Allons-y en Normandie!

After class on Friday, with bags packed, we headed to Normandy for a weekend in the country! We were greeted by a welcoming staff at our petit chalet, and students had time to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather and vast green space around us. The next morning, we headed to the Memorial de Caen. Through a guided tour, we learned about the impact of WWII battles on the city and surrounding villages, as well as what role France played in the treatment of the Jewish population and its effects. The tours were given in French, which allowed students to improve their oral comprehension skills and translate for those who may have had any difficulty.

Next, we were off to Arromanches, a beautiful village just next to the beach! There, we ate our lunches and stopped to make the best of the ocean breeze, blue skies and open terraces. The perfect conditions for having an ice cream! Directly after, we visited the American Cemetery and Memorial, which contains the graves of more than 9,380 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Students were encouraged to think about how old some of these soldiers were when they were fighting. Many of them were their age, and it made the facts they learned in history class more concrete. We stayed until 5 p.m. for the lowering of the flag and taps. A veteran of WWII was present, and was given one of the lowered flags, to thank him for his service.

After, we returned to the chalet for dinner and karaoke! There were also a group of British student musicians present, who put on a small concert for everyone to enjoy!