Au Revoir Paris!

Our last day in Paris was fabulous.  We began with a train ride to the city of Rouen, about 2 hours away.  Rouen is most known its medieval town center, half timbered houses and as the city where Joan of Arc was tried and burned at the stake.

We arrived just before noon and had a couple of hours before our guided walking tour began at 14h00. So, I got several maps and sent the students off on a little sightseeing, lunch and shopping adventure.  Rouen's town center is fairly compact, with so much to see and do, and I wanted to give them a little freedom to explore.  They were to stay in groups, use their maps and meet me in front of the Office de Tourisme at 13h45.  Ms McCloskey and I arrived after a wonderful lunch just before the tour began and all my little cherubs were there and waiting for me.  I was very proud of them.

We had an excellent tour of Rouen, learned so much and saw some amazing places as the pictures below will show you.  We then returned to Paris, and got in line for the Eiffel Tower.  Barely any wait at all, which was amazing, and went straight to the top.  We took in the wonderful panoramic view and then headed back down, visiting each floor, taking pictures and buying souvenirs.

We finished the day at one of our favorite restaurants close to our hotel.  We had a wonderful dinner, made some new friends and all in all, had an excellent day.

Decadence, Death and Decorations

I have got to stop staying up so late with these kids.  I am too old for this kind of craziness!  It is a few minutes after midnight and we just got in from a wonderful day.  Our morning was centered around a trip to Versailles.  We arrived a bit late due to the trains running late in Paris but Madame was able to work her magic and got the group into the chateau without to much trouble.  The kids all had  audio guides and were thus able to take a somewhat guided tour of the castle which they seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

Napoleon's Tomb

After a quick lunch, we headed back to Paris and visited Napoleon's tomb after which we headed to the Catacombes.  The Catacombes are a large depository of bones buried deep beneath the city of Paris from the 1700s and 1800s, a time when they cemeteries of Paris were overflowing and had to be emptied.  We walked 2 km of underground passageways and saw some magnificent displays.  Jackson took great pleasure in trying to scare Madame out of her mind at at every turn!  Our tour was so interesting, a bit creepy, but interesting.  

Our last activity of the day as to visit the Centre Pompidou, Paris' modern art museum.  The kids enjoyed it and found many pieces of art they loved.  We have seen three art museums here in Paris, spanning from the Greco Roman period to present day, and this was by far their favorite. 

We caped of a busy day at Madame's favorite Parisian restaurant, Monte Cassino, in la Place d'Italie.  We had to wait an hour for a table, since Madame forgot to call ahead, but it was well worth it.  It was by far the favorite meal of the trip so far and I am so glad I got to share it with this group.

 

A little bit of history...

Moulin de la Galette - Renoir - Musée d'Orsay

Day 3 in Paris began with a trip to the Musée d'Orsay, one of my favorite museums in Paris, which houses works of art from many of the worlds most famous painters.  Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Seurat; they are all there.  The Musée d'Orsay is unique in that it was not always a museum but served the city of Paris first as a train station.  As newer, more modern train stations were built, the building was transformed into a museum for works of art from the 19th to early 20th century.  Students seemed to enjoy the Musée d'Orsay more than the Louvre.  The Louvre is full of beautiful, religious and historic works but in the 19th century paintings and sculpture began to depict everyday life and become more accessible to the general public rather than just the aristocracy and and the church.  These popular works continue to attract crowds by the thousands.

 Marc Chagall ceiling- Opera Garnier

Our little group - Opera Garnier

After a quick lunch at a sandwich shop we headed to the Opera Garnier, the famed opera house that inspired Phantom of the Opera.  It is an exquisite building, both inside and out.  We were able to climb the grand staircase, view the gallery of costumes, visit the library where they keep a copy of all the scripts from all their different performances and of course, visit the Salle de Spectacles with it's red velvet covered seats and beautiful ceiling created by the famous painter, Marc Chagall.  It was impressive.

Arc de Triomphe

Finally, we headed to the Champs Elysees to do a little shopping and see the Arc de Triomphe.  As soon as arrived we opted it began to rain like cats and dogs so we decided to do a little shopping first just to keep dry!  Not long afterwards, when the rain had stopped and we ventured out again onto the Champs Elysées we noticed that crowds had gathered along the sidewalk all along this magnificent boulevard.  Upon closer inspection, we saw a military band and rows and rows of elderly men lined up, each proudly carrying the 'tricolore"or the French flag.  I approached a gendarme and asked him what was going on and he explained to me that the parade that was about to take place was in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the French war with Algeria and that this was the first time these men were being officially recognized for their service. Wow!  It was incredible to see these now elderly men marching up the Champs Elysées, undoubtably the most famous street in France, to the Arc de Triomphe where the French tomb of the unknown soldier lies and finally received the honor they deserved.  Many of them were brought to tears and I am so glad I was there to witness it.

Dessert Crêpes

As usual, our day ended with a wonderful meal. This time, we ate at a crêperie.  Each student picked both a dinner and a dessert crepe of their choice.  Fillings included things like, ham, cheese, sausage, onions, potatoes and mushrooms.  Our dessert crepes were no less impressive and were filled with chocolate, Chantilly cream, ice cream and caramel.  When our last crepes came out, we noticed a special message that had been written in chocolate on top of the crêpes which read, " I love Colorado".

Churches, Churches Churches

The Mona Lisa

After an early wake up call, 7:00 am, our day started out with a visit to the Louvre.  Having been there just last night, it was nice to come back today for the art and not just the architecture.  During our two hour visit we saw lots of famous works such as the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon.

Sainte Chapelle

After lunch, we were off to visit Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame Cathedral.  Sainte Chapelle was in the late 1200's by King Louis IX to house his collection of relics including the Crown of Thorns which are now housed in Notre Dame.  It is most well known for it's breathtaking stain glass windows which depict all the stories from the Bible in exquisite fashion.

Notre Dame Cathedral

We were off next to see Notre Dame Cathedral, where the highlight of our visit was climbing the bell tower, like Quasimodo and hangout with the gargoyles for a bit.  After some 400+ steps up a tight stone stairwell we arrived at the top.  What a fabulous view of Paris!

Our final stop of the day was Montmartre and Sacré Coeur which is perched on a hill over looking the city.  This being our third church of the day, we decided to skip the inside and head straight for the Place du Tetre, a lovely, vibrant square full of artists and shops.  In was souvenir heaven for the kids who enjoyed going from shop to shop picking out presents for everyone back home.  We even stopped at a patisserie to enjoy our first macaron.  These little cookies are quite popular at the moment and are so delicious!  We are definitely going to have to find some more of these before we leave.

Raclette!

Our day ended as it usually does, in a cozy restaurant with a great meal.  Tonight was Raclette, usually by far the favorite meal of the trip.  What is Raclette, you say?  Well, it's potatoes covered with various cured meats, smothered in warm melted cheese with french pickles on the side.  The best part is, the students got to put it together themselves with table top grills.  A do it yourself experience the kids really enjoyed.  

  

Fat Tire Bike Tours

We arrived in Paris early Sunday morning.  After making our way through baggage claim and customs, we were met by our shuttle and wisked off tour hotel, L'hotel Paris France in the 11th arrondissment of Paris.  The kids were super tired but very excited.  Our first stop, lunch!  The kids were starving so we decided to check out a café in our neighborhood, Café République.  We ate t to our hearts content and decided it was so good, we would come back for dinner.

The tomb of Marcel Marceau

Our first official stop of the day was the Cimitière du Pere Lachaise, Paris' largest and most famous cemetery built in the late 1800s.  The goal, keep these kids moving and visit the tombs of some pretty famous folks, like Moliere, Chopin, Marcel Marceau and even Jim Morrison of the Doors.  The kids were divided up into teams and each given a map and several famous people to find.  The goal, find each tomb and take a picture of it to prove you were there.  The first team back wins.  The prize, pastries!  Paid for by Madame, of course.  After a few quick tips on cemetery etiquette; no running, screaming, etc, they were off.  Ms. McCloskey and I took a little tour of our own as well and some two hours later, the winning team of Abby, Valeska, Haley and Kim made it in first.

La cimitière du Pere Lachaise

The main event of the day, however, was a ride through the streets of Paris at night with Fat Tire Bike Tours.  Oh my gosh, can I just say I have never had so much fun in Paris in all my years of coming here?!  Our guide was Nick, a transplant from southern California.  We each road tested a bike,  (some of us had to make sure we remembered how to ride) slipped on our yellow safety vests, took off.  We took on taxis, busses and raced with glee down the boulevards and over the bridges of Paris.  Incredible.

Nick, our fabulous guide!

The Louvre at night.  Yep, I took that picture.

We're Off!

There were lots of blurry eyed students this morning at Denver International Airport.  One by one, as each student arrived, the question was, "What time did you get to bed?"  Valeska and Ms. McCloskey were by far the most prepared and were tucked in by 10:45 pm.  Madame Sabre and Christian, on the other hand were burning the midnight oil and didn't get to bed unitl 2:00 and 3:00 am respectively.

Check in was smooth thanks to the Delta group counter, no one's luggage went over the 50 lb weight limit though Madame came close with 46 lbs.  After clearing security, came the train to our departure gate on the C concourse and the "France Dance".  Everyone was so excited to finally be on their way they couldn't contain it any longer.  As the "France Dance" progressed a group of teenagers in the other train car just behind us saw the dance and it became a dance off!  All of sudden every one was busting a move, trying to out do the others.  It was hilarious!  Follow the link to see us in action.

France Dance!

With just a few minutes before boarding, everyone has made a mad dash to McDonalds to get their final fix of American junk food. After much patience and waiting, it is off to France we go!

Are you crazy?

When people hear I am taking twelve teenagers to France for two weeks, the inevitable response is, "Are you crazy?"  Then, when they find out that I am a high school French teacher, they nod knowingly and say,"You are crazy.  I could never do what you do."

So, why do I lead these trips to France every two years?  Well, it's simple, really.  Some twenty years ago, I had a chance to live in France for a while and it changed my life.  When I first arrived I wondered what I had gotten myself into and refused to say a word in French to anyone.  I was much like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, hoping that if I clicked my heels together three times I would be magically transported back home.  But I soon realized that going home wasn't an option and I might as well get with the program.  

I soon realized that the French were not as unfriendly as everyone claimed them to be.  They were actually quite nice and appreciated that I was willing to try and speak their language instead of expecting them to speak mine.  I discovered so many new and wonderful things.  I no longer wanted to go home but relished every moment.  My life in France was so different that my life back home in the States and I loved it.    I loved discovering new things, new places and new ways of doing things. I loved the people,  their sense of humor and way of life.  France had become my adopted home.  

Me and my frenchman in 1992

When I came back to the United States and returned to my university studies, I had some decisions to make.  I could finish the work I started and become an elementary teacher or change my major and continue my love affair with France and the French.  I must admit, the fact that I had fallen head over heels for a certain frenchman and my future husband, made my decision quite easy.   So, I changed my major and the rest is history as they say.

Lorka ( far left ) and Sadie ( far right)
with their host sisters in Dinan, France.

I have been teaching French for a long time now and one of my greatest joys is taking as many students as I can abroad to share with them a little bit of the magic I first felt some 20 years ago.  I never get tired of their excitement when they see the Eiffel Tower for the first time, the apprehension on their faces when they meet their host families and say, "I'm not sure if I can do this, Madame" and the tears that are shed when it's time to say good-bye and they have to leave to come back home.

Am I crazy?  Maybe, but I wouldn't have it any other way.