HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Sister city delegates from Carentan, France have been exploring Christian County and the surrounding area all week, culminating in a community presentation. Amy Rogers with Visit Hopkinsville arranged for guests to arrive to exchange knowledge and experiences with the community.
Carentan is a rural town with around 6,000 people near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France. This year’s delegates were welcomed by Mayor J.R. Knight and Christian County Judge Executive Jerry Gilliam before taking off to Nashville for a day in the city.
They first stopped at 1 Hotel Nashville, where they met with head pastry chefs who were crafting baked goods using butter that was crafted in a renowned dairy in Normandy to create a direct link to the heart of Carentan, according to Visit Hopkinsville. The next stop was Whole Foods where more craft cheeses were explored, and a meeting was held with Cathy Strange, a world-renowned cheese expert and former Vice President of Specialty and Global Cheese Expert.
The group then headed back to Christian County for a special visit to the military base. “The perfect culmination of our day was a visit to Fort Campbell, where we attended the Change of Command ceremony,” said a statement from Visit Hopkinsville. “Today was truly fantastic! It just doesn’t get any ‘batter’ than this.”
To round out their sister city visit this week, the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County will be hosting the delegates for a presentation on March 20. Teacher and curator of the Normandy Victory Museum, M. Patrick Fissot, will be presenting about his museum and making connections between the people of Hopkinsville and Carentan. The event will also be live streamed and available to watch on the museum’s Facebook page at 3:30.
Last year, French students from Lycee Sivard de Beaulieu High School in Carentan visited Christian County for a similar trip, and had the opportunity to attend several events at Fort Campbell and Hopkinsville to learn more about American culture and the bond of the division with the people of Normandy, France.
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