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Published: June 13th 2012
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On Sunday, I was to meet up with the other BGSU students at the Nantes train station at 4:15. It was a hell of a day to say the least. Contacting them was impossible and a single mishap would make finding them very, very difficult. My checkout at the apartment I was previously staying at was for 11am. There was that awkward five hour gap where I had nowhere to go and all of my bags. I wasn't exactly sure what to do. I took a chance went to the new apartment complex hoping I could check in early. Boy was I wrong. Sundays are like a holiday in France. No one works, many of the smaller transportation routes do not run. Instead of uncovering bad memories I am just going to say that Sunday was a day full of rain, sweat, heavy bags, frustrating maps (in French), people (who knew only French), long walks and hopeless attempts to contact the other students. After waiting, no joke, for four hours at the new apartment complex, I was just about to bag the whole thing and book a trip to Paris or something, I saw the other students climbing up the nearby
Chateau des ducs de Bretagne
The grassy part in between the outer walls and the moat is a nice park for locals. It had been raining all day, people were happily staying inside to stay warm and dry. hill with similar distraught faces. Long story short, our trip was horribly planned from the start and getting settled in was a nightmare. Thankfully everything has worked out and we are all happily back on track.
Yesterday was the first day of classes. The first was all about the European Union and how it is organized. Very interesting stuff, especially because of all the problems they are currently having to deal with. Who knew that the whole EU concept came about after WWII. The initial partnership was called the European Coal and Steel Community. Coal and steel are the two biggest war industries, so getting France, Italy, the Netherlands and Western Germany to participate in this community they could promote a more peaceful Europe by regulating these vital war industries. The second class was about health care systems in the EU. I would elaborate further on this, but I honestly have no clue what the professor was saying.
In the afternoon we were taken on a guided tour of Nantes. This was wonderful, for I had been roaming the streets by myself for the past three days and didn't really have a full grasp on the cities history.
Waiting.
I could not get into the apartment complex without a swipe card. This is the only time that I was thankful for the French's insane addiction to smoking. I was let in by a young man needing a quick smoke break. We strolled through the medieval part of the city east of Chateau des ducs de Bretagne. Here there rare wooden facade, 15th century houses that were hidden among the standard 18th and 19th century stone house. All of these were build along side narrow cobble stone streets, just as they were so many years ago. Next we were taken through the Cathedral of St. Paul and St. Patrick. This huge cathedral (higher than Notre Dame in Paris) took over 450 years to construct giving it the longest religious building construction job in all of France. It was finally completed in 1893, only to be bombed by the Allied forces during WWII. All but two of the original stained glass windows remained. This was also the home of Francois II and Marguerite de Foix's tomb. Frank and Marg were the last duke and duchess of Brittany. They had a child, Anne of Brittany (who was born in the near by Chateau des ducs de Bretagne), who became the Queen of France twice, not to mention the richest woman in Europe of her time. The tour confluded at the Chateau des de Bretagne. This is the last castle located in the famous Loire River valley en route to the Atlantic. In between the imense castle walls and the moat lies well kept grass that make a perfect place for locals to read, hang out with friends or even kick a soccer ball around.
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