Day 5: Beaches of Normandy

When I booked my apartment back in June and started to sketch out an itinerary for the week, one of the first things to go on my to-do list was a tour of the Beaches of Normandy. I am so glad I did this tour - it was a very humbling experience!

The Beaches are about a 2.5 hour drive from Paris. We arrived at Caen Memorial Museum and had about an hour to walk around. Here's a picture of me in front of the museum.


The museum did a great job of explaining WWII and the events leading up to the war. Walking through the museum made me really miss my paternal grandfather. The 2nd anniversary of his death is on Monday, the 21st of February. He was a lover of history. I'm sad that I won't be able to talk to him about this experience.

The musuem had a great 17 minute film that you could watch after touring the museum. It was a split screen film - one side of the screen showed things from the perspective of the Allies landing on the beach, the other side of the screen showed things from the perspective of the Germans who were on the beach. They showed some parts of the battle, but a lot of the film focused on these young men getting ready to hit the beaches. They were so young and really did not appear to be afraid - one of the soldiers even winked at the camera.

After the film, we then had lunch at the museum. There were about 10 of us on the tour - some from Canada, some from Australia, some Americans, and then 2 Frech women. I sat at a table with the 2 Australians and 2 Americans - who happened to live in Wisconsin (one state over from where I live)! So random! It was nice to have some company at a meal for a change. I really don't mind eating alone, but it was nice to make conversation in English! The Australian couple live in Brisbane, which is only an hour from where I studied abroad, so it was fun to talk to them about the area and the various things I saw/did while in Australia.

After lunch, we headed to the coast to see the various Landing Beaches. Our first top was Pont du Hoc, which is between the Beaches of Utah and Omaha. 225 rangers scaled this 30 meter cliff. They showed footage of this on the film at the Caen museum. I can't imagine scaling this cliff - let alone while under fire.


It's difficult to tell how steep that cliff is, but I would say it is comparable to the cliff that you see in the distance of this photo.


Out of all the areas we stopped,this area showed the most damage from all the bombs from the war.


The guide emphasized that the land was smooth and level before the war, so everything you see is as a result of the bombs.

Our next stop was the Beaches of Omaha where the most lives were lost on D-Day. It's a 5 mile stretch of beach.


We landed at low tide - the guide said that this is how much sand the GI's had to run across... Again, hard to imagine running in sand, carrying as much weight as they were carrying, while they were under fire. Only 2 of the 29 Sherman tanks expected to support the troops made it to shore, so things really did not go as planned that day. The General considered abandoning the attack, but the GI's slowly but surely gained hold of the beach.

There is a war memorial there called "Les Braves".


The placard explaining the memorial reads:

The Wings of Hope So that the spirit which carried these men on June 6th, 1944 continues to inspire us, reminding us that together it is always possible to change the future.

Rise, Freedom! So that the example of those who rose against barbarity, help us remain standing strong against all forms of inhumanity.

The Wings of Fraternity So that this surge of brotherhood always reminds us of our responsibility toward others as well as ourselves. On June 6th, 1944 these men were more than soldiers, they were our brothers.

Our next stop was at the American Cemetary where approximately 9,000 US soldiers are buried. I really can't find the words to describe it so I'll let the pictures do the talking.






We made 2 final stops: Gold beach where the British attacked and set up a temporary harbor and Juno Beach where the Canadians landed.

The tour was really well done. I think if I had more time, I would have tried to spend a night in Normandy and spread it out over 2 days because it is a lot to process in one day. Plus there are a lot of small museums along the way that would be interesting to stop into if you had more time. But I am still very, very glad that I did this tour.

I was the youngest person on the tour by about 20-25 years and a couple of people asked me why I had decided to do this tour. I guess they were a little bit surprised that a person my age would be interested in the Beaches of Normandy. It makes me a little bit sad that they thought my generation was not interested in WWII.

This tour definitely makes me want to read more books about WWII. I'm looking forward to getting some book suggestions from my brother when I get home!

Evening of Day 4

Greetings! I just got back from my tour of the Landing Beaches of Normandy. It's going to take me awhile to sift through all the photos so I'll be back tomorrow with a post about that. I am definitely very, very glad I did the tour. After seeing movies like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, it was surreal and humbling to see the beaches in person...

When I last left off, I was getting ready for the ballet! I wanted to have dinner in my apartment before the show so decided to buy one of the rotisserie chickens I've been drooling over all week at the local butcher shop.


I bought a small chicken and resisted the urge to buy some of the potatoes since I still have the fingerling potatoes I bought at the market on Sunday...

I shredded the chicken, cut up some greens that I had bought on Sunday and topped it with avocado and tomato, and a vinagrette that I mixed up with dijon mustard, balsamic and red wine vinegar. Yum! I don't have the French knack for presentation, but here's a picture of my delicious and healthy salad!



While it is fun to eat out, I am really enjoying eating meals in my apartment. I usually eat about one meal out a day. It's a great way to save money and I do not feel like I am depriving myself since the meals I am fixing have been delicious!

After dinner, I got dressed and headed out for the ballet (terrible self-photo, ignore the running clothes on the floor!)!



I got to the Opera area a little early so I could enjoy a glass of wine before the ballet. The Opera house is so so so gorgeous. As usual, my pictures do not do it justice. I am really terrible at night photos & photos of the interiors of dark places. I have an old point & shoot camera and I never have been able to figure out the night settings! These shots give you an idea of what the place is like, though.





The ballet was beautiful. It was danced to Vivaldi's 4 Seasons, which is one of my favorite pieces. This is my first ballet since seeing the Nutcracker in college - I really, really enjoyed it and was impressed by the dancing and the music. I would definitely love to go to another ballet back in Minneapolis.

All in all, it was a wonderful night.

And I am off to bed! I had planned on going to Versailles tomorrow but I am going to wait and go on Friday as I need a slower paced day tomorrow. I bought a Paris Museum Pass so tomorrow I plan on leisurely popping in and out of some museums. A couple of you commented and convinced me to give the Louvre a try, so I will probably head there tomorrow night after dinner. It's open late on Thursdays so I figure if I go in the evening, the crowds should have thinned out by then.

Good night, everyone!

Day 4: Champs Elysees

Good afternoon, everyone, and happy Tuesday! I woke up to rain this morning so decided not to run as I'm not a huge fan of running in the rain! I wanted today to be an easy going day as I know tomorrow will be a big day since I'll be gone for about 14 hours for that Beaches of Normandy tour! So I took my time getting ready, finished book #2 of the trip (A Secret Kept which was good but not as good as Sarah's Key, the other book by the author), and headed down to the cafe on the corner for a cafe creme.


I must say, it's really nice to sit and savor my coffee for a change! At home, I am usually gulping it down on my drive to the park & ride where I catch my bus!! I sat in the cafe and started a new book - Murder in the Marais. I am not usually a mystery reader, but this book came recommended and it's set in the arondissement where I am staying, so I had to check it out!! I read the first couple of chapters and did some people watching.

Once I was caffeinated, I took the metro to Champs Elysees which is one of the most famous boulevards in the world. It's lined with upscale stores, such as Cartier and Louis Vitton, and some American-based companies like Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch. I stopped into Zara for a bit.


I think I did about 3 or 4 case studies on Zara in my MBA program, so it's fun to see the store in person after reading so much about their sucessful business practices. I saw quite a few things that I would love to own, but I decided to hold off on buying anything for now.

I continued on until I got to the end of the boulevard where you find the Arc de Triomphe. I climbed to the top of the Arc on my last trip so this time I just viewed it from afar. It was commission by Napoleon to commemorate his victories.


After that, I headed back down the other side of the street and stopped at Laduree. Laduree is a famous patisserie that is known for their Macaroons.

They had a beautiful Valentine's Day window display!


I waited in line for some macaroons and got a couple of shots of the delicious sweets that they sell.



Macaroons are made with almond flour, so they are a gluten free treat that I can enjoy! I bought 4 macaroons - raspberry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and coffee. It was hard to choose which 4 to buy!

I had some mussels and fries for lunch. I got the small 1/2 portion of mussels, which was quite a generous portion in my opinion. They were steamed in white wine and were so good!! I think I could eat mussels every day!



Now I am back in my apartment. I am going to a Ballet tonight at the Palais Garnier so I wanted some downtime in my apartment before I start getting ready for the evening!

I probably will not do a blog post tomorrow since it will be a full day for me. I have to be at the tour office at 6:45 tomorrow so it will be an early morning for me! I am really looking forward to touring the Beaches of Normandy, though.

Here's the interesting fact of the day. It turns out that Jim Morrison died in a bathtub in an apartment across the street from where I am staying! Confession: I know the name Jim Morrison but I didn't really know who he was, so I had to google him... Classic rock is just not my genre, so that's why I didn't really know who he was. I guess the circumstances of his death are a bit unknown and some people think he is still alive... He does have a grave at the famous Pere Lachaise cemetary, though!

Au revoir for now! I'm off to iron my dress that I will wear tonight!

Day 3: Happy Valentine's Day!

Bonjour & Happy Valentine's Day!! Even though I seem to be perpetually single on this holiday, I still really do love it. As a lover of all things pink, how can't I?

I started the day by going for a run along the Seine. What a beautiful place to run. I would never get sick of running next to this river! I ran to the Pont de Neuf and asked someone to take my picture. That's my first siting of the Eiffel Tower, by the way - I haven't made it that far down the Seine yet!



After my run, I had breakfast in my apartment and then took the metro to the Tuileries station. I booked my tour of the Beaches of Normandy on Wednesday and then headed to Angelina's to treat myself to some chocolate. It is Valentine's Day, afterall!

Last time I was in Paris, I wanted to go to Angelina's, which is known for its hot chocolate, but it was like 90 degrees on that trip and hot cocoa just did not sound appealing! I am glad I returned to Paris so I can try this delicassie! Yes, it is known as being a touristy location, but hello - I am a tourist!

I ordered 2 of their signature items - a hot chocolate and the mont blanc. Good thing I went for that run today. ;)

This is the richest, most decadent hot chocolate I have ever had. They bring you a little pitcher of melted chocolate and a side of home-made whipped cream. Then you mix them yourself!



Oh my gosh, it was so good! The mont blanc is GF so I had to try that as well! It's a meringue, topped with whipped cream, topped with a chestnut paste. So good!


This was a rich treat! I am not going to feel guilty about the calories because I have done so much walking, I am sure I am burning them off. I drank all of the hot chocolate but could only finish 1/2 of the mont blanc. That's a whole lot of sugar for one sitting! Angelina's is a beautiful little cafe, though, so it was a really charming place to enjoy this delicious treat!

After that, I walked through the jardin des tuileries towards the Louvre.



I have not been inside the Lourve and I don't know that I will go inside on this trip either... There are 35,000 exhibits in the Louvre and that just sounds overwhelming to me. I do better with smaller museums, like d'Orsay... I am sure I'll make it inside some day, I just don't know if I have it in me this trip! I do love the courtyard of the Louve, though!




When I took that walking tour on Saturday, the guide said that the pyramid in the courtyard is very controversial. Apparently some people think it was inappropriate to place such a modern structure in such a historical area. I personally like the juxtaposition of the new v. the old - and the pyramid is visually appealing in my opinion!

I crossed over the left bank of the Seine and walked through the St. Germain des Pres area, which is another charming area of Paris. EventuallyI came upon Pont des Arts.



For any Sex and the City fans, this is the bridge where Big tells Carrie, "you're the one". This is the bridge where lovers bring a lock, attach it to the bridge, and throw the key in the water. I read an article that said the city of Paris is not a fan of this tradition and plans to cut the locks off the bridge at some point. That article was written last May, though, and there are still locks on the bridge...



I continued walking along the Seine. I was in search of the bookstore, Shakespeare and Co! I had a generally idea of where it was and luckily, I stumbled right upon it!



This is a famous bookstore full of books written in english. Hemingway references this shop quite a bit in A Moveable Feast (which I finished yesterday, by the way). I wandered around the bookstore - which has both new and used books. They had a fantastic section on the history of Paris. I was tempted to purchase a book (multiple books, actually), but resisted as I figure my suitcase is heavy enough as is!

After wandering around the bookstore, I sat on the bench outside and gazed up on the Notre Dame - what a site to behold!! At that point, all the walking of the past couple of days seemed to catch up with me and I decided to take the metro home.

Now I am back in my cozy apartment where I plan on relaxing for the rest of the day. I'll probably have a meal of cheese, olive, and crackers and maybe some Paella tonight. I imagine the cafes will be quite crowded tonight so I think it's a good night to eat in!

So another wonderful day in Paris. I am so glad I took this trip - it's really the perfect way for me to celebrate my 30th birthday. The city is even more beautiful and enchanting that I remember it being. I know solo travel seems odd and unappealing to some, but I really am enjoying my time here on my own. I really am not the least bit lonely! So far, I've made conversations in English with someone each day. Today, I spoke to a couple from the British Columbia province of Canada - I had been to BC in October so it was fun to talk to them about that. They were probably in their 60s and were just finishing a 1 month stay in Paris! My point is - I really don't feel alone here. It's pretty easy to spot other Canadian/US travelers and I am not too shy to initiate a conversation if I feel like talking!

This morning I was thinking about how I do look forward to a day when I can share this city with a boyfriend or a husband. For now, though , I am thankful for the strength I had to walk away from relationships that were not right for me. In these last 30 years, I have learned that there are far, far worse things than being single!

Love After Love

The time will come when,
with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

~ Derek Walcott

Home Away from Home & Afternoon of Day 2

First off, a couple of you have asked to see pictures of where I am staying this week, so here goes! First, here is a view of the street, looking towards my apartment. It's a really charming neighborhood! I love all the little balconies!


This is the kitchen - such an efficient use of space! It includes a fridge, microwave, dish washer, and combination washing machine/dryer. Impressive, huh? The kitchen is well-stocked with pots/pans, dishes, and silverware. They also provide salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar!


This is the living room area.


The bed is behind the shelves.

And this is where I write my blog posts from! The name of the apartment is "the butterfly" which explains the framed butterflies on the wall by the computer!



Now, onto my afternoon in the Marais. The apartment had a book with various walks around Paris so I decided to do one of the Marais walks this afternoon. I knew a little bit about the area before my walk since I had done a guided walking tour of the area last time I was in Paris. That walking tour is what prompted me to rent an apartment in this area. The Marais known as the Jewish quarter of Paris. It's such a charming area with narrow streets, lined with boulangeries and Patisseries.

As I learned on that walking tour, it is also where many of the mistresses of the royalty lived. Marriages during that time were mostly for political reasons so it was common for the royalty to have a mistress or two. So there are many, many grand residences in this area, known as hotel particulars, with impressive courtyards/gardens. Like this one.



Not too bad, huh? There are private residences now. I wonder how much one would cost!!

Place des Vosges is also found in the Marais. This is one of my favorite squares in Paris. It was built in the early 1600's as a country retreat for Henry IV and his courtiers. Victor Hugo also lived here.



You can tour his apartment for free, so I took a spin through. He had a lovely view of Place des Vosges!



After taking a spin through Victor Hugo's pad, I continued onto rue des Rosiers.

This is the main street of the Jewish quarter. It's lined with kosher restaurants and lots of falafel shops. L'as du Fallafel is one of the most popular - there were probably about 40 people waiting in line! I had one on my last trip and they are definitely worth the wait in line (and it's only 5 euro, which isn't bad for a meal).

Towards the end of my walk, I ended up outside of this mansion.


Apparently it was built for Princess de Soubise, one of Louis XIV's mistresses... Quite the friends with benefits arrangement... The King built it for her but then he eventually ditched her because, according to the guidebook, she 'lost a tooth'. Hmm, odd explanation... Regardless, she benefited quite nicely from that relationship...

After that walk, I refueled with some coffee, rested my feet for a bit, and then headed to mass at the Notre Dame. I walked along the Seine - which is incredibly picturesque!


The Notre Dame is about a 15 minute walk from my apartment.



Mass was really neat. No, I did not understand any of the sermon (obviously, I speak very, very, very limited French), but one nice thing about being Catholic is that the mass is the same no matter where you are. So while I didn't understand the words, I was able to follow along and speak the parts of the mass in English. Plus, they had the mass reading in English in the bulletin. Notre Dame Cathedral is so stunning - I knew my pictures of the interior wouldn't do it justice so I didn't even try. You just have to see it for yourself!

After mass, I walked back down rue de Rivoli and looked for a place to have dinner. A friend had told me I had to try Pot au Feu , so I walked along until I saw a menu that had it.

The Pot au Feu was good - it's beef with root vegetables (the beef is at the bottom of the dish), so sort of like a fancier pot roast?

The bone in it brought back memories of my bone marrow experience, though! Eeks! So I did not eat that part of the dish.

Funny story of the post... When I sat down, the waiter asked if I wanted an apertif. I only caught the word 'house' in his next sentence (I understand very little French), so I assumed he was asking if I wanted a house wine, so I said yes and that I'd like red.... Um, this is what he brought...



Yes kids, that's a glow stick in that drink. Interesting choice for a drink stirrer, huh? Again it was another exercise in flexibility. While it wasn't what I was expecting, it was good - it was sort of a cross between a mojito and sangria...

That was actually my first alcoholic beverage in France. I feel like it's a sin to not have wine with every meal but truth be told, my stomach has not been feeling so hot on this trip, so wine has not been appealing.

Lesson learned, next time, point to a red wine on the menu.

There you have it - another wordy post! I saw so much today - and all on foot! I love how there is so much to see/do within walking distance of my apartment. My feet are tired so tomorrow will be a quieter day for me. I'll start with a run along the Seine and then we'll see where the day takes me!

Au revoir for now!

Morning of Day 2: Bastille Food Market

Good afternoon, everyone! I have had another full, fabulous day and the day is not over yet. In an effort to avoid a ridiculously long post, I will break today up into 2 parts!

This morning I headed over to the Bastille food market. I had read about this ahead of time on the tripadvisor.com forum - it was recommended by many as their favorite market in Paris. It definitely lived up to its reputation.

This market is maybe 1/2 a mile from my apartment, so it was very easy to get to. As you approach the Bastille area, this large statue greets you.



It was errected in 1833 as a memorial to those killed in the street battles during the July Revolution of 1830. The tour guide touched on this revolution yesterday, but I can't remember what they were revolting against. The French sure like to revolt - the tour guide said it is obviously still a part of their culture. I say obviously because there were riots last summer or fall when the government changed the retirement age by a year or something like that!

I'm starting to get a little wordy so I will let the pictures do the talking!

I was most impressed/intrigued by all the seafood you could buy at the market! It reminded me of the market in Seattle!







They had quite a few take-away options that were pretty inexpensive in my opinion. I ended up buying some paella and a sausage + fingerling potatoes. I had some of the paella for lunch - I maybe ate 1/2 of it and was full, so it was quite a generous portion for only 5.50 Euro. So for 10 Euro, I got 2 generous take-away portions that will make great lunches this week!




Of course, there was cheese!


I purchased a nice chamembert. I think it was maybe 2 Euro for a pretty generous portion. I had forgotten how cheap cheese and wine are in Paris! I brought some GF crackers with me so will enjoy the cheese this week as a snack.

To accompany the cheese and crackers, I also bought some olives. I had the hardest time choosing which ones to buy, though! I ended up going with some mixed olives.


Of course, there was also fresh produce...



And fresh flowers...



And fresh bread.



Oh my. Being gluten free, I nearly shed a tear when I walked by the bread stands. The baguettes were less than a Euro! What a steal!

Here is what I ended up toting away. Luckily I had planned ahead and brought a reusable Lunds shopping bags!

I always get a little flustered when paying for things as I am always nervous that I won't understand the numbers they are saying... So I didn't really pay attention to how much everything cost in total as I was focused on finding the right coins to give them! But I am going to guesstimate that all of this cost about 20-25 Euro? Not bad for 2 take away items, 3 oranges, 3 avocados, a hunk of chamembert, mixed olives, hummus, and 2 bags of mixed greens!

When I set out, I thought I'd buy a roasted chicken but they were more expensive than the roasted chickens that the local butcher shop sells so I will get one there later this week.

Here's the fun story of the day: Before hitting the market, I stopped by a local cafe for a cafe creme. When I tried to pay, the guy (who was quite handsome) put his hand on his heart, pushed my money back towards me, and said, 'non'. A free coffee! Score Lisa. Frenchman can be so charming. ;) I left him a little tip to thank him for his generosity. When I left he said, "Thanks, darling." Be still my heart.

Why can't American men be charming like this?

Well, this was still a long post- and that was just my morning. I'll be back later with pictures from my walk around the Marais this afternoon.

Time to go put up my feet for awhile before I head to mass at Notre Dame!