Our last week of class before Paris week went by very slowly. We all were in such anticipation for our week in Paris that studying for our finals was almost obsolete. Friday night was insane because we had to pack up our rooms at the Abbey for the three weeks we'd be away.
On Saturday morning we all went to Paris. Saturday was a day to get acquainted with the city. On Sunday we were split into two groups. One group went to Versailles; the other went to the Louvre. I went to the Louvre this day and loved it. It is extremely overwhelming, but was so cool. I quickly discovered a love for sculptures when I realized that the Venus di Milo was my favorite piece of art that I saw. I saw the Mona Lisa which was cool, but mainly because it's the Mona Lisa. It's not a very impressive piece of art compared to da Vinci's other works.
On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday we went on ParisWALKS. ParisWALKS were our way of learning the ins and outs of Paris that tourists don't learn. Our professors lead groups of seven students to different sites and areas of Paris to talk about anything from Impressionist art, the economic situation in Paris, and how shopping has shaped the city.
Wednesday was a free day. On this day, Annah, Elizabeth, and I went shopping, to the old Opera House, the Champs Elysees and to L'Arc de Triumph.
On Friday the groups for Versailles and the Louvre switched. I went to Versailles. The palace was beautiful. It's not very well organized though. The parts that are open to the public are not clearly marked so we don't think we saw all of it. The grounds were pretty too. The weather was still cold and not many flowers had bloomed yet, so the scenery was a little bare, but we still enjoyed it. We saw Marie Antoinette's house as well.
On Saturday we went to Bayeux which is in Normandy. We saw the Bayeux tapestry which was pretty interesting. To find out what this is visit this link: http://www.bayeuxtapestry.org.uk/
Sunday was a very emotional day. We visited the Normandy D-day beaches and the American Cemetery. To see the place where so many men MY AGE fought for Europe and their own lives was crazy. Dr. Mackaman, the Abbey Program director, is a history professor so he served as our guide.
The American Cemetery was very special. For one, the cemetery is legally US land, so we were technically home... kind of. The names and crosses blur together a bit, but knowing that I am the age that many of those men were is very difficult to comprehend. I even saw a woman's name right before I left. She worked for the American Red Cross. Her name was Elizabeth. Seeing a woman's name was unexpected.
After Rome we went to Florence (beautiful), Vicenza (more beautiful) , Venice (very pretty), and Verona (possibly the most beautiful). Italy was amazing! Gelato is a BIG weakness for any tourist. I had it at least twenty times in eight days. There will be more about Greece and Italy later. I also just spent the past three days in Ireland so I will write about that sometime soon too!
We only have two weeks left which is bittersweet! I have made a new family and have memories with them that no one else can understand. Leaving will be very hard, but getting home to meet my nephew will be WELL WORTH the 9 hour plane ride!
A tout a l'heure!
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