Home again, home again, jiggety jig

So we're home.  I can't believe I woke up in Paris this morning and now I'm at home.  We left the hotel about 6:15am Paris time so that's just after midnight Ohio time. Our flight to Cleveland from Minneapolis (our layover - yeah, I didn't get that either) landed early about 5:35pm Ohio time so for all of you mathmaticians out there that's a total of about 18 hours of travel.  Why, oh, why does Paris have to be so far away?? :)

Since I didn't post yesterday, here's how our last full day in France went:

We took a bus to Versailles, Louis XIV's palace, and had a guided tour.  As I said with the Louvre the other day, I swear every tourist was there yesterday.  While the crowd wasn't ideal, it was still impressive to see it and admire the grandeur of it all.  

Then we walked in the gardens, tried to find Marie-Antoinette's hamlet, took a wrong turn and ended up way far out. Whoops.  So, of course, we had to turn around and hike back to civilization... we think it was a total of about 6 miles - you know, just an average day's walk.  Ugh, my calves are cramping up just thinking about it.

So that made us a little late getting back into the city for our booking at Musée d'Orsay. We grabbed sandwiches for lunch and was in the museum by 3pm.  This museum is home to the best collection of impressionist art including masterpieces by Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne... just to name a few.  It also is the home to my favorite polar bear sculpture.  Many of the kids told me they were excited to see it since I have been telling them about it since French 1.  And many mentioned that they enjoyed Orsay better than the Louvre because the Louvre was overwhelming because of its sheer size and number of tourists.

Dinner was flammekueche, which is hard to explain - kinda like a flatbread pizza with crème fraîche, onions and thick bacon/ham chunks.  But DELICIOUS! Yum.  Then for our last night in Paris, we thought it would be a waste to take the métro back to the hotel and just sit there so somebody (Mario, the Parisian tour director who's used to this kind of travel) said we could walk back to the hotel.  For the record, between our surprise hike at Versailles, other city walking and our after-dinner stroll, someone clocked our mileage yesterday at 15 miles. (my calves are cramping up again...) Even though we were tired and worn out, I heard many comments while walking back that they appreciated the walk because it got us away from the tourist traps and allowed us to see how the real Parisians live, where they shop, where they hang out and what they do on a typical Wednesday night.  And we still made it back in plenty of time to repack our suitcases and hopefully get a good night's sleep before our flights this morning.

So now that our big adventure is over, I just wanted to thank all of you for your encouragement, kind words, prayers and support.  The trip really did go smoothly and we all had a great time.  For those of you that allowed your children to travel with me, thank you so much for giving your child this experience.  They learned so much, they experienced so much and these stories and memories will not be soon forgotten.

As one of my favorite travel quotes says: "travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer."

One day more <-- Les Mis reference in honor of Victor Hugo

My apologies that I didn't post yesterday. We had a full day of touring and didn't get back to the hotel till after midnight and all of us were absolutely exhausted. Here's a thumbnail of what we did:

1. We conquered almost 400 spiral stairs to the top of Notre-Dame for gorgeous views of the city. 

2. We then visited my most favorite place in Paris, Sainte-Chapelle, built by Louis IX (Saint Louis) to house a piece of the real cross, real nails from the crucifixion and pieces of the crown of thorns. Inside, it is wall-to-wall stained glass.  

3. We ate lunch in the Quartier Latin, a lively area where the university, the Sorbonne is located. 

4. We visited the Pantheon where famous people who did great things for France are buried. These people include: authors Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Alexandre Dumas, scientists Pierre and Marie Curie, inventor of Braille, Louis Braille, great thinkers Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire. 

5. We took a little break Parisian-style by chilling out in the Jardins de Luxembourg. There's a palace which is now where their Senate meets, beautiful manicured flower beds and pond where little kids push toy sailboats around with sticks. 

6. We then toured the Palais Garnier aka Opéra Garnier, the old opera house now home to the Paris Ballet. This has to be my second favorite place in Paris and the kids were just as impressed. A little shopping after at the famous Galeries Lafayette. 

6. For dinner, we got to eat outside on the terrace of the restaurant and the towers of Notre-Dame were in plain sight. Not only is sitting outside at a café such a French thing to do but when else do we get to eat admiring an 800-year old gothic cathedral (probably the most famous one in the entire world)?? And some more of that delicious Berthillon ice cream. Yes, yes, I know that we had double dessert but remember those 400 stairs we climbed? And walking all over the city.  We deserved every lick. 

7. We still had one last stop: la Tour Eiffel. Having a 10:30 reservation, we just went and had a little free time in the area underneath and around it until it was time to go up. Chilly, windy, no big deal. We managed. And at the stroke of 11pm, we  had a front-row seat for the sparkling that we saw from Trocadéro last night. Very cool experience. 

Now today is our final full day in Paris because tomorrow we basically just get up and go to the airport. On today's agenda: Versailles and Musée d'Orsay. 

Paris is our hometown.

I believe that it was Gertrude Stein that said "America is my country and Paris is my hometown", saying that no matter where you're from, you'll be able to find a piece of yourself or something that is like home here in Paris. So after run-ins with super-touristy areas yesterday, we were able to get a better feel of the city today. 

We started with a bus tour with a local guide and we were able to make several photo stops at some of the best places. 

Trocadéro:

Napoleon's tomb/Les Invalides/École militaire:

Then we were able to visit the inside of Notre-Dame cathedral and have some free time for lunch and souvenir shopping. Some of us also tried the best ice cream ever: melon, strawberry, raspberry and the salted butter caramel was to die for! (I know from first hand experience - yum!)

Here's our group at the cathedral:

Next was a whirlwind tour of the Louvre where we battled every single tourist in the city (okay, maybe an exaggeration but it felt like that). We hit the highlights: Vénus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace and of course, the Mona Lisa. 

After the Louvre, we went to dinner and then worked off our desserts (and probably more) climbing 284 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for more beautiful views of the city. Now after a little more shopping, we're on our way back to the hotel via regional train as I type this. 

And by the way, for those of you keeping track, I must have jinxed ourselves when I said we've had perfect weather. It rained most of the day today but hey, we've had great weather for the entire trip; we can't complain too much. 

We've got another jam-packed day in Paris planned for tomorrow so I'm sure I'll have more pics tomorrow. Catch us on the flip side!

On est arrivé!

I'm going to warn you that this post may be short. We've all had a long day and we just got back to the hotel after midnight. Je suis fatiguée!  

Today, we left Tours to head for Paris, making a stop in Chartres on our way. We got to see the famous Chartres cathedral before their mass started at 11am. We stayed to explore the little town until noon, got an early lunch and got back on the road. Arriving at our hotel in the western outskirts of Paris, we dropped our suitcases off and then headed for the big city. We got to see a few of the big sights like the Arc de Triomphe and the Moulin Rouge on the way to Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur basilica. After hiking up a monstrous set of stairs, we toured the church and had some free time do some official Paris souvenir shopping. Maybe because it was a Sunday, maybe because today's Fête de Musique but it seemed like every tourist in the city was up there shopping with us today; it was a madhouse!  

So after Montmartre, we had our first métro experience on our way to dinner. Pretty cool. After dinner, we had a bus tour, went to a lookout point on top of Paris's only skyscraper within city limits, Tour Montparnasse, from which we finally got a good look at that famous Eiffel Tower. 

Then after that, we took a boat ride on the Seine River, where we got an even better view of the Iron Lady. 

C'est impressionant, n'est-ce pas?

After the boat, we hopped back on the bus to continue to see all the city lit up, including one special stop at Trocadéro to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at 11pm (first 5 minutes of every hour after dark). So cool!! (I posted a video of this in an earlier post when I was here with students in 2013 so look back in my earlier posts if you want to see it.)

Now we're exhausted and we've got another full day of sightseeing in Paris tomorrow. Bonne nuit. 

Day 6, I think...

We started out a little different today because we had free time this morning to explore the local open-air market and do some shopping in the city of Tours where we are staying.  We arrived a bit early at the market and a lot of people were still setting up so we didn't get to see everything that was going to be there. Then we shopped our way down Rue Nationale until about noon. 

After that, we took the bus to the nearby town of Amboise to tour the castle. This is also where Leonardo DaVinci is buried and he lived up the street a little at the Clos-Lucé. Perhaps one of the neatest things going on there today was a bride and groom were getting photos taken with an old, classic car (sorry - don't ask me what kind! I was more taken with the bride's red shoes! Haha) with the castle in the background. 

Anyways, we had a guided tour with a local guide, Annabelle and then she went with us to also give us a tour of Chenonceau, probably the prettiest castle in the Loire Valley. Here we are in the garden with the castle in the background. 

Now after dinner in a troglodyte cave, we're back at the hotel and tomorrow, we will head to PARIS!!!  Woot woot. 

By the way, we are sorry to hear than you are all having a lot of rain. I don't want to rub it in your faces too much but we have had pretty much perfect weather every day that we have been here. The one time we have had rain was the first night after dinner when we were in the bus on the way to the hotel. Sometimes it looks cloudy ahead but by the time we get there, it's cleared off. Here's hoping it stays that way for Paris. :)

Our impressions

So I've decided to do the blog a little bit differently today. Since we spent the majority of the day in the bus traveling from Lyon to Tours, we didn't sightsee much today. So I'll let the students speak for themselves. 

Our biggest impressions so far:  

Caroline: I really liked the Pont du Gard because it was built so long ago and it's still standing with no help and nothing holding it together. 

Madison: I think it's weird that they don't put their bread on a plate at dinner. They just put it on the table. 

Zahra: it's beauty and it's grace and it's definitely NOT the United States. 

Emily: I liked how in Nîmes, there was pretty modern stuff and then there was a Roman arena. 

Kate: I think it's a little bit of everything wrapped up in a beautiful, little package. 

Grace: I'm going to live here. It's everything I've ever wanted in a home. 

Melissa (chaperone): I've learned quietness, etiquette and experienced old-world charm and have seen quiet, beautiful people. I'm most impressed with the old architecture. 

Adrienne (chaperone and well-seasoned traveler): Even though I've been here many times and I always love coming back, I was excited to see the author Saint-Exupéry's birthplace in Lyon. 

Libby: it's not just in textbooks; it's a real place. 

Traci (adult traveler): it's a really cool mix of old and new. 

Erika (adult traveler): I remember more French than I thought I would and I'm able to communicate with them. 

Natalie: it shocks me how much they smoke. 

Maddie: I was surprised by how many people speak English. 

Carly: I was surprised to see French people bring their dogs everywhere, like even in grocery stores and restaurants. 

Mary: I noticed that a lot of people wear long pants as opposed to shorts. They're more reserved and they smoke more. 

Taylor: I love how beautiful everything is. I feel like walking through history. 

Owen: they're not as anti-social as Americans, as in they're not on their phones as much as we are. 

Spencer: there's Mini Coopers everywhere!!  

Anna: I've noticed that people sit around a lot and don't work as much. They're really calm when they drive. 

Mia: there's a bunch of ice cream everywhere and their dogs are without leashes but they still obey and behave. 

Photo from tonight's walking tour in old Tours at Place Plumereau (which the same picture is in our French 2 textbook!)

Day 4: Nîmes and Pont du Gard

This morning, we got to tour the Gallo-Roman arena in Nîmes that's been in existence for over 2000 years. It was the site for gladiator fights, bull fights and other shows. In fact, they still use it for bullfights, concerts and other shows. After our visit, we walked through the narrow, winding streets that are typical of almost any European city and got to see the Maison Carrée (square house), which is one the best preserved Roman buildings in Europe. Here we are on the steps of the Maison Carrée: 

Then we had some free time to explore and after that, we took the bus to Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct that brought water from Uzes down to Nîmes a total of 50 kilometers. No machinery, no pumps - just a slight slope and gravity. The thing that amazes me is that it's still standing after 2000 years and the Romans used no mortar to hold the rocks in place. Once again, just gravity. Crazy!  Oh and we also saw an olive tree over 1100 years old! Here we are at Pont du Gard and with the olive tree:

The olive tree:

So now, as I write this, we're on the bus leaving Provence and heading north to Lyon, where we will stop for the night, have a walking tour and then head west to the Loire Valley tomorrow. À plus tard! See you later! 

Day 3: Avignon, Baux-de-Provence & Arles

Avignon at the Palais des Papes (before they discovered wifi):

After they discovered wifi:

In front of the Gallo-Roman arena in Arles:

Today was yet another sunny day without a cloud in the sky! Perfect weather for touring, just a bit windy! 

This morning, we left the Mediterranean and headed northwest to Avignon, famous for the Palace of the Popes, which we got to tour. We also saw the famous bridge from the children's song that only goes halfway across the river. After lunch here, where many students were so proud to use their French 1 café vocab and ordering skills and many of them were courageous and tried frogs legs, we headed toward a gorgeous part of the country to Baux-de-Provence, a little walled-in village perched on top of a mountain. Gorgeous views of the mountains and valleys all around. (My pictures from here are apparently only on my camera; I will have to post them later - sorry!) Then from there, we toured Arles which has an arena and amphitheater left over from the Roman Empire 2000 year ago. This is the city where VanGogh also painted lots of his paintings, including: 

We also visited the hospital where he stayed and painted after he sliced his ear off. 

Now we are heading off to Pont du Gard and Nîmes tomorrow. After that, we'll have some time in the bus because we'll head north to Lyon. 

We're having a blast and they're learning a lot (or at least I hope!). My favorite parts of the day are when they come running back to me and say "Miss Schilling, I got to use my French and they understood me!"

Day two: Monaco

Well, we've had a great day so far (and we still have 45 minutes before dinner). Wifi is spotty and unreliable at our hotel so if you haven't heard from us, that's why. This morning was beautifully sunny and perfect for a drive down the coast to get to Èze and our tour of the perfume factory. We learned it takes four tons of rose petals and one ton of jasmine to get one gallon of essential oil in order to make perfume. The expert perfume makers, the "noses", may work for months or years on a fragrance and to be a nose, you're not allowed to smoke, to drink alcohol or eat spicy foods because that affects your senses. They're also only allowed to work three hours a day - what a work schedule, huh!?  

After Fragonard, we toured and ate lunch in Monaco (picture below). We even got to see the line-up area and starting line for the Grand Prix which just took place 3 weeks ago here. Now, we're back in Nice enjoying more free time. Dinner is here again this evening and it's back to our hotel. Tonight we may walk 15 minutes down to a sandy beach that Natalie, Maddie and I discovered last night. 

Well, that's all for today. I hope that you are enjoying reading these updates as much as I enjoy writing them. :)

France 2015: day 1

Here we are in Place Masséna, the heart of downtown Nice. Fresh off the airplane and ready to explore! 

Ten, nine, eight...

Ten days to go until the start of our 2015 adventure.  And here's the official map of where we're going to be visiting (and, no, sorry, we're not doing the extra trip to Normandy - maybe next time!):

Along with what's shown on the map, we'll also be visiting the Fragonard perfume factory in Eze, Nimes, Arles, Baux-de-Provence and the palace of Versailles.  We've also got lots of big plans for our FOUR days in Paris, including getting city views from Notre-Dame Cathedral, Tour Montparnasse and of course, the Eiffel Tower.

So who's coming with me? :)