Spain - Seville

We completed European vacation number three for the year during the last two weeks of May (yes, I realize it’s almost July – I’m slow). We traveled to Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Madrid and Toledo, Spain and Peniche, Portugal. The week in Peniche was spent learning how to surf and was my Christmas gift to Chris this year (poor baby had to wait 5 months to cash in!). I had been to many of the cities we visited when I traveled to Spain and Portugal in high school. I was a little worried that I would be bored with repeating the sights, but it turns out my 17-year-old brain wasn’t really paying that much attention. There were certainly places that I remembered, but as is not normally the case, I was much more impressed this time around. Maybe all the European history I’ve been absorbing is finally starting to give these places some significance! I had a good time looking through my old pictures when we got home (I even included some of the real “repeats” in the pictures for you all to see). Alright, enough of my rambling; let’s get this tour started with Seville… enjoy!!

Spain - Seville

Our trip actually started with a quick overnight in our favorite airline hub – Lisbon. This was the first time we weren’t able to get a connecting flight out the same day. We checked into the Holiday Inn Express near the airport, attempted to find a restaurant, gave up, and ordered sauce-less Pizza Hut Pizza. The next morning, we boarded a tiny little commuter jet (at least it was a jet and not a prop), and took a 30 min flight to Seville, Spain. For those of you thinking of traveling between Spain and Portugal – take a plane not the train. Plane tickets are cheaper and don’t take 12 hours.

In Seville, we were greeted by sweltering heat – the first either of us had felt in nearly 9 months! By the time we had taken a bus into town from the airport and walked the half-mile to our hotel, we were both roasting! I immediately understood the wisdom behind the Spaniards’ religious adherence to the siesta. Chris and I got checked into our hotel, changed clothes, and took a little snooze ourselves before venturing out into the heat again.

The first, and really only, thing on Chris’ agenda for Spain was to see a bull fight (oh goodie). We walked to the bull ring to try to buy tickets to the weekly Sunday night fight. While we were there, we were able to join in on a tour of the bull ring. It was interesting to learn about the history of the sport and to learn a little about what to expect that night. The most interesting part of the tour was the small museum under the stands. It was home to the taxidermied heads of the most famous bulls as well as a large collection of outfits from famous matadors. We had several hours between the time the tour ended at the start of the bull fight, so we followed another of Rick Steves’ city walks around the historic portion of the city. We enjoyed a refreshing pitcher of Sangria near the city’s Cathedral and bell tower, got lost in a maze of old, winding streets, found a statue of Don Juan, and strolled along the riverfront.

Finally, much to my dismay, it was time for the bull fight to start. Every Sunday three matadors and their teams enter the ring and each take on two bulls (yes, you did the math correctly, that’s six bulls). The fight started with the presentation of the matadors and their teams. This was my favorite part, as you could see all the beautiful costumes and horses and listen to the traditional music without all the ‘yuck’ that came later. A typical bull fight is divided several sections. During the first part, the matador and his assistants wave a pink (not red) cape to attract the bull’s attention. The matador allows the bull to pass as close to him as dares. I actually enjoyed this part of the fight as well. It was amazing to see the matadors just stand there as the bull came charging at them. Some of the guys we saw were pretty impressive in how close they got to the bull.

Here’s where I got off the fan wagon… the next person into the ring is the horse-mounted picadore. His job is to stab the bull between the shoulder blades with a really long stick. The horses are heavily padded (as are the picadores) and blindfolded so they don’t freak out when the bull charges at them. The picadores are followed by the banderilleros who leap in front of the bull to stick two brightly colored spears into the bull. These guys are crazy… C.R.A.Z.Y. During the final act of the fight, the matador uses a red cape to lure the bull into charging close enough to be killed with a long sword. If the matador is good, the bull is killed in one shot…some aren’t so good. The matador’s abilities are judged by the president of the fight, and good matadors are awarded ears (and in a very few cases a tail) for their bravery and showmanship. One of the matadors we saw was awarded an ear, and it was obvious even to us that he was much better than the others participating that day.

I could have just walked through the museum and skipped the in-person experience. At the very least, I was culturally educated enough after the first two bulls, but we stayed for all six. The things I do for my husband. We finished up the night at a tapas bar and a nighttime walk through the historic town center before calling it a very late night.

The next morning, we hopped on the bus and headed across town to the Basilica de la Macarena (yes, the ridiculous dance originated in this neighborhood, but that’s not why we went). The Basilica is home to two “dolls”, one Mary and one Jesus, and two over-the-top floats that are used to carry the dolls during Holy Week celebrations. The dolls are dressed in ornately embroidered clothes and topped gold and crystal crowns. The floats are covered in gold leaf, more crystal, and hundreds of candles. Every year Jesus and Mary are removed from the church, loaded on the flat-bed sized floats, and carried by shifts of 48 men from midnight to 2pm on Good Friday. The streets of the parade route are packed with people all trying to catch a glimpse of La Macarena (Mary).

We decided to give the churches of Seville the one-two punch and continued our touring at the Seville’s Cathedral and Giralda Bell Tower. This is one of the sights I actually remembered from my trip here 10 years ago. The Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world (with the Guinness certificate to prove it). The crown-jewel of the Cathedral is the giant golden altar piece. At 65 feet tall and covered nearly completely in gold leaf (and now dust), it is truly something to behold. The Cathedral is also the final resting place of Christopher Columbus. His tomb is positioned in front of one of the Cathedral’s side doors and is carried toward the altar by statues of four Spanish kings – one from each of the four regions of Spain. After taking in the pipe organs and choir area near the altar, we continued through the Cathedral, eyes glued to the beautifully decorated ceiling, to the Giralda Bell Tower.

The bell tower was originally constructed as a Muslim minaret during Moorish rule of Seville. When the Moors were concurred, the mosque was torn down to make room for the Cathedral (this pattern was repeated many times throughout Spain: church, mosque, church all on the same site). The minaret was saved and converted into a bell tower. The views from the top of the bell tower are amazing. Streets in Seveille are constructed especially narrow so that the buildings provide shade for one another on hot summer days. The buildings are so close together, it’s hard to find streets amongst the mess of rooftops.

Our final tour stop for the day was the Alcazar. This palace was built in the 10th century and still serves as the oldest royal palace in Europe. After this trip, I am a big fan of Moorish architecture. The Moors used graceful arches, peaceful courtyards, intricate stone and tile work, and lots of fountains to create restful havens in the middle of scorching Spain. Sign me up to live in one of these palaces any day! A particularly inviting feature of many Moorish palaces was the royal gardens. The gardens at Seville’s Alcazar are a mix of formal hedges, open green spaces shaded by purple flowering trees, and more fountains (the Moors, coming from the deserts of the Middle East, were especially fond of all the water they found in Spain). I once again found myself repulsed by the giant, 3 ft carp that lived fat and happy in the fountains. I didn’t understand it 10 years ago and I don’t understand it now. If you’re going to have carp, at least get the pretty orange ones so I can pretend they aren’t ditch fish.

Chris and I enjoyed a long, leisurely walk in the shade of the gardens before heading to Seville’s shopping district. I decided to take advantage of having actual stores with real live clothes in them, and bought a new sun dress, a skirt, and a new pair of flip-flops. I’m good at online shopping at this point, but it’s still nice to be able to try things on before you buy them! Our own shopping needs met, we wondered past the over-priced shoe stores and past the shops selling traditional Flamenco costumes. Finally, we arrived back at our hotel to change for an evening of tapas and Flamenco dancing at a local bar recommended by our friend Jordan.

Our first attempt at tapas the night before had been more miss than hit, but tonight’s selections were excellent. It was probably because it was mostly fried meat with french fries, but it was still awesome!! Once we were stuffed, we wondered down a little back alley to La Carbonara. Jordan recommended we show up at about 10:15 to get a good seat for the 11:00 (yes, that’s pm) show. We ordered a pitcher of sangria and got comfy while we waited for the show to start. By 11, the bar was packed and we were very thankful for Jordan’s advice. The Flamenco dancer was accompanied by a guitar player and a singer. The dancer apparently forgot that she was performing in a BAR, and kept telling the crowd to “shush” when they got a little too excited. She’d never make a good rock star, but she was a good dancer. Chris enjoyed the dancing, but he was especially intrigued by the singer. Chris thought he sounded like he was about to pop a blood vessel in his head. Check out the video below.

 On our way back to the hotel, we found a small band playing outside a local restaurant. People had gathered around and were singing along and dancing in the square nearby. We had a great time listening to them and watching everyone dance. We finally dragged ourselves back into the hotel very late at night and collapsed into bed. Check out the video of the street band below.

France - Paris

Our first day in Paris started with a quick breakfast at our B&B in Bayeux, a frantic taxi ride to the train station, and a three hour train ride right into central Paris! One quick trip on the metro and we were just blocks from our hotel. Chris and I decided on this trip that we would each pack one carry-on size bag and one backpack. We washed a lot of clothes in the sink, but it was totally worth it on days like this when we had to drag our luggage through trains, metros, and over old cobblestone streets. After checking into our hotel, squeezing into the half-sized elevator, and doing some laundry, we headed out to see Paris.

First stop – A sandwich shop near Notre-Dame Cathedral (Chris develops quite the appetite when we’re traveling and mine does the exact opposite). Once Chris was properly fed, we actually went into Notre-Dame. The interior of the Cathedral was beautiful, and the Rosette windows were truly something to behold. However, it was the exterior of the building that really impressed us. Detailed carvings depicting scenes from the Bible covered the walls around the three front doors and a maze of flying buttresses supported the central portion of the church, while gargoyles kept watch from their perches atop the building. The setting, on one end of a small island in the middle of the Seine, made the Cathedral all the more impressive. We wanted to take in the views from the top of the bell towers, but the line was several hours long – not worth it.

We continued our visit by following a walking tour in our guide book. The tour took us through the historic neighborhoods on both sides of the Seine near Notre-Dame, including a stop for some delicious ice cream at Berthillon Ice Cream shop on the Ile St. Louis. Our tour ended us at an unassuming little church tucked within the walls of the Palais de Justice called the Sainte-Chapelle. The exterior was VERY misleading, as the inside of the church was covered, almost continuously, with beautiful stained glass windows. The massive columns usually present in churches from this period (around 1250), were absent. In their place, were long rectangular columns, with only the short end visible inside the church.

On Wednesday nights, the Louvre stays open extra late (10pm), so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to squeeze one more sight into our day. The Louvre museum is housed in a former palace complex constructed by the rulers of France during the 16th century. The building itself is worth seeing even if you don’t particularly care for art. We followed an audio-guide downloaded onto my iPod and walked around the museum connected by a pair of headphones (I’m sure we looked special). We saw all the required works of art: Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and of course The Mona Lisa. Let’s talk about Mona… she’s small (less than 2’ square) and hidden behind at least 6” of bullet proof, flash proof glass on a GIANT wall (making her look even smaller). We squeezed in, took a picture, and then started taking pictures of the hoard of paparazzi elbowing and pushing to get a picture. The paparazzi were much more entertaining than the painting itself.

We covered the rest of the audio-tour with about an hour left before closing time, so we took off for the Egyptian wing to check out the mummies. Every time we wonder through one of these great art museums, I think to myself, “Why didn’t I take an art history class in college?” Then I remember that while the rest of the University was sitting in art history class, I was sitting in differential equations class. Ugh – such is the life of an engineering student. We ended our night with a walk up and out of the beautifully lit glass pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre before taking an unexpectedly long walk along the Seine River back to our hotel.

The next morning started entirely too early in an effort to be at the Versailles palace the moment it opened. Thanks to our early arrival and our awesome Paris Museum Pass (this is a must-have item), we only had to wait in the security line for about 15 minutes before we were touring the palace. By the time we left just 4 hours later, the line for security was over an hour long. The palace was built by Louis XIV in the late 1600’s as the new seat of the French government. We heard over and over as we toured sights in Paris that the city’s grand buildings were built by Louis the XIV, enjoyed by Louis the XV and paid for with Louis XVI’s head! After seeing how much money must have been spent on the buildings constructed during this time, I can see why the average starving, unemployed French citizen was angry enough to start beheading the upper class!

The highlight of the interior of Versailles was the Hall of Mirrors. The walls of this ballroom were covered in some of the first large mirrors available in France. To compliment the mirrors, the rest of the space was covered in gold leaf and accented with crystal chandeliers. I’m sure it would have been quite the happening party spot in its day! The rest of the rooms in the palace were just as opulent and over-the-top; truly fit for a king. In addition to the actual palace of Versailles, we also spent a good deal of time touring the palace gardens. A grand canal was constructed in the middle of the 8-mile long complex, and huge fountains dotted the portions of the grounds farther away from the canal. Tucked back in the corner of the gardens was the Grand Trianon (a palace built as a getaway from Versailles) and the Petit Trianon (because two palaces weren’t enough). The Grand Trianon and its gardens were very beautiful. The Petit Trianon was downright boring. Oh well, can’t win them all. Exhausted from all the walking and blinded by the constant glint of gold, we made our way back to the train station for a relaxing ride back into central Paris.

Refreshed after our train ride, we decided to tackle the Orsay Museum. The Orsay is housed in a former train station and is home to art from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s including works by Manet, Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh (people I’ve actually heard of – finally!). I enjoyed the art in this museum much more than the art in the Louvre. These paintings tended to be more landscapes and everyday people rather than portrait after portrait of kings and saints. You can only see so many paintings of Mary before they all start to look the same. The security guards in this place were serious about their jobs. I had to practically disassemble my iPod to prove to them that it wasn’t capable of taking pictures before they would believe I wasn’t taking pictures with it – just listening to information about the paintings.

*stands up on soapbox* For the good of all tourists… learn how to shut the flash off on your camera before you go on vacation. You are the reason that many places have banned cameras altogether. (More on a perfect example of this when we get to Madrid) Figure it out – it’s not that hard. *puts soapbox away*

On our way back to our hotel, we stopped by an outdoor sculpture garden featuring the works of Rodin. This was a must-see stop for Chris because The Thinker is on display, and he really wanted his picture with the sculpture. The rest of the garden was interesting, if a bit morbid.

We ended this very full day with a trip to the Eiffel Tower. This is the one place on the entire vacation and my planning really screwed up. If you plan ahead a few days, you can reserve a time on the elevators up the tower. This lets you skip the REDICULOUSLY long line for tickets. I missed this piece of information in my planning, so we thought we were stuck with the long lines for sure. When we arrived, we discovered that you can wait in a much shorter line to take the stairs (all 674 of them) to the second level. From there, you can buy a ticket on the elevator to the top. So… we started climbing, and climbing, and climbing. The people who run the tower were thinking and put interesting story boards about the history and construction of the tower on every landing along the way. By the time we reached the first level, were tired but well educated. We took some time to rest on the first level before heading up the remaining stairs to the second level. We arrived at the second level just before sunset, so we picked out a spot with a good view, bought a couple glasses of wine, and enjoyed watching the City of Lights come to life. Once it was dark, we decided that we had seen enough of Paris from the air and skipped the hour and a half wait to take the elevator to the top. We got some great night pictures and had a nice, if not completely relaxing, evening. Next time, we’ll reserve tickets to the elevator for the ride up. Then, we’ll take the stairs down, because it was very interesting to see the construction of the tower up close and personal.

Having seen everything we really wanted to see in Paris (except the Arc de Triomphe) during our first two days, we decided to take a guided bicycle tour through the town to see what we might have missed. After breakfast a cute little café near our hotel, we headed back to the Eiffel Tower (good thing it was only a few blocks from our hotel) to meet up with the people from Fat Tire Bike Tours. Our tour guide directed us fearlessly through the Parisian traffic and past sights we would have never thought to see otherwise. My favorite parts of the tour were our guide’s explanation for what the Parisians were thinking when they honked as us, “Thank you for spending your money here,” and lunch in the beautiful Tuileries Garden. Somehow, even after days of eating nothing but baguette sandwiches and crepes, they still tasted amazing!

For our afternoon activities, we took in Monet’s Water Lilies at the Ornagerie Museum (unless you’re a huge Monet fan, don’t bother), toured Napoleon’s tomb and the Army Museum, and wrapped up with the Arc de Triomphe. Napoleon’s tomb fits with the connotation of the Napoleon complex. Huge (the tomb itself was the size of a car) and over the top – everything covered in gold. We toured the Army Museum at the recommendation of our tour guide, and it was much more interesting than I would have expected. Chris really enjoyed looking at all the weapons, and I got a kick out of seeing Napoleon’s taxidermied pony horse. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good picture of it because the security guard was shooing us out the door so they could close for the day. A quick metro ride later, we were at the Arc de Triomphe. Like everything built by Napoleon, this monument was huge (so much bigger than it looks in pictures). Another couple hundred steps and we were standing on top of the Arc looking down at Europe’s busiest intersection. Unfortunately for us, it was Good Friday (a national holiday in France), so traffic was uncharacteristically light. It was still interesting to watch the cars go around and around the circle. You couldn’t pay me to drive through that intersection. I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t come out alive!

We decided to spend our last night in Paris like any Parisian would – picnicking on the Champ de Mars, enjoying the Eiffel Tower. A grocery store near our hotel provided us with bread, lunch meat, cheese, potato salad, and a small bottle of wine. We spread out on the grass, took pictures, and enjoyed another sunset. After dark, we watched the Eiffel Tower light up and sparkle with its hourly light show. Then, we boarded an overcrowded boat for a scenic river cruise. It was a great way to catch of glimpse of the parts of Paris separated from the tourist attractions and to see some of the city’s most famous sights illuminated. The bad news – the boat was moving, so our pictures were terrible.

While, I could have spent another week in Paris just strolling through the city enjoying the atmosphere, we were both happy to board a plane for home the next morning. Two weeks without sleeping in your own bed is just long enough to make you really appreciate it when you get home! That doesn’t mean I won’t be back – hopefully, sometime soon.

France – Mont St. Michel and Normandy

Hello faithful readers! I know it’s been a long time (like a month) since my last update. Here’s a quick run-down of the last month’s events. Chris and I spent a week in Spain, followed by a week learning how to surf in Peniche, Portugal. Chris was significantly more successful in this endeavor than I was. I got a really great wetsuit tan and more bruises than I could count, but it was still fun! I promise you’ll be getting pictures and stories from that trip as soon as I finish with our time in France.

Two days after we got home, Chris left for pre-deployment training in Texas. The newly-promoted Captain Bahrij is sweating it out Army-style for the next few weeks before he heads over to Afghanistan for six months. This is deployment number three for our family; hard to believe, since we haven’t even been in the Air Force for four years. It always takes me some time to find a new routine after he leaves, but I think I’ve got it figured out now. I’m back to writing; hopefully, on a fairly regular basis.

Thank you for your patience. If you’ve forgotten where we were in our travels, go back and re-read the last post.

France – Mont St. Michel and Normandy

Four hours and one stop for gas later, we arrived at the beautiful island of Mont St. Michel. Here’s the short history: The Abbey of Mont St. Michel was built in 708 AD by the Catholic Church. Pilgrims and tourists have been visiting ever since. Over time, a small village rose up below the Abbey, defensive walls were built around the village, and a causeway was constructed to make travel to the island slightly less dangerous. Tides in the Bay of Mont St. Michel rise over 50 ft each day and can travel at speeds up to 12 mph (that’s fast for water). The parking lots near the island are covered at high tide each day, so don’t be late getting back to your car – yikes! Okay, enough history, back to our visit.

We started at the Biscuiterie de la Baie du Mont St. Michel (long name for a bakery that makes really tasty cookies) for a lunch of cookies and apple cider. Super-nutritious, I know. The parking lot was supposed to have great views of the island of Mont St. Michel, and it did not disappoint. Our next stop was to indulge the river engineer in me. The causeway built to connect the island to the mainland in the late 1800’s caused the area around the island to silt in, making the term “island” less than accurate. A project is underway to remove the causeway and return the area around the island to its natural condition. A small building on the mainland is home to a very in-depth exhibit explaining the project. Unfortunately for me, it was all in French. It was probably a good thing, though. If it was in English I would have spent all day reading.

Next, we drove down the infamous causeway, parked our car in the “don’t be late” lot, and walked up to the city gates. We looked in, saw how many people were crammed into the streets, and decided a walk around the island was a better plan. We arrived at low-ish tide, so we had no problem making it completely around the island. This turned out to be the best part of our visit. The landscape was beautiful and we got to see views of Abbey most people never even know exist. Eventually, though, we decided we should brave the crowds to see the Abbey itself.

Our awesome guide book (Rick Steves again) gave us three options for walking up the hill to the Abbey. We opted to follow along the top of the City walls, hoping it would be less crowded than the main street through the village. After quite a bit of climbing (and living on our island I am no stranger to climbing steep roads), we arrived at the entrance to the Abbey. From an engineer’s perspective, the fact that any buildings at all were able to stand on the top of the steep rocky island was pretty impressive. However, compared to most of the cathedrals we have and would see, the interior of the Abbey was pretty run-of-the-mill. The monks’ courtyard was the best part of the tour due mostly to the amazing view of the surrounding bay. Chris also enjoyed the giant hamster wheel used to haul supplies up to the Abbey. Yes, a real, working, people-powered hamster wheel.

Chris insisted on walking back down the hill through all the tourists, much to my slightly ochlophobic dismay. It wasn’t really that bad and we did get to stop for our first French crepes. Crepes with strawberry jelly became a favorite of Chris’ before we left France. Good thing the family recipe for “big pancakes” made it into my cook book when I left home!

We made it back to our car well before it ended up under water and spent another two hours driving through the French countryside to the town of Bayeux (see the map for our routes). For anyone who is wondering exactly what the French countryside looks like… it looks like someone took a bunch of cute little New England towns and dropped them into the middle of Iowa. We checked into a three-room bed and breakfast (if I haven’t said this before, B&B’s are the way to travel; hands down, the best!) before venturing out into the town for some dinner. Between the B&B and our eventual restaurant choice, we passed by the Bayeux cathedral but weren’t able to go in as there was a Mass going on inside.

The next morning, we started our tour of the WWII sights in Normandy bright and sort-of early. When someone else tells you what time breakfast is served, you have no choice but to go with it. We finished our homemade bread with homemade apple jelly and our huge cups of coffee served in earthenware mugs, and hit the road. Our first stop was Arromanches, the location of the Port Winston Artificial Harbor. Artificial harbor, you say? Why, yes. The Allied forces that landed in Normandy actually built two artificial harbors. They were made from old ships that were sailed from England and then sunk, huge concrete vaults hauled to the site and sunk (notice a theme here), and miles of portable steel bridges. Within six days of the landing, the harbors were more-or-less fully functional, unloading supplies, vehicles, and more. The harbor built at Omaha beach only lasted 12 days, so the one constructed at Arromanches became the main supply point for the Allied invasion of France. Who knew there was so much engineering in history! My question is where was this harbor when I was learning about WWII in school? While in Arromanches, we also toured the D-Day Landing Museum – home to working models of the artificial harbor and information on the landing operations undertaken by each of the Allied countries participating in D-Day.

The next stop on the tour was the Longues-sur-Mer gun battery. It was on our way to this site that we noticed how well marked the D-Day sights are as you travel along the tiny country roads. The French in this region take their history seriously, and have done a spectacular job providing a comprehensive look at D-Day and the Allied invasion. In a quiet grass field off of one of the previously mentioned country roads, four German artillery bunkers keep watch over a section Omaha beach. These bunkers house huge guns that were capable of hitting targets miles off shore. The guns are still in place, and the bunkers are open to enter. It was eerie standing the bunkers, looking at the small rooms where the German soldiers slept, and trying to imagine how loud it would have been in the concrete rooms when the gun was fired. Destroying these bunkers, and the thousands of others like them, was key to defeating the Germans in France.

Stop number two for the day was the WWII Normandy American Cemetery. Positioned solemnly over Omaha beach, this cemetery is the definition of hallowed ground. Chris commented as we were leaving that he never really understood what people were talking about when they said that, but as soon as we entered the cemetery, he got it. Over 9,000 marble crosses and Stars of David line up in perfect rows, not a blade of grass out of place (thanks to specially designed lawn mowers), paying silent tribute to the soldiers who fought to free France. The markers show the names, units, home states, and dates of death of each person – dog tag numbers are carved into the backs of the markers near the ground. We walked up and down row after row of crosses, reading names, and trying to absorb the enormity of the history contained in this one location. Once we had covered the entire cemetery, we ventured into the chapel before ending our tour at the visitors’ center. The basement of the center gives information about the Allied preparations for the Normandy invasion, including interviews with Allied commanders and soldiers, and a detailed timeline of the months leading up to D-Day.

The contrast in attitude between the cemetery and our next stop, Omaha beach itself, was marked. Outside the confines of the memorials and cemeteries, life in Normandy has carried on for over 65 years, just as it did for thousands of years before D-Day. Families were gathered on the beach, eating picnic lunches, playing soccer, and walking their dogs. Some sections of the D-Day beaches have even been developed into resort hotels. It was odd, as an American who views Normandy through the context of our county’s only historical encounter with the area, to see people carrying on with their lives so seemingly unaware of what is all around them. But, then isn’t that what the Allies were trying to do in Normandy, return life and peace to the French (and the rest of Europe)? Eventually, we decided to embrace the locals’ attitude, and we spent some time walking through the waves (so cold!!) and enjoying the sunshine before heading to our next stop.

The Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument, the most heavily bombed location in the days leading up to D-Day, was our final stop of the day. Destroying the German bunkers in this location was considered essential to the entire D-Day operation. The landscape surrounding the mostly-destroyed bunkers consists almost entirely of bomb craters now covered in grass and wildflowers (yet another example of how time marches on). A huge stone dagger driven through the top of one of the German bunkers is a memorial to the 300 Army Rangers who scaled the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day to secure this important point for the Allies.

Feeling we had absorbed all the D-Day history we could handle in one day, we drove back to Bayeux, said goodbye to our rental car, and found ourselves some much-needed dinner.

France – Loire River Valley

After a short stop-over in Paris, we boarded another train and headed for the town of Tours, France. Going 198 mph, we covered the 200 or so miles between Paris and Tours in about an hour. High-speed trains, even with second class seats, are most certainly the way to travel. You just show up at the train station, buy your ticket, and get on the train. No lines, no fuss, just quick, efficient travel. And did I mention no TSA… I think that’s enough of a reason right there!

In Tours, we picked up a cute little Opel at the local Hertz rental car location – one of the best moves we made all trip. While a little on the expensive side because of the REDICULOUS cost of gas in Europe (imagine filling the tank of a Ford Fiesta and having it cost you $150), there was no better way to travel between the chateaux and later along the coastline in Normandy. It was worth every penny. I have also never been so thankful that my wonderful husband is an expert at driving a manual transmission. Automatics are very expensive to rent in Europe because they know the only people renting them are American tourists.

After some creative directions from the GPS, we made our way to our cute little hotel to check in before heading out to our first chateau - Cheverny. The highlight of this chateau is the evening feeding of the hunting hounds. We arrived just in time to see the roughly 70 hounds crowd on to the kennel rooftop before being released to their feast of raw poultry and kibble. In under a minute, the entire concrete floor was licked clean. I got the best video a short girl in the back of the crowd could get – check it out.

After the dogs were fed, we ventured into the chateau’s interior. This was by far the most nicely and completely furnished of the chateaux we toured. It was easy to imagine living in this beautiful home. In fact, the family that owns the property still lives on the third floor, while the first and second are open to the public. We spent some time walking around the grounds surrounding the chateau before ending our tour in the wine-tasting room. We sampled some local wine, bought one we liked, and headed back to the hotel.

We took a walk through the town of Amboise, followed by a dinner of pizza and an amazing chef salad at a local Italian restaurant. I understand the irony of eating Italian in France… it was good and it was actually open. This was the only place, in the entire two week vacation, in which we had to order in the native language. We made it through on our pathetic combined knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese and even learned the word for mushrooms when they unexpectedly made an appearance on our pizza! One the way home, we stopped at the local grocery store for come chocolate pudding cups and fresh strawberries for dessert.

Day two of chateaux-touring started out at Chambord. This gigantic chateau, the largest in the valley by far, is set in the middle of Europe’s largest enclosed forest. The chateau was originally built as a hunting lodge and was only furnished and inhabited when nobles were there to hunt. Therefore, the furnishings still remaining were pretty sparse. But, really, who wants to dust 440 rooms? Not me!

The highlight of this chateau was the central staircase. Two sets of spiral stairs wound around an open central shaft such that the people traveling on each staircase never meet but continuously catch glances of each other across the center. We also really enjoyed the views of the surrounding hunting grounds from the roof. Hungry after trekking through such an oversized building, we had lunch in the chateau’s café. Baguette sandwiches and fries – you’ll see this meal repeated a lot as we go along. It seems to be the only fast lunch food served in France other than crepes (we ate plenty of those too).

Let me give you a little idea of what driving is like in the Loire Valley. Imagine you’re driving down a narrow, windy, gravel road for about 10 miles. Add some blacktop and a lot of random intersections and you’ve pretty much got it covered (again, be thankful for the whole square “section” concept – it’s a real blessing). The countryside was beautiful, but there was just no good way to get from one place to the next. As much of a pain as it was sometimes, being forced to slow down and enjoy the scenery was what gave this part of the trip much of its charm. That being said, would some lane markers every once in a while really have hurt anything?

So, we drove leisurely through the countryside, and, thanks to our awesome GPS, we arrived at the Chaumont-sur-Loire. This castle-like chateau was built on the bluffs of the Loire River in the 15th and 16th centuries. It featured an amazing view of the Loire River from the courtyard as well as a working draw bridge – cool! We really enjoyed touring the stables. They were furnished with original harnesses and carriages. They even have a couple of fake horses in the stalls! Seeing all that went into keeping a carriage ready and waiting for the inhabitants of the palace was pretty amazing. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to see that place running on a busy day.

Our third and final chateau for the day was the crown-jewel of the Loire valley – Chenonceau. This beautiful palace was situated right over the top of the Cher River. The main living quarters were situated all at one end of the palace, with the grand ballrooms, located one on top of the other, stretching across the river. The kitchen was housed in one of the pillars sticking up out of the river! Allow the engineer in me to go nuts for just a second… Here we are, with 21st century knowledge, fancy computer models, and thousands of tons of concrete and we still have a nation full of rapidly deteriorating bridges. Now, let’s look at France in the 15th century. The queen says, “I’d like to build my palace over the river.” The builders say, “Yes, your highness,” (because really, what else are they going to say) and 600 years later, the building is still standing, gracefully over the river. Now, that’s not to say they maybe haven’t had to do some work from time to time, but really - 600 years! That’s amazing.  End of nerdy rant.

The grand ballroom was the highlight of this chateau. Huge windows lined both sides of the hall, allowing in lots of natural light and creating amazing views up and down the river. They also afforded views of the extensive formal gardens on either side of the chateau’s entrance.

Thoroughly exhausted from walking all day, we drove back to the hotel to enjoy a wonderful dinner at our hotel’s restaurant. On Sundays (and this was a Sunday) dinner is served only to guests of the hotel who are on the “half-board” option. This option covers your room and dinner for the day as well as breakfast the next morning. It was a great deal, so we did it for one day of our stay. For dinner we enjoyed asparagus soup and beef roast in wine sauce. Dessert was rice pudding topped with fresh blueberries and raspberries (something I most certainly need to learn to make).

Breakfast the next morning was equally wonderful. Fruit, cheese and a chocolate croissant… It’s really all about the chocolate croissant. By 10 am we were off toward our next destination - Mont St. Michel!