Miracles Happen

Today the group traveled south along the coast to one of France's most beloved destinations: Mont Saint Michel. It is a beautiful monastery situated on an island off the coast of France and it is famous for its miracles. I have been dreaming about visiting Mont Saint Michel for years. My first glimpse was about 10 kilometers from the freeway and I just had the biggest smile on my face. Even through all the heartache I have been dealing with, I was able to appreciate its beauty.

We walked the crowded, tourist-lined alley up to the monastery and took the grand tour. Dr. Davis enjoys getting yelled at by tour guides because he knows as much as they do and he talks louder. It was a majestic monastery that was truly worth the wait. I spent quite a while in one of the side chapels praying for grandma. I hope she won't mind considering she is a Lutheran and all.

I was able to look at part of the monastery that was built in 900AD. It was such a wild moment for me because of how much research I did before visiting this special place. Dr. Davis, Maggie and I traveled quickly down the alley so that we would have time to eat a famous, extremely over-priced omelet a La Mere Poulard. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure a table in time because the experience is so popular. So, Dr. Davis treated Maggie and I to food from a street vendor. I was able to watch a couple omelets being made, so I felt better about not having the time to sit down and eat one.

I am currently watching "Rope" again with my classmates. I love Hitchcock. Dr. Davis says we can watch this instead of reading Nietzsche. Sounds good to me!

I continue to beg God for his healing mercy for my grandma. God is good and whatever happens, it is well with my soul.

Psalms 73:26

Yesterday was a quiet Saturday in Honfleur. I spent the day reading and watching Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope" for my Social Darwinism class. I also spent some good time at the Green Parrot drinking cafe la creme and chocolat au lait. There was a market in town so I was able to peruse the streets. I successfully purchased a new duffle/suitcase to replace the one that broke in Paris.

I went back to the house pretty early to discover a painful email from my parents. My grandma had a heart attack and was in intensive care. Needless to say, this was entirely out of the blue and extremely difficult to handle. Please pray for her and for my many family members who are struggling through this hard time.

God is good and his love never fails. I love you grandma.

What Do Plage, Versailles, and Karaoke Have in Common?

After a long day on the 16th, we pretty much all relaxed on the beach (plage). Since Honfleur is where the river Seine meets the English Channel, I am not really sure what body of water I was swimming in. Regardless, it was beautiful and so refreshing. A couple group members had birthdays so we went out to celebrate and that was a lot of fun.

On July 17th, we woke up early to catch a 9am bus to Versailles only to discover that Dr. Davis accidently changed the time to 11am. So, we had class and it was so disappointing. But we eventually made it to Versailles and it really wasn't that crowded. It was so majestic and ostentatious. When you drive up to the Palais, and when you walk through its halls, you start to understand why the people of France revolted. Everything is way too large and overdone. But of course, everything is beautiful.

I could have spent hours in the Hall of Mirrors. This is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919 to end World War I. I thought that impact of history would crush me. It was too much to know the history involved in one, huge yet singular, room. The gardens were ostentatious as well and so grand! When you looked out over the grounds from the palais you thought you were looking at woods, but really the woods were several labyrinths woven together. It was nice walking around with Dr. Davis because he knew the grounds better than myself and was able to direct Susan and I as we explored.

Right as we were entering the bus to drive back to Honfleur it started to storm. We drove back through pouring rain but it was really cool to experience a storm. Last night there was thunder and lightening, so we have pretty much experienced it all here on the coast.

Tonight, myself and Dr. Davis' wife, Maggie, plus other group members went to a bar that was hosting karaoke. It was not what we expected. Honfleur used to have a man named Mr. Melody who hosted karaoke whenever Dr. Davis and his group showed up. Mr. Melody has since left Honfleur for bigger and better things so we tried out a new place. This place was cramped and the staff were grumpy. None the less, we all sang American pop songs and pleased the small crowd. I sang "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls with my new from Laura and we were SO bad! But it was pretty fun.

We are all back at the house now falling asleep and watching "One Fine Day." I never thought George Clooney was anything special, but he is pretty dishy in this movie. Tomorrow is a down day. We don't have any class until Monday (WAHOO!) but we may travel by bus to Deauville for some nightlife. There is a charming market in Honfleur tomorrow, so hopefully we are able to check that out.

BTW - Don't forget the Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. It's the most wonderful timeeeee of the yearrrr!

Viva La France!

Basitlle Day was nuts! Absolutely nuts! I have spent July 4th in Washington D.C. but nothing compares to what Honfleur showed me last night. The day started slow enough with classes but picked up after dinner. We all went into town for drinks and then started a ginormous dance party. Well, OK there were children already dancing but definitely no adults and then "It's Raining Men" started to play and we got the crowd going. By the time a few songs had played we had most the town dancing.

There was a fireworks display that was really exciting and so close the the crowd. We danced even more, and more, and more! It was so much fun. Yes, better than prom. We were a little disappointed in the French men who seemed to be more afraid of us than anything else. About one in the morning was when a few of us decided to call it quits. It was exhausting.

The next morning no one could wake up. We are supposed to start class at nine but most students were still in the process of waking up when that time passed. We had class for maybe five minutes and then had to make our lunches, get on the bus, and leave. We were all dead tired and not really enthusiastic about the days planned activities.

We first went to Giverny, which is home to Monet's gardens where he painted his famous "water lillies." It was a beautiful estate with a large home and thousands of flowers. The pond was filled with lillies and it was easy to see why Monet was so inspired by them.

After Giverny, we went to Roeun. This larger town is where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. We visited the church were she was put on trial and walked its vast interior. The church has a rich history that includes several reconstruction attempts due to airrade damage during World War II. The church is also where the Dukes of Normandie are buried dating back to the 1000s. You can just stroll to the front of the giant cathedral and walk on their graves. It was a beautiful place.

We are all back at the house now waiting patiently for pizza to arrive. We are definitely staying in tonight to catch up on class assignments and get some much needed rest. Tomorrow is a down day, I hope.

First Day of Class - Ugh!

Last night was such a wonderful time with friends at the port. We hung out in the guys apartment for a while thinking of all the ways to upset Dr. Davis. After realizing all our ideas were never going to manifest we walked toward the port. We checked out a jazz club on the water and it was so enchanting with live music. We walked around town and made it back to the villa to sleep because class started today.

Class was entertaining of course. Dr. Davis has a lot more freedom to call Communists bastards and talk about love, sex, and romance when we are all in France opposed to Seattle Pacific University. We will have Social Darwinism this afternoon and then head back out on the streets. The local townspeople are beginning to stare at us with discontent.

Right now Dr. Davis is sending out a team of students who are not taking Social Darwinism, to find night life in Douville. It is a town about 20 minutes away and they have to find nightlife or else he won't send the whole group there in a couple days. I love this trip!

The Only Tall Men in France are Catholic

Eleven group members went to the Notre Dame Chapelle this morning for mass. The town of Honfleur is lucky to have two priests to administer communion in the two local Catholic churches. Even though the majority of the group is some form of Protestant, we enjoyed mass immensely. It was of course all in French and the priest said something about family and God. Go figure.

If I were a better student I would have read my book for Social Darwinism. Staring at Susan reading the text makes me realize how desperately I need to. Here's a little teaser for those who are interested: the author, who is a man, argues that polygamy is not only natural but a good choice for women. Go Figure

I Know - You Said to Pack Light

Today, the seven group members I was hanging out with in Paris traveled by many metro stops and one long RER ride to the Charles de Gaulle airport, in order to meet up with the whole group of 23 students. Becca and I had one objective: Find Susan. We were very successful in doing so and we even found her with more group members. Unfortunately, Dr. Davis was ambivalent in his directions, so we were literally told to stay and wait. Which we did. For over an hour. Needless to say, Susan was getting antsy and although I wouldn't admit it, I was worried too. And to add to the stress, a wheel on my large-and-in-charge suitcase broke making the monster unbearable. I will need to purchase a new one before leaving Honfleur - puke!

Eventually, we were wrangled up by other group members and the group made our way to Honfleur, Normandie. The drive was of course beautiful and it was so wonderful to make our way to the port of Honfleur and our villa. Our villa is wonderfully clean and spacious for most of the group. Everyone is staying in the same villa except for a few men and Dr. Davis. I am sharing a quiet corner room with Susan and Sara. The three of us lived on the same floor last year so we were quick to choose a room for ourselves.

We ate a late but none-the-less delicious lunch and then walked up a steep hill to Notre Dame Chapelle. The chapelle was built between 1600-1615 and replaced an ancient church that was built in 1023. Sara and I were absolutely floored by the beauty of such an old and quaint cathedral. Many group members will be attending mass tomorrow morning at the chapelle. It is not required to attend worship services while studying abroad, but it is expected. We also explored the town of Honfleur a little bit more before returning for dessert.

Dr. Davis' wife Maggie is too good to be true. She is so kind and generous and she can cook! After enjoying dessert we freshened up and some of us went out for some fun in the town. It was a good way to end a long and stressful day. I look forward to a relaxing day tomorrow, class on Monday, and Bastille Day on Tuesday.

Did you know the revolutionary movement of France started in Honfleur? It is going to be a celebration on Tuesday!

Last Day in Paris . . . for a Month

Today started out a little rough. Becca and I woke up at 6:30am and were unable to fall asleep again so we got ready for the day and ate breakfast together at a cafe. That was so great but we did not get out on the streets again to walk around until close to 1pm. We were a little bummed to waste the morning waiting for our group but it turned out just fine.

We split into two groups and Becca, Matt, Tully, and I went together. First, we had a picnic in Jardin de Luxembourg. It was so beautiful and relaxing. We then walked to the Ile de Cite where the famous Notre Dame stands. The Ile de Cite is where paris was founded over 800 years ago so the architecture was fabulous. We walked past the building that held Queen Marie Antoinette prisoner before she was guillotined.

After Ile de Cite we took a metro to the 19th arrondissement, also known as Montmartre, to see the famous windmill at Moulin Rouge. The Moulin Rouge was fun to see because of Hollywood's love story but everything around it was super nasty. We quickly made our way to the Sacre Coeur. It was amazing! the sights from the bottom and top of the stairs were unreal. Absolutely breathtaking. I wish my camera could capture the feeling of the moment.

After Sacre Coeur, we took the Metro back to the hotel to get ready for bed and relax. We all have to leave at 7:30am tomorrow to meet up with the whole group at Charles de Gaulle airport so we need to get some sleep.

Tomorrow we travel by bus to Honfleur, Normandy. I am so thrilled to spend two weeks on the English Channel. I am also excited to meet up with one of my dearest friends Susan. We laugh at the same jokes and we think the same things are ridiculous so I have missed her presence. Hopefully the villa we stay at in Honfleur has a good internet connection. If not, Dr. Davis says McDonald's does - oh great.

City of Light

Oh a whim we traveled back to the Tour Eiffel and watched it light up the night sky. At the beginning of each hour once the sun sets the Tour Eiffel sparkles like Christmas lights for a few minutes. It was so dreamy! Tomorrow is a slow day because we are all tired. I hope to visit the Galeries Lafayette, which is essentially a giant Target. Wahoooooo!

You Know the Economy is Bad When There's a Sale in Paris

Last night Matt, Becca, and I walked around the 11th arrondissement and checked out the monument that stands where the Bastille used to. It is a grand monument within a traffic circle but I wish the Bastille was still in its place. I went into a cafe and ordered my first cafe le creme and it was terrifying. The monsieur behind the counter was extremely welcoming and made me feel better about sounding and looking like an American tourist. We then walked to Place des Vosges which is the oldest planned square in Paris, according to Wikipedia. It was built by Henry IV and King Louis XIII lived there. Pretty jazzy. Plus, Victor Hugo who wrote Les Miserables and the Hunchback of Notre Dame lived in a section of the square building. There is now a museum there in his memory. We continued our walk east-ish and found another monument. It was interesting to see members of France's military (insert laughter) standing on street corners carrying automatic weapons. Good thing they're busy.

Today the whole group, totaling seven people, visited Jim Morrison's grave and took the Metro to the heart of Paris. We walked the Champs Elysees and found Starbucks! It was like a warm hug seeing that classy green mermaid from Seattle. We reached the Arc de Triomphe and we were absolutely trilled. It was so majestic and I couldn't believe I was standing where Hitler once marched his troops. It was remarkable so gaze upon so much history.

We then made our way to the Tour de Eiffel and that was even better. I finally felt like I was in Paris. We sat down in a garden and took a breather before walking to the Hotel des Invalides. Napoleon is buried there and it is currently home to a veterans hospital. We walked more and I could not believe all the sales! So many shops had "Soldes" written on the windows indicating that their store items were on sale. A very trustworthy source, Samantha Brown, told me that Paris only has sales twice a year and July is not one of those times. The economy must really be down. We eventually made it back to the hotel and I was finally able to upload pictures.

It was a day full of all things Paris and all I want to do is eat something delicious and fall asleep. Tomorrow is another full day in Paris.

A bientot!

Drinking Coffee and Watching Airplanes

I made it to Vancouver International Airport with my good friend Becca. We are currently sitting at Gate C46 awaiting our flight to Paris. I want to give a shout out to SeaTac International Airport for being way less confusing than this place. I'm just so pleased to be sitting down at the gate rather than running around the airport at 5:30am trying to find a sole to help us.

After finally purchasing a delicious mocha breve at Starbucks (there is one right at the gate!) I am feeling anxious about tomorrow. I would feel better if I didn't have 70lbs of luggage to drag around once I get off the plane. Regardless of all the inevitable bumps in the road, I am completely excited and ready to go.

OK - time to do nothing productive for the next hour and a half.