Normandy

Michael, Christine, me, Marina at Karaoke.

 When I arrived in Paris, it was fairly easy figuring out how to get to the St. Lazare station from which I could catch a train to Normandy. However, once I arrived in St. Lazare, it took me 20 minutes lost underground before I could find the surface. When I did, I walked for 2 blocks before finding a map and then realized I went the wrong way if I wanted to find the train station. Finally, I found the station, grabbed a hot tuna baguette and sat on the floor of the train station for 45 minutes waiting for my train to Caen.

singing the Titanic song

Arriving in Caen, I knew I had to take a bus to a specific stop to meet my CS host, Marina. However, no one seemed to be speaking English. Finally, I went up to the one window at the train ticket window and asked how to get there. She said I had to take a bus, and it was outside, across the street to my right. I went there, but couldn’t find my stop listed on any of thee bus route maps. I pointed out my stop to a French girl, and she said I had to take bus 2, but none of the stops served bus 2. Finally, I realized that I had to take another bus and then change to get on bus 2. This was all quite overwhelming since no one spoke any English.

ready to bike to the beach

half way to beach there was this tank

I finally made it and was so relieved to see Marina waiting for me. We walked back to her place where I met her sweet little dog, Silky (a pekinese) and got a bit of a rest before we biked into the city to have dinner. We went to a sushi restaurant and I had my first ever sushi – avocado and cheese rolled in rice and seaweed, and tomato, basil, cheese rolled in rice and seaweed. I also tried a little tiny bit of plumb liquor that the waiter gave us gratis. For dessert, I had sorbet – one scoop was a fruit I’d never heard of, but the taste was somewhat familiar, called litchi. I felt quite proud trying so many new things in one meal.

with Marina and Silky

After that, Marina, three of her friends and I all went to this karaoke bar. Karaoke here is very popular and people don’t seem the least bit timid about singing like they do in the US. Because I was in Europe, in a place where no one spoke English, and because I’ve always wanted to, I sang “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic. As soon as the music started, the people in the place all went “awww,” and a bunch of couples started slow dancing.

Later, I also sung “Hand in My Pocket” by Alanis Morissette and then Marina sang “Bubbly” by Colbie Calliet. Most people, obviously, sung French songs, but a few sang American songs and it was amusing to listen to them sing in English when they didn’t even speak English.

my lunch

It took such a long time for them to call up Marina to sing that we didn’t get home until about 2:30 a.m. By this time, I was beyond exhausted. We’d all been up way too late the last night at Lieselotte’s and I barely slept on the train from Holland to Paris. My head was throbbing by the time I got in bed, but luckily we were able to sleep until 11:20.

We left her place at 2 p.m. to meet three of her friends and bike to the beach. The ride was about 15 miles each way, and even though I’d gotten used to biking in Holland, this was different because they all have the bikes that you have to lean over to reach the handles which really hurts my back. In Holland, all the bikes can be ridden while sitting up straight. Also, even though my butt had gotten used to bike seats, after a 30 mile round trip, it definitely hurts again.

at the beach outside Caen

The day was beautiful with blue skies and only an occasional white fluffy cloud. It was, however, cold. It was about 50 degrees, but the wind blowing from the sea was fierce. The last 1/3 of our trip there was really difficult as the wind was just buffeting and it was a struggle to even move forward. We finally arrived, numb and windblown, and immediately went to a cafe where we had waffles. My waffle was drizzled in chocolate, had a sliced, peeled pear, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a strawberry (as well as two little chocolate covered thin bread sticks). It was wonderful. We then walked to the beach, but it was SO cold. However, I can now say I’ve seen the Atlantic from the European coast.

Oliver, Celine, Christine and Marina at the beach.

After that, we biked back, which was much easier as the wind was in our favor. Half way back we stopped at a little park that had a pull up bar. I was excited as I’ve felt really bad about not getting any arm exercise over here (since I’m not taking silk class). Anyway, I had fun playing on the bar for a while.

Hanging out at the park. :)

By the time we reached Marina’s, I was sure I couldn’t bike another foot. We were both exhausted, but only had a few minutes to relax before we had to go meet her friends again for dinner. While relaxing, we had some dark chocolate. Her friends picked up Pizza Hut pizza and Marina was like “do that have that in America?” I was like, “Umm, yeah, it started there.” lol I was bummed though because who wants to go to France and have Pizza Hut? Ick. However, once we arrived at her friend Oliver’s house, Marina put a homemade apple tart in the oven and her friend Christine brought homemade madelines (which are like little bitty muffins, but a bit denser and with a specific taste which I can’t really describe).

Learned this in silk class while playing on the trapeze.

So all day long, I basically just had crap after my cereal and kiwi for breakfast. I don’t know how everyone is so thin when they eat like this all the time. And they drink with lunch and dinner – how are they not all huge? It blows my mind.

with the Caen castle

We are currently still at Oliver’s house and the five French people here are all talking, but since I can’t understand French and only Marina speaks English, I’m working on this blog. Tomorrow I plan to take a train to Bayeux, then a bus to the American Cemetery and walk from there to Omaha Beach. I’ll return to Caen, get my stuff from Marina’s, and take a train to Paris where I’ll meet Lacey (my host there who was a former CS surfer with me in Charlotte).