Sea Sick and Sleep Deprived

I woke up nauseous and sleep deprived after spending the night on the boat. I had never stayed on a boat overnight and before I left I was told about how on cruises it doesn’t feel like you’re even off land. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to feel the boat or the waves moving beneath us at all; boy was I wrong. To try and feel better I drank a cup of tea and then went up onto the deck to get some fresh air; thankfully I was also able to see the land so it was able to ground me and keep my mind off the movement. I don’t believe I will ever be taking a boat ride such as that ever again. The room that we stayed in was the size of a walk-in closet. With one bed, a fold out couch, and two beds that came down from the ceiling. With four girls sharing one single room it can be hectic enough! But with four girls sharing a room where you have to go up against the wall to let others pass by you, and your suitcase can barely be opened without you hitting anything can be very difficult. 

            Once our boat had finally docked in Cannes, France-- after leaving Portsmouth, England the night before-- I was so ready to get off.  We boarded a bus that would take us to Paris while taking stops to tour along the way. Our first stop was at Pegasus Bridge which was significant because it was captured by the Allies so the Germans couldn’t carry out a counter attack. But after motion sickness and four hours of sleep I was not very interested in seeing it. After the bridge we went to another D-day Museum. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that museums are important in preserving the history of humanity, but seeing three museums all centered around one day can be a tad repetitive. The only reason I enjoyed visiting the different museums was because they all offered a different viewpoint.

 The D-day Museum in Portsmouth, England featured accounts based on the point of view of the British. My friend Kendra made an observation about how the British saw the American Allies World War II. She noticed that the British gave the impression that they knew they would need the Americans help all along, that it was all part of their master plan in winning the war. While the Americans saw their involvement as saving the day-- helping the struggling Brits win the war! The French are depicted by other countries as cowardly during World War II because when Germany invaded and took over, the French didn’t do much to try and prevent it. Our tour guide Cornelius even called the French “Pushovers” during the war! However, in the D-day museum in France the French were shown as victims of the Germans; victims who gave in to the invasion of their land to preserve it and try to reduce conflict.

I just thought that was interesting how no matter where you in the world, nationalism is alive everywhere!  When you learn about the history of your country in books, yours is always shown as the best. The actions of your country are always justified; while to other nations, your actions could be shown as foolish and not necessary. I guess that goes to show that your environment really does influence your opinion and beliefs.