Christmas is coming...

I finally feel like Christmas might actually be coming after spending a couple of days in the Capital of Christmas/Capitale de Noel - Strasbourg.  Their Christmas Markets have been going since 1570.  The Christmas Tree as we know it, and many other modern-day Christmas traditions, originated from this area. So, I think they can rightly claim they are the capital of Christmas.  It was a magical weekend.  It was cold, but not as cold as it usually is, as this autumn is apparently the warmest since 1900.  However, it was still cold enough to wrap up with scarf, gloves and hat and to feel like the mulled wine was merited.  There were lights and decorations everywhere so it truly was beautiful.  As my friend Neila described it, it was 'féerique' (fairy-like/enchanting/like being in a fairy tale), and she was right.  We also happened to be there in time to see the biggest natural Christmas Tree in the world get all lit up for the start of the Christmas season.

The start of the weekend was a little stressful as we got on the wrong train and realised one minute before it was about to leave the station that it was the wrong train and we had four minutes until our correct train was about to leave and we still had to find it.  We were towards the end of a VERY long train and had to run to find the right train which was equally as long.  We made it with literally one minute to spare.  Then, once I'd sat down after a couple of minutes I wanted to check something on our return tickets, only to realise they weren't in my bag and I had lost them. Long story short I had to re-buy our tickets - an expensive lesson.  Once we got to Strasbourg we soaked in the atmosphere and wandered through all the little streets, beautifully decorated, stumbling upon little markets here and there before turning a corner and finding the main market in front of the massive, beautiful cathedral.

We went into the cathedral and discovered a beautiful interior with people recounting the nativity story.  So we sat down and enjoyed the performance.

Later, we ventured off to find our hostel. That ended up being quite a mission, we found it eventually, but only after wandering around getting lost for a bit.  Once we found it we went to the kitchen to cook our yummy dinner we had planned, only to find the hostel did not have anything to cook with apart from two micro-waves.  So, spring-rolls with stir-fry, cooked in a micro-wave, was an interesting meal.  The hostel was right on the edge of Strasbourg and right on the edge of the Rhin river, which is the border of France and Germany.  So, the next day we crossed the Pont du Rhin to check out Kehl, Germany.

Right in the middle between France and Germany

Once back in France, we were off to discover more of picturesque Strasbourg, to enjoy the markets and sample more good food.  Then it was a very early start Monday morning to get the 6am train back to L'Aigle (the one I paid for twice!!).

Armistice Day Long Weekend

Well, the long weekend came and went I haven’t blogged about it.  It was quite a lot to take in really.  It was a long weekend because it was Armistice Day on the Friday so I aptly spent the weekend going to the places where people gave their lives so others could live theirs.  It was on my bucket list of things to do here and I learnt a lot about the battles that took place in the area and region where I am living.

I spent Friday travelling by train to a little town called Bayeux.  The trains are better than what we have in NZ because they actually have trains! But the service still leaves a lot to be desired at times, this weekend was one of those times.  No seats, packed in like sardines, standing, late trains due to dead leaves on the track (yes- that’s correct, I thought I’d misunderstood but no, my understanding was correct).  Anyway, finally got to Bayeux, famous for the 70m long Bayeux tapestry, its cathedral and it was the first town from where Charles de Gaulle led liberated France until Caen (the capital town of this region) was liberated.  Bayeux was one of the only towns in Normandy to not be destroyed by the bombing of the Battle of Normandy (Jun – Aug 1944), and it’s very beautiful.  Virtually every other town in Normandy (and that’s a few) were basically rubble after the war, but you wouldn’t know that now.  Even in my local town L’Aigle buildings were restored so, certain ones, still look hundreds of years old.

The Cathedral by night

The Cathedral

Friday afternoon learnt more about the Battle at the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy 1944, then went to the Commenwealth Military Cemetary where 8 NZers are buried.  By the end of the afternoon I was definitely feeling rather sombre and headed off to the hostel very reflective.

Commenwealth Cemetary

Saturday I had booked a D-Day tour for the morning.  I’m glad it was only a half-day tour as a whole day would probably have been a bit too much to take in.  I joined in a group and met up with two American girls travelling on their also, so we hung out a bit.  We went to Point du Hoc where the battle site has virtually been left untouched since D-Day.  Lonely Planet advises people not to dig in the ground as you might find live ammunition (very likely as they are still finding live ammunition today – a local lady told me an awesome story where recently a whole German truck loaded with live grenades and ammunition, with a plane and a ready to roll-out air-strip were, only this year, found buried).  Anyway, the craters from the bombs are about 3m deep and there are German bunkers etc.  Check out facebook for more detailed info on the battle and pictures.

Point du Hoc with craters and rubble

Then it was off to Omaha Beach. It was a bit wierd to be in a place that is a nice holiday spot where people come and spend their summers and swim etc. yet so many people lost their lives on that same very spot.  Upon thinking about I thought, well, the people fought and died there so people could continue to come there and enjoy the place.  When I was talking to that local lady she said there is one spot at Arromanches by the make-shift port where ‘true locals’ won’t swim as they see it as sacred.  I had an extremely interesting conversation with this lady, but I may need to leave that for another day.

Omaha Beach

Above Omaha Beach is the American Military Cemetry, the biggest one in France, with nearly 10,000 American soldiers buried there, although not all of them are from WW2 or from the Battle of Normandy.  Nonetheless, it was pretty sobering and overwhelming.

American Military Cemetary

The afternoon, I went with one of the American girls I had met to the Bayeux Tapestry which was very interesting.  It is 70 m long and tells the story of the Battle of Hastings when William the Conqueror killed King Harold to become the King of England.  The tapestry is nearly 1000 years old and was put up annually in the cathedral to tell the people the story.  It was lost and then later rediscovered and restored, although some of the end is missing.  Then that girl had to leave and I met up again with the other American girl and we spent the afternoon looking around Bayeux, enjoying a drink and then grabbing some dinner together.  It was really nice to go away and meet some new people.

Bayeux Tapestry

Sunday it was off to Caen to meet up with my flatmate and check out the capital of our region.  It was their market day, which was massive, so I enjoyed looking around that and sampling some of the things on offer.  Then we looked around the ruins of the castle of William the Conqueror.  I was a little overwhelmed from my weekend by this point and in light of the impressive cathedral at Bayeux I have to admit I wasn’t in the mood to appreciate Caen and what it had to offer.  My flatmate and I were both quite tired so it was off home (not before being packed into a train like cattle).



Caen - the cathedral, all of this was destroyed in the Battle of Normandy, the church was damaged slightly.



That’s all for now, since then it’s been the usual routine here and a quiet weekend at home this weekend, before the many upcoming weekends away.  There is only one weekend between now and the beginning of January where I won’t be away (and I may even be away that weekend too!).  I may also write about just normal daily life here and what my job involves, we’ll see.

Holidays and Birthdays

Holidays and Birthdays - pretty much sum up this post.  This post starts with the school holidays which were spent mostly with Janet, who currently lives in London.  Her, myself, my flatmate Lucy and her flatmate Emma spent 4 days/3 nights in Paris, having a grand old time.  We stayed in one of my favourite parts of Paris, Montmartre, and spent the first afternoon leisurely enjoying this happening area. The next day I led the girls on a walking tour for the afternoon, in which we saw pretty much all the must-sees of Paris. We were stuffed by the end of it and then had our pre-booked tickets to go up the Eiffel Tower, so we gave our feet a rest and took the Metro a couple of stops from the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower.  Where, despite having pre-booked tickets, we still had to queue for ages on the second floor of the Tower to get to the top.  So by the time we got to the top the sun had already set.  However, having now seen the view during both the day time and the evening I totally recommend the evening view.  The lights are so pretty and it is actually easier to see the monuments because they are flood-lit.

The next day we went to the Chateau of Versailles, which never ceases to amaze me and this time I got to see the Hall of Mirrors in all its glory, as the last time I was there it was being restored.

That evening we ate at a classic French restaurant just off the Boulevarde des Abesses, where there is lots of atmosphere.  Here I finally tried, for the first time, escargots (snails) and I actually quite liked them!! They were yum.  The four of us girls spent the evening with my friends who are based in Paris and it was a great evening.

Then it was back to L'Aigle. Janet accompanied us and stayed a couple of days.  Unfortunately, in the end we didn't go to see Mont-St-Michel but there was always a possibility that was going to happen due to Janet's work committments.  That's ok because I will have plenty of opportunity to go there but it was a bummer for Janet.  In the end, we rented a car for the day and we went around the local area and visited farms.  Went to a farm where they make cider, cider vinager, pommeau, poire and calvados.  Enjoyed sampling the goods and bought some products.  Then it was off to Camembert, yes, where the cheese comes from.  We visited a fromagerie and bought cheese from the only place where they still make it by the traditional method.  Then we meandered the area, visiting a Normandy Battle war memorial, chateaux and fortresses along the way.

That was holidays, to finish with birthdays. Well, I had been waiting impatiently for the arrival of my new niece or nephew and finally SHE arrived!!  So on Nov 2nd, beautiful Amelia Violet arrived.  Such fantastic news, but I have to say it was the first (and so far only) day where I really felt homesick and just wanted to be back home.  That combined with a bit of a cold, tiredness and the come down from all the adventures and the looming Rentree (first day back at school/work for the new term) meant I was a bit miserable that day.  I just wanted to be back home so I could be with my family and cuddle my nieces and actually be a part of this big change in our family.  Well, the Rentree and going out with some of my colleagues on Thursday night helped me to move on and distracted me and then Friday was my turn to have a birthday.  I invited some of the people I've met here and we had a fantastic evening, making crepes and eating good food and socialising.  I was very spoilt too with them pooling together to gift me a back massage!! 

Next...? Fri 11th is Armistice day and a public holiday - so a long weekend, so I'm going to be tripping somewhere for that but not sure where yet.  Watch this space...