The rest of France is better than Paris!

At least that's true for the other parts of France that we went to, which were in the northern part of the country. We really, really liked Normandy and heartily recommend it to anyone interested in history and gorgeous beaches. We stopped in Honfleur and Deauville/Trouville on our way, and they were all beautiful. We ate dinner in a Cuban resturant there while watching the Euro2008 match between France and Romania. We spent the night in a beatiful place called Le Manoir d'Heroville. Sue and her husband were fantastic and made lovely breakfasts. I definitely recommend them if you plan to visit Normandy. I got a t-shirt tan the day we went to Omaha Beach, but it was totally worth it.

Lille:
We were so happy to depart Paris and arrive in Lille. We went to visit Ali, Francoise, Theo, Nathan, and Raphael on the recommendation of my friends the Luptons, who go to UPC. We had a great time with them, and enjoyed meeting the people they work with (even one from Seattle - Martin) and members of the church in Roubaix. We were treated so hospitably by everyone, including being invited to both lunch and dinner in people's homes. We felt truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people and to see God working in this part of the world. And it was really nice not to be sleeping in hotels and hostels for awhile! Thank you Ali, Francoise, Martin, Joy family, Attika, and everyone else!

D-Day:
We started in Arromanches, and went to Longues-sur-mer (old German bunkers), Omaha Beach, the American cemetery, and the Point du Hoc. (see map: http://www.thereareplaces.com/Guidebook/pdest/norm/dday1.htm)
I can't describe the feeling of walking around the decaying German bunkers or the crumbling concrete blocks that formed the false harbor in Arromanches. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be one of the Allied troops landing on those beaches. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be one of the Nazi soldiers who suddenly realized they were going to lose the war. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be one of the French civilians who were finally liberated. I can't imagine in any way what it is like to live through war. But I hope that by learning as much as I can, I can help make sure that nothing like that ever happens again. And I sincerely appreciate all of the veterans who fought to protect freedom and democracy in this world. Thank you.

Mont St. Michel:
Leaving Normandy, we drove southwest into Brittany heading for Mont St. Michel, an old monastery built on a island. It looked like something out of Walt Disney's imagination (which is why I definitely couldn't pass up a visit there!) and was surrounded by tide flats. It felt like driving into a movie. We climbed up to the top and wandered around the old church. Beautiful and fantastic views. Even though the island is crowded with tourists and shops catering to them, a visit to Mont St. Michel was absolutely worth it!

Loire Valley:
We continued south toward the Loire Valley, our destination Fontevraud L'Abbaye, for my dear friend Lauren's wedding! We stayed in the Abbey for 4 nights - the longest we have stayed anywhere, which was nice - and only had one run-in with a creepy, many-legged insect on the curtain, and one creepy spider in my backpack, which Becca bravely destroyed (merci beaucoup!) The Abbey grounds were lovely, as was the Abbey itself. We drove out to a chateau called Chennonceau, which was literally built over a river and was gorgeous. It was about a 2-hour drive each way, but was worth it. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit any of the other chateaux in the area (there are probably hundreds!). We really enjoyed attending Lauren and Hugolin's wedding and the surrounding events, and we especially enjoyed meeting and getting to know their other friends who attended. It was an absolutely gorgeous wedding. Congratulations, Lauren and Hugolin!