Normandy, Strasbourg, Louvre

It's a three for one. I've really buckled down with my schoolwork lately, and the passport situation has been a living nightmare for a week and a half, but hopefully it's over. I'm going to have to bullet this and give you the best of what I can because I am exhausted. I'm going to try a new style - instead of narrating, I'll give you what I took away from each.

Normandy
I will never think twice about my freedom and what it means to live in the most powerful nation in the world. The power, influence, and security came at a high price. I didn't even go to more than one cemetery, and I was so blown away. The shelling marks, the dagger cliff, the over 100 mi of military beach that was seized in one offensive - the survival rate.......mindblowing. Yet when you visit the cliffs and the huge holes in the ground from shelling, and walk through the meadows, you wonder how so much death could surround such a truly beautiful place. The wind just whips through the fields, and the wildflowers bend in the breeze. So beautiful.
Yet, the horrible reminders of war still remain. The cemeteries were so huge...I can't begin to imagine their immensity. Arlington is huge, but it seems nearly limitless of how many people died. I didn't even see all the American cemeteries, and there were still British, French, Australian, and Canadians who died. Thousands. They say that 4000 died before noon on D-Day.

Strasbourg
Not really that interesting. I didn't visit the old town full of Gothic Architecture (shocker, I know). I instead decided that I'd cross the Rhine and go to Germany. I had a delicious meal of a fish from the Rhine, and a fantastic beer called a Radler. It's sweet beer - light and half lemonade. Soo good. Don't judge me. I was so tired of French food. Saul had a fantastic steak...such a fine piece of meat.
The European Court for Human Rights was possibly the most boring thing we've done all trip. Everyone, I mean everyone, dozed off at some point or another. I didn't feel too enlightened about the human rights court - but it is kind of amazing that all members of Europe obey the court's rulings, even though they are expensive and have no enforcement. They just do. Kinda neat.

Louvre
I spent almost four hours there today. I didn't come close to spending enough time. I still have 3/4 of the museums to go. =)
I love Raphael. I forgot how much I adore da Vinci. I forgot how HUGE Napoleon's coronation was. I forgot how stunning Cupid and Psyche's moment of passion was - locked in perfect for just a moment. I smiled at Nike, climbing the stairs. It's so odd to see the pieces again - it's like i'm returning after an absense.
I was exhausted...so exhausted and just sat in the Tuleries, thinking about the art, history, and overwhelming sense of amazement.


Tomorrow - I'm going to the catacombs, mass, and hopefully a jazz club. maybe - a real american hamburger!!!