Welcome to France?

We flew into Paris, then drove right back out of it to go to Bayeux, from which to take a tour of the beaches at Normandy. France greeted us with clouds and rain, dusty old cathedrals and a language barrier for the first time on the trip. Going up to order a sandwich for dinner, I’d forgotten that I had no idea how to say “I’ll take one of those” or “Can I have a water with that, please”?

Another thing that welcomed us to France was two of our group members having their passports and credit cards stolen from their hotel rooms in Bayeux. Not only did it create a lot of hassle—dealings with embassies and French police—but it made me feel unsafe and unsettled in this new country.

Touring the beaches at Normandy and the American cemetery there was a moving experience. It rained that day, fitting weather for reflecting on the battles of D-Day and the many men that died there. I learned that the Americans and British landed on those beaches expecting to lose more than half their men—but went in anyway. It’s that kind of bravery that blows my mind—I wonder if I have anything like that inside me, and what kind of people do.

That night, we had a banquet at a restaurant in Bayeux, a birthday celebration for one of the girls and also a kind of closing to the first half of the semester with Dr. Ritchie. We all said nice things about him and his wife and snapped photos with each other, and I felt the community that this group has developed over the past two months. It was hard to say goodbye to him as he was such an integral part of this trip for me.

From Bayeux, it was on to Paris. My first vision of the Eiffel Tower was on the bus as we drove along the Seine, and the sun shone through the clouds in rays. I didn’t think Paris would hold much sway over me, but that first sight of the Eiffel Tower stirred up the feeling of excitement and romance of a new, historical city.

The time in Paris was spent writing a paper, eating at sidewalk cafes, touring the Lourve (the Mona Lisa and many others), taking a bus tour, and stressing out about planning free travel. The last day in Paris, we were on our own, and literally spent the whole day dragging our luggage across the city on the Metro, staying in a crappy hotel, and running around figuring out our train tickets for the next day. Though the city had it’s allure, I was so relieved to sink into my seat on the train to Florence and say goodbye.