Images worth thousands of words - a day in pictures.

Speeding past Giverny ...

My personal tribute to Claude Monet:

At the exact moment we drove past Monet's home in Giverny, France today we came upon a truck with haystacks. While I do not expect my creation to join the famous Monet series of Haystacks on permanent display at the Art Institute of Chicago, there is, thankfully, "an app for that ..."

Normandy Historical Immersion #99Learns

Today's trip to Normandy lived up to my personal expectations, and I sensed that our students also truly appreciated the day. There is so much important reflecting to be done when visiting the site of history's greatest amphibious assault, and the invasion that was the beginning of Europe's liberation and - ultimately - the end of World War II.

Our original itinerary had us visiting Omaha Beach first, and then continuing to the American Cemetary and then the Normandy Memorial. Because rush hour traffic in Paris delayed us a bit as we started our day, we made an adjustment and went first to the Normandy Memorial. This facility is actually an impressive museum dedicated to the history of World War II leading up to the Allies' D-Day invasion. Our time there ended with an impressive multi-media film that segued beautifully into our visit to Omaha Beach. Ultimately, I think the order was perfect, and I'm glad we adjusted the schedule. I believe our time walking on the beach was more meaningful having already been to the memorial/museum.

Our final stop today was the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. I have seen this cemetary in films (like Saving Private Ryan) and in the news. Pictures just don't do it justice. It is a truly magnificent space that honors thousands who gave their life in the massive Allied assault on the Normandy coastline in 1944.

Sobering Reality

Today's post isn't going to be witty, humorous one. I have more somber post today. Yesterday I said I couldn't wait to be transported through history on our trip to Normandy. That is exactly what happened as I was transported to June sixth 1944.

After the long drive we arrived at the D-Day memorial museum and learned how the world fell into World War Two. It was very informational to learn how the world just crumbled into chaos. At the end of our visit at the museum we watched a movie that was a compilation of videos illustrating the build up to and the Normandy invasions. It was hard to watch all those young men bomb and shoot each other. Then to put everything into even more context we traveled to Omaha beach.

Our brief visit at the beach put into perspective the sheer magnitude of the invasion that took place there. I was dumbfounded by the length of the beach, the height of the cliffs and the distance the soldiers would have had to run to get off the beach. And just up the road France gave the US a plot of land to use as a cemetery. This is where I hit with the heartbreaking reality of the number of men who lost their lives in that tragic conflict. Even though I don't know anyone connected to the Normandy invasion, I'm so thankful the French government gave all of our fallen soldiers a beautiful resting place.

-Noah T.

Good things come to those who wait

The bus ride to Normandy seemed to never end, however it was a great opportunity to kick back and take a long relaxing nap. During the short periods of time when I was awake on the bus, the scenery was gorgeous. I saw a beautiful animal resembling a gazelle prancing through a massive farm. When we finally arrived at the museum it felt nice to move around, but the mood quickly changed as we walked through. The images in the museum were shocking and morbid. Nazi Germany and the terrified facial features of victims flooded the rooms. The sight was a perfect build up for when we landed on Omaha beach. 

Omaha beach was one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, probably because it is kept well maintained. It's hard to imagine that this was where thousands of men lost their lives to protect the world and saved it from the continuing war. I personally do not support the idea of war, however I still have a whole lot of respect for everyone that has joined one. 

Let us not forget these men, let's also not forget this magnificent trip. I can't wait to see what other stunning sceneries this trip has in store for us. 

-Emily Bollinger 

We are in Paris!

It still feels so surreal to be in Paris.  You can all be so proud of your students!  Our first day was long, but worth every moment as we experienced amazing sights and a bus tour of parts of the city.  Images above are from Notre Dame cathedral and the Luxumborg palace and gardens.  Today, we are depating soon for Normandy and Omaha Beach.