Mike Jess and Nick Travel Paris and France

Hi all,

This week my friend Mike is in town. He is another UW MBA studying at the Copenhagen Business School. We have been going nonstop for the past 4 days and it has been a really great time!

First stop was Disneyland Paris! It was a great time. The weather was good so we rode the rides and hung out there all day comparing all the rides in Paris to Disneyland at home. There are some pretty cool differences but they still have rides like Pirates of the Carribean, the Haunted Manor and Space Mountain (which is WAY cooler here than in California!).

On Sunday, we rented a car and drove north to the beaches at Normandy and to the St. Michel Abbey. We visited some of the beaches where the allied forces landed on June 6, 1944 to liberate Europe. We also visited the memorial cemetary to pay our respects as well. Operation Overlord, the Normandy invasion, was the largest seaborne military operation in history, involving almost 3 million troops. Some of the photos show the infrastructure still left on the beach after the invasion.

We then moved on to the St. Michel Abbey. Construction began in the 10th century and was completed in the 18th century. It has served as a castle, an abbey and a prison. It sits on an island with a small village surrounding the base and it is truly amazing! The tides come all the way up to the abbey walls during high tide, washing away cars in the parking lot if they have not been moved! The abbey and the village are very fun, compltete with tours, restaurants and hotels.

Today, we toured the sites of Paris with Mike, including the Arc de Triomphe. Construction on this tribute to Napoleon was completed in 1836. It is 164 feet high and sits in a straight line with the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. It is encrusted with reliefs and and sculptures dedicated to liberty and Napoleon. It is also home to the France's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

All in all, we had a great time hanging out with Mike and getting to see more sites in and around France! Here are some more pictures!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59007731@N00/sets/72157594331366986/detail/