Nasson College - Nugget Yearbook (Springvale, ME)

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study abroad caen 68 green fields . . . valleys . . . stucco houses . . . cows . . . majestic landscapes-little boys helping their fathers work the land. we left the port le havre, we adjusted to the new sensation of solid land under our feet, and now we are in a bus on the way to caen, france, watching the beautiful countryside pass like a dream. the bus is quiet, everyone is weary from long nights and rolling seas. professor strauch has informed us that we are expected to speak french by the end of the program. he has explained the history of caen, acquainting us with the habits of the french, preparing us for our four month stay. the first three weeks in normandy were primarily devoted to adjusting. we saw winos excreting by the side walks, we took showers in little square wooden basins, we partook of ultra-sweet pastries at the local patisseries-and we forgot that we were foreigners in the bars. some of us even exceeded the limits of wisdom and ate the typical normandy meals: beef tongue and intestines. adjusting for these unfortunate souls was a long, arduous task-even with the numerous varieties of stomach pills provided by mr. strauch. following our three week endurance test, we began to realize that france was quite a country. certainly professor strauch helped influence our opinions. we all shared in a sophisticated wine tasting gathering-meant of course to indoctrinate us to the more difficult french habits and to fill us with a significant part of french culture. and we were filled! at first we gave careful appraisals of each different wine-by the last glass, our words were merely jumbles, and we departed down the crooked road to our upside-down hotels. our first real insights into the meaning of war-ridden france came with our trip to the normandy beaches. we saw the remains of the great breakwater constructed in june 4, 1944, to protect the allies during one of the most dramatic military feats in history. from the normandy beaches, we went to the american graveyard, one of the 138

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most poignant sights one could imagine. white marble crosses stretched as far as the eye could see. our next stop was at the german graveyard. massive black crosses grouped in fives spanned the fields. our last stop brought us to one of the sights where the longest day was filmed. some of us took pictures of the bridges and the surrounding area, then we finally departed for home. . . . yes, after three weeks, caen is considered home. as time passed, we fell into a regular pattern of living-allowing for pleasures and studies. we had a party at the ducheous-ann, a restaurant and dance hall. with beer and wine we made a happy group and surprisingly, sounds of french echoed from foreign tongues as we entertained some french students who came to meet us. soon after the stimulating experience, mr. strauch awarded us with our first exam. now our regular living pattern changed from pleasures and studies to studies and pleasures. we learned a great deal about architecture, art, and literature. with the near conclusion of the program, one realizes he benefited greatly from his studies. for example, after studying romanesque and gothic architecture of the middle ages, we visited some cathedrals which exemplified these types. one of the richest experiences, inspiring romantic longings for the exotic, was our visitation to the loire valley. we spent three days walking through fifteenth and sixteenth chateaus. we saw rooms where nobles were assasinated, and we walked on the grounds where great hunting parties set out. the luxurious carpeting, elegant tapestries, intricate wood carvings-all compose these storybook wonders and lived in our imaginations as we departed, noblemen of the renaissance. the course in humanities was general but comprehensive. professor strauch devoted long hours to organize a smooth program, geared to appeal to our interests. the french courses helped us somewhat, but we found it difficult to conscientiously study french and keep up with our reading in 139