And No We Haven't Been Drinking... (Adventures with MooReece con't)

Ok so I just had this wonderful blog all typed up and my sticky fingers must have hit something (that wasn’t SAVE) and well I lost it all. GAH!!!

Do I really need to redescribe my trip to Chateau de Versailles for ya’ll? Nah..if you care you can just ask me when I get home and I will tell you all about it. I will just say however that it really IS as incredible to see as they say it is, it is the most visited Chateau in France for a reason. It is UNBELIEVABLE! But, like Venice, it’s something you only need to see once. You WANT to see it, I can promise you that – but once you’ve seen it – you’ve seen it. I loved it and I’m glad I made time to go – Louis XIV was definitely an ambitious King.

I spent the weekend in Normandy. A pre-planned trip organized through my study abroad agency. We left bright and EARLY on Saturday and got back around 19h30 this afternoon (Sunday for those of you keeping track). A busy and jam packed weekend with not nearly enough time in any of the places to really truly appreciate them. What a TREAT to get the heck out of Paris! What a beautiful country side with farmland and trees and fresh air and sunshine and HAPPINESS! Quiet, calm, relaxed and wonderful. I LOVE NORMANDY – land of Camembert and Calvados! We visited Bayeux to see this giant tapestry (which sounds lame but is actually REALLY REALLY COOL – again won’t bore you with details unless you want to know) then headed off to the Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach to see the D-Day landing sites. We finished by visiting the US military cemetery is St-Laurent and I have to say, you haven’t been to a cemetery until you’ve been to a military cemetery like that. It is breathtaking and heartwrenching at the same time. It is so beautifully kept and respectful and extraordinary – white marble crosses (and stars of David) spread out in perfectly symmetrical rows. Each one was a person once upon a time who died in a horrific scene so that we can live the way we do today. I majored in the Holocauste and the events of the 2nd World War and so this was a real experience for me – one that I will keep with me forever. Never take anything for granted... and never forget to tell the people you love how much they mean to you – so many DIED so that we can do just that.

We stayed in the cutest little hotel (see pictures) and were treated to a really FRENCH 3 course dinner. It was very good as long as you don’t ask what you are being served. Pooched from late nights and long drives and treated to my own TV I plopped myself on my bed and watched some French tele and fell asleep with it on.

Today we had some free time (but not nearly enough) to explore Deauville – my new FAVOURITE town! This place is quite possibly the cutest, most beautiful, awesomest place on EARTH! It has the biggest, most amazing beach I’ve ever seen, high end boutiques for those of us with a retail habit and the cutest architecture I’ve ever seen – right out of a fairly tale. I picked up a real estate magazine – scoping out my new digs. I can instruct at the Health Club by the beach – no worries. BodyPUMP sur la PLAGE  After rushing out of Deauville we headed to the Calvados (Apple Liqueur) distillery for a quick tour, sampling and apple pie. WOOT WOOT! Let’s just say the Calvados will definitely wake you up! Another BEAUTIFUL spot as well – actually it was quite depressing to think we had to go back to Paris – most of us were definitely ready to pitch a tent in the Calvados yard and just hang out there forever. We’ll pitch in and work at the distillery – no problemo! Tell us what to do. We finished our tour of Normandy with a visit to the Caen War Memorial Museum. Again, not nearly enough time – had to rush through it – but at least we had audioguides making it easier to go through the exhibit. Lots had to be skipped – but I bought books. 1 got damaged by my water bottle though  NOT IMPRESSED!

All that to say that Normandy was AMAZING and just another highlight to the neverending AWESOME times I’ve had in Europe thus far. Paris has not won my heart – but if Normandy proposed I would say OUI OUI without thinking twice.