Marcu
      23,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      C4pDRE.
      e
      13
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kristi
      Kelly
     
     
      Contributor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So,
      I
      am
      getting
      used
      to
      this
      “France”
     
     
      thing
      by
      now.
      I
      have
      a
      French
      bank
     
     
      account,
      I
      use
      the
      busing
      and
      train
     
     
      systems
      with
      ease,
      and
      I
      have
      become
     
     
      a
      bit
      of
      a
      regular
      at
      the
      local
     
     
      “boulangerie”
      where
      they
      make
      my
     
     
      favorite
      baguette.
      The
      biggest
     
     
      adjustment
      to
      date
      however,
      is
      the
     
     
      slow
      pace
      of
      life.
      The
      French
      take
     
     
      things
      slow...
      very
      slow.
      It’s
      apparently
     
     
      a
      “pleasure”
      thing.
      A
      normal
      lunch
     
     
      hour...
      is
      actually
      an
      hour
      and
      a
      half,
     
     
      maybe
      two
      -
      and
      everyone
      is
      always
     
     
      late
      (for
      everything).
      Then,
      when
      they
     
     
      ate
      late,
      they
      still
      take
      an
      extra
      10
      to
     
     
      15
      minutes
      to
      greet,
      “cheek
      to
      cheek”
     
     
      kiss
      and
      embrace
      everyone
      (whether
     
     
      they
      know
      you
      or
      not)
      before
      settling
     
     
      down
      to
      a
      given
      task.
      Anyone
      who
     
     
      knows
      me
      (though
      I
      am
      always
      late)
     
     
      understands
      that
      a)
      I
      hate
      wasting
      time
     
     
      and
      b)
      I
      like
      my
      own
      personal
      space
      -
     
     
      so,
      again,
      these
      are
      all
      big
      adjustments.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      one
      thing
      about
      France
      though,
     
     
      that
      will
      always
      impress
      me,
      is
      its
     
     
      outstanding
      beauty.
      Sure,
      sure...
      Paris
     
     
      being
      one
      of
      the
      most
      beautiful
      cities
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      the
      world,
     
     
      blah,
      blah,
     
     
      blah
      -
      and
      yes
     
     
      I
      agree,
      but
     
     
      wait
      until
      you
     
     
      get
      outside
      of
     
     
      Paris!
      Like
     
     
      most
      places
     
     
      in
      Europe,
     
     
      the
      train
     
     
      systems
      are
     
     
      quick
      and
     
     
      efficient,
     
     
      allowing
      you
     
     
      to
      explore
     
     
      the
      Country
     
     
      with
      ease.
     
     
      What
      better
     
     
      place
      to
      begin
     
     
      my
      exploring
      than
      right
      here
      in
      Amiens
     
     
      -
      where
      I
      live
      and
      go
      to
      school.
      Just
     
     
      north
      of
      Paris
      in
      the
      Region
      of
     
     
      Picardie,
      (kind
      of
      like
      a
      province,
      there
     
     
      are
      22
      here
      in
      France)
      Amiens
      it
      is
      a
     
     
      city
      of
      about
      130,000
      people
      and
      it
      is
     
     
      most
      famous
      for
      the
      grand
      Cathedral
     
     
      that
      stands
      tall
      in
      the
      Centre-Ville
     
     
      (which
      also
      just
      happens
      to
      be
      next
     
     
      door
      to
      my
      school).
      First
      built
      in
      1152,
     
     
      only
      to
      be
      destroyed
      by
      lightening
      and
     
     
      re-built
      in
      1218,
      it
      is
      the
      tallest
      gothic
     
     
      cathedral
      to
      be
      found
      in
      France
      and
     
     
      boy
      oh
      boy,
      it
      is
      stunning.
      Besides
      the
     
     
      odd
      beggar
      at
      the
      opening
      door
      ways,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this
      place
      is
      mystical.
      The
      art
      and
      decor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      are
      truly
      specular
      and
      apparently
      this
     
     
      Cathedral
      actually
      holds
      the
      “alleged”
     
     
      head
      of
      St.
      John
      the
      Baptist.
      I
      am
      not
     
     
      sure
      where...
      but
      to
      tell
      you
      the
      truth,
     
     
      I
      wasn’t
      exactly
      willing
      to
      look
     
     
      *shudder*.
      Tourist
      flock
      from
      all
      over
     
     
      Europe
      (and
      the
      world
      for
      that
      matter)
     
     
      to
      catch
      a
      glimpse
      of
      the
      stunning
     
    
   
   
    
     
      towers
      and
      gothic
      beauty,
      and
      though
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      see
      it
      every
      single
      morning
      as
      I
      leave
     
     
      my
      apartment,
      I
      still
      get
      struck
      by
      its
     
     
      unavoidable
      looming
      grace.
      Amiens
      is
     
     
      also
      famous
     
     
      for
      its
     
     
      coconut
     
     
      macaroons
      -
     
     
      these
      cookie
     
     
      like
      treats
      are
     
     
      rich
      but
      are
     
     
      great
      with
      a
     
     
      chocolat
      chaud
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      can
      be
     
     
      found
      in
     
     
      numerous
     
     
      shops
      along
     
     
      the
      marble
     
     
      pedestrian
     
     
      streets
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      bright
      colorful
      designs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      on
      a
      cold
      day.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      downtown
      area.
      Though
      the
      shopping
     
     
      is
      quasi
      limited
      here,
      mostly
      everything
     
     
      you
      need
      can
      be
      found
      in
      walking
     
     
      distance,
      and
      besides
      the
      numerous
     
     
      drunks
      lining
      the
      streets
      (at
      all
      hours
     
     
      of
      the
      day)
      it
      is
      a
      fairly
      nice
      place
      to
     
     
      be.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      My
      travels
      have
      also
      taken
      me
      to
     
     
      Rouen,
      a
      city
      of
      half
      a
      million
      people
     
     
      and
      still
      in
      the
      Northern
      part
      of
      France
     
     
      in
      the
      region
      of
      Haute-Normandie.
     
     
      Renowned
      for
      its
      role
      in
      WWII
      as
      Nazi
     
     
      headquarter
      for
      France
      and,
      well,
      the
     
     
      reason
      why
      I
      was
      intrigued
      about
      the
     
     
      city’s
      past...
      Rouen
      is
      the
      place
      where
     
     
      none
      other
      than
      Jeanne
      D’Arc
      (Joan
     
     
      of
      Arc)
      was
      put
      to
     
     
      execution
      at
      the
      stake
      in
     
     
      1341.
      The
      real
      Joan
      of
     
     
      Arc!
      Throughout
      the
      town
     
     
      there
      are
      various
      museums
     
     
      and
      churches
      in
      her
      honor,
     
     
      as
      well
      as
      various
      plaques
     
     
      noting
      related
      heritage
     
     
      sites
      around
      the
      city.
      The
     
     
      buildings
      and
      houses
      in
     
     
      Rouen
      are
      characterized
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cobble
     
     
      walkways.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      stones
     
    

    
     
      After
     
     
      wandering
      the
      nearly
     
     
      deserted
      main
      streets
      on
      a
     
     
      cloudy,
      damp
      Sunday,
      out
     
     
      of
      nowhere,
      appears
      the
     
     
      biggest
      outdoor
      market
      I
      ~
     
     
      have
      ever
      seen!
      The
      place
     
     
      was
      packed!
      Vendors
      filled
     
     
      the
      area
      selling
      everything
     
     
      from
      roasted
      chicken
      to
     
     
      smelly
      cheeses,
      lingerie
      to
      shoes,
     
     
      fruits,
      veggies,
      pastries
      and
      flowers,
     
     
      you
      name
      it!
      Sales
      folk
      were
      yelling
     
     
      and
      bargaining,
      all
      trying
      to
      convince
     
     
      the
      crowds
      why
      their
      produce
      was
      the
     
     
      best.
      I
      managed
      to
      get
      my
      hand
      on
     
     
      some
      amazing
      apple
      /artlette
      and
      had
     
     
      fabulous
      picnic
      lunch
      on
      the
      crowded
     
     
      side
      walk
      café.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Perhaps
      my
      favorite
      city
      in
      France
      yet,
     
     
      Lille,
      was
      an
      unexpected
      surprise.
     
     
      Even
      further
      North,
      and
      known
      as
      the
     
     
      “Capital
      of
      Culture”
      of
      Europe
      for
     
     
      2004,
      this
      city
      has
      a
      population
      with
     
     
      30%
      of
      its
      people
      under
      the
      age
      20!
     
     
      The
      city
      has
      changed
      hands
     
     
      throughout
      history
      -
      from
      the
      Austro-
     
     
      Hungarian
      Empire
      to
      the
      Spanish,
      the
     
     
      Dutch
      to
      the
      Belgian
      and
      of
      course
     
     
      now,
      the
      French
      -
      you
      can
      undoubtably
     
     
      see
      the
      combination
      of
      styles
      and
     
     
      architecture
      of
      each
      of
      these
      cultures
     
     
      throughout
      the
      city.
      Paris
      shopping
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Where
      in
      the
      World
      is
      Kristi
      Kelly?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lille
      prices
      (hurray!),
      tons
      pubs
      and
      an
     
     
      upbeat
      nightlife
      (double
      hurray!)
      this
     
     
      city
      has
      it
      all
      -
      including
      an
     
     
      underground
      metro
      system
      that
      is
     
     
      controlled
      solely
      by
      computers.
      Lille
     
     
      is
      by
      far
      one
      of
      the
      coolest
      places
      I
     
     
      have
      explored
      yet.
      It’s
      main
      attraction
     
     
      is
      the
      Musée
      des
      Beaux
      Arts
      which
     
     
      houses
      Europe’s
      second
      biggest
     
     
      collection
      of
      art
      (only
      after
      the
      Louvre
     
     
      in
      Paris).
      Much
     
     
      appreciation,
      it
      also
      houses
      a
      vast
     
     
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      my
      own
     
    
   
   
    
     
      number
      contemporary
      art
     
    
   
   
    
     
      collections
      which
      proved
      to
      be
      quite
     
     
      entertaining.
      The
      highlight
      of
      this
      trip
     
     
      you
      may
      ask?
      Finding
      a
      Subway
     
     
      Sandwich
      shop
      off
      the
      main
      street.
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      literally
      had
      a
      sentimental
      moment.
     
     
      After
      I
      collected
      myself,
      I
      managed
      to
     
     
      find
      my
      way
      into
      a
      haven
      which
      was
     
     
      so
      close
      to
      what
      I
      was
      used
      to
      athome
      _
     
     
      -
      the
      smell,
      the
      cookies,
      everything!
     
     
      After
      amusingly
      watching
      some
      “un-
     
     
      accustomed”
      Subway
      virgins
      realize
     
     
      that
      they
      need
      to
      actually
      follow
      their
     
     
      sandwich
      through
      the
      steps,
      I
      got
      my
     
     
      free
      refill
      on
      fountain
      pop
      and
      headed
     
     
      on
      my
      way.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ah,
      the
      sights
      of
      Northern
      France.
     
     
      Now
      with
      a
      little
      bit
      of
      traveling
     
     
      experience
      under
      my
      belt,
      I
      am
      feeling
     
     
      a
      tad
      more
      confident
      in
      my
      ability
      to
     
     
      navigate
      around
      foreign
      cities
      -
      though
     
     
      my
      sense
      of
      direction
      is
      not
      near
      as
     
     
      good
      as
      I
      pretend
      it
      is.
      What
      will
      my
     
     
      next
      adventure
      be?
      Let’s
      just
      say,
     
     
      bigger
      is
      better...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      Ia
      prochaine!