France....

Oh what a fun few days it has been.  As I type this, I sit staring out the window looking at Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower.

We got in wednesday, and first visited the Palace of Versaille.  This was the chateau that Marie Antoinette and company built back when, and more importantly, the site of the Paris Peace talks that ended WWI.  It is a very beautiful chateau with immaculate gardens.  Following, we drove up to the Normandy coastline.  Normandy is a very beautiful place, it looks a lot like Michigan.  Lots of friendly people, as well.  We stayed at Hermanville s. Mer, right off the D-Day Sword Beach, at le Hotel du Canada.

Thursday we visited all the WWII landing beaches in Normandy.  It is much different that movies would have me believe, Omaha is the only one with big cliffs, to see the others and know how many people died, really put how big the battle was in perspective for me.  We stayed at Caen that night, the capital of Normandy, and seen the castle and chateau that was founded in the 10th century.

Friday we visited Cherbourg, and much to our suprise, so did the French President Sarkozy.  As we were eating lunch, his motorcade drove right by.  Following, we went to Mont St. Michel, an old abbey that was built into a fortress.  It is an awesome place, I'd love to go back there someday.

Today was wine tasting in Champagne, followed by a Normandy dinner consisting of pigs feet, tripe (cow intestines), calf brain and blood sausage.  It was yummy!  I finally figured out the secret to French food, as well.  Don't smell it.  Period.  Just plug your nose and eat it, it taste delicious, but smells like shit.  Other French specialties that I have tried include mussles (real yummy), steak tartate (raw steak topped with raw egg), and foie gras (tasted like cheese spread, real good on bread).  And, of course, the ever delicious French croissant.

Anyways, pics when I get back to Prague on Friday (or sometime after), and updates when I get the chance.  I'm heading to Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday, and am in Paris until then.

Au revoir!