Living the Mediterranean Life

We've had no internet the last few days, so I'll try to do a few posts today to catch up. On Wednesday this week, we made our way to the Mediterranean Sea for the day. The coast is only an hour and a half from our villa, so we were able to stay at the beach all day. Being NW kids, we all pictured white sand beaches, clear blue water, and bath tub temperature water. None of these ended up being true, but we had fun none the less. We spent the first few hours laying on the beach, swimming in the waves, and being scarred by topless French women. We then wandered into the little beach town, which looks similar to Redondo Beach. We stopped for the best crepes, with peaches, strawberries, almonds, and vanilla ice cream on top. Yum! After weaving through endless rows of shops, ice cream parlors, clothing boutiques, and soap shops, we made our way back to the beach to end the day. You could see a strong Italian and Spanish influence in the town, called St. Marie le Mer. The water, despite being a little cold, was beautiful and clear, and you could walk out 500 yards and not go over your head. We even bought an inflatable alligator and floated around, getting strange looks from the French. It was a beautiful day! 

Rivers and Rome

We've reached the south of France, and its like a paradise oasis. We are staying in an 18th century villa, built in a Tuscan style, with a pool deck we lounge on constantly. The first day here was spent reading by the pool in the sunshine, walking down the hill to the nearby vineyard, and being serenaded by a local guitar player til late into the night. Rough life, I know.

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon kayaking under the Roman Aqueducts, seen above.  We kayaked down the river 6km. Surprisingly, the river looked a lot like going along the Deschutes River in Central Oregon, sans the aqueducts you would paddle under every few km. These aqueducts are massive. Over three stories high, its impossible to think how the Romans could have built these structures over 2,000 years ago by hand. The river was lined by people all the way down. We were startled every few bends by the people tanning naked on the shore, but hey, it's the French. The river was fairly calm, with a few little rapids. Every time we got stuck on some rocks, a little boy would scurry over from the beach and push us off, jabbering away in French. They were adorable. We pulled off a few times to jump off the cliffs, and some of the boys even jumped off the lower tier of the aqueduct! It was a beautiful day meandering down the river, and we were all exhausted by the time we got home in the evening.

Bayeux

Yesterday was our last excursion in the north, to Bayeux. Our first stop was at Bayeux's main claim to fame, the tapestry of William the Conqueror. At over 100 feet long, this tapestry, which was hung in the castle on high festivals, tells the tale of William the Conqueror's triumph over his cousin, Harold, to gain the English throne. What is more impressive than the sheer length of the tapestry is the intricate detail. All hand stitched, it depicts epic battle scenes, royal fleets of sailing ships, coronation ceremonies, elaborate armour, and herds of horses in exquisite detail. You just can't imagine how people could have created this, let alone how long it must have taken them. As you walk around the room in which the tapestry is displayed, an audio device describes the event that each scene on the tapestry depicts. Simply beautiful, and proof that the written word isn't necessary to pass down hundreds of years of history.

We then walked down the street to visit Bayeux Cathedral. Ok, I've said it before, but I'll say it again....I want a cathedral. I will never tire of wandering aimlessly in these hulking behemoths, with high Gothic windows, flying buttresses, stained glass mater pieces, and cold stone immanence. And Bayeux has now taken the honored position as my favorite cathedral. I've never seen stained glass in such brilliant colors. The outside is covered with gargoyles and statues of saints, guarding the base of four towering spires. Inside there is a crypt, which for a time was lost, and has just recently been rediscovered (I know, how do you lose a crypt?). We got to go down inside of it, which was cool, sans the fact it did smell like something had died down there.

We finished the day wandering the shops and restaurants of Bayeux. We ate eclairs in a tea shop that made you feel as if you were sitting at an English garden party. We all attempted to get our American food fix at McDonalds, but as it was 2 miles away, we settled for some amazing pizza (I know, eating pizza in France, what am I doing?) All in all, a fun last stop in the north. Tomorrow we make our way by bus to Paris where we will catch the high speed train to the south, to Avingnon. Then another bus will take us to our villa in St. Maxime, a few miles outside of Uzes. We've all loved exploring our little fishing village of Honfleur, and will miss having cafe au lait and croissants on the harbor. But we are excited to finally find some sun in the south, where its been in the 90s all week!

Freedom isn't Free

Today I am thankful for the brave men and women who have served our country so gallantly. After spending the day at the American Cemetery at Coleville and L'Pointe du Hoc, our whole group was emotionally drained and overwhelmed. I've visited both Arlington and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, but was still struck by the enormity and power of the cemetery and memorial today. Upon entering the cemetery, you see a large columned memorial, which contains an account of the beach landings at Normandy, as well as detailed maps. In the center is a two story high bronze statue of a Greek warrior. Behind the memorial is a list of names of all those missing in action, set up much like the Vietnam Memorial in DC. Next, one enters into the 8 different plots in the cemetery. The eerie precision of the headstone rows always sends shivers down my spine, and reminds me of the sanctity of these grounds. There is a beautiful chapel in the middle of the grounds, with a tile mosaic on the ceiling of wounded soldiers being comforted by angels. We then walked down to Omaha Beach. We sat in the sand and stared up at the bluff from where we'd just come, trying to imagine what it would have been like to have to climb it under enemy gunfire. Needless to say we got goosebumps. We finished our time in the visitors center, which tells the story of the planning and execution of D-Day, along with artifacts from the war. No one in our group left with a dry eye.

We then drove down the road to L'Pointe du Hoc, where 225 Army Rangers scaled sheer cliffs to take control of the point between Omaha and Utah beach. The bunkers at the top were manned by the last the of the German reserves, young boys of 13 or 14. Though outnumbered, they fired down at the climbing Rangers as they scaled the 100 foot cliffs. But the Rangers persevered, and took the bunkers and the point. However, only 90 made it to the end of the day. As we walked out into the park, large crater holes littered the ground on each side. Remnants of several bunkers remain, and visitors can go inside, which gives one a chilling feeling knowing what went on in those rooms. As I looked out over the cliffs, I couldn't imagine how these Rangers, no older than me, managed to climb them and get to the top, while being fired on with machine guns. It was a truly humbling feeling to look out and remember the sacrifice of those who didn't make it.

We ended the day, fittingly, with a showing of Saving Private Ryan at the house. We all got goosebumps, for the movie opens and closes at the American Cemetery at Coleville, where we had just been all day. It was a sobering day, and reminded us all just what it cost to win the war and enjoy the freedoms we often take for granted.

Bastille Day

Vive la France! Bastille Day is celebrated on July 14, to honor the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution. It's like their 4th of July, but on steroids. The festivities began the night before, we a DJ and dance party in the town square. When we got there, the DJ was playing, but no one was dancing. So what did the American students do? Start a dance party of course! The DJ knew we were American, so started playing songs we knew, such as Party Rock Anthem, Cotton Eye Joe, and the Everybody Needs Somebody to Love. Highlight of the night was teaching all the French people the YMCA.

On Bastille Day, we began by going to the markets. The French are crazy for markets, and since Bastille Day fell on a Saturday, the markets were even crazier. Think of an outdoor farmers market that covers every square inch of town. There are lots of booths with fresh produce, meats, and cheeses. But there are also clothes, shoes, jewelry, cutting knives, purses, nail polish, boxers, and kittens. The oddest assortment I've ever seen!

In the afternoon, the whole town gathers around the waterfront to watch the annual greased pole competition. A large wooden pole sticks out over the water, with plants and a French flag at the end. The pole is then slathered in grease. Competitors must try to run to the end of the pole and grab the flag without falling to win. AKA for the first 45 mins, the whole town watches wipe out after spectacular wipe out. The best part? No one cheers. The crowd is silent. For a really good attempt, they will politely clap, but that's it. One of the guys on our trip tried it to! After about an hour of competition, one of the older men in town took a diving leap on his attempt, and snatched the flag. The crowd finally broke their silence and broke out into a roaring cheer. The cutest part was when he climbed out on the pole, holding the flag above his head, and holding his small daughters in his arms.

At night, the DJ set and dance party began again. The entire town is out on the waterfront. The challenge is dodging the firecrackers and bottle rockets that are constantly being thrown at your feet. There is no regulation on fireworks, and 8 year olds light fireworks and throw them into dense crowds, while their parents laugh. I will never again complain about feeling unsafe on the 4th of July in the US. The night concluded with a giant fireworks display over the water. It was set to music from big movie thrillers, such as Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. They were spectacular, and honestly made any display I've seen in the US seem weak. And I was only in Honfleur. I can only imagine what the display in Paris must have been like.

All in all, an exhaustingly long but incredible day. I can now say I've celebrated Bastille Day in France, and survived with all my fingers and toes. Vive la France!

Lilypads and Lionhearts



Today was a rainy day in northern France, but it was our second excursion day and we pushed on regardless. Our first stop was Giverny, where Monet's estate is located. We began with a walk through his gardens. More impressive than the size was the vast variety of flowers there. As far as the eye can see was color. I'd never seen so many different types of flowers in one place. When we got home, we laughed at our camera rolls full of 100 pictures of flowers. A little overkill, but you couldn't help it. We then made our way to the infamous lily ponds. 3 different Japanese bridges span the pond. Lily pads stretch as far as the eye can see, with giant weeping willows arching over the waters. We stopped for the stereotypical photo on the bridge, along with every other person in the park. Then you enter Monet's house. He was one of the world's largest collectors of Japanese art, so his house is decorated with much of his collection. One room, which was my favorite though, contained some of Monet's own collection, which were amazing to see in person.

We then traveled to Rouen. Our first stop was Notre Dame de Rouen, where all the Dukes of Normandy are buried. You step inside a massive, Gothic, cathedral with a towering "butter spire." Inside was some of the most impressive stained glass I've ever seen. We found the tomb of Richard the Lionhearted, which brought me back to Bed Knobs and Broomsticks. The cathedral was bombed during WWII, and some of the cathedral is still being repaired. Down the street was the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the 1400's, which was really just a plaque in the middle of a garden. Rouen did have the best shopping of the trip so far, and a McDonald's, so everyone got their share of retail therapy and American cooking for the week.



Well, my dreams have finally come true. After 20 years of life, I have now visited Hogwarts. Today, we visited Mont Saint Michel, a cathedral from the 11th century. It is one of the largest Catholic pilgrimage sites in Europe. Built on a island in the middle of the Bay of Biscay, you must walk over a small land bridge, visible only at low tide to get there. The trek through the waters symbolizes baptism. Upon entering the walled city, you are surrounded by junk shops on all sides as you wind up and up endless stairs to the actual cathedral itself, situated at the top of the rock. My only regret of the day is that my pictures will never do this place justice. It is truly the most beautiful building I have ever been in. We called it a combo of Hogwarts, the Beast's castle from Beauty and the Beast, the high king's castle in Narnia, and the castle in Lord of the Rings. Aka, super cool. The front half of the cathedral is Roman architecture, and the back half is Gothic, making for a weird visual sight as you turn from the front to the back. Mt. St. Michel is still an active cathedral, with monks living in the upper floors (we even saw one from afar!) Its incredible to think that structures as beautiful as this exist. We just don't have buildings this old in the US. We could have stayed there all day, with so much to do, see, and explore, but eventually we had to make the 3 mile trek back from the city to the bus parking lot. A long and tiring day, but well worth it!