Happy Homecoming!

Parkway students dealt with the distressingly long plane delays with great patience.  They endured two separate delays.  The first one was the Nice-Paris connection.  Storms in Paris kept our flight grounded in Nice for two hours.  Eventually, we were cleared to go after sitting on the runway for about an hour and a half.  Students kept their hope, and we arrived in Paris just in time to go through one last passport control, find something for lunch, and board our plane for America.



Once we landed in Atlanta, the long wait began, but we had no idea of this turn of events when we landed.  We sailed through U.S. Customs and Immigration and found our gate with plenty of time to spare.  However, the Delta staff told us that the flight crew had been delayed by storms in Boston, so our 10:52 flight would not be taking off until 11:30 or so.  We were dismayed because we were ready to go home.  But students did the best they could with the situation, recharging phones, chatting, or sleeping.  At this point, we had been traveling for over 20 hours.


Once the flight crew arrived and commenced their pre-flight check of the aircraft, they discovered that we had a broken plane that needed to be replaced.  So, we had to wait another hour for a new plane to be located and readied for flight.


We were so happy when they told us the new plane was ready to go.


Parkway bombarded the gate when they called our zone to be seated.  We wanted to be home NOW!


After an uneventful flight, we finally arrived at 2:30 a.m., ecstatic to see family and friends.


We're so grateful for family and friends who waited through all the delays in order to pick us up at the crazy early morning hour.


Lots of hugs, tears of joy, flowers, and a cat were on hand to celebrate the homecoming.


France 2013 was an amazing trip, and we had lots of wonderful adventures. But we're so glad to be home after 26 hours of trying to get to St. Louis!  Paris and every thing is great, but there's no place like home!

Le jour le plus long

We're stuck in Atlanta, waiting for a replacement aircraft for our broken plane. At this point, we've been traveling 24 hours straight. Needless to say, we're tired!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Atlanta,United States

Our Last Day is Nice!

We got up bright and early this morning to head to the Côte d'Azur for our last day in France. We started first in Eze, a beautiful little town in the mountains, known for its perfume company, Fragonard. We got an interesting tour of the factory.


After our tour, we became "Le Nez" (the nose) and sampled a few perfume scents.


The boys of the Parkway group decided to weave all their sample papers together to create an olfactory sensation.



Once we finished our shopping, we had the chance to take some photos of the amazing views from Eze.



We could see the port below with all its ships and sailboats. It was a cloudy, brisk day (about 23 degrees celsius).




After a 45 minute bus ride, we arrived in Nice to explore the old city.


And we hit the beach again. The Mediterranean was awesome.


In the evening, we had our farewell dinner and reflected on the incredible adventure that we experienced in France. It's been a fantastic trip!


Tomorrow, we head to the airport and begin our long journey home!

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Jardin Albert I,Nice,France

Juan-les pins

We got up and ate breakfast today in Nimes. Then we got on a bus to visit lots of super places.


We visited Baux-en Provence, Avignon, and Juan Les Pins. The Internet connection is weak here, so stories and better pictures will be posted later. Stay tuned.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boulevard Edouard Baudoin,Antibes,France

Touring Together

As we headed further south, we stopped at Stes-Maries-de la Mer, a tiny city in La Camarque region. It was situated on the beach and was charming.


The church was built on the burial sites of Saint Mary of Magdalene and Saint Mary, sister of Jacob who fled Palestine after the recorded biblical events.


It was a beautiful day to enjoy the city (30 degrees celsius). We shopped, ate, and visited the beach during our four-hour visit.


One of the highlights was the noon parade of the bulls by their guardians. Police closed off the street and suddenly, the bulls came running down it, along side the beautiful horses. They were running directly to the bull arena.


Of course, the main attraction was the beach. We couldn't get enough of it.



After another hour in the bus, we arrived in Nimes, checked in our hotel, and got some instructions from Monsieur and Madame Morey. We were encouraged to stay in groups of three, visit the Roman amphitheater, the Maison Carree (oldest Roman structure in the city) and the Roman gardens. Curfew and bed would be at 10:30 p.m., and breakfast would be at 7:30 a.m.



Once we got in our groups, we were off to explore the city!


The Amphitheater was amazing! Nimes is a wonderful place to visit.


Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Bonjour again, les élèves!

The family homestay ended today, and students met up with the Parkway teachers at the Aix train station to continue our journey in France. While we were happy to see the students again and hear their wonderful stories, we were sad to say goodbye to the kind French families who hosted them.


We spent about 25 minutes at the train station, saying goodbye, counting students, and making sure everyone arrived. It's certain that many Parkway students will stay in touch with their French families, and they might even one day return to this area again to visit!



Once everybody showed up, we loaded up the bus with all our luggage.


We said our final goodbyes to our family.


They watched as we boarded the bus so they could wave us off.



And then, we pulled out of the train station and continued onward to our next adventure. We still have lots more to explore. Merci, les familles, pour l'accueil tres gentil. (Thanks, families, for the nice welcome).



Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Au Revoir, Aix-en-Provence

It's hard to believe today is our last day en Aix (and the students' last full day with their French families.) It was one last time to visit a few museums that we hadn't seen yet and stroll along the Cours Mirabeau, soaking in the atmosphere of southern France with its markets and crowds of people.


We'll miss the interesting buildings, unique to this area.


And we won't see traditionally dressed street performers playing the drums and bagpipes, creating a festive ambience as we window-shopped.



We had the chance to see the Cezanne - Matisse exhibit at the art museum today. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take photos of any of the paintings, but we did learn about the influence of this region on the art produced in the early 20th century. We saw many wonderful paintings by Cezanne, Picasso, Dali, and Renoir.


We also visited the Estienne de Saint-Jean Museum to see the traditions of Aix in the furniture, costumes, and paintings of the region.


The detail in the furniture and pottery was amazing -- perfectly preserved to teach later generations what life was like back then in southern France.


Just a gorgeous museum, created in a magnificent 17th century mansion.


Aix-en-Provence is such a charming city with so much to do! It's been a great four days here! Southern France is amazing!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad