June 19th was our first official day in Brussels and it was a great one to say the least! We all settled in with our host families the night before and a got a good night’s sleep for our first big day in the city. The first item on the checklist was making sure we all had a metro pass for the next three weeks. The metro system in Brussels is extremely convenient and user friendly so no one had any qualms about using it as our main source of transportation. After everyone got a pass for the metro we started our short walk through the city to find a place to eat lunch. We eventually stopped at a perfect organic restaurant called Le Pain Quotidien. It had a huge selection of farm to table foods while satisfying the vegetarians and vegans of the group! After lunch we were on our way to taste some of belgium’s famous chocolates! Dr. Birchfield bought us all a variety of chocolates from two different stores. The first store we got a selection of milk and dark chocolate. The second store we had special heart shaped chocolate with raspberry filling. Overall I think everyone fell in love with the sweet side of Brussels that day!

After everyone got their fill of lunch and chocolate, Dr. Birchfield had to take a student to the doctor, and Emma took us on a little tour of Brussels. We walked through the city while she pointed out some main historical attractions. For example, the first attraction that we stopped by was the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace was first constructed between the second half of the 11th and first half of the 12th century but the building that stands today wasn’t built until after 1900 by King Leopold II. The Palace still functions as the residence of Belgium’s Royal Family today.

Another famous landmark is The Grand Place. The Grand Place was originally used in the 12th century as a busy trade center. Although, it is also surrounded by other important spots like the King’s House and the original Town Hall dating all the way back to the 15th century.

Another important location we visited in Brussels was the Cinquantenaire. The Arch was originally planned for the world exhibition of 1880 and was meant to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the independence of Belgium. However today, the various buildings of the Cinquantenaire are home to three museums and one mosque.The surrounding park is used for differing purposes like concerts, festivals and parades.

Martyrs’ Square is also a very important location of Brussels. The Place des Martyrs is a public square with different cabinet offices of the Flemish Government, built around the 18th century. More than just being a lovely town square it is also the it’s the burial site of many Belgians that died during the Revolution.

Finally, a more comical star attraction of this city is the famous little statue Manneken Pis. This tiny fountain statue is commonly referred to as the face of Brussels. There are many legends to why this statue is so famous and many question the origin of the art but to most it is a silly tourist attraction!

Overall, the first day of being in Brussels was about getting a good feel for the city and learning our way around. We were able to do this by having a nice morning with our host families and going out to lunch with our group. After walking around and eating lots of chocolate we were able to decide what we wanted to see in the city. Emma explained some of the major sites while the rest was up to us. A great first day!

The Royal Palace

Cinquantenaire

Today we took a break from bustling Paris to visit the quieter towns of Bayeux and Colleville-sur-Mer, the site of the Omaha Beach landings and now the Normandy American Cemetery.

We knew Bayeux was going to be a small town as soon as we stepped off the train onto a single outdoor platform–their entire train station. The town looked very nice, though, as we walked towards our first destination: the Bayeux Tapestry museum.

I’d read about the Tapestry before, but it was certainly mich more impressive in person. Technically, it’s not a tapestry at all, rather a 70 meter long embroidered cloth that depicts the Battle of Hastings and the crowning of William I of Normandy, considered by many to be the first king of England.

As a bit of an embroidery hobbyist myself, I can’t even imagine how long it would have taken to stitch together something as large and as detailed as this, especially since they had to also make the cloth and thread themselves!

After the museum, we had an hour to explore a bit of Bayeux and grab a bite to eat. The most prominent thing about the city was how many flags were flying from countries all over Europe and beyond. In particular there were a lot of British and American flags–the Cathedral even had two Union Jacks flying right alongside the French flags at the top! Bayeux clearly remembers their history with much endearment, as the flags reflect. They were the first city to be liberated during the Battle of Normandy in WWII, and Charles de Gaulle gave important speeches there during the final year of the war to rally the French people. Bayeux also has one of the largest cemeteries for British soldiers and still hosts annual memorials for British troops of WWII.

If you’re ever in Bayeux for lunch, their fish is said to be exceptionally good, and I recommend a good Norman-style fish and chips meal to everyone.

The mood became more somber as we got on the bus to the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. I think for most of us, we had conflicted emotions between the joy of seeing the ocean and the knowledge of what took place there on D-Day.

The museum and memorial were really touching, and of course walking through the cemetery and just seeing the sheer volume of lives lost was a bit hard. Some people, however, said that these sites fill them with a sense of pride for the United States.

After the memorial, we walked down to the beach. The most striking thing was how difficult it was to walk down the hill even with clear pathways, and it really put into perspective how difficult the Normandy landings would have been in 1944, especially under heavy fire and with the coastlines being fortified. It was also interesting to see all the French sunbathers and beach-goers who can enjoy these beaches during their summer holiday because of the sacrifices of the Allied forces on the 6th June, 1944.

Finally, after the visit we talked about our impressions of the site, if we think America still keeps WWII in our memory the way the people of Normandy do, and other things related to our program and international relations in general. After a long day (and a quick stop at the local antique store), we hopped back on the train to Paris to be well rested for our free day tomorrow.

What do you do when you get a free day in Paris? Since this wasn’t my first time in the city, I decided to skip the Louvre (though I would say it’s a must see) and the Champs-Elysées and explore areas of Paris I had not seen yet. After a light breakfast of tea and pastries at the hotel, I walked to the Quartier Latin to see the Grand Mosque of Paris.

Built in the 1920s as a symbol of France’s gratitude for the Muslim soldiers who fought in World War One, the mosque is a stark contrast to the crowded streets of Paris. The Moorish architecture with green and white tiles and beautiful courtyards were reminiscent of the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, Spain. I even met local artists who come to the mosque every day with their paints and canvases for inspiration.

After taking a quick look at the library in the mosque, I took the “scenic” walking route back to the hotel. My first stop: the Jardin des Plantes. This botanical garden dates back to the 16th century and was planted by King Louis XIII’s physician to grow medicinal herbs. Today the garden houses a large collection of flora and fauna from around the world as well as the Natural History Museum. The shaded tree lined paths through the garden are a great place for a morning run. Second stop: the Jardin du Luxembourg. Considered one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris, the Jardin du Luxembourg as well as the Luxembourg Palace located in the garden were built for Marie de’ Medici who was the regent queen of France in the early 17th century. Today the stunning palace is home to the French Senate.

I decided to swing by the hotel for a much needed hour in air conditioning and then walked to Le Bon Marché with a friend to see some haute couture. What I thought would be a quick stop soon turned into an hour and a half. I tested almost every single Chanel perfume from No 5 to No 19. I then walked to the Jardin de Tuileries and the Musee de l’Orangerie. I love impressionist art, so the Orangerie turned out to be one of my favorite places from the entire week we spent in Paris. Monet’s water lilies were even better than I had imagined. The eight canvases span oval walls which are shaped like an infinity symbol. Monet designed the space himself but never saw the exhibit realized during his life.

The museum boasts an impressive collection of works by the likes of Picasso to Renoir, Matisse, and Cézanne. I then hopped on the metro and headed to Montmartre to see the Sacré-Coeur Basilica. The moderate hike up the hill to the basilica was well worth it, and the terrace offers some of the most beautiful views of the city. I strolled around the streets of Montmartre. This charming neighborhood is filled with cozy cafes and cobbled streets.

Instead of taking the metro back to the left bank and the Saint Germain area, I decided to walk almost 3 miles back to the hotel. I walked by the Palais Garnier and the Louvre courtyard. After being unable to decide where to eat dinner since each restaurant I walked by looked even better than the last one, I sat along the Seine River and people watched as the sun set over the city. In the end I ate some delicious Vietnamese food at “I love Bo Bun” before heading back to the hotel for the night. By the end of the day and 35,000 steps later, Paris is still just as exciting with more neighborhoods to be seen and discovered. I will definitely be coming back here again.