Furope
      -
      A
      Student's
      Playground
      -
      France
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      will
      always
      remember
      my
     
     
      time
      in
      Normandy.
      The
      wars
      we
     
     
      always
      read
      about
      happened
      here
     
     
      and
      unlike
      us,
      the
      citizens
      in
     
     
      Normandy
      do
      not
      have
      to
      fight
      to
     
     
      keep
      the
      memory
      of
      past
      sacrifices
     
     
      alive
      -
      not
      when
      German
      artillery
     
     
      still
      ly
      in
      their
      concrete
      bunkers,
      not
     
     
      when
      whole
      cities
      were
      flattened
      -
     
     
      no
      one
      forgets.
      I
      did
      not
      want
      to
     
     
      leave
      this
      land,
      but
      I
      knew
      I
      had
     
     
      much
      more
      to
      see.
     
    

    
     
      France
      is
      huge,
      not
      in
      com-
     
     
      parison
      to
      Canada,
      ‘but
      for
      Europe
     
     
      the
      country
      is
      massive.
      Fear
      not
      long
     
     
      boring
      train
      rides
      stuck
      next
      to
     
     
      someone
      with
      clinical
      body
      odor
     
     
      problems,
      travel
      times
      in
      France
     
     
      have
      been
      shrunk
      by
      the
      TGV
      -
     
    

    
     
      _
      Train.a
      Grande
      Vitesse.
      For
      those
      of
     
     
      you
      who
      failed
      French
      class,
      that
     
     
      translates
      into
      High
      Speed
      Train.
     
     
      This
      bullet
      shaped
      torpedo
      cruises
     
     
      between
      200
      and
      300
      kms
      per
      hour
      -
     
     
      and
      can
      hit
      top
      speeds
      of
      500
      kms
     
     
      per
      hour.
      This
      translates
      into
      jump-
     
     
      ing
      on
      a
      train
      in
      Charlottetown
      and
     
     
      ending
      up
      in
      Quebec
      City
      3
      4
      hours
     
     
      later.
      The
      rail
      system
      in
      France
      is
     
     
      fantastic
      and
      many
      bulk
      ticket
     
     
      options
      are
      available
      to
      the
      budget
     
     
      student
      traveler.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      6
      a8ed
      €00Z
      OL
      19QWI9AAON
      24peD
      [adn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      Unfortunately
      my
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      window
      the
      night
      I
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      total,
      I
      spent
      nearly
     
     
      one
      third
      of
      my
      travels
      in
     
     
      France,
      not
      because
      I
      overly
     
     
      enjoyed
      myself,
      but
      because
      it
     
     
      has
      so
      much
      to
      offer.
      Inevitably,
     
     
      everyone
      ends
      up
      in
      Paris,
      the
     
     
      city
      of
      love,
      of
      romance,
      of
     
     
      street
      thugs,
      of
      wine
      and
     
     
      cheese.
      At
      first,
      I
      was
      a
      bit
     
     
      reluctant
      to
      spend
      time
      in
      Paris
     
     
      as
      my
      reasoning
      had
      me
      dead
      set
     
     
      on
      never
      spending
      a
      second
      in
      the
     
     
      city
      unless
      I
      was
      hand
      in
      hand
     
     
      with
      a
      love
      of
      my
      life.
     
     
      Perfectly
      good
      reasoning,
     
     
      Paris
      is
      great
      for
      honey-
     
     
      moons,
      and
      this
      most
     
     
      certainly
      was
      not
      mine.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      plan
      went
      out
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fell
      asleep
      on
      a
      -
     
     
      train
      in
      Italy
      and
     
     
      woke
      up
      in
      Paris.
     
     
      Strong
      wine
      and
     
     
      fatigue
      can
      do
      strange
      things
      to
      a
     
     
      man,
      so
      I
      gave
      in
      and
      decided
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      check
      into
      a
      hostel.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      word
      of
      advice
      to
      those
     
     
      Canadians
      who
      learned
      our
      second
     
     
      official
      language
      in
      French
      immer-
     
     
      sion
      class
      and
      who
      plan
      to
      show
      off
     
     
      your
      skills
      in
      Paris,
      be
      prepared
      to
     
     
      be
      labeled
      Québécois
      -
      and
      there
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Eiffel
      Tower
      in
      Paris
      -
      Not
      so
      big
      in
      person
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      no
      use
      fighting
      it.
      To
      Parisians,
     
     
      our
      slang
      French
      is
      a
      bit
      amus-
     
     
      ing.
      Many
      appreciate
      your
     
     
      effort,
      but
      some
      will
      only
      smile
     
     
      at
      your
      best
      efforts
      and
      make
     
    

    
     
      -
      you
      feel
      like
      you're
      an
      exhibit
      in
     
     
      a
      zoo.
      Our
      French
      is
      very
      differ-
     
     
      ent.
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      being
      labeled
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      Québécois
      (no
      offense,
      but
      I'm
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Islander),
      Paris
      is
      well
      worth
      the
     
     
      effort.
      The
      city
      is
      remarkably
      clean
     
     
      and
      welcoming,
      offering
      a
      city-scape
     
     
      which
      screams
      Europe.
      Paris
     
     
      escaped
      much
      of
      the
      carpet
      bomb-
     
     
      ing
      which
      punished
      Europe
      during
     
     
      |
      the
      war
      and
      as
      a
      result
      the
      city
      still
     
     
      -
      backbones
      itself
      on
      cobbled
      streets
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      and
      traditional
      architecture
      from
     
    
   
   
    
     
      centuries
      ago.
      Museums
      like
      the
     
     
      Louvre
      seem
      to
      hold
      all
      the
      wonders
     
     
      of
      the
      world,
      breathtaking
      Cathedrals
     
     
      pictured
      in
      Disney
      movies
      are
      open
     
     
      to
      the
      public,
      and
      of
      course
      there
      is
     
     
      the
      Eiffel
      Tower
      -
      which
      is
      a
      great
     
     
      landmark
      to
      help
      provide
      direction
     
     
      to
      the
      lost
      Canadian
      in
      search
      of
      his
     
     
      hostel
      bed.
      Nightlife
      in
      Paris
      is
     
     
      amazing,
      as
      concerts,
      clubs,
      and
      very
     
     
      cheap
      wine
      abound.
      Parisians
      most
     
     
      definitely
      enjoy
      life
      and
      never
      miss
      a
     
     
      chance
      to
      eat
      well
      and
      drink
      well
      -
      I
     
     
      was
      sad
      to
      leave.
     
    

    
     
      From
      Paris,
      a
      traveler
      has
     
    
   
   
    
     
      many
      options.
      Head
      southwest
      to
      the
     
     
      city
      of
      Bordeaux
      in
      search
      of
      the
     
     
      wonders
      of
      French
      wine
      and
      ‘les
     
     
      chateaux'
      vineyards
      culture.
      Travel
     
     
      even
      further
      to
      Biarritz,
      home
      to
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      most
      stunning
      beaches
      in
      the
     
     
      world
      -
      shared
      now
      by
      topless
     
     
      bathers
      and
      fanatical
      big
      wave
      suf-
     
     
      fers.
      Or
      from
      Paris
      head
      southeast
     
     
      and
      climb
      into
      the
      snowy
      Alps,
     
     
      enjoying
      sights
      only
      matched
      by
      our
     
     
      Canadian
      Rockies.
      Where
      else
      can
      a
     
     
      train
      ride
      take
      you
      from
      summer,
      to
     
     
      fall,
      and
      then
      winter
      all
      in
      one
      day?
     
     
      Spend
      a
      night
      above
      the
      low
      clouds
     
     
      in
      the
      towns
      of
      Annecy
      or
     
     
      Charmonix,
      the
      mountain
      air
      will
     
     
      remind
      you
      why
      you've
      traveled
      so
     
     
      far.
      While
      here,
      do
      not
      miss
      out
      on
     
     
      the
      abundance
      of
      extreme
      sports
      -
     
     
      the
      people
      of
      the
      Alps
      love
      to
      stare
     
     
      death
      in
      the
      face
      and
      crazy
      Canadian
     
     
      students
      are
      definitely
      welcome
      to
     
     
      join
      in
      -
      at
      a
      cost
      of
      course.
      You
      only
     
     
      live
      once,
      go
      for
      it.
     
    

    
     
      No
      travel
      through
      France
      is
     
     
      complete
      until
      the
      traveler
      experi-
     
     
      ences
      Nice.
      Its
      too
      bad
      though
     
     
      because
      despite
      being
      charming,
     
     
      Nice
      is
      a
      bit
      of
      a
      disappointment.
      Be
     
     
      prepared
      to
      shell
      out
      some
      serious
     
     
      bucks
      for
      a
      one
      star
      cheap
      hotel
      with
     
     
      community
      super-flusher
      toilets
      (see
     
     
      centre
      picture)
      and
      beds
      built
      at
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      of
      the
      countless
      reasons
      for
      silence
      this
      Remembrance
      Day