Normandy, Mont St. Michel, and Chartres

The last two days have been packed, and I've spent 38 hours straight with 18 teenagers. To say I'm exhausted is an understatement. I am loving the peace and solitude of Fabienne's apartment. However, this was perhaps my most fun two days because I saw things I've never visited before. (except Chartres) They did not disappoint.

First on the list was the American cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy. This was certainly a memorable and very touching experience. We watched a short film about five of the soldiers buried there, as well as the French people's reaction to what the Americans did, and then we walked out to the beach. The guide explained the lay of the land, so to speak. She showed us on a giant map where the different divisions landed, how far they are from where we were, etc. And then we walked over to the cemetery. There are just under 10,000 soldiers buried there. After the war when the families were asked whether they wanted their deceased family member's body transported back to the US, 60% said yes. The other 40% wanted them to be buried in Normandy. Of course, thousands others were never found, and they are memorialized on a wall on the edge of the cemetery. It was appropriately cloudy, cold, and windy as we walked through the cemetery, pausing to read some of the names. The guide said there were 44 sets of brothers buried there, as well as a father and son. She also regretted that we had only over an hour to visit because she said she wanted to tell us more stories about some of the people. I pointed out that we could stop at every grave and there'd be a story. The students were all respectful while taking it all in. Some shared with the group where their own family members had served. It certainly was a harrowing experience, and one that we won't forget.

Thankfully we were hungry so that we could move on and get our spirits up for the rest of the trip. We ate at a typical French restaurant bordering the beaches. We ate croque-monsieurs, frites, pizza and even mussels. Delicious. Then we headed to St. Malo. This small Normandy town features boutiques, crepe stands, cafes, and ramparts bordering the sea. We had free time here to explore. The view from the ramparts was beautiful, and the small cobblestone streets were picturesque and oh so French.

Finally we arrived at Mont St. Michel that night. I can't even begin to describe how fantastic it is. It almost looks like something out of a medieval Disney movie in the sense that it doesn't even seem real. Cobblestone streets, tiny passages, endless numbers of stairs, quaint boutiques, creperies, and of course the beautiful abbey at the summit. Thursday night we ate dinner and then walked around the town for a little while, but as it was so dark, we couldn't see that much, except of course the illuminated abbey. Friday morning after breakfast we had a little over an hour to meander around. It was magnifique! One could easily get "lost" wandering around, trying out different stairs or passages. But that is the fun of it. In a sense, it reminded me of Venice in the way that you can't get off the island, there are no cars, it's quiet in the mornings, the smell of the salty sea surrounds you, and you can wander around aimlessly forever. Of course, trade in gondolas for about three hundred stairs and gelato for nutella crepes. The view was beautiful. And we lucked out with a sunny, gorgeous, even hot day, on the Mont. The visit to the abbey was also lovely. We grabbed a quick lunch and then sadly had to leave for Chartres. But it was Superbe! Incroyable! Fantastique! Definitely my favorite thing we've done so far on the trip.

Lastly was the visit to Chartres. Chartres is a small town about an hour outside of Paris, known for it's stunning cathedral. The cathedral is a mix of different types of architecture, most notably Romanesque and Gothic on the outside, and add in a little Renaissance and Baroque on the inside. The tour was long, but we learned a lot about how the stained glass windows were paid for by guilds, and how the style of architecture inside changed as the king changed. After this, we did a quick walk through the town and finally ended at a creperie for dinner. Then it was back to Paris.