un weekend à Normandie

Last weekend my program center brought us to Caen, Normandie, in the northwest of France. Caen is really pronounced more like 'caw' than 'can', just so you know.  I don't want to speak to soon, but I think I'll remember it as one of my favorite weekends of semester. Basically, Caen took a beating during World War Two during the Allied invasion of France of 1944. So, while touring castles and cathedrals like one normally does in France, we saw hugely devastated walls, bomb craters and shattered towers. On Saturday we took a bus to the Atlantic coast a few dozen kilometers away for a day full of D-day (or jour-j) history. In the morning we visited le Mémorial de Caen, a museum that follows European political history from after WWI through the cold war, but has and emphasis on WWII and D-Day. The museum is really well put together; it was especially interesting to follow the cause-and-effects of almost an entire century. There was also a short film made using military footage from air force planes and whoever else had a camera on the ground during the invasion. On the left side of the screen rolled footage of Allied preparation while simultaneously the German response played on the right. Then it reduced to a single picture of footage between battles, the recoup and burials. Très émouvant. I don't know if the goal was to evoke sadness or reverie or admiration, but I certainly left with a distaste for the human capacity to destroy each other. The memorial is called 'un musée pour la paix' (a museum for peace). Yeah. It'd be hard not to be for peace after making a museum about wars. 

A sculpture outside the museum: a gun (rifle?) with the barrel tied in a knot, with the words NON VIOLENCE engraved underneath. 

Next we drove to Omaha beach, one of the landing points on D-day. It is really long. And there were, like, five other beaches on D-day. 

Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach

Me, Emma and Emily.

 Next stop, American cemetery. The U.S. is renting the land from France from now until infinity, so we were technically in America (on American soil) for about an hour. And it really felt like the US-like Arlington. We planned to go to the German cemetery also but we ran out of time.

Soldier gravestones. There are around 10,000. 

Really interesting mosaic on the ceiling of a little chapel in the center of the graveyard. On the left is Lady Liberty sending off her American boys to war. On the right is Marianne, the symbol of the Republic of France, holding the deceased soldier. The airplane brings him across to France and the angel brings his spirit back to the US. 

 Our last stop was Pont d'Hoc, another invasion point. This site has German bunkers and trenches remaining, as well as tons of bomb craters. The whole day was pretty overcast but when we got here the sky dropped about a kilometer and it started to rain. It felt like one of the more desolate places on earth.

Craters at Pont d'Hoc.

Clif. Imagine trying to climb up that (while being shot at). 

Pont d'Hoc.

Alex at Pont d'Hoc. 

We also had a lot of fun in Normandy. They fed really well at Norman restaurants, we stayed in a Hotel and there was a great market right outside. Plus, the region was really beautiful (apple trees + cows) and it was nice to be in the country. Overall, two thumbs up, CIEE (my program).

I leave for Moldova and then Turkey tomorrow! A la rentrée!