Day 35
As luck would have it I did not recover my money from KLM today. I needed to bring my baggage claim stickers and my ticket to verify my claim. Oh well, next time I guess. It was clearly written on my instructions. I just did not take the time to read them. Now I must write a letter to explain what has happened and hope for a refund.
Again I am writing on a train. I am sick of trains. When i got off in Prague I was under the impression that I could get back on the next train to Ostrava free of charge. I was wrong. I had to pay an extra forty krowns to extend my ticket to Ostrava from Prague. To make my trip worse I was sharing a car with a child that had a sinus cold. He was drooling all over the place. He was probably four years old.
He rests now. I finished my book Lighting in record time for me. I read it cover to cover in seven days! I really read it in three days since I did not read it much while sight seeing. After I finished Dean Koontz book, I started to read The Guide to the Beaches and Battles of Normandy by David Evans. It is a very detailed book. I like it a lot. One problem: when I read some of the passages I sometimes begin to cry. I don't mind though. I would rather cry than not feel anything at all.
I will arrive in Ostrava twenty-four hours after I embarked from Paris. I haven't ate since 2 P.M. and I am not very hungry. My appetite has diminished dramatically from the beginning of my stay in the Czech Republic. I now only need two rolls and tea to get me full or at least feel full. If I could only find a pan or dish to purchase in a store, I would have it made! We have a hot plate in our room and cooking would be a breeze.
Now I'm back in Ostrava. What a trip! I'm exhausted. just a minute ago I went out for a Coke because I was getting thirsty. On my way to the cafe I found the campus dance club/bar. Not a bad atmosphere, but I need to speak the language a lot better before I go in there again. On my way back from the store, I ran across a group of three freshman boys and a freshman girl. They were all VERY drunk. I have noticed that the Czech population consumes an enormous amount of beer. I can't believe it. Everyone I see in a grocery store has some kind of alcohol in their basket, usually Radagast.
Being in the dance hall reminded me of the Outback in Maryville. One similarity, the black lights were everywhere. My white sweatshirt made me look like an angel or ghost. I felt awkward. I looked the part, too. Thoughts of my freshman year come to me. The first time in the Outback was with Jennifer Brandt. The whites of her eyes glowed from the black lights. We played Foosball for a while and then danced.
Sorry for the tangent, but I had to write that down for me to remember later. I received mail today: two letters from mom. I guess I should write her back soon.
Recap of the trip:
Friday September 9th I left for Paris. I thin took a train from Paris to Caen. The hostel was unfriendly. I walked around the town.
September 11th. Went to Dwight D. Eisenhower museum and was locked in the Peace Garden.
September 12th. Went to Bayeux and toured Omaha Beach, American cemetery, Point du Hoc, Archomaches, and bunkers. That night I missed my train back to Caen and stayed in a family's home. It turned out to be the best mistake I have ever made.
September 13th. I traveled to Paris and visited the Notre Dame at night. The lights of the Eiffel Tower were excellent. Also saw the Hotel De ville.
September 14th. Toured Paris on my own. I went to the Louve. I viewed the Mona Lisa. There were people all around trying to see it. It rained most of the day. I ate some expensive food and then I ran into Lauree Crozier while walking on the streets of Paris.
September 15th. Went to Versailles with Lauree in full pack -- both bags about killed me, but you would never have known by the pace I kept. With a smile on my face I continued. I wanted to stay as long as possible with Lauree. Company is nice when you are all alone for days. I know that sounds corny, but it is true. That night at 7:55 I boarded a train to Prague. At 2:00 AM on September 16th it arrived. I went to KLM's office without success. I finished my ride to Ostrava with a $2.00 ticket extension.
As I sit in my empty room I think about home. My parents don't get choked up when I talk to them on the phone. I guess that was to be expected. I miss them. Thoughts of Jenny Barber passed through my head. I wonder how she is doing. I wonder if she still thinks about me.
I hope that when I look at my pictures of Omaha and the cemetery I always get a tear in my eye and remember the young men that rest on that hilltop overlooking the English Channel. Their lives were cut short too early. May their sacrifice always remind me that freedom does not come for free.
I will always have my rock from Omaha Beach. The same rock which men ran across in search of cover from oppressive enemy fire. I now hold it with respect and remembrance. I ran across the beach for only a short distance. It was difficult to get any traction on the smooth surface of the rocks. Imagine how difficult it would have been to try to run, walk or crawl with 100 pounds of equipment tired to your back. No wonder the pace of the advance was slow. They would not go any faster without falling flat and being an easy target. The dunes were also treacherous to navigate. I must remind myself that the beach obstacles have all been removed. What would the beach have been like that day?
Again I am writing on a train. I am sick of trains. When i got off in Prague I was under the impression that I could get back on the next train to Ostrava free of charge. I was wrong. I had to pay an extra forty krowns to extend my ticket to Ostrava from Prague. To make my trip worse I was sharing a car with a child that had a sinus cold. He was drooling all over the place. He was probably four years old.
He rests now. I finished my book Lighting in record time for me. I read it cover to cover in seven days! I really read it in three days since I did not read it much while sight seeing. After I finished Dean Koontz book, I started to read The Guide to the Beaches and Battles of Normandy by David Evans. It is a very detailed book. I like it a lot. One problem: when I read some of the passages I sometimes begin to cry. I don't mind though. I would rather cry than not feel anything at all.
I will arrive in Ostrava twenty-four hours after I embarked from Paris. I haven't ate since 2 P.M. and I am not very hungry. My appetite has diminished dramatically from the beginning of my stay in the Czech Republic. I now only need two rolls and tea to get me full or at least feel full. If I could only find a pan or dish to purchase in a store, I would have it made! We have a hot plate in our room and cooking would be a breeze.
Now I'm back in Ostrava. What a trip! I'm exhausted. just a minute ago I went out for a Coke because I was getting thirsty. On my way to the cafe I found the campus dance club/bar. Not a bad atmosphere, but I need to speak the language a lot better before I go in there again. On my way back from the store, I ran across a group of three freshman boys and a freshman girl. They were all VERY drunk. I have noticed that the Czech population consumes an enormous amount of beer. I can't believe it. Everyone I see in a grocery store has some kind of alcohol in their basket, usually Radagast.
Being in the dance hall reminded me of the Outback in Maryville. One similarity, the black lights were everywhere. My white sweatshirt made me look like an angel or ghost. I felt awkward. I looked the part, too. Thoughts of my freshman year come to me. The first time in the Outback was with Jennifer Brandt. The whites of her eyes glowed from the black lights. We played Foosball for a while and then danced.
Sorry for the tangent, but I had to write that down for me to remember later. I received mail today: two letters from mom. I guess I should write her back soon.
Recap of the trip:
Friday September 9th I left for Paris. I thin took a train from Paris to Caen. The hostel was unfriendly. I walked around the town.
September 11th. Went to Dwight D. Eisenhower museum and was locked in the Peace Garden.
September 12th. Went to Bayeux and toured Omaha Beach, American cemetery, Point du Hoc, Archomaches, and bunkers. That night I missed my train back to Caen and stayed in a family's home. It turned out to be the best mistake I have ever made.
September 13th. I traveled to Paris and visited the Notre Dame at night. The lights of the Eiffel Tower were excellent. Also saw the Hotel De ville.
September 14th. Toured Paris on my own. I went to the Louve. I viewed the Mona Lisa. There were people all around trying to see it. It rained most of the day. I ate some expensive food and then I ran into Lauree Crozier while walking on the streets of Paris.
September 15th. Went to Versailles with Lauree in full pack -- both bags about killed me, but you would never have known by the pace I kept. With a smile on my face I continued. I wanted to stay as long as possible with Lauree. Company is nice when you are all alone for days. I know that sounds corny, but it is true. That night at 7:55 I boarded a train to Prague. At 2:00 AM on September 16th it arrived. I went to KLM's office without success. I finished my ride to Ostrava with a $2.00 ticket extension.
As I sit in my empty room I think about home. My parents don't get choked up when I talk to them on the phone. I guess that was to be expected. I miss them. Thoughts of Jenny Barber passed through my head. I wonder how she is doing. I wonder if she still thinks about me.
I hope that when I look at my pictures of Omaha and the cemetery I always get a tear in my eye and remember the young men that rest on that hilltop overlooking the English Channel. Their lives were cut short too early. May their sacrifice always remind me that freedom does not come for free.
I will always have my rock from Omaha Beach. The same rock which men ran across in search of cover from oppressive enemy fire. I now hold it with respect and remembrance. I ran across the beach for only a short distance. It was difficult to get any traction on the smooth surface of the rocks. Imagine how difficult it would have been to try to run, walk or crawl with 100 pounds of equipment tired to your back. No wonder the pace of the advance was slow. They would not go any faster without falling flat and being an easy target. The dunes were also treacherous to navigate. I must remind myself that the beach obstacles have all been removed. What would the beach have been like that day?
posted by Jen and Andy at
6:56 AM
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