So...I've decided to start doing words of the day (mots de jour if you will) because I figure you all might as well learn some french too!
Since we're starting out...I have TWO words that coincide with my first days in Normandy
1. "petit annonce personnelle"--> Personal Agenda
sentence: It's really rude how all the Japanese tourists in Normandy have personal agendas; they get in the way of your pictures and act like it's no big deal.
2. "echafaudges" --> Scaffolding
sentence: It's annoying how whenever we go to visit pretty cathedrals they are covered in scaffolding
WARNING: do NOT try and explain this word to a German...it will not translate (I've tried)
Now onto the trip!
We left for Normandy early Wednesday morning and arrived at our first stop "Maison d'Eugene Mercier" which is a HUGE champagne factory, around 11. After a tour of the cellars and a little bit of the grounds, we got to have a tasting of their signature champagne. It was really interesting to see how it was made, all the old bottles (the oldest was from 1923) and learn about the region.
After that we had a longer drive to Reims (pronounces Rins...go figure, thanks France). Normandy is on the northern coast of the country so it was kind of schlep but definitely worth it. After lunch we headed out on our tour of Reims. Reims is known for being the site of the baptisms in Clovis in 496 AD. After that, it became the church where all Kings of France were "made sacred/blessed" (I'm not sure of the English translation). It was beautiful and although I thought all the cathedrals in Burgundy were rather mundane, the grandeur and the history behind the cathedrals in Normandy made them much more appealing. We then went on a bus tour of the city and then headed to our next town: Rouen
After the long drive we were pleasantly surprised with the fact that the bus had leaked during the rain storm and all of our bags (clothing included) were completely soaked. After getting to my room with my roommate and many expletives, the owner of the hotel was such a gem and offered to dry all of our clothes for us while we were at dinner.
After leaving the hotel the trip did a COMPLETELY 180, and I went from being miserable to probably the happiest ever. We went to this tiny restaurant where we had a room practically to ourselves and immediately our prof ordered wine for the table (good move). Dinner that night was the best I have ever had, mussels, steak, crepes, cheese, and--in true french, and Paula Dean fashion-- LOTS of butter.
The next day we woke up still full and with dry clothes and headed out on our tour of Rouen. Made famous by being the site of Joan of Arc's murder (we saw the place she was physically burned), Rouen is a melange of architectural styles and cultures, that suffered heavily in WWII. In Rouen, our first stop was another cathedral. Joan of Arc was tried in this church and damage was so extensive in a bombardment on April 9 1944, that only one of the chapels survived. Luckily, when the war started, all of the stained gladd windows were removed from the church and taken somewhere else for safe keeping--so all of the glass work was original dating back to the 13th century. After the cathedral we went on another walking tour. My absolute favorite part (also the most morbid) was the old burial yard used for all the bodies who died from the plague but they couldn't fit into the cemeteries. It was a huge yard with a building enclosing it decorated with skulls and signs of death-- so cool.
After leaving Rouen, we stopped for an hour in Honfleur, a beach town, and just walked around and got creeped on by french men (typical). Now we're in our hotel in Bayeaux! To be honest, I have no idea what's here, but I'll be sure to fill everyone in tomorrow!
I hope everyone is well and I'm sorry this post was so long!
Bisous!
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