Remembering Normandy

My paper is finished! I can not tell you how nice it is to be able to write on this blog in English and not have to continually look up words on a translator - writing about the "cure for human apathy in Don Quijote" in Spanish was not the most fun thing I've ever done... anyway, back to blogging! 

An iconic shot of the cemetery

The day after I arrived to Paris, I woke up bright and early to take a train to Caen to visit Normandy and the D-Day beaches with my friend Leonard, who I am studying with in Barcelona and was also visiting Paris for the weekend. After Carolyn dropped me off at the metro strop (so nice of her... it was REALLY early), I was on my own to navigate my way to the train station, print off my ticket, and get on the right train. The whole endeavor was a little overwhelming since I had never taken a train on my own before, do not speak french, and was unable to print off my ticket ahead of time, but eventually I figured everything out after a lot of hand gestures and pointing to my confirmation info on my phone. Thank goodness for e-mail on blackberries!

First stop on our tour was the Mémorial de Caen, a beautiful museum dedicated to educating people about what caused WWII, the war itself, and its aftermath. The museum was full of interesting pictures, pieces of propaganda, and artifacts from the war, including a couple of tanks.

Nazi artifacts

Propaganda from the war - before the days of photoshop - images (even photos) were altered to make them appear a certain way

The exhibits were really well done and included a lot of symbolism to make an emotional impact on the audience - for example in the main room the walkway was a downward spiral, alluding to the state of world affairs as the war progressed. We also saw a film at the museum that featured two video recordings playing side by side of the invasion of Normandy - one from the point of view of the Germans, and one from the point of view of the allies. Definitely a museum worth seeing.

After the museum, we went to one of the artificial harbors crafted by the allies to offload cargo onto the beaches during the war.

concrete remnants of the temporary harbor

 We continued on to visit German bunkers that still remain (with their original guns) from the war. It was interesting to hear that when the French farmer bought his land, the bunkers just came as part of his property. Also interesting was to see where the bunkers had not completely protected the guns and the machinery was damaged.

After the bunkers, we visited the American Cemetery and Memorial in Normandy. I had a hard time wrapping my head around all of the history that I witnessed throughout the day, and when we arrived in the cemetery and saw all of the headstones with the names of young American men, it finally started to feel more real. It was very sobering to see names upon names of men, surely close to my age, that had all risked their lives for the sake of protecting our country. I realized that I often take things for granted, and knowing that I will never have to make that decision myself, it is hard to even fathom such bravery. It is hard not to feel patriotic here.

The ceiling mosaic -  protecting a soldier...

...and caring for the wounded

After the cemetery our group went down to Omaha Beach, to see one of the five sectors of the invasion. It was hard to believe that such a pristine, beautiful beach today was also the site of so much violence and death. A self-proclaimed history buff from South Africa on our tour told us a story of how the men on the boats were hardly prepared for what they were about to face, often stumbling out of the boats seasick only to find a gun aimed straight towards them. One young man slipped and fell into the water, and when he surfaced the 30 men who had just left the boat with him were all dead. He had just missed the pass of the machine gun. Others fell into the water and drowned simply because their packs were too heavy. Again, it was so hard to even imagine this taking place on the very beach we were walking on during such a beautiful day.

Our final stop on the tour was the Pointe du Hoc, a German installation on a clifftop where you can still see craters in the ground from the artillery to this day.

I feel like I left Caen and Normandy with a better understanding of the war and even of our own country's mentality. Whenever we talk about history, it feels antiquated and removed. Actually walking through history, as I did, was an entirely new and different experience. To be able to say I walked on the hallowed ground where so many risked their lives is still surreal. The entire day was emotionally and physically exhausting, but definitely worth it.

When I finally got back to Carolyn's that night, it made it that much sweeter to be greeted by some of my best friends from Minnesota: Erin, Kyle, and Katie!

... and because I know you are going to ask (I'm looking at you, grandma, aunt janet, etc. :) ), Leonard is JUST a friend.

coming soon...

So I have three updates to write for you: Normandy, a blog on El Raval/La Rambla, and Prague. However, I am currently in the midst of writing a paper on Miguel de Unamuno's commentary on fame and immortality in Cervantes' Don Quijote, so the blogs are kind of taking a backseat to real schoolwork. I promise I will write soon!

La vie est belle

Katie and I in Paris!

The weekend of October 7th, we had a long weekend in Barcelona due to Columbus day on the 12th. Yes, they celebrate Columbus day here, and are actually very proud of the fact that Columbus (or Cristobal Colón, as they say in Spanish, and Colom, in Catalan) landed in Barcelona after his first excursion to the Americas. They have even erected their very own monument in his honor. Since the holiday was on a Tuesday, classes on Monday were canceled for what they called a "bridge" day (but mostly just an excuse for a day off). Taking advantage of the long weekend, I hopped on a flight straight from class for my first trip out of the country, to Paris. I went to stay with my high school friend, Carolyn, who is living in a home stay right there in the city. After being Spain where I more or less speak the language, it was definitely unnerving once I arrived to Orly and did not speak the language. My brain kept wanting to speak Spanish, although I knew English would probably be more helpful! However, Carolyn gave me very detailed directions on what bus to take and metro to hop on, and the trip went off more or less without a hitch. In a matter of hours, I found myself sitting on a bench outside of the metro stop where Carolyn was to pick me up. It was there that I saw my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower - tired and a little disoriented from all of the travel, I had somehow missed it when I got off the metro stop. But there it was, shining overhead the Parisian rooftops!

Carolyn met me at the metro stop, and led me to her building. Stepping into the flat, I was greeted with the aroma of a home-cooked meal - roast chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, and homemade gravy! It may sound simple, but after being in Barcelona where they eat mostly pig products and pa amb tomaquet, the meal was a welcome change, and tasted absolutely delicious (thank you Carolyn!). After dinner, I got my first feel for Paris at night as we wandered along the Champs-Élysées. 

The next morning, I got up bright and early to catch a train to Caen, France, to visit the beaches of Normandy. I'm waiting on pictures from the day trip and there is so much to say about that day, so that is going to be an entirely separate post. Arriving back to Paris Friday night, I was greeted by some familiar faces - Erin, Kyle, and Katie, all good friends from Blake that were visiting Paris from England for the weekend. It was so great to be with all of my friends from Minnesota! We spent the next couple of hours catching up and sharing our stories from abroad.

Saturday morning (or noon, rather), Carolyn and I rolled out of bed to enjoy a breakfast of fresh baguette, nutella (a chocolate hazelnut spread) and homemade raspberry jam. Carolyn's host father teaches cooking classes to the American abroad students in Paris, and I definitely enjoyed his cooking that weekend. Carolyn's host parents were very welcoming and made me feel right at home. They do not speak English at all around Carolyn, so she said it was very strange to hear them speak English to me! I have loved being on my own, but it definitely made me wish that I had a little bit of the home stay experience here in Barcelona... I think the great food helped!

Carolyn in the kitchen with her host parents

Carolyn and I at the breakfast table

Following our carbo-loaded breakfast, I took a bus tour of the city with Erin, Katie, and Kyle. Sitting on the top of an open air deck, it was a great way to see all of the sights in the little time that we had to spend, as well as enjoy the beautiful weather! We lucked out on such a sunny weekend. Here are some of the pictures from the tour - I tried to snap up the best shots I could from a moving vehicle!

The Opera house, where we started our tour

Driving into the Louvre courtyard

The pyramid entrance to the Louvre

Notre Dame

I don't think I need to tell you this one!

A closer view as we drove around the Eiffel Tower

Driving across the Seine

Napoleon's humble abode

The Arc de Triomphe - a little larger and more significant than the one we have here at the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona

A close up of details on the Arc

After our bus tour, we met up with Lindsey, my roommate in Barcelona, and Leonard, one of my friends studying in Barcelona. Sugar deprived, we all took a much-needed rest stop at a chocolatier and then sat ourselves down at a little café where we could meet up with Carolyn. Here I had my first taste of French cheese - it was so creamy and flavorful - I was in heaven!


Later that night, we all reunited for a French meal out on the town. Carolyn brought us to a really fun place (I can't remember the name now) that had absolutely delicious food. Among our favorite dishes were lamb with potatoes gratin and duck with foie gras sauce (my own choice). As much as I love tapas, I have definitely missed a good, hearty meal!

The entire group at dinner

The plate of lamb - it was so tender that you could pull the bone out clean. yummm

In addition to wonderful food, the restaurant also happened to be known for its "charming" waiters. Our own waiter was quite sassy, telling us he could not understand French (when he was clearly French... he mostly didn't want us Americans trying to speak it!), deciding our orders for us, and stealing my roommates camera and taking pictures of all of the chefs and other patrons. He was definitely a character, and made the night that much more entertaining.

Our hilarious waiter (he was taking a few drinks at the bar throughout the night... haha)

Although we were bursting at the seams from our fabulous dinner, we all managed to somehow find room for chocolate banana crêpes from down the street. Delicious!


Sunday morning, we ventured out to Montmarte and the Sacre Coeur. The basilica, all white as you can see, looked so pristine and beautiful against the bright blue sky that day.

Carolyn and I decided to take the opportunity to climb up to the top of the dome, which boasts the (2nd) best view of Paris, just behind the Eiffel Tower.

We climbed up a very narrow spiral stairwell for what seemed like a few minutes - I was getting a little claustrophobic, not to mention dizzy!

At the top of the stairs, we were greeted by this striking view of the towers, and then this:

Hello Paris!

 Walking 360 degrees around the dome, we could see the entire city. Absolutely breathtaking.

Written on the walls all around the dome are the names and initials of couples, friends, and individuals that have made their way to the top of Sacre Coeur (mostly couples... they do say it is the most romantic city in the world!). Our own favorite read:

"La vie est belle,

et vous êtes comme elle!

+ qu'hier

- que demain"

"Life is beautiful,

and you are like her!

+ than yesterday

- than tomorrow"

 

After spending some time taking in the view, we made our descent back down to the surrounding area, where a wine festival was taking place. Perusing the various cheese, wine, and sweet stands, we took advantage of the free samples they had to offer - fresh goat cheese, macarons (my new favorite!), and gelato (did I mention yet that I ate my way through this city?!).

That night, Carolyn's parents were gracious enough to host me for dinner, where I got to enjoy fresh  leek and vegetable soup, creamy potatoes gratin, delicately roasted fish, and a just-sweet-enough fruit crumble to finish it all off. It was really wonderful to sit and have a quiet evening, enjoying good food and good company. One "Americanism" I had corrected: in France, you do not put your bread on your plate, but on the table! As Carolyn's host father put it, "that is why you have a fresh table cloth at every meal."

Monday, my final day in Paris, we decided to be ambitious and take on the Louvre. It is hard to even begin to describe the museum, simply because it is HUGE. There are exhibits upon exhibits, but for as endless as it seems and for how many people it attracts daily, it is surprisingly tranquil inside. It is definitely the type of place where you could just meander for hours and keep stumbling upon new surprises. Some pictures from the morning:

We started at the ancient Egyptian exhibit

Where's Waldo?!

Ramses sarcophagus

A REAL mummy. Yep, I'm pretty sure we're cursed now.

We continued to a courtyard filled with French statues

... And to stagings of Napoleon III's apartments

After a couple of hours in the Louvre, our stomachs were telling us it was about that time for lunch. We wandered around the streets for a while in search of a creperie, but to no avail. Instead we picked up a couple of ham and BUTTER (a welcome addition, as they only serve ham sandwiches with tomato paste in BCN) sandwiches on baguettes. Of course, we had to follow that with some dessert, which consisted of a rich, dense, chocolate banana torte. Eating on a sidewalk bench, I enjoyed participating in one of Paris' favorite pastimes: people watching. In Paris, it is neither uncommon nor rude to watch (or even stare) as people walk by, and it is not expected to turn away once the passerby notices. This gave me the perfect chance to ogle all of the chic Paris fashion (without having to spend hundreds of dollars)!

Stopping in Poilâne, a famous Parisian bakery

We spent the late afternoon in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, the biggest in Paris. Said to be the most visited cemetery in the world, it is the grave site of hundreds of famous and important contributors to French life and culture. Chopin, Balzac, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison (yes, you read that right) are a few of the hundreds of prominent figures buried there.

How are you supposed to pose for a picture in a cemetery? Smiling just didn't feel right... (OK and my feet might have been hurting a little at this point :)  )

Auschwitz memorial

The grave of Oscar Wilde

Leaving my mark - I'm an English major, I had to!

Jim Morrison's grave... The cemetery is 120 acres big... it took us a while to find this one!

My last night was spent out at a little restaurant with Carolyn and her friend Julia, also studying in Paris. The three of us talked for a couple of hours over dinner - one of the things I love about Europe is the "act" of dining, it is never something to be rushed, but enjoyed - and it was a perfect way to end such a wonderful vacation. Seeing as Paris was on strike the Tuesday I left, I was up bright and early that morning to try to catch the first train (5:30) to the airport because only a fourth of the trains would be running all day. Luckily I made it on the train and my flight was not canceled!


I absolutely loved my time in Paris, but at the end of the busy weekend it was also nice to be back in my own bed, and where I am more familiar with everything around me. Although everyone was very patient with me, the language barrier in France was definitely frustrating. It made me wish I could speak more languages!


In preparation for midterms, the workload at school has picked up and the remainder of the week/weekend I spent a good amount of time doing readings for class (even 50 pages of Spanish reading takes a while when you are constantly looking up words in the dictionary!). I am really enjoying my classes and learning a lot - I will write more about those and UPF in a post later this week. After my weekend in Paris (where everything is much more expensive), I am also saving my pennies until my next trip, which means I have been making my go-to cheap meal every night - pasta with tomato sauce! I'm missing Carolyn's wonderful cooking already :)