Italian food is the best!

Welcome Bed & Breakfast in Pisa

This past weekend we visited Pisa, Italy!!! It was amazing: the people, the atmosphere, the FOOD! If you are looking for a great weekend get away, I highly recommend you look into Pisa. It was just what we needed: relaxing and fun with beautiful weather! I also recommend you look into staying at the Welcome Bed & Breakfast. It is a beautiful, quaint B&B run by a lady named Antonella. She is very hospitable and helpful- she'll help you find the best food around. The best part about this place was that it was only 12 euro a night.

Here's the website for the Welcome B&B!

http://www.welcomebedandbreakfast.it/

Weekend Travel: Amsterdam

On the weekends, there are so many different places to which you can travel, but one place I highly recommend is Amsterdam. I went there this past weekend and had an amazing time. It was a little nerve-wracking at first because when I got off the train, I realized I didn't speak Dutch. Fortunately, everyone there speaks English and I had no problem navigating around. Where we stayed was about a 25 minute walk from the Centraal Station (train station). It was far enough away from the touristy stuff so we didn't have to be exposed to it all the time, but close enough to where we could walk to buy souvenirs. While in Amsterdam, we went to see a movie. Because nearly everyone speaks English, they play the films in their original version (English) and just use Dutch subtitles. We also visited the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank House. Both are must-sees.
One thing to know when going to Amsterdam is that in Holland, the stairs are very, very steep. At times they were no different than the rungs of a ladder. This is something to keep in mind when you're packing. A huge rolling suitcase isn't easy to carry up 3 flights of vertical stairs.
We stayed at Euphemia Budget Hotel, and we definitely recommend it to future travelers. We paid around 30 Euros per person per night and had a private bathroom. The rooms weren't extravagant; they were very simple. But everything was clean and the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.


Also, it's a good idea to allow yourself lots of free time to get lost in the charm of the city. Just by walking around you get to see the culture, city, and people. It's a beautiful experience. Enjoy!

--Jordan Randall

chartes and blois.

This weekend I went to Chatres and saw the Cathedral. It was beautiful. The blue in the stained glass is no longer made, so it is very unique and awesome. The windows were so important to the people in the town, they were taken out during WWI and WWII in order to save them from being destroyed. I thought that was very cool.






Also, if any one is looking to get a tattoo or piercing there is a very clean and nice place in Blois. If you climb up the thousand stairs in the middle of the town and go to the right, towards the Church, it is on the left. It is very clean and the people were very nice. If you dont speak much French, they speak little English so its ok. I went with a group of about 8, 2 of us got tattoos and 5 of us got piercings. However, note before you climb the stairs, they only take cash and the atm is on the bottom of the stairs, so get the cash before you go up, or you will be exercising more than you planned on. :)

I DID SAY THAT

lol...i finally saw someone pop out of a window like on beauty and the beast......too bad it was because i woke up a teacher.....hahaha, good times

Troubling the Waters: The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment

The Scientific Revolution in Europe was a period when the people began to question the absolute rule of the monarchy. Many new ideas formed during this time in the areas of physics, astronomy, biology, human anatomy and chemistry, revolutionizing old ways of thinking and beginning to form what modern science is today. Before this, people believed in the Aristotelian theory in which the universe was a heavenly sphere that circled the Earth. Copernicus had an alternate way of thinking: he believed the sun was the center of the universe and planets revolved around it in perfect circles. In 1572 a man named Tycho Brahe studied a super nova and because of this he began to question the way he believed the universe was formed. Johannes Kelper revolutionized the medieval view of the universe as well. He was a German mathematician and astronomer who used the observations of Brahe and concluded that the earth and planets travel about the sun in elliptical orbits, and he was right! Galileo is known as the father of the scientific revolution. He studied at the University of Pisa and made many improvements to the telescope. He discovered that Earth is not the only planet that has a moon and observed patterns in the sky (such as the Milky Way). Isaac Newton was born on 1642 and is known for his mathematically qualified theories of gravitation. His Principia explains the three laws of motion: gravity, pull and inertia. All of these discoveries were very radical for the time and changed the way people viewed not only God and free will but also their government.

The advancement of technology and minds during the Scientific Revolution left the principle of absolute monarchy in a shaky state. However, it set the stage for one of the most influential and distinctive periods in civilization known as the Enlightenment. As Immanuel Kant put it, this period in history is one where people “dared to know.” Paving the way for new ideas and a new government were the men known as philosophers. They consisted of some of the great men that we still study today including Voltaire, Isaac Newton, John Locke and Denis Diderot. These philosophers were very prominent people in society (many of them were even employed by the government) who had many complaints against the absolute monarch and would write them in satires that spread through Europe like wild fire. This resulted in many restrictions being put on what they could write; for example, they could not write anything that the king considered immoral, they could not write insults against the king and were banned from criticizing the Catholic Church. However, this did not stop them from writing or stop the public from getting these new ideas into their heads.

While there was never one coherent philosophy that the Enlightenment focused on, people of this time wanted to expand their minds through reason, nature and liberty. John Locke was an adamant believer in reason; he had a theory known as “tabula rasa” which states that all people are born with a clean slate and then are corrupted by society. People in this period also believed nature had a very specific meaning and that it was rational, orderly and elegant. Rousseau used this definition of nature in his argument of education; he believed that children should not have to sit for hours in a classroom and recite vocabulary but should be out in nature in order to turn into the perfect citizen. Liberty was one of the main ideals of the Enlightenment. As Rousseau believed: “man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” He and Didero firmly believed that liberty was not a right to be given, but an innate right. They believed that in order to attain liberty people needed to exercise their reason and that no one had an inborn right to rule above others. This was an extremely radical idea at the time and it upset the upper class even further. The Enlightenment also opened doors for new ideas in economics, religion and politics that opened people’s minds toward the idea of democracy.

The Copernican Universe

The Copernican Universe

Copernicus’s model of the Universe with the sun in the center.

Aristotle's view of the Universe

His view differed from Copernicus because he believed that the Earth was the center of the Universe

www.wsu.edu/~dee/ENLIGHT/SCIREV.HTM

(This link describes the scientific revolution and the European enlightenment and some of the major philosophers who were responsible for it.)

Sarah Schraeder, Chelsea Lewis, Nathan Harrell

I went to Loches and Blois this weekend. The group saw the chateau de Loches and it was very cool. We saw the keep and the dungeons that the prisoners had to stay in. It was cool, because it was not just a royal chateau that we are used to, but it was from the medival period so it was made for protection and war not so much pleasure and comfort. I like this chateau alot. It is different from the other so it wasn't like oh.. another chateau. We also walked around the city. If you are missing your favorite Chinese food, there is a great chinese resturant and the food was soo good.

Day Trips around the Loire Valley

Blois

If you decide to hang around Pontlevoy for the weekend and find yourself wanting somewhere to go, don't forget about the beautiful places around the Loire Valley. This weekend we went to both Blois and Loches to visit chateaus, shop around and eat good food (we found a Chinese restaurant in Loches! yum!). The two little day trips let us learn more about this beautiful valley and they were cheap and really fun!

To find out more about what there is to see in the Loire Valley, visit this site:

http://www.westernfrancetouristboard.com/loire.html

European Encounters and Absolutism in France, Blog assignment

In the 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue....

Adam Smith said " the discovery of the new world was the greatest discovery of the world."
In 15th century, there were a lot of preconditions in order for Columbus to sail the ocean blue. The Spanish sailors had to invent a new type of boat that could with stand long voyages, hold large cargos and be able to float in shallow water as well the oceans winds. This boat was called Caravel. the first islands Columbus discovered were the Canaries, the Aeores and the Madeira's Islands. If the natives of these islands did not convert to Christanity, they were killed or enslaved. Also, the Europeans destroyed the farming and landscape by using the European's farming tactics. A positive aspect of the discovery of the new world is it did immense amounts for Spain economically. Spain shipped 181 tons of Gold and 16,000 tons of Silver home from the new world. This caused inflation in Spain to increase five fold.

Louis XIII was took the throne in the early 17th century. However, Louis XIII suffered from depression and appointed Cardinal Richelieu as his chief minister. Cardinal Richelieu used four tactics to centralize France. These include: eliminating the Protestant minority called Hugenots, reminding the French nobles the kings are in charge, making people say "first I'm french", or installing a sense of national pride and making the crown an absolute power. Louis XIII feared a rebellion from the protestants so he took control of the city and revoked parts of the Edict of Nantes. Cardinal Richelieu took an interest in building greater war ships for the Atlantic and the Mediterrean and building the French army. In 1642, Cardinal Richelieu dies and Louis XIII dies the year after.

Louis XIV takes the throne at the age of five. So naturally, his mother and the appointed minister hand picked by Richelieu named Mazarin help rule until he can. Once Louis XIV came to power, he had three significant supervisors, that he met with every week. They were the department of war, finance and foreign affairs and interior. In 1685, he revokes the entire Edict of Nantes. This causes the exodus of Huguenots. 15,000 famillies leave France and this looks very bad upon France publicly. When Louis XIV dies, he leaves his country devastated in money and population because of the many wars he fought to gain power and the inmense famines.


This is a picture of the room that Henry XIV visited in July 1650. He gave a portrait of himself. (see below)




Here is a website for further information on Columbus.

http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?content_spotlight/explorers/newworld

Lindsey Cornwall
Carlee Lewis
Charlotte Brown

Extra Credit Essay

Ryan Coffey
3 March 2010
Dr. Beaujot
World Civilizations II

Response to En Vie en Rose

The assignment is to write a paper indicting the medical treatments of the day. Edith Piaf lived during a time when dentistry used tools similar to that of a carpenter. The solution to every ailment was to take two pills and call me in the morning. Edith Piaf did not have strong bones as a result of her upbringing. She was lacking for food throughout her young life. This caused her to have premature arthritis. To help the pain go away, she was under a constant regimen of morphine injections. Morphine of course is highly addictive. We do not know if she was addicted for life before her accident and subsequent stay in the hospital or if it was during her stay in the hospital, but the main point is that she for the better part of her adult life, Edith Piaf was addicted to pain killers. At least that is what the movie seems to have indicated, but I digress. Today, we have calcium tablets, electronic walkers, things that would have made her life a bit easier. Of course if she had been alive today, even in France, she probably would have been fed better and may not have developed the problems that she did in the first place. The doctors were at a loss as to how to treat her, or at least they appeared to be so in the movie. She would often beg the doctor to do something for her and all they could offer up was a shot of morphine, and some would not even do that. While doctors are highly intelligent individuals, some of the most intelligent in western society, there is only so much they can do for the betterment of their patients, even today. Had Edith Piaf been treated today, her life may have been extended by maybe ten, fifteen years. But she seemed ready to go. She appeared despondent long before she actually went in the movie. She had so much happen to her that having even more memories, predominantly bad ones, could have led to a number of psychological problems that she did not have to deal with. She had enough psychological difficulties as it was while still grasping control over her decisions. All one can really say is that medicine is an inexact science. That is why it is said that doctors practice medicine rather than call themselves healers. Their job is to help people live out their lives in the best way they can physically. She did not recover fully as she had hoped when she began her addiction rehabilitation in 1961, but what she did do was try to live her life out the best way she knew how. I am sure that her doctors did everything they could for her, but what can one do for someone who is rapidly decaying. The only reliable thing to do is to try to make their last days as comfortable as possible. Maybe one day many of the degenerative conditions out there will be curable and people will be able to live a more enjoyable last years of their life. But maybe life just is that way sometimes. Life throws us tough breaks like Piaf had and she lived with it the best way she knew how. Like I said, doctors would not be able to do much more for her now than they could then. Although after the Michael Jackson incident, morphine is regulated even more than it was during Piaf’s time. The main point is that no matter what treatment doctors might come up with, nothing is as strong as one’s will to live and her will to live that had been so strong throughout her life went out once her singing career was gone for good. It is difficult to speculate but the point is that if the spirit of person no longer wishes to go on living, the body often follows.

When travelling within Europe...

Don't forget:

1. An extra pair of undies never hurt anyone.
2. That being said, many Europeans rewear their clothes over and over again before washing, so you really don't need that fifth top for the weekend or the extra pair of jeans you know you'll need. You won't need it, promise.
3. Bring your own deoderant. Antipersperant is VERY hard to find around here.
4. You only need two pairs of shoes. Walking shoes and cute/comfy shoes.

Basically, less is more. The less you have, the more stuff you can buy to cram in your back pack!

More things to know before you come!

you have to clean every week (although I think I forgot to this week, Ill check on it tomorrow after class)

you have to cook dinner

you have to attend 4 movie nights while you are here, yeah..REQUIRED

you have way more homework that back in the states....i miss lecture, lecture, lecture, lecture, lecture, lecture, test
here, its homework, document, read this, read that, homework, movie night, cook, read this, write this paper, write that paper...blah blah blah....

printing costs 10 cents euro per page...

the pictures of the abbey are beautiful, too bad you only get to see 3 hallways...

and, FRANCE IS BEAUTIFUL and THE FOOD IS FABULOUS

and most of the people in charge here seem to actually care, which is something that is better than school in the states....

just wish i had a little more free time to enjoy myself....

if you plan on traveling on the weekends, get ready for an all-nighter when you get back on sunday

most of all, expect the unexpected and live in the moment....

[and if you go to midwestern state university, all the transfer credits have no value towards your GPA...so, essentially, it is all pass/fail, so.....i dont really know why im stressing....

bring nyquil, allergy meds, benadryl, etc, because you will get sick

tell your family you love them before you leave....as i learned the hard way, they may pass on while you are here, and it could be your last time to see them

For those of you who like tennis

There is a tennis court here in Pontlevoy. I went today with Casey and we played for a lil bit, neither of us are very good, but it was fun. It costs 8euro and hour, and you get the key from the Utile.

So, As I found out this weekend, there is a community inside pool in Montrichard, my host family took me. It was alot of fun, and I was very happy that I had packed a bathing suit! My mom told me last minute cuz in case a hotel had a pool or anything. and she was right. it came in handy! so pack a bathing suit if you like to swim. Montrichard is not 10 mins away and for those weekends when you are not traveling and you need something to do, its cheap close and fun. However, boys are not allowed to wear swim shorts, for hygiene reasons. they have to wear speedos ! ha. so be prepared for that as well. !!

Travel Tips

Traveling to The Abbey is wonderful in itself, but while you're here, you will probably want to venture outside of Pontlevoy. When planning your trips, some things to keep in mind are your budget, your time, and most importantly yourself.
Most students who study at The Abbey have a limited budget to work with, so keep this in mind at all times, especially when planning travel outside of Pontlevoy. Make a list of the places that you want to visit and rank your top five. There are so many must-sees in Europe, but, unfortunately, if you're only here for the length of the program, there won't be enough time (and probably not enough money) to visit all of them.
Coming to France knowing exactly where you want to go will be helpful especially when trying to find people to travel with. Coming to Pontlevoy with preplanned travel buddies is great and you make fond memories, but this is a time in your life that you really need to be selfish. If you really want to go to Croatia, but no one in your travel circle does, you may get frustrated and resentful of your friends who all want to go to the same places. No worries! There will always be someone looking for an exciting/random weekend travel, and it will be a good to A) spend some time away from your usual group and B) get to travel with someone new.
Once you actually sit down to plan a weekend trip or spring break, it's really overwhelming. Try to plan out your weekend trips at least a week ahead of time because it'll save you at least 50-75 Euros. And when your plans go array (and, believe me, they will), don't fret. Mistakes and mishaps are all part of the wonderful experience of The Abbey.
In conclusion, save money where you can, splurge where you simply must, make new friends, make mistakes, and have the time of your life.

When traveling, check out these for cheaper fares:

www.ryanair.com
www.easyjet.com
www.sncf-voyages.com

--Jordan Randall