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Home again. Exhausted. Reminiscing over the past month and a half. Good times, good people, beautiful countries. I apologize for my failure to document my trip to the UK on this blog. So exhausted.

Normandy, or, The Saddest Field Trip Ever

American Memorial and Cemetary

Omaha Beach

Pointe du Hoc

German Cemetary

Boat Ride/Brittany/Vannes

All Apologies

I am sorry for the lack of posting lately, school has been rather overwhelming and I haven't been anywhere too interesting. Last weekend we went on a day trip to what could technically be called a beach, but was in reality more a rainy hellhole. We went on a boat ride for two hours, no one told us where we were going or when we would get off. I turned out we went in a circle, and ended up back at the bus. Then we drove for another half hour to a cold, rainy shore to eat lunch. They wouldn't let us eat on the bus so we all hid behind an abandoned building to eat our cold sandwiches and water.

After that we went to Nantes, which was similarly miserable at first but cleared up for an hour or so. Jessica and I ate enormous crepes, and bought french striped shirts. Later that night there was karaoke, and Sunday we all took it easy. Other than that not much has happened.
The main streets in Angers are all torn up because they are building a tram, but it is taking a long time because they keep finding skeletons. I had a test this week, and another one on Monday. I only have three days of school left, though, then its of to Paris and London.

Tomorrow we are going to Normandy to see the WWII memorials, which should be really interesting, and hopefully we will have nice weather. I will try to post pictures on Sunday.

Château d'Angers

I actually took these photos the day after I arrived in Angers, but I forgot to put them up. Here you go!

Random château we didn't get to go in

Senior portraits!

Château Chambord

The biggest, coolest castle: Chambord. Originally built as a hunting lodge.

The following photos were not taken by me:

The best thing about this castle was that they had a pair of shoes from 1820 that belonged to the Princess Caroline Ferdinand, or the Duchess of Berry. The shoes had blood on them from the night her husband, Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry (who was the nephew of king Louis XVIII) was stabbed and mortally wounded when leaving an opera house in Paris with his wife. THEN she had a son eight months later, who was called a "miracle child" because he was born after his fathers death and continued the direct line of King Louis XIV. Her son received the title of Duke of Bordeaux, but is better known as the comte de Chambord. AWESOME!

Also, the raspberry liqueur "Chambord" was said to have been introduced to Louis XIV during one of his visits to this Château.

The President of France still uses this castle and has hosted such guests as Princess Diana, George Bush, and Bill Clinton.