Coming to terms:

We all know it is difficult to accept shame. Admitting your wrongdoing and can easily be replaced with blaming other factors and that appears to be, from my experience in France’s museums, their attitude in coming to terms with their role in the deportations of their own citizens to concentration, labor, and death camps controlled by the nazis.
Caen was the first museum where I noticed this motif. That museum never even mentioned Vichy France. In lieu of calling it a collaborating government, they chose to say Vichy France was a “Free France”and the rest was “Occupied France”. Never in this museum was the deportation of Jews mentioned or referenced.

The second place I noticed this was in Paris with the placement and style of the holocaust memorial/Shoah museum. To begin with, France did not decide to dedicate and recognize it’s role in the holocaust until the 1960’s under Charles DeGaulle. And even with that, the memorial is left in a corner of where the river splits. As Tess gave her site report in front of it, we could still barely recognize what the low to the ground white rock was meant to memorialize. The rest was left underground and unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to see inside. In front of that were several trees and bushes as if to hide it’s view from the street. If I wasn’t being led by the group I would’ve simply walked past it without even noticing it. The Shoah is equally buried out of sight within the city. To Paris’s credit, it’s within its historically Jewish district, which seems appropriate. Except for the fact that it’s not a widely traveled to area of Paris. There is only street parking and it is not advertised at all. Yes, France has built a museum dedicated to remembering how hundreds of thousands of Jews were deported to camps by French hands, but it is almost hidden within a district that has very little traffic, activity, and tourism. It’s not even on a major road or given it’s own block. The Shoah is in between two smaller side streets and pushed up against another building. There is almost a sense of reluctance to memorialize the horrific truth about what happened to French Jews. With no garden, grand entrance, or lawn for this museum it would be easy to dismiss the Shoah as the significant and impactful memorial it is. The armed guards protecting it are the only indications that its important.

As I walked through the museum, I was deeply moved by the honesty and shocking truth about France’s role in the holocaust. In seeing the inside the museum it was easy to see the France has owned up to it’s role and is deeply sorrowful for it’s actions, which is commendable. But that sorrow and shame of their role is seemingly not wanting to be known to the public. In keeping the Shoah and the memorial in enclosed and out of the way areas it seems as though France doesn’t want you to see that shameful side of the country’s history.

Over the last five days, I have explored various museums and memorials within the limits of Berlin, Germany and its suburbs. Examples of such places include the Soviet War Memorials, the Wannsee House, the Topography of Terror Museum, the Olympic Stadium, Sachsenhausen concentration camp, the German Historical Museum, the Russian/German Museum, the Fuhrer-bunker, and the site of the Potsdam Conference. Compared to its counterparts in England and France, the Berlin sites concentrated much more heavily on not only the early consolidation of National Socialist power but also the expansionism of the Third Reich through annexations and invasions. Particularly, I found both the Topography of Terror Museum and the Wannsee House to be the most fascinating of all places our group visited.

Built on the ruins of the former Gestapo/SS headquarters, the Topography of Terror Museum thoroughly documented the rise of Heinrich Himmler and his Schutzstaffel to national prominence. Having extensively studied Himmler and his SS/police task force for our seminar class, I already had an intellectual head start on my fellow students going through the exhibit. Despite this advantage, it took me almost twice as long as everyone else to get through the numerous displays because of the abundance of documents regarding the Nazi leaders that I did not have available during my research. While the museum did not really teach me anything new regarding either Himmler’s ascent or the establishment of the Reich Main Security Administration, it did bring to the light the horrors committed by the SS and Police in individual countries. This successfully portrayed just how deadly and brutal World War II was for every European country in terms of the racially prejudiced German invaders.

Additionally, the Wannsee House, the infamous location of the conference regarding the implementation of the Final Solution, impressed me. This was mostly due to the wonderful tour guide that led us through the grounds. The Final Solution to the Jewish Question constituted a significant portion of my thesis on Himmler’s impact on the Nazi regime. Therefore, I had a premature belief on the significance of the Wannsee Conference. I found myself stifled by the opinions of our tour guide regarding which Nazi she believed was most responsible for the Holocaust. Because her choice of Joseph Goebbels contrasted to mine of Heinrich Himmler, I took what she said incredibly serious as to see where her proof was. She never supported her hypothesis, so I intend to email her as soon as time permits. Seeing the actual room in which Heydrich, Muller, and Eichmann stressed the logistical implementation of the Holocaust to other Nazi officials was surreal. Earlier in the semester, I read a wonderful book by Christopher Browning on the Final Solution, and Wannsee Conference was a central focus. It was indeed frightening to see the actual location in person rather than just reading about it thousands of miles away in Columbus.

The Wansee House

Himmler and his SS

Remnants of Berlin Wall

Former Site of Gestapo Headquarters

The Reichstag

Overall, I considered the historical museums in Berlin to be the most interesting because they showed a more nationalistic interpretation of the Nazi war machine and its influences on the Holocaust. Furthermore, the post-war influences of the Soviet Union within a divided Germany were evident through both the memorials to fallen Russian soldiers and the presence of a German/Russian museum, which focused on the unstable relationship of the two powers in the mid twentieth century. While Berlin may not have been the prettiest or most lively of cities we visited, it definitely had historical museums with the most thorough and accurate information.

Paris as a city has been so romanticized throughout all of my very few experiences with it. The Eiffel Tower and French Stereotypes were the basis of my understanding of Paris up until Art History my freshman year of College, where I learned more about how important Paris was to culture. It was very easy to see how new trends could start, and I am very sure that I saw what I will be seeing, clothing, hair and makeup trend wise, in the U.S. in the near future.

I knew that Paris was the City of Love, and that was no joke. Without exaggeration, the very first thing that happened as soon as we got into the elevator at the Metro after the drive from Bayeux, was the two other couples that joined the elevator immediately, as if on cue, both began to passionately make out and rub their bodies together. I was in abosolute shock, and I am sure I was amusing to my professors and Conor. I apologize for the sensory details, but I could go on since this was the mildest of the many more public displays of affection that everyone got to see throughout the days in Paris. The Metro was overwhelming for the senses, if not for the strong smells or the sheer amount of people, on almost every ride on the metro, it was hard not to hear other people sucking on each other’s tongues. (Again, I apologize, but I can phrase it in no other way that accurately portrays it). Everywhere on every corner or even in the middle of walking paths there would be people deeply impassioned with each other’s company.  At times, it was amazing how bold these couples got, and it also made me wonder if America is just very prude. I’m comfortable with this idea so far.

The Invalides Courtyard and Armee Museum was very humbling in historical significance. I did my presentation on the courtyard and nazi occupation in Paris, and it did not take a lot of thought to figure out why the building would have been occupied. The museum was full of battles I had not heard much about before because it had no relevance to American troops, so I don’t have to wonder why I had never heard about them. That was very interesting to see, as well as how the French would include themselves in things I had not known they were involved in before. They had a very large WWI exhibit,  and that makes perfect sense, seeing how devastated France was by it.

There was also a lot of French troops from their imperial colonies, which was very enlightening to see how they justified it. America had not had these experiences with World War II, having to make sure that their colonies that they’ve imperialized stay loyal to a cause that has little relevance to them to make sure that they are willing to die for it or be punished. There was nothing I could find in the museum to see how successful the attempts to control their colonies were, and what would be done if these people did not cooperate with their French commanders.

One of the most interesting pieces of French imperialist propaganda I had seen

France is very unapologetic about their history.  They do not blatantly state any wrong doing, but try to focus on making sure their positive involvement is known. I cannot tell if this is out of pride and self preservation, or out of a more positive mentality that may exist in the French populace. I expected there to be some sort of apologetic stances on collaboration and the French population themselves deporting the Jews within their country, but that was nowhere to be seen by me.

Another thing that I had noticed about Parisian museums that I did not really see elsewhere was that they seemed to have more accommodations for older generations, such as more ergonomic handles on doors and on bathroom stalls. I wonder if it could be because of a larger number of survivors from this time period coming to visit the Shoah Museum. I was very impressed and glad to see this, since little things like an easily maneuverable lock on a bathroom stall can make such a difference on someone who may be limited in their independence.
“Assertive new Judaism” was a phrase that stood out to me in one of the boards of text in the immediate beginning of the Shoah Museum. I had wondered why people had been so threatened by a culture that ended up requiring golden stars to be sewn visibly onto these people’s clothing so that they could stand out. It’s hard not to generalize, but people as a whole seem to be threatened by things that are new and different, and after reading this board I could see what the logic was behind the French reception of these new Jewish immigrants. It still does not make a lot of sense to me, but I am from a different country and have been raised in a very different time (fortunately).

Henri Bergson, a man who had a personal account described on the boards, said that he would have converted to Catholic if not seen “several years led preparation for the formidable wave of anti-Semitism”. He said this because he “wanted to stay among the people who tomorrow will be persecuted”. I am not entirely sure how to interpret this, but I admire his steadfast nature to defend his people he affiliates himself with.

Something else new I hadn’t seen before this museum was that “In sole cases, men refused to participate (Josefow) and were not disciplined, thus proving that refusal was possible”. I do not know if this was always the case that refusal did not meet harsh and swift punishment for the execution of prisoners or captives, but it is hard to believe that people that were not pressed with a severe punishment would do something so horrific. It was also claimed that “No official written order found for extermination of Jews”, only a decree that a final solution be made. This was very interesting to me, and was left unsubstantiated, so I will look into this in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed Paris. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than I expected,  and the people I interacted with were much more patient than in Bayeux.  They did make fun of is for being Americans, but in a kind and joking way that was inquisitive. Paris was the most culturally different so far. A lot ate outside,  and tables had the chairs side by side instead of across each other,  and they faced out towards the street. I wasn’t sure if this was cultural or if it was more for conserving space on the sidewalk. Instead of seeming like isolated dates, these people eating were more like partners partaking in the city around them.

The City of Love was indeed the City of Love. When I wasn’t scarring myself by looking over to couples that were going too far, adoration for loved ones could be seen in other ways. Aged couples eating together smiling that things unknown to everyone around them but themselves, and seemed just as in love with each other as the young couples nearest them. It was a truly beautiful thing to see, and not something I have seen so much anywhere else. I would return to Paris again if not just to feel this powerful atmosphere again because of how positive of an impact it would leave. One could not help smiling when you’d see how much love (not just physical) was around.

       I visited the Louve, the Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame. It all felt very surreal, and even looking back at pictures it still is hard to believe I was there.

Because of Conor’s broken ankle, we got to be escorted to the front of the massive crowd to see this infamous painting. After staring at it in disbelief, we had to take a picture.

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I got to see a painting of this legendary woman that I am named after, Josephine Bonaparte

I got to celebrate my five year anniversary with Conor in Paris, and I will never forget it

I ate traditional food and got to experience ordering meals without having any idea what I was about to eat. Almost everything that I ate was incredible, especially the foreign foods. The only time that this risky gamble of ordering “blind” backfired was with the foie gras. Don’t ever eat it. It’s goose-paste. Even if it’s on pretty toast and your comrades call it “fancy- feast” because of its uncanny resemblance to cat food. I ate the whole thing, and trust me on this, I am all for new experiences, but I would not recommend this to anyone. I had to use a baguette to scrape it off of the roof of my mouth. Spare yourselves, and go with that pasta that looks good instead.

Foie Gras: don’t eat it!

Not all of the food in Paris was scary!

I had a croissant every day and a baguette for almost every breakfast and never got tired of it. I absolutely loved all of the pigeons and the dogs that I saw on a daily basis, and smiled every time I saw one. Between this and all of the beautiful sights and love I saw around  me, there was very few times I wasn’t smiling to the point my face hurt.

The pigeons were especially friendly by the Louve!

I got my fill of Paris, and would love to return in the future.

Paris has been my favorite destination on this study tour so far! I loved the sights, sounds, food and, overall, the general atmosphere of the city. My philosophy for taking on Paris was to simply do; do as many activities, see as many sites, take in as much culture and experiences as possible. By following this philosophy, I feel I got a small taste of what Paris is all about. First of all, I discovered my newfound love for escargot! Though to many the thought of eating snails covered in butter and garlic is appalling, I found it delicious and could not help from ordering them at least once a day at a local café. The dining experiences in Paris exemplified the Parisian way of life; enjoy every minuet, savor and relish in it, and take as long as you like. The French have a way of taking a fashionably long time to do things, which I enjoyed. It was nice to not feel like a burden but rather be encouraged to sit and enjoy the atmosphere and people around you. My favorite part of our time in Paris was just walking around and seeing what I could see. Paris is such a beautiful city with lovely, classic style buildings, apartments with cast iron balconies, and intricate architecture. Everywhere I went, I felt immersed in French culture and aged style.

One of my favorites parts of Paris was the seeing the Eiffel Tower all lit up, with the lights twinkling. It was such a beautiful sight to see. The Eiffel Tower is such an iconic Parisian landmark. It was mind blowing to be sitting on the lawn and gaze up at this massive, beautiful structure that I’ve only see in movies. It was such a surreal experience and I am thankful that this trip has allowed me to do and see things I could have only dreamt about previously. After visiting Giverny, the location of Claude Monet’s gardens, I was inspired to see Monet’s work in person. On Sunday, I stumbled into Musee Orangerie, a small yet very interesting art museum. This museum held several Monet paintings, including ones that spanned the entire length of the museum walls. Monet acquired inspiration for these paintings from the gardens I had just visited. At one point, I compared the pictures I took at Giverny to the paintings on the wall. It was incredible to compare Monet’s depictions of the gardens, the ponds, the trees, the sky, to the actual site itself. All in all, I loved Paris and would go back in a heartbeat. Though I’m sad to leave, I know Berlin is going to bring such great knowledge and experiences. Until next time!

Leaving the confines of our small town in Normandy, the group boarded the bus to Paris. To be quite honest, my expectations for Paris were not fantastic. Rumors of snobby people, crowded tourist traps, and over expensive food swirled in my head. Frankly I was the least excited about Paris out of all of our destinations. I would probably be ruined by Anthony Bourdain if he heard me say that. BUT, to save face (kinda), I was glad I proved myself wrong.

It is a stunningly beautiful city, possibly the most visually pleasing one I’ve ever been in. Where New York smacks you in the face with skyscrapers, Paris has mostly just 4-6 level buildings fashioned in mainly baroque or classical styling. This architecture is charming and welcoming in a way. Coupled with the Eiffel Tower and cathedrals, there certainly is a romantic flair to the city. The food was good, nothing too expensive, especially compared to London. The people were not too snobby either most of the time. The tourist destinations were packed though, but that wasn’t going to change with the outstanding weather and it being the month of May.

The Eiffel Tower dominating the Parisian skyline

After being peeved at the narrative presented on the liberation in Normandy, the one presented in Paris was definitely more favorable towards the Americans. Regardless, the group went into Les Invalides – the French War Museum – with a little bit of trepidation. It’s World War II section was very straightforward, detailed, and only really unique in a few regards. The narrative presented was one familiar to American World War II museums. They focused heavily on the occupation of France and Free France under Charles de Gaulle, which makes sense. However, the exhibit made a point that nearly every major battle in the Western theater from North Africa all the way to the fall of Paris included some kind of crucial involvement from the French Resistance. In addition, the emphasis on Free France and the liberation of Paris played heavily into that idea. To poorly summarize, Free France, led by Charles De Gaulle, were crucial in the Western front and liberated the actual city of Paris themselves. Am I skeptical of this viewpoint? Both yes and no.

On one hand it makes sense that this museum would present that, it would be demeaning and humiliating to create this exhibit in the same building that houses Napoleons tomb only to present the American “France got walloped and did nothing after except collaborate with Nazi’s” perspective. On the other, I feel that underplaying the role of Allied militaries in the liberation of France is a disservice to both historical accuracy (which is what happened in the Caen War Museum) and those who fought in Normandy. This question of how vital was the French resistance and Free France in the liberation of country was one that I never really considered until this trip. It is certainly a confliction in perspective, but to me it makes sense that this national military museum would present an answer to that question that would paint the French in a strong and courageous light.

Overall, Paris was truly not as bad as I expected. Wow, how terrible does that sound? “Paris, the city of lights, the city of love, was better than my very low and inexperienced expectations.” Just ridiculous. Anyways, finding smaller places to eat and being removed from the huge crowds in the major tourist areas certainly helped in that regard. It really is a romantic city (sometimes publicly too much so to be honest) and I would certainly not mind returning later on.

The notion that anti-Semitism has been and continues to be a legitimate issue in France was somewhat of a perplexing concept for me to wrap my head around before this trip. Let me be clear: I never experienced any soft of personal anti-Semitism during my stay in France at all, however in Paris, our trips to the Hôtel des Invalides and (to my surprise) the Shoah Museum solidified the real presence of a continuing sense of anti-Semitism in the country via the museums’ depictions of (or in this case, jarring lack thereof) the Holocaust.

The Impressive Entrance into Hotel des Invalides

The Ornate Chapel in the Back of Invalides, Where Napoleon Bonaparte is Buried

Meaning “catastrophe” in English, the French term of “Shoah” is what is used to depict the Holocaust, which seems far too ambiguous to denote such a horror and causes me to hone in on why to the French, the Holocaust is not referred to as a genocide nor the systematic killing of millions of members of minority groups, but just a catastrophe. Thus, the simplicity of the term “Shoah” was something I found extremely difficult to look past. Moreover (and by no means helping the French’s case in my eyes), the deportations, internments, and killings that occurred in France (or even those that actually took place beyond the country’s borders and beyond their control for that matter) were barely addressed at all. Although extensive in its coverage of World War II, at Invalides I was only able to locate one small display discussing the Holocaust, and it is hidden within an under-lit corner of the exhibit that manages to delve into the involvement of the French in almost all aspects of the war (oftentimes also being absurdly biased when doing so) except for the nation’s role in/with the Holocaust. While I do not speak a lick of French, and therefore could not understand the short descriptive plaque discussing the contents of said display at Invalides on the “Shoah,” not much of an explanation needed as only felt yellow Stars of David that the Jewish population of France had been forced to wear post-1941 were behind that glass.

Yet the real surprise is found within the Shoah Museum. I had been looking forward to our visit, and upon our entry into the well-guarded site, I was not disappointed. Seeing the names the men, women, and children whom had been deported/killed at the hands of the French etched into the high stonewalls that were surrounding us gave me the chills. The stage had been set for an amazing museum. Upon entering the -1 floor, I found myself with the chills once more. The memorial to genocide with the eternal flame perfectly centered in a Star of David below a skylight was breathtaking – I even began to think that maybe, just maybe, the term “Shoah” wasn’t as simple as I had first concluded it to be.

The Understated but Extremely Moving Memorial to Genocide Within the Shoah Museum

However, upon my entrance to the -2 floor for the museum’s permanent exhibit on the Holocaust, my optimism quickly turned into disappointment. What had begun as a beautiful and promising homage to the systematic killing of millions had become, in my opinion, a disorganized and stale sub-par showing. As I mentioned above, I do not know French, but luckily (or so I first thought), the Shoah had English translations for almost every area. Yet, said English translations were by no means meaningful or enough in my opinion to make up for the hodgepodge of information being regurgitated at us. Yes, the familial backgrounds and personal stories of victims were a nice touch for the museum to have been able to include, however, they were presented so poorly that they had no real impact. I hate to put it like this, but essentially just showing a picture of a persecuted Jewish man or woman with their age and occupation before and after the war was by no means enough. It was basic, and shown the way it was made me feel like it was almost a school project. The Shoah showed us victims and survivors but nothing more – not their struggles, experiences, or horror stories – as many of the best Holocaust museums do or even the logistics of how the French came to be so influential in all of it (as had been interestingly shown in the British Imperial Museum). Had the museum been more fluid in its layout and stories and had more depth to its personal highlights, or even had English translations that were inclusive of the entire exhibit – particularly for the diary entries and video reflections shown throughout in French that were undoubtedly moving but because of the language barrier did not make sense to me – I may not have had such a disappointing experience. I found that the Shoah, which while it is privately owned and operated (as a Jewish organization nonetheless), completely fell into the aforementioned French mentalities of bias and avoidance when trying to address the Holocaust and its French connections. All said and done, my visits to Invalides and the Shoah simply leave a bitter taste in my mouth, which in retrospect, is largely parallel to my feelings towards and experiences within the majority of Paris as a whole – it does not really click with me.

However, We Did Have Fun at the Eiffel Tower

Although I really enjoyed our time in Bayeux, it was time to go. Ready to leave the laid-back style of Normandy, I was very excited for the hustle and bustle of a large city. I managed to maintain this excitement even through the multitude of discouraging reviews of Paris claiming that it was a disgustingly dirty city, with a virtually unnavigable metro, and is filled with rude Parisians and pick pockets who would take my shorts if I didn’t hold on tight enough. Despite these accounts, I found Paris to be very enjoyable. The rich history of the city was palpable in its beautiful buildings and the food was phenomenal. The metro was difficult to navigate at first, but this was to be expected since this was our first encounter with a language barrier in a large city. However this was something that we were able to get used to fairly quickly and by the end of our stay we were able to get around with relative ease. However, to be perfectly honest, we did run into our fair share of snide locals and a few duplicitous individuals who looked all too eager to follow our group that was obviously unfamiliar with the city.

Although it is certainly part, touring the cities and experiencing their culture is not the main objective of our trip, but rather to experience how each group of peoples remembers the role that it played in World War II. This is the reason that I was most excited to visit Paris. In Normandy, most of the museums seemed to accentuate the role of the French Resistance while skimming over French compliancy with both the Nazi and Vichy regimes. I was eager to see if this trend of de-emphasizing the role played in the Holocaust would continue in Paris; for the most part, it did. The distancing from the Holocaust was evident nearly everywhere we went, and was initially observed in the first museum that we visited; the Musée de l’Armée.

The museum was quite extensive (especially when it came to uniforms, hats, and guns) and had a good bit on both World Wars. Although I was constantly searching, I could not find much on this event that, although its horror is beyond words, is forever a part of this country’s (and other’s) past. Nearly ready to give up, I stumbled upon a small exhibit (what seemed a mere 15 by 30 feet) in a side room at the very end of the museum, not 50 feet from the exit. Inside this dimly lit, walled off section was a cold recounting of events and statistics of the Holocaust. Here I did not see any mention of the French or their compliance with the Nazi or Vichy regimes and, to make matters worse, there was a video playing on a small screen that displayed some of the most gruesome images of the Holocaust that I have ever see. It seemed to me that the people in these images deserve more than this bare bones display.

The next place regarding the Holocaust we visited was the Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation. Even though I had walked by it on multiple occasions I was unaware of its existence. Despite its location directly behind Notre Dame, the site is well hidden underground and facing the river. It too is severely lacking.

The third site I hoped to learn about France coming to terms with its culpability with the Holocaust was the Shoah memorial. This memorial was outstanding in detail and content. The exhibit, beginning by tracing anti-semitism to its ancient roots, gave a much need objective view of the holocaust and the role that France played. It did so by not only providing details but by placing both the Jews and French collaborators in a particular place in time, rather than simply spitting out facts. However, this memorial was constructed by a Jewish organization, while the first two were made by the French government. After seeing how the French government remembers the culpability of its citizens I’ve very interested in what we will find when we travel to Berlin.

Paris is a beautiful yet hectic place to visit; as much as I loved my visit, I don’t know that I could live there.

The subway system was fun to navigate and relatively easy to follow, but I always felt rushed, more so than I had in London; I was also surprised at how dirty some of it was.  The rest of the city, however, did not feel this way.  In many of the areas I walked in, people were enjoying themselves and taking their time.  I saw so many people relaxing in the grass, or enjoying an ice cream.  It was also neat to see the locks on all the bridges of people who had fallen in love. (On the flip side, however, I’ve been told that these locks are ruining the bridges because they weigh them down so much).

Of course, the food in Paris did not disappoint.  All the foods at the Latin quarter were great, and I also had falafel by the Memorial, which was absolutely amazing.  I probably should have had more traditional French food than I did, but the ethnic food I often had was often great.  One day I and some others went out to get hot chocolate because we had heard it was very good.  It turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever had; it was essentially a melted Hershey’s bar (but better). In the meantime, all one had to do to get good food was to stop by any of the creperies all over the city.  Additionally, I really liked that eating was not usually rushed; we were always encouraged to stay, relax and talk.  It was also great to be able to eat outside a few times especially because the weather was good.

One of my favorite experiences was spending time by and on the Eiffel tower, even though it was of course quite touristy.  Going up was especially beautiful at night; on the second floor of the tower, we had an amazing view of the city (and the light show)! It did, however, show a lot of the societal problems France (and certainly many other countries) must face.  There were plenty of people selling cheap items for purchase (cheap souvenirs, champagne at the tower, selfie sticks, etc.), as well as many beggars all over.  It was sad because selling these items were probably the only livelihood possible for these people at the time, but of course there was little I could do individually to help.

I spent some time in the Louvre as well; the works of art were breathtaking but so was the building itself.  This building, like many other buildings in Paris, such as the Notre Dame, may be standing now, but their existence tells of a history that can be hundreds or even thousands of years old.  I find the history of these buildings to be fascinating because they give Paris its elegant feel; this feeling is simply not present in many American cities as they simply have not seen the history that cities like Paris have existed through.  Because of its age, many interesting buildings, sidewalks, churches, etc. can be found in Paris because this collective history and culture is what makes the city so special.

I’ve loved spending time in Paris overall, but am excited to see Berlin!