Last Day in Paris

Our last day was super busy. Since we missed the cathedral on Saturday, we began Sunday with a visit to the towers. There were lots of windy stairs to climb!


The view was spectacular.  After our visit to the top, we braved the crowds to visit the interior.  Mass was going on at the same time, but the cathedral doesn't close to tourists, so we could go inside.


We grabbed a quick lunch near Notre Dame, then we headed to Versailles by train.  Unfortunately, we got on the wrong train (Versailles-Chantiers) instead of taking the correct one (Versailles - Rive Gauche Chateau), and we lost about an hour of our visit.  We finally arrived and could tour.


The chateau was so crowded that Sunday that it was hard to see a lot of the interior.  However, we could enjoy the fountains and the garden without being jostled by thousands of other tourists.


Once we visited Versailles, we headed back to Paris for our dinner at the Eiffel Tower.  The food was delicious, and because we had reservations, we could skip the long lines at the bottom and go straight to the middle level of the structure where the restaurant was.  The food was so delicious, too.


After such a long, hot day, we deserved a great meal, and we got it! Following dinner, we went to the middle level of the Eiffel Tower for some more spectacular views. (We couldn't get tickets to the top because of crowds. We'll just have to come back!) Then we returned to our hotel for packing and a 6:30 a.m. departure time.

This trip has been amazing! We've been so lucky with everything that we've seen, and the group that we brought (Carly, Carrie, Maya, Laura, Lea, and Shannon) has been just wonderful! They are such responsible, trustworthy, capable, level-headed young women. It was a delight traveling with them! I'm sure they have quite a few stories to tell! What a trip! You can see more pictures here.

Art and Cathedrals

Today we visited the Musee D'Orsay to see famous Impressionism paintings from artists like Monet, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Matisse. It was terrific!

The group had free time until 4 p.m. when we were scheduled to climb the Notre Dame Cathedral tower. However, due to ordination services, the Cathedral towers were closed for the afternoon. Zut! And the lines to go see the lower level of the Cathedral were incredibly long, too. We elected to see the cathedral later. P

So the group got free time for the rest of the afternoon.  The leaders, though, decided to wait out the crowds, and an hour later, we got in to the lower level to see the Rose Window. 

The towers are just amazing.  We'll have to come back again in the future to climb to the top!

Later, we walked around the Latin Quarter to visit the Pantheon, site of Victor Hugo's (famous novelist) tomb.

Paris is just beautiful, and the good weather held again today!

Military hospitals, sculptures, and a boat ride

We started the day off with a visit to Les Invalides, a former military hospital created by Louis XIV to take care of his soldiers from the wars he started. Today, it's a military museum (it houses lots of old military weapons and uniforms) and the site for Napolean's tomb. We spent an hour at the museum.

After a lunch break in the neighborhood, we walked to Auguste Rodin's museum (which is just down the street from Les Invalides.)  Auguste Rodin was a famous sculptor who worked primarily in the late 1800's.  His work of art, The Thinker, was right outside in the garden.  We saw his other famous sculptures (The Kiss, Burghers of Calais, and Gates of Hill) before going inside his house to visit the exhibits there.

After the Rodin museum, we had some free time to explore Paris.  So, we took the subway down to the Chanmps Elysees to visit the Arc de Triomphe where the tomb of the France's unknown Soldier is.  Afterwards, we had time to shop on the famous avenue before meeting at the Pont Neuf to take a boat ride down the Seine River in Paris.  We saw all sorts of famous sites (The Eiffel Tour, Notre Dame Cathedral, Museum D'Orsey) as we enjoyed the hour-long ride.

Here's our view of the Eiffel Tower from the boat.  Sunday, we're eating dinner on the first level!  Fun!

The weather was terrific today! We had sunny skies, a nice breeze, and no rain! I hope that weather forecast lasts the rest of the trip! I uploaded pictures to flickr here.

Chateaux and Paris

Our busy pace continues. We left Brittany yesterday to explore the chateaux of the Loire Valley. We started out at Chenonceaux.

Then we headed to Blois to explore the chateau that has several styles. Inside was a throne we could all sit on! Such fun!  We stayed overnight in Blois, watched the sound and light show at the castle, woke up early this morning to head to Paris, stopping at Chartres to see the cathedral and shop! (Busy! Busy! Busy!)

Then today, we arrived in Paris, checked into our hotel, and then hiked up to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur and shop! What an amazing day!

The view from Montmartre is extraordinary (after you survive climbing all those steps!)

Return from the Family Home Stay

The girls reunite on the bus after getting back from their family homestays. They had lots of stories to tell!

Here's Shannon with her host sister!

Carrie says goodbye to her host father!

Maya arrives with her family!

Carly and Lea met the teachers in Saint-Malo, and their families had already said goodbye to them when we arrived, so we didn't get any pictures. But, from my understanding, all the girls had terrific experiences!

View from Dol de Bretagne

View from Dol de Bretagne, a photo by tracyturn on Flickr.

Our trip to France continues. Today, the teachers traveled to Dinan and Dol de Bretagne to see another part of the region. Although the sky was overcast, we didn't have a lot of rain, and the temperature warmed up a bit. We took advantage of the good weather to visit a tower in Dol de Bretagne which gave us a magnificent view. That's Mont St. Michel in the background! Incredible!

Sweet Seagulls

We were walking along the fortified walls of St. Malo and met this little bird.  He pointed out all the interesting sites to us before flying off for lunch! 

The weather is still somewhat cold and rainy, but we're hanging in there. The landscape is so pretty; it's hard to complain about such a little thing like the weather!

Beautiful Brittany

The weather is warming up a bit. It's still raining a little, but the sun is shining more. Our weather seems to be getting better each day. Tomorrow, perhaps it won't rain at all.

Since the students are still with their families, the teachers spent today exploring some more of the Brittany region. We shopped at the Dinard outdoor market where we bought lots of great souvenirs, and we had lunch with the coordinator of the French family homestay. We also heard through the coordinator that the students are speaking lots of French and doing their best to experience French culture by participating in different activities. Upon hearing this good news, we were so pleased and proud of our super students. Each one is doing a terrific job!

I'm sure they're continuing their visit of the Brittany region. The landscape is so beautiful, and the sea is an incredibly rich green that catches the eye like emeralds do. Brittany is breathtaking!

Exploring Saint-Malo

The girls are settled in with their French families, participating in activities. In the meantime, the teachers are visiting Saint-Malo, a walled city famous for its pirates, oysters, and cathedral. The weather was cold (about 56 degrees)today with wind and rain, so we had to buy rain coats since we didn't pack them. I'm sure the students were much wiser than we were or they could have borrowed jackets from their host families.

We also visited Cancale and tried some of the fresh oysters.  It was exciting to see the beautiful sea, all the seagulls, and the oyster market on the coast.  Although I don't know what activities are planned for the students, I'm sure they will have a chance to explore lots of great places in Brittany.

Mont St. Michel and Family Stay Starts

We had another busy day planned for today. We started off touring Mont St. Michel after breakfast. What a great time! The abbey was beautiful.


We had audio guides that led us around the abbey. This area was built for the monks as part of their cloistered life. The archway is so pretty and ornate.


Another view of the abbey. It's so breath-taking (figuratively and literally). There are practically a million steps leading up to the top. We definitely got plenty of exercise today!


After we left Mont St. Michel, we took a bus to St. Malo.  We stored our luggage in a hotel and explored the city for a few hours before meeting with the homestay coordinator and our families at 6 p.m.!  Carly and Lea are staying with families who live in St. Malo, so they left first.  The rest of the girls are staying with families who live in Rennes, about 45 minutes away. 


The girls were slightly nervous before meeting their families, but when the family showed up, everything was great.  The French mother seemed so warm and friendly, and she immediately greeted the girls with kisses on the cheeks, and her sons did the same!  Lea and Carly couldn't have been welcomed in a better way!  Kissing on the cheeks is very French.  Usually, the French kiss one cheek and then the other as their form of greeting friends.  So, upon seeing this expression of friendship, we knew Carly and Lea are going to have a great time.


Off the girls go with their family!  The French mother instructed her sons to carry the bags for the girls.  How great!  Carly and Lea had lugged those bags everywhere for the past two days, so I'm sure they appreciated the help.  I can't wait to hear about all their experiences!


Laura, Shannon, Maya, and Carrie took the bus to Rennes with the rest of the group to meet the families there. I'm sure they are having a super time now! Our French adventures continue! You can see more pictures from today here.

Scenes from France 2011

Scenes from France 2011, a set on Flickr.

Here are some photos of our trip so far. We are having so much fun! We've already visited Giverny, Caen, Bayeux, and Mont St. Michel. (In just two days!)