral staircases way up to the very top and looked out over the city. I thought that was a considerable height from which I could accidentally drop my camera, but that changed after visiting the Eiffel Tower.

We were a tad miffed once we got to the big structure because the line was ridiculous, we were being set upon like carrion by the vulture-like stolen-goods vendors, and because they'd temporarily closed the top for an indefinite amount of time.

After we decided to go up to the second floor anyway, I was excited to see the view. This was THE Eiffel Tower! The probably most-photograped structure in the world, and I was going to walk around inside it. After we'd seen the view for a bit, we noticed they'd actually reopened the top back up. Some of us seized our chance and jumped in line--Eric was right, he's seen this thing 12 times now--if I could, I'd want to see it 11 more times too. I now understand why people get engaged up there--it's corny, but with a view like that, you can't help but feel all romantic and optimistic about life. :P

Paris is a beautiful city. It's not as earthy as Barcelona, and it's not as organized as NYC. It's full of irregular polygon shaped blocks and circles and eternally stretching lines of perfectly groomed trees. Seeing it from the top of the tower was spectacular. Unlike from the second floor, where you had to search hard to find the big landmarks, from the top the Arch, the Louvre, the capital building and the cathedral stuck out like chess pieces on a gigantic board.

Later on, after eating at (hehe) a MacDo's, we found our hotel in a sketchy, still-developing part of town. Eh, it was cheap, yet clean and somewhat better than any hostel we've stayed at.

This morning we ate some breakfast at the hotel and set off early for the Metro to l'arc de triomphe. I didn't know what to expect until we saw it from across the giant traffic circle. When we got right up to it and saw the eternal flame, the feeling of extreme smallness and insignificance finally hit home. I knew it would happen at some point in Europe--it almost got me at the Tower, but it finally steamrolled me as we were deciphering de Gaulle's speech transcribed from one of his radio announcements from London. Even though it was during WWI, it made me think about Granddaddy and what he must've gone through. I'm really looking forward to Normandy.

We made it to La Louvre and got in for free (again, awesome student status), saw Venus, Mona, some more tourist must-sees, and Nap III's apartment. My favorite of all of them was still Venus. She's inspiring for some weird reason. :)

Of course, even though I had just beheld some of the most acclaimed art in the world, I couldn't help freaking out over how cool the floating spiral staircase was under the giant glass pyramid.

We took more tourist pictures and headed down the mall-like park towards the Obelisk, then sat around relaxing a bit before heading back to la gare and waiting for our train. I still can't believe we just got back from PARIS--it was assuredly different than what I expected, but it was a definitely worthwhile place to see. I'm looking forward to seeing a bit more of it next weekend.
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