46 student life Students who attended Harding University Florence (HUF) in the summer of 2008 returned full of stories and fond memories of their time overseas. For a certain group of HUFers, their memories included a humorous encounter with a man named Hans. Juniors Shannon Parker, Kellie DeAtley, Joel Blake and Jessica Stroud wanted to take a day trip to Normandy, which was only three train rides from where they were staying in Paris. Of particular interest to the group were the famous beaches from World War II, including the ones from D-day. However, they had heard it was hard to get around without their own car because of the beaches being spread out. The group decided to figure out their agenda once they arrived. After getting off the train in Normandy, the four students were surprised at what they ran in to. “As we stepped off the train, we ran into a man wearing a purple Minnesota Vikings hat, a dirty white England T-shirt, shorts held up by a weightlifter belt and sandals with socks,” Blake said. This man, who appeared to be in his late 60s, ran up to Blake and asked if they were interested in seeing the Normandy beaches. He then pulled out a map and offered the group a full day tour in his “limo” for half price. While doing his sales pitch, the man claimed he had references and quickly pulled out a piece of paper to prove it. Blake looked at the reference page, which simply said “Hans is the man.” Hans pointed to himself and said, “I’m Hans – lets go.” After bargaining Hans down from 40 euros to 30 euros, the group agreed to take a tour with Hans in his “limo.” Hans first had to grab his bike but instructed the group to meet him at a certain café with a red awning. As the group searched for the mysterious red awning café, they heard Hans calling out from a beat-up car that it was time to go. After realizing this was the “limo” Hans was referring too, they got in the car and saw a broken speedometer and a female figurine on the dashboard. While driving around and visiting the beaches, Hans entertained the group with stories. “I sat in the front, and the three girls sat in the back, laughing because of his ridiculous stories and his accent,” Blake said. “He yelled most of Lipscomb University student Sage Woodroof, senior Erin Davenport and sophomore Philip Simpson climb the hill to the villa in Scandicci, Italy, on May 23, 2008, after a day of shopping and exploring in Florence. “It was one of those bright, sunny days where the four of us wanted to get out and enjoy life,” senior Joshua Morgan said. “It was also a time to get to know each other since it was relatively early on in the summer.” Courtesy of Joshua Morgan Trying to escape from the heat, Hans, the group’s pseudo-tour guide, lies down under a tree in Normandy, France, on Aug. 1. While he gave students free time to explore during their tour, Hans took that time to relax and rest. Courtesy of Joel Blake Meghan Derryberry, a sophomore, picks grapes from a small, family vineyard in Tuscany on Sept. 25. The family prepared an authentic Italian dinner over a pit of coals as a thanks for the students’ help gathering grapes. Courtesy of Kristen Wainwright Senior Leslie Giles studies the vaulted ceilings of the Basilica of Saint Paul in Rome on March 7, 2008. Students spent several days in Rome visiting historical sites. Nick Michael
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