Rewind

Normandy and Brittany
September 30-October 2

Myself, a friend, and other ACCENT students left for Normandy at 8am. Thankfully, this time we had a much smoother departure sans scooters. We had a good 6 hour bus ride ahead of us, but we made a few stops. It's 8 am, I woke up at 6, I was tired. I was getting myself comfy, cozy on the bus, when all of a sudden I heard the voice of a sassy 39 year old man from San Fran. Welcome, Randall. Randall returned back to school in Cali. to get another degree, and he is spending a semester abroad in Paris to learn the language and culture. Randall had lots of Starbucks before the bus ride, I, on the other hand, did not. For 5 hours, I listend to Randall and his friends in the background of my in and out slumber. Everything out of his mouth was "Shuuuut the..front door" or "This is gaaaawgus." Once I introduced myself, and got to know Randall, ever joke I made, I got the, "Haahahaha Oh Em Gee, Mich-to-the-Elle Shuuuuut the Front Door! Stop that silliness!" Randall also had an iPad with an app that consisted of a cartoon cat that repeats everything you say, but in the highest voice imaginable. Just imagine for a second, Randall playing with this app for a solid hour on the bus. He was great, love that sassy man.

Ok, so after a few hours on the bus consisting of sass and snooze, we arrived at the coastline of Normandy, at a town called, Arromanches. There, we saw the beautiful beaches of Normandy, and had a lunch consisting of crêpes on the water, because this region is known for their crêpes. Yum Yum.

After a quick lunch-break in Arromanches, we continued onward down the coastline to Omaha Beach, to see the landing beaches of D-Day, and the American Military Cemetery. Thankfully, this 45 minute bus ride was more snooze, and less sass. We arrived to Omaha Beach, which I believe was the highlight of the weekend, it's the reason why I went on this 3-day excursion. Given to the United States by France, Omaha Beach is technically American soil. It felt good to be back in the U.S. of A (sort of). Omaha Beach, itself, is one of the most picturesque beaches I have ever seen. It was hard for me to grasp my mind around the fact that such a disastrous and gruesome day for the United States happened there. Seeing the rows and rows of crosses, the graves of the American soldiers, filled me with a sense of loss for my country. Especially being so far away from home. I learned that all the crosses face West, the direction of the U.S. They are all facing home. It's very touching and powerful. A memorable, and patriotic experience. 

Facing Home

Unknown Soldier's Grave

"Here Rests In Honored Glory A Comrade In Arms Known But To God'

Omaha Beach

Off to Brittany. We all returned to the bus, and drove off to the beautiful region of Brittany, France. Of course, the sass was back. After another hour on the bus, we arrived to the ancient medieval city of Saint Malo, where our hotel for the weekend was located. Driving up to this tiny city on the coast, you see the beach, and a giant medieval wall. Saint Malo is actually inside the walls. This is the stuff I learned about in high school. Once in Saint Malo, we dropped everything off at our hotel in the center of the city, and made our way around the small medieval streets to find some dinner. Saint Malo is known for its mussels and crêpes. Having already had crêpes for lunch in Arromanches, I decided to try the next best specialty...the mussels. A few months ago, I had a pretty horrifying experience with mussels, but I love them, regardless, and I pushed the memories out of my mind, and I convinced myself (and my stomach) that I was ready to give them another go. How could I not? I was in Brittany. So, I had some mussels, and they were pretty fantastic going down. All was fine, and my friend, Elena, and I met up with Randall to have a few drinks in the café outside our hotel. The weather was perfect, we couldn't have asked for anything better. We stumbled upon a casino in Saint Malo, and being of age in France, I decided to check it out with Randall .With the luck I have, I only bet 3 euros, and not surprisingly, I lost it all. But, it was the experience that counted, right? At least I didn't play any more than that. As I lost my euros, I started to have flashbacks. The Mussels. That wave of naseau hit me, and I knew what was coming. I hurried back to the hotel, and my memories were soon relived. Thankfully, this time, it was a one-time deal, and I wasn't sick all night. Saint Malo, your specialty ruined all my chances of ever trying mussels again. I throw in the towel.

After a full night's sleep, we had a breakfast of croissants and cafe au laits that our hotel provided. Our day started with a walking tour on the medieval wall surrounding Saint Malo. It was beautiful, and amazing to learn that the wall survived the bombings of WWII, but the city itself did not, and most of it was rebuilt. The view of the blue waters against the city walls was breathtaking. Pictures don't do it justice. It sure beats the Jersey Shore.

                                                         

After the tour around Saint Malo, we drove a 1/2 hour to Dinan, France. Another medieval city in Brittany, where we had lunch. I decided to give up on the Mussels. I went for the crêpes. The best crêpes of my life.

This one was savory, it consisted of a thin slice of ham, and Roquefort cheese with walnuts, and a fresh salad on the side. Delish.

Of course, another specialty of this region is its hard cidre. It's amazing, alongside the crêpes.

Aaaand, for dessert. La Dame Blanche. This is a dessert crêpe consisting of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with warm hot chocolate, and some whipped cream. I.was.in.heaven. Amazing.

No rough endings for this meal. Loving Dinan, and it's spectacular views, it soon came to an end. Again, we all hopped back on the bus to return to Saint Malo.

Dinan

We enjoyed one last evening in Saint Malo, and a light dinner of salads, before we were off to bed. Of course, I had to go to the beach at sunset. The tides here are incredible. High tide, the water comes right up to the city wall, low tide, you can walk to islands that seem lost at sea when the tide is high. It's amazing...which leads me to Mont St. Michel...

Low Tide

Mont Saint-Michel, is the famous abbey built upon a rock, dating back to 708. It is something that has stood up against the elements of time. It's really remarkable, and a huge tourist spot. It's surrounded by marsh, and quick sand, because when the tide is high, one can not go to this "island." So, we had to get there at the perfect time, along with all the other tourists. Here are some pictures.

Mont Saint-Michel

Church Entrance, at the top of Mont Saint-Michel

The Cloisters

After a tour of Mont Saint-Michel, we headed back to the bus, for our return to Paris. It was a long, 6 hour bus ride back, with lots of Zzzzs. Everyone was exhausted, and returning to Paris felt like home. 

More to come soon! Sorry I am so late with my posts.