Before I go

Last weekend was wild! Thursday night we celebrated the birthday of a friend in the Bastille, then Friday I visited the chateau Fontainebleau with Abhinay, my friend Lauren, and a friend of hers from USC. Saturday and Sunday I journeyed with 30 some American students to the French coast of Normandie and Bretagne. It was free! Though we only stayed one night, we packed the two days full of adventures, strung together by many bus rides. Here are some pictures.

Abhinay and Lauren standing on the cobblestone entryway to the chateau. Here in 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte made his final procession before being exiled.


Borrowed from facebook. That sure was a big canal (le grand canal)!


Modern art on exhibition. The French consensus (don't quote me) is a general distaste for this type of contrasting display. They want their chateaux traditionally furnished and adorned.


The Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux was nice.


Then we went to Normandy beach to see the memorial. Sam and Damla on the beach. None of us had a very emotional visit. It was my second time visiting, and I consciously chose not to visit the cemetery, wanting to keep my weekend as cheerful as possible. Instead, I found myself upset for not bringing my swimsuit, it was hot!


La Point du Hoc, a cliff at the midpoint of the beaches stormed during the D-day invasion and a key strategic location for German artillery emplacements which they considered impenetrable due to the sheer rock walls protecting it. It posed a great threat to the Allied forces invading on Omaha and Utah beaches, and was considered essential to the success of the invasion. After a heavy allied bombardment, a force of 225 Army Rangers scaled the cliffs with special climbing equipment and took the Germans by surprise, though suffering heavy casualties. By the time reinforcements arrived, only 90 remained. I couldn't help but marvel in its beauty.


The next day we visited Mont Saint-Michel. Been there done that. Actually, this is my freaking out pose.


I just had to get Guy de Maupassant's opinion on the matter of St. Michel and the devil.


Then we spent the afternoon at St. Malo. Supposedly the city is usually quite depressing, what with its grey stone ramparts surrounding the older arrondissements, but it was sunny and delightful the day we visited.



I have a few more pictures to add but not the time to do it. Late this afternoon I leave for Marseille and the Cote d'Azur, where I will be until Sunday afternoon. I'll be sure not to forget my swimsuit, though rain is predicted. A plus!