Today we had what I consider to be one of the most informative briefings of the trip thus far when we visited the George C. Marshall Center as well as the German Marshall Fund Center here in Paris.

The George C. Marshall Center is housed in the Hotel de Talleyrand, which is a beautifully ornate building not far from the Place de Concorde. Not surprisingly, the property once belonged to the Rothschild family until it was purchased by the US Department of State in 1950.

We started our visit to the George C. Marshall Center with a video that highlighted the optimism and overall success of the Marshall Plan, otherwise known as the European Recovery Program (ERP). For those who don’t know, the ambitious plan provided assistance to a Europe who was, at the time, “on its knees” after the devastation of World War II and other disasters such as the drought of 1947. The Marshall Plan was able to not only stimulate the European economy but also provide the continent with much-needed health services and emergency assistance at the time. Most importantly, the success of their rebuilding efforts gave these European nations the opportunity to see the wonderful possibilities that arise when countries work together for a common goal.

We then had a lovely tour of the historical building before speaking with an American foreign service officer regarding his career path. It was very helpful, especially for those who would like to pursue such a career themselves. And for those who aren’t sure, it was nice to know that there isn’t just one way to enter such a field because this kind of work requires individuals with a variety of abilities, interests, and experiences. The best advice he had was to never become discouraged by the process. If you fail the Foreign Service Exam, you can always take it again later, when you have more experience and are better equipped for the task of representing America.

After the informal discussion and a quick lunch in the neighborhood, we then headed to the GMF, which wasn’t far from our own hotel. The GMF is a think tank that focuses on “strengthening transatlantic cooperation” by educating and building understanding on both sides of the Atlantic. The GMF is headquartered in DC but has seven offices across Europe, giving it a far-reaching presence across both continents. The office here in Paris was located in a quaint building, sandwiched between some local shops in the 6th arrondissement.

Our host was very knowledgable and rather than simply answering questions, she spoke to us about the current political atmosphere and the changes we are seeing with the recent election of Trump in the US and the election of Macron here in France. Both leaders are seemingly bringing a new wave of political action to their respective nations, whether it be good or bad. This changing tide in politics has created an overall unsettling feeling across the Western hemisphere as Europe struggles to find its place within the context of a new world order.

Overall, as the day progressed, I realized that America might have helped Europe get to where it is today, but it is now up to Europe to get to where it needs to be tomorrow. We should never forget the importance of the Marshall Plan because it paved the way for what we know today as the European Union by helping to rebuild the war-ravaged continent during the vulnerable post-World War II period. But over time, Europe has grown in power and influence. If the United States does lean towards more isolationist policies, the world should not fear a power vacuum because Europe has proven itself to be perfectly capable of assuming a greater position within the global context. This does, however, depend upon Europe’s ability to unite the individual member states, which should be all the more possible now as France is experiencing what was described as a “Macron moment” as well as renewed dedication to the overall European vision since Britain’s decision to leave the European Union.

This is an interesting and exciting time to be in Europe. I have always admired Europe’s ability to look to the future while still being able to appreciate the rich history of its past. I am so excited to spend the rest of the week exploring Paris!

Today was the much anticipated visit to Robert Schuman’s house in Scy-Chazelles, a conveniently short bus ride just outside of Metz. When we got there, we had a nice presentation on what the European Union is and how it has had ups and downs since the Schuman Declaration in 1950. We also got a play a competitive round of EU-related Jeopardy, which I think everyone really enjoyed (even those of us who lost).

If anyone didn’t know who Robert Schuman was before this program, I’m sure they can recite his life story by now. The Franco-German rivalry that we’ve been studying in many of our site visits was actually personal to him, as his family had been French or German and Luxembourgish, depending on which country had control over the area of Lorraine his father was from. Schuman actually lived in Metz for a significant amount of his life and was a representive for Thionville (just a 30 minute drive north) in the French National Assembly for almost 40 years, so he was very familiar with the situation in Lorraine after both WWI and WWII.

Most importantly for our program, he was the person behind the construction of the European Coal and Steel Community, which he announced in the Quay d’Orsay on May 9, 1950 during his time as the French Foreign Affairs Minister. Unlike the general sentiment at the time, Schuman wanted to welcome the Germans (and anyone else who wanted to join) into a union, rather than punishing them like they had after WWI. We actually got to see the desk where he wrote the document, and a copy of the text.

His house was actually very modest, but interesting at the same time. I probably could’ve spent hours just looking at his book collection on the shelves in almost every room in the house. The guide also told us that he collected autographs, and we actually got to see the signatures of the Belgian monarchs from 1950 and the signatures of King George VI and the Queen Mother Elizabeth. Apparently, he also had signatures from famous philosophers and writers like Goethe and Kant, as well as French kings (unfortunately we did not get to see those).

After visiting the inside of the house, we went outside to the gardens. They were filled with all kinds of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and also these really interesting signs that tell the story behind the national anthem of each member state.

Also in the gardens was a monument called the “Flamme de l’Europe” which I imagine looks quite nice at night.

We also walked across the street to the chapel where Schuman is buried. It’s quite modest, much like his house, and interestingly all the flags of the EU member states, most of whom weren’t members when Schuman died, are inside. I thought that was a touching tribute to the vision that he had and how it is still carrying on today.

This was an excellent final site visit of the Lorraine region, and I think it was also a great way for us to review what we’ve learnt so far and to put one of the “founding fathers” of Europe into a more personal perspective.

With a passport in one hand and breakfast in the other, we boarded the bus to set out on one of our most jam-packed days yet. For our first stop, we ventured to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. We were greeted by a charming Croatian tour guide and metal detectors, followed by a briefing session led by three young lawyers. Each of the lawyers walked us through one current case that is presently shaping EU law and outlook. The first case focused predominantly on business deals and companies present in the EU and how their taxes affect the region. As technology grows, more and more companies are looking to establish a European presence, but this also brings to the table the need for new regulations and mutual understanding and recognition of the corporate laws of various member states. Furthermore, the second case addressed the wearing of the hijab in the workplace; the outcome of the case stipulated the right of the customer, implying that though religious freedom is allowed, separation of religion and public doings is essential. Lastly, the third case was the Singapore Agreement, which essentially just highlighted the discrepancies in exclusive versus shared competencies of the EU. To conclude, we learned about the General Court, which is currently not filled to capacity.

Next, we proceeded to the main courtroom, where we learned that the room houses no flags because the judges represent the EU, not their countries. Additionally, we learned that everyone in the courtroom is obliged to wear the respective robes of their country; except the EU justices wear red robes instead. The main courtroom is absolutely stunning, with beautiful woodwork and lighting. As such, it is the induction room for new EU member states.

After departing the Court of Justice, we took a rainy bus tour around Luxembourg, a city approximately a thousand years old with Prussian, German, and French influence. Known for Napoleon’s presence, the 19th century is often considered the most important century of the city, especially considering that it was liberated in 1839. Currently, the 20,000 people who live in the city are comprised of 160 different nationalities, a population base made up of 60% foreigners. Being so, Luxembourg has three official languages: French, German, and Luxembourgish.  The heart of the main city is stoic- it has forts from as early as the 14th century! Despite its extensive history, the country is extremely modern and progressive.  (Fun fact: Near the court of justice building, there is a place where you can have one foot in Luxembourg and the other foot in Brussels!)

After getting to know the city a little better, we went on over to [one of] the European Union Parliament buildings. (The other two are in Brussels and Strasbourg.) The building itself has quite symbolic architecture; it is made up of a large amount of glass, which symbolizes the transparency of democracy and emphasizes how all parliamentary debates are open to the public. Additionally, it looks as though it is never completed because the aim is for it to represent how the EU itself is constantly evolving and being shaped. The building is vast in size; it is made up of five buildings, totaling in 400,000 square meters. On the inside, the main chamber has 1,550 seats for all the MEPs, as well as approximately 200 translators.  Though,”the most used language is bad English,” every language translation is offered to represent the equality of the members states. Furthermore, the MEPs meet for one plenary session per month, with the exception of October, which has two sessions. Lastly, the tour was concluded going down an elaborate staircase over top of a red carpet, reserved for the MEPs and special guests. In fact, the youngest person to walk this carpet was Malala at sixteen!

To finish off the day, we went to Strasbourg for a sunny-rain filled tour and a delicious dinner. Strasbourg is picturesque; with its Tudor-style homes, rivers, music, shops, and color, the city really is a postcard. The city has a lot of little things that make it special, including using grass in between train tracks to minimize noise, but also to make the city greener! The “city of the crossroad streets” is considered the political capital of the region, and it has substantial history considering that it was a part of the Holy Roman Empire. The high roofs of the houses, originally for leather tanning, give the city character, but the cathedral really makes the town special. However, the cathedral only has one tower because the foundation was not strong enough to support two towers. (Fun fact: there are 330 steps to get to the top of the cathedral!) Our long day was concluded with a scrumptious Strasbourg dinner of local pizza and cheese (Yum!). In fact, we were all so full that we most definitely needed to measure our bellies between the a pillar and a wall- a piece of local folklore! Sadly, the time came to leave and head back to Metz. However, I intend to return to visit the famed Christmas market and try some of Strasbourg’s well-known white wine!

Today we switched our focus and got to take a look at Metz from a medieval and roman angle. The day started off with our meeting point at the Republique stop, where we began our guided walking tour of the city with the return of Vivienne as our tour guide. We explored the remnants of the citadel of Metz, where pieces from the Gallo-roman history of the city could still be found. Our tour guide explained that renovators are not trying to trick you. It is important for them to let it be obvious what part of the building are original and which have had work done on them.

We continued toward the Templars’ Chapel where we learned about the history of the Templars, who were deeply rooted in the Lorraine region around the 12th century before their dissolution in 1312. Now, the chapel features great examples of medieval paintings on its walls and acts as the host for cultural events in Metz, like a gallery exhibition in the summer.

Our tour then took us to St. Maximin church where the main feature was the stained glass windows by Jean Cocteau. Jean Cocteau was principally known for his cinematic work but the stained glass in the church gave us a view of his artistic work as well. The glass was not so much focused on religious symbolism as it referenced mostly Cocteau’s films and life instead of biblical references. Although, the meaning of the stained glass is up to your interpretation since our tour guide explained that the author left no explanation for his work.

Moving on we walked to the Porte des Allemands. The gates to the city located in the street of the Germans, hence its name. A true medieval gate, it was meant to protect the city of Metz from invaders and had all the features of a medieval fort, including a portcullis and the ever present spiraling staircases.

After, we got to bring it all together with a guided visit to the Musee de La Cour d’ Or. The museum, as explained by our guide, was more than 3km long. The permanent exhibition started with roman artifacts and architectural features that were found in the region. The guide explained to us how the findings allowed us to understand more about the beliefs and customs of the people that inhabited the city in the roman times. Of particular remark were the skeletons that were still kept and the Gallo-Roman funerary stelae of Jupiter slaying a monster.

The museum continued the history of Metz through the years, going into the medieval age and displaying the flags of different regions painted on a wooden roof, including the old flags for France, Luxembourg and Lorraine. The end of the permanent exhibition featured paintings from the 17th century to the 20th century, which really helped to see the evolution of the culture in the city of Metz throughout the years. Once the tour was over, we also had the chance to look at famous portraits featured in the temporary exhibition that the museum had from the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.