Caen, France

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Hello everyone!
I am still trying to catch up on my previous trips. This is the last post before I write one about our current home. :)
One of the best situations, since we have been basketball travelers, was in Caen, France.
 After our time in Saudi Arabia, we went back to Serbia for summer. Like every summer, we wondered where would our next destination be. Usually, we leave Serbia in September, sometimes even in October. So, when we got an offer from France in early August, it was a big surprise. I've never been  in France so I didn't know what to expect. I knew it was a developed country, and that French people are very proud (even little cocky) about being French. 
  As soon as we landed in Paris, I fell in love with France. It took us about 2 hours to get to our city, and the entire time we were in awe. Nature was beautiful, everything was clean, and everything was neat. I know most of you would think "Well, that is how it supposed to be. Duhh." But, traveling through different countries and experiencing cultures, seeing clean streets, and green trees and meadows, was very refreshing. 
  Once we got to our new home, the exciting lovely feeling didn't stop.
Caen is the capital of the Normandy region. It is known for the battle for Caen-heavy fighting that took place around Caen during the Battle of Normady in 1944, destroying much of the city. 
  Some of the scenes in the movie Saving Private Ryan, were shot near the city. 
  Also, the castle Château de Caen has an important historic value. This castle was very close to our apartment, so we walked there on daily basis. It had a playground where Nina loved to play.

Nina's playground

View from Château de Caen 

 Our apartment was located close to downtown, and almost everything we needed was in a walking distance. There was a marina behind our building, where we spend lots of time.



  Beach was 15 minutes away, so we tried to get there as much as we could. We didn't get a chance to swim in the sea because it was an off season. This part of the world has an interesting natural phenomenon that we experienced. Besides their amazing beauty, coasts of Normandy are special for their incredible differences in high and low tides. During the morning, waves were splashing the shore, but during the afternoon we were able to walk 200-300 meters into sea bed.




  People were very polite, but not too warm. One can tell they have that "I am the high class", proudness attitude (not in a such bad way). And, one can see this in every class of society.  Everything is very well organized, punctuality is very important, and rules are there to be followed. No wonder France is a great country with high standards.
I fell in love with French language, so I tried to learn as much as I could, but it was very hard for me. 
We celebrated Nina's 2nd birthday over there. My sister and cousins came to visit, so we took a family trip to Paris. It was a lovely time.



  During Darko's break in December, we went to French Alps for a vacation. Our hotel was located at the top of the mountain, and the only way to get to the hotel was by ski line. It was such a special experience for us. Nina didn't like snow and cold that much (she is like me on this one), but we did enjoy having some time off and spending it together. I promised myself I will learn how to ski next time we go. This was the first winter vacation for all three of us. Crazy, I know. :)

Aussois, France


Helping with a tree for the first time

    In early January, Darko's career took a different path so we moved to Cyprus. Our time in France came to an end. It was a bittersweet feeling. I was excited to see what a new country holds for us, and sad to leave such a nice place.
   All in all, time in France was lovely. My hopes are to get back there in future.
  Sometimes, I get upset about moving too often. As soon as we get used to one country, we have to move to another one. But, thinking about seeing and experiencing all of these different countries, is nothing but blessing. Not many people have a chance to travel the world and see all the things that are out there. All of these experiences are only making us richer. 

I hope all of you have a wonderful hump day! :) 

Jelena

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