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.

June 6

The day began with a short trip to the site of the Dornot-Corny battle. However, before we even arrived, we drove through Jouy-aux-Arches.This is a small village in the country-side of Lorraine that has sixteen surviving arches of a Roman aqueduct, the same Roman aqueduct that supplied running water to Metz, France over 1700 years ago. This was a small excursion that allowed us to all stretch our legs for a moment and enjoy the picturesque views before we headed to Dornot-Corny battle site.

When we arrived, we quickly headed down a small path. The path followed the Moselle river, and many people were running or walking their dogs that morning. After a few hundred yards, a sign introducted the Dornot-Corny historical walk. This walk commemorates the United States’s attempt to cross the Moselle river. The US divisions lost 945 men in sixty hours at Dornot-Corny. It is made up of signs that explain the events leading up to 8 September 1944 and their tactical significance. The signs feature first hand accounts from veterans of the battle. These attempt to give you an idea of the horrible conditions the men endured and how poorly the battle was planned. The last sign on the walk features Jack Kirby’s account of the battle. Jack Kirby is the creator of Captain America and several other Marvel and DC characters. He landed at Normandy on D-Day, 73 years before we visited this site, and was present at this battle. He explains how he clung to a poorly constructed boat to cross the river as German’s fired on the troops from the other bank. This site was a powerful reminder of not just the successes of World War II, but also the failures that claimed so many lives.

Since it was D-Day, the entire day was centered around commemorating those who lost their lives in World War II and the veterans who fought against fascist regimes. After Dornot, we headed to the Lorraine American Cemetery at Saint Avold, which is the largest American World War II cemetery in Europe. The cemetery is the final resting place of 10,489 American soldiers who died during the fall of 1944 during the allied campaign against the Germans in Northern France, and the site of the memorial to those who lost their lives in WWII.

Our guide, who met us outside of the memorial, quickly identified three graves that stood out to her. The first grave we visitied was the grave of Rueben Rivers, a medal of honor

recipient who died on November 19, 1944. He died after he was wounded and refused to be evacuated so that he could stay and fight. His sacrifice saved hundreds of American soldier’s lives, however, he was not rewarded for this bravery until the 1990s. He was an African American soldier, which was the reason for the delay. At the Lorraine American Cemetery, soldiers are not segregated, despite the segregation of the US Army at that time. The guide reminded us that, at that time, no matter how these soldiers defined themselves-white or black, young or old, Christian or Jewish-they were all equal in death.

The next grave was a grave of an unknown soldier, where the guide explained that not onlydid these men sacrifice their lives, they also sacrificed their identities. At Saint Avold, 151 unknown soldiers are buried, and the memorial wall has the names of 444 missing soldiers. After our visit to the three graves, we all had a chance to walk along the memorial wall and see the names of those whose bodies couldn’t be identified, even after all this time.

The last grave was a soldier who died on December 11, 1944. What was special about him was that the cemetery had his last letter that he wrote to his father. This letter explains how all the soldiers miss home, and what they miss about it. It was incredibly moving as he expresses his desire to live for the simple things in live. He expresses his desire to grow up and grow old, to see his children and grandchildren, and to hug his mother. He explains these are desires all the soldiers have, and how he just wants to live. The letter was written on November 20, 1944. His father didn’t receive it before he received news that his son was dead.

After this, we had free time which I used to visit the memorial. The memorial has a martyred Roman soldier carved over the entrance, and when you enter, there are giant statues of military heroes all looking up at a central figure surrounded by stars. On one wall, a description of the military campaigns is carved into the wall, and on the other, there is a map of the Allied advances following the landing at Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Left to Right: King David, Emperor Constantine, King Arthur, George Washington. 

These two visits were incredibly moving and reminded us all of the sacrifices that were made for freedom. Being at these places on D-Day though, helped us to remember how costly that sacrifices was. While it was sad, these visits helped us grasp the significance of WWII and the campaigns around the Moselle.