Month: July 2016

Last semester, I studied abroad in Nantes, France as part of Grove City College’s study abroad program.  As part of the study abroad program, there is a six-week field trip program. One of our trips was a weekend trip to Paris, which I describe below.

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One of the most memorable, fabulous journeys I took while studying abroad was to Paris. After my visit, I’m convinced that I must have some French in my blood. From the tower view of Notre Dame, to the sight of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre all the way to the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower, I felt at home in a city that I will one day call mine.

“Ajoutez deux lettres à Paris, c’est le paradis”

We started our voyage early on Friday morning, taking the TGV first to Angers and then to our final destination, Paris. We first visited the Eiffel Tower, which can be seen throughout all of Paris because it is 100 stories high! Following the Eiffel Tower we visited the Arch de Triumph located near the fashion strip, Champs-Élysées. Personally my favorite structure in all of Paris, the Arch de Triumph honors all of Napoleon’s military victories. The Arch stands tall with golden trimming and engravings of Napoleon’s battles on the walls. We had the awesome opportunity to climb to the top of the Arch, which provided us with an incredible view of the city.

After walking the entire Champs-Élysées (passing the Louis Vuitton headquarters), we entered into the courtyard of the Louvre. I was just in awe, as I passed through the golden gates into the most majestic garden and courtyard. It’s hard to believe that such a magnificent palace is now a museum open to the public. The Louvre is the largest building of its type. The large Egyptian Obelisk is an unbelievable glass structure placed in the center of the courtyard. Similarly, Apollo’s room was unforgettably gorgeous and artistically outstanding!

We finished the night on a river cruise down the Seine River. The Seine divides the city into left and right banks. As we traveled down the river, the Eiffel Tower twinkled brightly, with its hourly light show. A spectacular way to end the night!

The following day we toured the luxurious Palace of Versailles! Personally, the gardens of Marie Antoinette were my favorite, as well as, the Hall of Mirrors inside the palace itself.

Later that day, I was blessed to visit my uncles who live in Paris. We had a superb time eating out, taking oyster shots, tasting the most amazing gelato and finishing off the night at their French-style apartment. I’m so incredibly thankful to have spent the day with family in the most amazing city!

On Sunday, we attended mass at Notre Dame Cathedral. From the most amazing stained glass rose windows to the Gothic architecture, we could definitely feel the presence of God alive and working. Following the mass, we visited the stained glass cathedral of St. Chapelle, Centre Pompidou (modernist art museum) and Musee d’Orsay (an old impressionistic art museum). Paramount Pictures’ Hugo is based off of Musee d’Orsay, during the time the building used to be a fully functioning train station. We then ventured off to Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre, which is a Roman Catholic Basilique. The cathedral is placed on a huge hill with souvenir shops, creperies and live music lining the streets up to the structure. During our time there, we witnessed an amazing futbol trick show as well as wine and cheese festival (the place was packed with hundreds of people). We finished off the night, riding to the top of the Eiffel Tower which was terrifying yet exceptionally beautiful and totally worth it!

Our long weekend concluded the next day, with an exceptional morning view of Paris from the top of the towers of Notre Dame. My uncles convinced us that this was the best view of all of Paris, and I could not agree any more! We finished the remainder of the day at the gorgeous Luxemburg Gardens and Pantheon, where some of France’s most famous are honored and buried. Such a fantastic way to end one of my favorite trips in Europe. If you have not visited Paris, I highly recommend it! Paris will change your perspective on food, culture and the sense of leisure and enjoyment!

 

Last semester, I studied abroad in Nantes, France as part of Grove City College’s study abroad program. If you’re curious why I chose to study abroad, check out my previous post. As part of the study abroad program, there is a six-week field trip program. We took a four-day trip to Normandy and some surrounding French villages. I described my experience below.

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Our first stop was to Fougère, which is located in northwestern France in the region of Brittany. Best known for its medieval heritage, Fougère is primarily recognized for its ancient castle, Château de Fougère, and regionally renowned Saturday-morning market. This market it so famous that it appears in the opening scene of Disney’s production, Beauty and the Beast. As a high school student, I participated in the performance of this exact play and felt as though I was sensing some déjà vu. I was continuously mesmerized by the preservation of the commune’s ancient architecture and cobble stone roads.

At our second stop, we found ourselves at the incredible Mont. St. Michel. Completely surrounded by water and towering hundreds of feet in the air, Mont. St. Michel is a monastery that has a fairy tale feel with a majestic sea, magical view and bewitching ambiance. You can only travel in one direction, which is towards the very top of the monastery. Thus restaurants, cafes, bakeries and stores are all slanted and on a tilt. I have never seen anything like this before in my life. I highly recommended visiting if you are ever traveling to western France. The island is surrounded by quicksand by day and an incoming tide by night. Access to the island can only be had during daylight hours via a shuttle. Interestingly, Mont. St. Michel contains approximately 30 residents.

Our last stop for the day was Bayeux. Upon arrival we were placed in a fabulous hotel where our rooms were stationed in quaint facility with half-timbered wooden ceilings. That night we were fed as if we were kings and queens. We were treated to an incredible five-course meal consisting of Normandy’s famous French Onion Soup, Roasted Chicken, Cheese Platter, Raspberry Tart and Café. With the conclusion of our meal, we hit the town venturing out to see the lit-up Paroisse Notre Dame du Bessin and Bayeux’s night life. We also had the opportunity to attended the Sunday mass at Paroisse Notre Dame du Bessin, which presented such a beautiful tradition Catholic service.

The conclusion of our voyage was spent at the coasts of Omaha Beach where every soul could sense the damage yet victory concluded on that very shore. German bunkers and massive fields stretched along the cliff’s edge. The sobering experience became more surreal after vising the American Military Cemetery, 25 minutes outside D-Day Beach. Thousands of white crosses extended over miles of land, which the French granted to the U.S. as a peace treaty and gift. Walking through the cemetery really gave me a new perspective on patriotism and what it truly means to die for one’s country in order to protect the innocence and futures of millions of individuals. My “thank yous” and condolences will never compare and be enough for the brave actions and considerable sacrifices these men made to protect our freedom.

 “That road to V-E Day was hard and long, and traveled by weary and valiant men. And history will always record where that road began. It began here, with the first footprints on the beaches of Normandy.”

 

The French Revolution played a major role in the destruction and restoration of France. Students of Dr. Gary Smith’s Modern Civilization course were given the opportunity to experience the unfolding of European history right before their eyes.

During my time in France, we visited the beautiful commune of Clisson. Located in Pays de la Loire in western France, Clisson’s historical sites and monuments originate back to the 13^th century. On the day we arrived, the town was holding a festival. In honor of the festivities, the Église Notre Dame’s tower was open to tour (this tower is open only one day out of the entire year). We had perfect timing!

The view from the 115-step tower was breathtaking! From this unbelievable sight, you could see the Château de Clisson as well as the river and downtown area. As you can see in the picture above, the town houses have red roofs which reflect Italian influence and style. The significance of the Italian culture is reflected in the history of Clisson during the time of the French Revolution. Clisson was on the losing side of the Counter Revolution and lost up to 100,000 lives fighting for the unity of France. Unfortunately, the city was destroyed and replaced with 19^th century Italian-style villages. The Italian culture is most notably found in flat red roofs, garden pine trees, red brick arches, the Château de Clisson and the Romanesque-styled Église Notre Dame.

What is left of the Château de Clisson, is the outlining of the castle remains. The Counter Revolution brought the castle to ground, thus grass and foliage have made their way into the floor of the castle which now stands as a remarkable ancient ruin. My favorite part of Clisson was the beautiful family estate that is now open to the public and features beautiful works of art. Surrounded by Roman sculptures, patches of the greenest grass and elegant passage ways, the estate offers an exceptionally classy experience that was once part of the nobility’s lifestyle in the 1200’s.