17 March 2008

The Other Side Of France

I got back late Saturday night from a voyage to Normandy (NORMANDIE), Brittany (BRETAGNE) and the Loire Valley (VALÉE DE LA LOIRE). Here's how it went...

Tuesday morning we boarded our super rad pink and purple road-tripping bus and headed to the D-Day beaches. We hit Omaha Beach and Pointe du Hoc. Quite a moving experience. The weather was gray and rainy, just as it was when the soldiers landed there on D-Day, so it really set the mood. Despite our differences and petty back-and-forth bickering, the French really do revere what the American soldiers did for their country on that day. It's not something they'll soon forget. There have been several occassions here in France when I've been especially proud to be American, but this usurped them all.

We then went to Bayeux, Normandie to see the famous Bayeux Tapistry. It was long. 100 yards. And too old to really hold much interest with me, not gonna lie. The next morning we drove out to Mont St. Michel, the famous abbey that is completely surrounded by water during high tide. We were lucky and had stunning weather. Our guide, Catherine, gave us an awesome tour. While we were in one of the chapels, someone in our group suggested we sing. You see, we've been practicing several songs---French and English---that we're going to be performing for Easter this weekend. First I was like, "oh geez, sooo cheesy." But OH MAN was it awesome. The acoustics were incredible and just to be singing a hymn in a place where worship has been taking place since the 8th Century was cool in itself. We sang in harmony "Lord, I Would Follow Thee", which is in the LDS hymnbook. In French it's called "Seigneur, je te suivrais." Aaaahh it sounded amazing! And then all the Asians started taking pictures of us. Catherine called it a "moment délicieux," something she'd never experienced in all her 15 years of guiding tours at Mont St. Michel.

That afternoon was spent in St-Malo, Bretagne, where we hung out at the BEACH. Ahhh, so nice. It was sunny and beautiful and although slightly chilly, I couldn't resist whipping out my Chocos (the most amazing sandals---everyone needs to go buy a pair right now) and running through the ocean. The people here are WAAAAAY cooler than snooty Parisians. They are lively and welcoming and red headed and like good music.....kind of like....the....IRISH! Bretagne is a Celtic region that wasn't always a part of France. It was only in 1980 that the law revoking one's French citizenship if they were Christened with a Celtic name was repealed. Whoa. So yeah, for dinner that night I had awesome sea food---escargots and huitres (oysters). Mmmmm.

I'll stick up some photos before I go on about the rest of the trip... Pointe du Hoc
Mont St. Michel Diane and I at the beach in St-Malo.
It says, I love you.

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