So Happy Together

Well, HIP2012 is officially over.

That few students are trickling home from free travel,

and all we have now is the weight we added from too many Nutella crepes

& a lifetime of memories from our spring in France.

We also have this video,

which we can always look back on

when we are missing our HIP family,

the fun times we had together exploring,

the deliciously famous meals of the FIAP,

&, of course, our favorite city- Paris.

Normandy Trip

Normandy Trip

First off, let me say that this trip was executed at a very very fast pace, so if it seems like I am jumping from place to place…it’s because we were. The first stop on our two day Normandy trip was Giverny, the home of the well-known impressionist painter Claude Monett.  Here we were able to see the beautiful gardens that he made himself. You will probably recognize the famous water lilies that were his muse time and time again.

 From here we traveled all day to a little village in Normandy where we stayed at a fantastic B&B. Needless to say we all loved it. We all sat down to a home cooked meal after our long day in the French countryside. None of us had trouble sleeping that night. We woke up the next morning to a breakfast equally as good as the meal from the night before. Fresh coffee, coffee cake and sunshine made for perfect travel conditions.

 And travel we did. Our first stop was Mont Saint Michel. This was quite a sight to see. Set on an “island” it was unlike anything I’d seen before. Unfortunately we were pressed for time and were unable to go inside, but we were all happy to be able to finally see it. I should mention that our professor Britton Lynn had waited 15 years to see it, he was ecstatic to say the least.

 Forty minutes after seeing Mont Saint Michel we were off again, our destination, Sainte Mere-Eglise. Famous for being a battle zone during Operation Overlord on June 6^th, 1944 it was liberated by the 82^nd Airborne Division. Now there resides an Airborne museum in the town along with a manikin paratrooper hanging from the church steeple.  We then set off for the American landing beaches. Utah and Omaha beaches were the beaches where the American Allied forces invaded France on D-Day. Standing there on the beaches, knowing what had taken place there less than a century ago, it was moving and sobering place to be.

 After spending half an hour per beach drove to our final stop before catching our train back to Paris. We visited the American War Memorial site. I have never seen so many grave markers in my life. The loss of lives during WWII is mind blowing and again very sobering. Standing there among the head stones you realize how much a sacrifice is made during war and how short life is. Sadly we had a train to catch back in Caen, so our stay at the memorial was also very short. I have always had a love for WWII history, and seeing these places was one of the best times of my life. I am glad the I and everyone else on our trip was able to experience it as well and maybe one day we will get to go back.

HIP 2012 on Utah Beach

~Andrew Hervey

Mont Saint Michel

Claude Monet

82nd Airborne Division

Musee d'Orsay et Musee L'Orangerie

Today we went to the Musee d’Orsay and the Musee L’Orangerie. I highly recommend going to see both museums on the same day. L’Orangerie is a fairly small building and can easily be seen in about an hour. The main room to go see are the Monet Water Lilies rooms. These pieces are some of Monet’s most famous.

After you leave the L’Orangerie, you should head towards the Musee d’Orsay. The d’Orsay is considerably larger than the L’Orangerie. In the d’Orsay I suggest that you go see the Impressionist hall, the Toulouse lauTrec section, and finally the Palais Garnier model. It is also inside of a famous old train station, which is pretty neat!

The Impressionist hall is full of beautiful paintings including many pointillist painting. Pointillism is my favorite style of the impressionists. This hall has something to offer everyone!

The Toulouse lauTrec section is amazing because it gives you a  look into life in Paris during 

the Belle Epoque. His work is some of my favorite because it so beautifully displays his time.

The Palais Garnier model was by far my favorite part in the d’Orsay. It is SO cool! When we went to see the actual Palais Garnier I had a hard time imagining the Phantom of the Opera actually being able to haunt like the myth says. But when I saw the model it all made sense. We only saw a small, very small, portion of the actual building. It is MASSIVE! The basement is huge and above the ceiling there is a massive attic where the chandelier pulley is!

Just seeing these few things makes visiting these two museums VERY worthwhile.

COFFEE!!!

Coffee has been a popular drink in France since the 17th century when the Ambassador from Sultan, Mehmed IV, brought coffee beans with him on a trip to Paris. The french drink their coffee much differently than we do in the states. They don’t typically add milk or sugar. If they do either it is in very small quantities. They enjoy it at all hours of the day here as well.

In France it’s not hard to get a cup o’ joe, because there are hundreds of cafes around any city. The amount of cafes further makes it evident the cultural importance of coffee. And that being able to sit and enjoy your coffee is also very important. The idea of “to-go” coffee isn’t really widespread in France, it’s an American idea.

The french press is a device used to brew coffee that is native to France. It involves pouring hot water and coffee grounds into the press, letting it steep, and then pushing the grounds down to the bottom with the plunger.  Many French people enjoy making their coffee this way. I have found that I LOVE coffee from made with a press. Another French favorite is espresso, which is basically a shot of caffeine. It is done by pouring hot water, under high pressure, through finely ground beans.

As an uneducated American I used to always drink my coffee with a TON of creamer and sugar. But when I arrived in France, I decided to try it the real way. Literally changed my life. I don’t think I’ll ever drink coffee the “American” way again.

HIP Takes England

This past weekend,

HIP lugged our luggage to Gare Du Nord

and set off an underwater voyage through the English French Channel

 for a five day trip to England.

It was glorious.

We stayed in Central London

at the Janet Poole House on Gower Street.

We visited saw all the sites that make London one of the world's favorite cities:

 Shakespeare's Globe Theater,  St. Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square & The Borough Market.

We trekked north to Oxford to visit the famous academic hotspot

and had lunch in Tolkien & CS Lewis's favorite spot, The Eagle & Child.

Then we trekked a little west to Stratford-Upon-Avon

where we saw Shakespeare's birth place & his play, The Tempest.

And we ate a lot of REALLY good food.

Basically, we had an overall blast.

Have you been to London?

Were you a student like us?

 What are some of your favorite memories?

*all images via

La Butte Montmartre

Espace Dali

Being a huge Salvador Dali fan, I couldn't let the opportunity to see a Dali museum just past me by! And when I found out it was in Montmartre, one of my favorite places to go in Paris, I was ecstatic. Espace Dali is a must see because it houses Dali originals, across his career.

Also in the museum is a chapel where he and other artists worshipped and the chapel itself is a fantastic example of trompe l’oiel, “trick of the eye.” This museum is one of the many reasons why I love Montmartre, it eloquently and deeply captures the sense of artistic freedom and liveliness that you get when you climb the steps up to Montmartre.

Sacre Coeur

Sacre Coeur is the Catholic basilica that is up on the top of Montmartre. At first glance, you'd think it was built several centuries ago. However, to my surprise and probably yours as well, its only around a hundred years old. Crazy, I know! But regardless, it is a gorgeous building. Not only is the outside of this building astounding, but the inside is equally impressive. The inside of the dome is absolutely breathtaking.Go to a service while there, because the organ is gorgeous. It is awe-inspiring because of the care and consideration that was taken when building it and in taking care of it throughout the years. But remember, pictures are NOT allowed inside!

Youri (and other street performers)

I highly recommend making your excursion to Montmartre on a warm Saturday afternoon. Not only will the weather be fantastic and the view overlooking Paris gorgeous but you will also get to hear my favorite street performer play, Youri. Every saturday he plays on the steps of Sacre Coeur, of course he had to get a petition to be able to do so! He mainly performs covers of popular songs but he also performs his own original works as well. This is a concert you do NOT want to miss!

And if Youri isn’t your “cup of tea” ,well have no fear there are many other performers in Montmarte, all of whom are very talented. There are musicians, mimes, human statues, and many different types of performers all around this little village!