Hello, my fellow eggs!
This is the beginning of my new series, which will include pictures and some videos of my travels with my family!
In 2014, just after I finished my freshman year of university, I was blessed to be taken to France and spend my birthday there. We arrived in Lille, where we stayed for a few days. The weather was cool and rainy for the full duration of our stay. The streets were fairly empty, but it was nice to enjoy the quiet peace of France.
We traveled around France with a tour guide and met up with some friends of the family, learning about its history, people, and cuisine.
We went to Sainte Mère Eglise/Utah-Beach/Point de Huc in Normandy, where we saw memorials for fallen soldiers during the World War. We were lucky enough to identify the soldiers who were from Oregon! The tour guide shared a sad story about one of the buried soldiers. His wife didn't know until a few years ago that her husband was buried in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Ever since she found out, she has been sending his grave flowers for every birthday, anniversary, Christmas, etc. She also never remarried. Hearing stories like these always made me dream of finding that perfect someone who you would remain dedicated to even after death.
We also visited the Zoo de Lille, which was Lille's local zoo. They had a variety of creatures there, but I will always hold a special place in my heart for the animal who smiled in the sun (sixth image below).
Lastly, we tried to enter the Louvre, but it was the line was so long and we would have fallen out of schedule if we waited until there was availability. However, we were lucky enough to see the entrance!
What did I do for my birthday? All I wanted was a sit down meal with the family with delicious dessert. And that's exactly what my mom got for me! Given my dietary restrictions, I had chocolate mousse (which was so light and fluffy like a cloud!) and my mother had ice cream with a generous helping of whipped cream on top. Although it was rainy and humid, it will always remain a day to remember.
If I had the chance to go to France again, I would love to see Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower. I was unable to see it because we were only in France for a day and my mom and I got separated from the rest of our family. It was also the day I had subway doors close on me! I had bruises and a sore back for a few days! However, I would definitely go ahead to get my fill of chocolate croissants again.