And we're back!
-KLAM
-KLAM
8...9...10, you know the drill. It is hard to believe that we will be home before you know it. Today was our last full day in France and you could tell the kids were sad to leave this beloved city they called home for the past week. However, the students are all very excited to be getting back to the US and they cannot wait to share the pictures, stories and souvenirs with everyone. Because we were on a bus for the majority of the day yesterday, it was good to get back into the walking scene. We walked from our hotel on Rue de Bourgogne all the way down Boulevard de St. Germaine. Along the way, we made some stops at a toy store and perhaps some of the most famous cafes and bistrots along the street. Les Deux Magots, Brasserie Lipp and Cafe de Flore were places that were frequented by many famous authors, playwrights and intellectuals. They would sit in these establishments for hours writing, thinking and discussing their ideas with fellow colleagues. Coffee after coffee would turn into glasses of wine after glasses of wine until the places would close and finally, they had to leave. Many of the kids got hot chocolate and described it is "drinking from a chocolate fountain." We reconvened and walked a bit further where we came across a Starbucks and of course, we had to stop. Even though many of us had just had coffee or hot chocolates, the nostalgic aromas and familiar green logo was too to resist. Venti coffees, vanilla fraps, espressos, you name it, we had it...some of us even had two VENTI cups of coffee...how do these kids do it?! After the short stop, we continued on towards the Musee de Cluny. This museum is the national museum of everything from the medieval times. The museum houses many extravagant tapestries, alter pieces and parts of the roman baths. The most famous of these tapestries is called The Lady and the Unicorn. Not sure if we were allowed to take pictures but I did...so I'll post that for all to see! I overheard many of the students say, "Look how intricate this is!! How did they do that?" And that was the same exact question I asked myself many times throughout the exhibits. The art work, craftsmanship and dedication to these pieces is astounding. We even learned a little bit about the history of board and card games. This was a great museum and had a great time learning about the middle ages, and playing a game of larger than life chess! It was time for lunch and we split off into different brasseries and cafes surrounding the famed La Sorbonne. This was the first university in Paris and it was mainly a school for learning Latin. The rest of our time spent shopping for last minute gift items and treats to be home to the states. We met up with Yvette (her last name is escaping me at the moment) who is the collaborative partner for our French/American exchange that Valley takes part in every year. We said our hellos and as quickly as we had met, it was take to say our goodbyes. We headed back to the hotel for a quick hour of R&R. We left our hotel and headed towards Rue Cler (our third time there...seems like we really enjoy this place!) and had an hour for dinner. We met at the designated time but with a bit of a hold up in the macaroon/chocolate shop, we had some stragglers. Once we were all together, we booked it for the boat tour of Paris on the Seine. Our travels took us right underneath the Eiffel Tower and we couldn't help but stop to take pictures of the glowing structure at night. We made it to the ship's dock by the skin of our teeth and boarded the large boat. Even in the bitter cold, we had many students brave the chilliness and sit outside to take pictures as the monuments passed us by. We now understand why Paris is called the City of Lights as the entire city twinkled with a mesmerizing aura that has captivated us all these past couple of days. The boat tour ended and everyone was in good spirits. It was the perfect way to spend our last night Paris. We all boarded taxis and when Madame asked the address of the hotel, the students repeated "Quartre-neuf Rue de Bourgogne, Hotel du Palais Bourbon" in unison. We all arrived back at the hotel and Madame briefed all of us our of itinerary for tomorrow. 8 wake up, 9 breakfast, 11 all luggage in the hotel. We then depart for Rue Cler for our last meal in Paris and then to the Eiffel Tower for our final activity, the ascent to the top of the iconic Paris structure. We will be picked up at 1:30 by Manuel and we're off to Charles DeGaulle Airport. Our flight leaves at 5PM local time and we're scheduled to land at JFK by 7:55. I'm sure as soon as we hit US soil, everyone's phones will be buzzing with missed calls, text messages and emails. We'll be sure to have the kids contact you as we head back to Deep River. It has truly been an honor to get to know your students these past couple of days. They are all amazing young adults who handled themselves with the utmost amount of respect and professionalism. They have each represented Valley Regional, and the United States, proudly. Mrs. Easton, Mrs. Fallovalitta, Mrs. Mehan, Ms Wheaton and I, could not have asked for a better group of kids. This trip would not have been possible without the dedication of Ms Kate Wheaton. She is a true inspiration and has given these kids (and adults!) an experience of a lifetime. Ms Wheaton gave these students a great amount of responsibility and each time, we were pleasantly surprised at our students professionalism and attention to detail. You should all be proud that we have an incredible group of kids, staff and administration at Valley Regional High School. Thank you for reading this blog and I hope that this will help us remember the amazing time we had in Paris. I will never forget this trip and we now have the pictures and memories to share with our families and friends. I will write a final blog on our bus ride back from JFK to Valley. Enjoy your evening and see you TOMORROW! -KLAM This morning's schedule was a bit different because of our journey to Normandy to see the D Day Beaches and monuments. Ms Wheaton came knocking at our doors at 5:30AM. The early morning wakeup was quite a surprise to many of us as we've grown accustomed to 8AM wake ups (so much so that Mrs. Easton screamed when Ms Wheaton went to wake her up this morning!). We all gathered in the hotel lobby at 6:30, bleary-eyed, but ready to go on the day's trip. We walked over to the Musee Rodin (where was our first stop in Paris last Saturday) and were quickly greeted by our bus driver, Manuelle, and our guide, Annalise. Annalise gave us a tour of Paris on our way to the highway that would take us to Normandy. We have been to many of the places she mentioned and was pleasantly surprised with all the attractions we had done. We got onto the highway and a majority of us fell asleep. We stopped 1.5 hours into our drive for some breakfast and quick rest stop shopping. We continued on our way to Caens where we toured the only WWII museum in all of France, the Peace Museum. We watched a short film about D Day and walked through the information exhibits that gave us insight into various aspects of the war. Even with all the twists and turns of the museum, we all eventually ended up in the cafeteria for lunch before heading to Normandy. We drove another hour and ended up in Normandy. The winding streets and beautiful landscape was quite the contrast in comparison to all the other places we had visited in France. It was a nice change of pace and to see a part of France that was rural and serene. Our bus turned a corner and it was breathtaking to see the contrasting blues of the English Channel. We pulled up the entrance of the memorial and our guide informed us that the French had given the US this area of land to commemorate and honor our fallen soldiers during WWII and we were technically on US soil (cue Party in the USA). Some of us headed to the visitor center to watch a couple of documentaries while others headed directly for the beautiful sands and waters of the English Channel. It is truly humbling to know that we were standing on a piece of history where so many lost their lives to fight for our freedoms. Some of us took home samples of sands and seashells and Amelia ventured into the English Channel with her handy rain boots to collect water for myself and Sarah C. As soon as we had arrived, it was time to leave and head back to Paris. The four hour trip flew by and we bid our guide and bus driver adieu. They dropped us off for our last dinner at Le Bistrot du 7eme. On tonight's menu: Course 1: Terrine de Lapin (rabbit terrine) or a green salad with apples, walnuts and blue cheese Course 2: Veal in a creamy white sauce and rice or grilled salmon with potatoes and lemon Course 3: A spongy chocolate cake in a light creme sauce or an assortment of sorbets Le Bistrot du 7eme has been an exceptional restaurant wait staff and food alike. It is great that we get to experience authentic French cuisine and try things we would never have the opportunity to, otherwise (how many high schoolers can say they've tried foie gras?!). We left the restaurant for the last time of this trip and headed back to the hotel, not without stopping at the Diagonal supermarche. I heard some kids say, "Aww this is our last night at the supermarche! I'm really going to miss coming here." We then reminded them that we had one more evening where they could pick up their nightly rations of chocolate cookies, orangina and other snacks...their eyes lit up and proceeded to pay with a smile. Tomorrow looks like Boulevard Saint Michel, Jardin du Luxembourg, Le Pantheon and the Roman Baths. That evening, we'll be boarding a boat to tour the Seine River and then grab our last dinner in Paris before we depart Saturday afternoon. Sounds like a storm's a brewing for the Northeast this weekend...let's hope it waits until we get back from JFK! A bientot. -KLAM Bonsoir from Paris! Local time 9:31PM and everyone is in the hotel safe and sound. I'm going to miss these gradual wake ups come Monday - 8AM Madam, 9AM breakfast, 10AM leave. Today was Louvre day. The massive museum houses thousands of artwork and I'm sure as a collective whole, we might haven seen 5%...it would take years to explore the entire Louvre but it was amazing to see so much history right before our eyes. The Mona Lisa (or La Jaconde, the US is the only country that calls it the Mona Lisa) seemed to be the big hit and pictures were taken as we fought to the front of the line. 2 hours was definitely not enough but until next time, Louvre! We had lunch at the cafes in the area and then headed towards the Notre Dame. The incredible cathedral is celebrating its 850th anniversary and it was amazing to be apart of history! We roamed around and then headed right around the corner to the Latin Quarters for dinner and shopping. The Latin Quarters are filled with small restaurants of all nationalities and a couple of clothing stores, which our students made trips to (I'm telling you, check those credit cards!). Tomorrow is an early morning wake up, between 530 and 545, because we are heading to Normandy. We have a strict leave time of 7AM and we want to make sure we are ready to go. The 3 hour bus ride will allow us some extra sleeptime. I thought this would something nice to do for the parents, friends and family back home. I asked the kids to write a brief sentence or two to send back to the states. Here they are! If you're missing a letter from your student, it's because I couldn't get to them all today. I'll be sure to get a message from them on our 3 hour bus ride tomorrow! Pictures to follow when we get back stateside. -KLAM
It's like clockwork - 8AM wake up from Ms Wheaton, 9AM breakfast, 10AM leave for the day! Our first stop landed us at Musee D'Orsay where artwork from the most famous impressionist artists can be found: Monet, Manet, Degas and Van Gogh (to name a few). The Musee D'Orsay was once a large train station until it was realized that the station's platforms were too short to accomodate the longer trains. The building was set to be demolished in 1970 until Jacques Duhamel saved it from being destroyed. The museum opened in 1986 and it currently holds mostly impressionist art dating from 1848 to 1915. The museum was packed and it was truly amazing to be surrounded by so much history building and paintings alike. We met on the 5th floor "cafeteria" for lunch...but we found out that Mrs. Easton's Paris Guidebook was incorrect as there was never a "cafeteria" built in the museum. We reconvened outside and split the students into groups with two options: Galeries Lafayette (Lafayette Galleries) or Petite Chinois (Chinatown). The students split pretty evenly with 19 coming to Chinatown with Ms Wheaton, Mrs. F and myself while the rest traveled with Mrs. Easton and Mrs. Mehan for some high end shopping (better check those credit cards, parents). Again, I can only speak from my experience so I apologize for those who didn't go to Chinatown! I can say that without Ms Wheaton, our group would still be wandering the streets of the 13th arrondissement. Ms Wheaton is a pro at reading the confusing subway maps and even better at making sure we are all together and on the right streets. We had a little bit of drama as some of our students got stuck at the subway entrance when the "all mighty entrance bar" denied our own Mrs. F and Hanna P. The French people are extremely nice and a passerby helped our stranded friends and we went on through. By this point, we were starving and a bit tired from the museum, but with Ms Wheaton at the front, there was no stopping us. We ended up in Chinatown and split off into groups for lunch/shopping. Being the resident Asian food expert (or i'd like to think), our group of 7 went to a traditional pho restaurant just in time before they closed for the afternoon. We all ordered the same Vietnamese soup dish and enjoyed the warm soup, rice noodles and thinly sliced pieces of beef. After lunch, some of us went to a nearby park where there was a variety of playground structures (many preferred the swings) while other ventured off into pastry land and boba tea (milk tea with tapioca balls on the bottom). Ms Wheaton was presented gifts of figurine cochon (pigs) and even a pig cupcake! Ms Wheaton loves the animals and they will find permanent residence in her classroom back at Valley. Something exciting that happened for me during this trip to Chinatown. I grew up speaking a regional dialect of Chinese called Teochew. In our area of CT, it is rare to find other people who speak this language but the moment I arrived at the pho restaurant, I was pleasantly greeted by the owner who spoke this dialect. We had a nice conversation and I explained to him our trip and how it was going so far. Fast forward after lunch where we continued on with shopping and exploring. 4 of the 5 places we visited all had people who spoke Teochew, fluently, and I could not have been happier. This moment, personally, has been one of the most rewarding. We all met back at the assigned meeting spot and headed back towards the 7eme arrondissement where we would meet up with the other group for our 7:00 dinner. About halfway there, Madam realized we'd be very early so we stopped by Rue Cler to people watch and wait until it was time to meet up with the other group for dinner. Time finally came and both groups converged as if it was just the natural thing to do. We waited a bit and then filed into the warm restaurant with the excitement of delicious food. Tonight's menu included: Course 1: Caprese (mozzarella with tomato) or Terrine de Homard (a lobster terrine) Course 2: Boeuf Bourguignon or sea bass dorade au epinards (sea bass with spinach) Course 3: Mousse au chocolat or glace a chossieur (ice cream of your choice) Another wonderful meal at a wonderful establishment. We thanked the waiters and chef and we were on our way back to the hotel for some well-deserved rest. Tomorrow's agenda: Le Louvre and Notre Dame. Have a great night and see you soon. -KLAM Bonjour, it's 6:17 local time and we've just come in from another long day of sightseeing, shopping and of course...eating! Another gentle wake up from Madame at 8 and then breakfast at 9 (same menu as yesterday, it doesn't get old!). We met in the lobby at 10 and awaited instructions from Ms Wheaton. Today, we were taking the subway so it was important everyone knew the ground rules for traveling on mass transit. We traveled in our chaperone groups in case we couldn't get all 38 of us on the same train. The metro stop was right around the corner and got on without a hitch. Our first stop of the day landed us at highest point in Paris, Basillque du Sacré-Cœur. We got off the metro and eventually found our way to the funicular, which is a cable car that runs to the entrance of the basilica. However, some of us decided to take the stairs (because we haven't had enough already...) and some even raced to the top. The pictures don't do it justice, but I can assure you that everyone's heart rates were pumping and calves and thighs were aching. The views atop the Sacred Heart Basilica were absolutely breathtaking. A slight haze gently covered the city but didn't obstruct the amazing views. Some took pictures of the city while others soaked in the morning's warm rays. Many of us went inside where a strict "no photography rule" was in effect. The architecture and art work is incredible and it's hard to imagine that this basilica was built in the late 1890's. It was time to meet up again and we headed right around the corner to Montarte. Montarte was a town with steep and windy roads. The streets were scattered with art vendors, tourist shops, creperies and other food establishments. We shopped some more, walked around and had some lunch on our own. Some even got their portraits done! Montarte is where all the local artists come to sell their paintings, drawings and other forms of artwork. It was amazing to see the various types of medium the artists used as they ranged from caricatures, pencil portraits, water colors and oil paintings. I would love to support all these artists but I'm pretty sure I'd be bankrupt. In the same area was the Espace Dali Montmarte. This collection of Dali's work is the largest permanent exhibition in all of France. The very unique style of Dali captivated all of us and were amazed to see the intricacies of his artwork. We went through the exhibits and read the placards but you could clearly tell that jetlag had finally caught up to many of the students. The first night's sleep is usually OK, by the second night, your internal clock is all sorts of confused. Exhaustion aside, the students continued to push on because we are in PARIS! We got back on the metro, after a quick donut snack of course, and it was time to visit Le Pere Lachaise, Paris' largest cemetery (110 acres). Many famous French (and other nationalities) are buried in this massive cemetery. Le Pere Lachaise is filled with thousands of mausoleums where generations of families are buried. These mausoleums range from very simple to obelisk to very ornate structures with stained glass and beautiful stone statues. Ms Wheaton purchased a map of the cemetery and challenged our students to take a picture with as many famous tombstones, as possible. Le Pere Lachaise is where Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, famous French playwrights Moliere and LaFontaine, as well as Balzac, Rossini and Chopin (pronounced Show-Pan...not Chop-in, I made that mistake in the 7th grade). The winning group would get crepes with nutella and bananas from Madame. The steep paths and winding cobblestone did a number on our feet (and challenged our map reading skills) and 1.5 hours later, it was time to head back to the hotel. We got on the metro, this time in rush hour traffic, and squeezed onto overpacked cars. Everything was going swimmingly until one of our chaperones, Mrs. Mehan, was squeezed out from getting onto a car. Luckily, we picked her up at the correct stop and we were good to go. It's almost 7 and the kids have the option of staying in or going out with one of the chaperones for dinner. Stayed tuned for pictures and stories from dinner! Part 2: We split into groups for dinner tonight. Mrs. Mehan went with 10 students to a restaurant next door to the hotel called Sac a Dos, while a group of 10 went to a Creperie with Mrs. Easton. Mrs. F and a small contingency of 4 ventured for some sushi and a group of 9 came with Ms Wheaton and I for some authentic Italian cuisine. From what we heard from the other groups, everyone enjoyed dinner and are ready for some relaxation and sleep. On the agenda for tomorrow: I forget, but I'm sure it'll be amazing and I'll be sure to blog all about it! Hope everyone is enjoying this blog! See you stateside on Saturday. -KLAM Bonsoir from France. It is 9:40 local time and we are all back in our rooms after a full day of sightseeing, shopping, eating and walking...lots of walking. Recap from last night: Because some of us gorged ourselves with crepes and baguettes from Rue Cler, Ms Wheaton gave us the option to grab a snack from the market across the street, go to a nearby Cafe with Madame or walk a whopping 10 feet to a Vietnamese restaurant with myself and Mrs. Fallavolitta. About 20 kids went with Madame to the cafe where they had a wide assortment of French favorites, a group of four decided to venture out and try some Vietnamese cuisine and a handful grabbed some snacks across the street and stayed in with Mrs. Mehan and Mrs. Easton. I can only speak from my perspective at dinner, which was interesting to say the least, especially with our group of four who shall remain nameless (names might closely resemble "Brie"-ana, Air-in, Page and Em-el-e). We had a great time figuring out the menu, which was in French, Vietnamese and an attempt at English. Thankfully, our waitress spoke excellent English and was able to help us with the menu with the exception of a food item which she affectionally ended up calling "fried stuff." Going onto "Hour 50" along with minimal sleep, jet lag and an intense day of sightseeing, definitely showcased us at our finest moments. Laughter was had, pictures taken and the decision that gelato was on the agenda after dinner. We ate our delicious meal of curry beef, sticky rice, spring rolls and duck with stir fried vegetables and headed back to the hotel to see if anyone else wanted to join in our adventure to find gelato. We added two members to our group and went on our way. As we left the hotel, we ran into the group who had dinner at the cafe. When we asked how it was, we received blank stares and confused looks as we were all exhausted but happy to be in the City of Lights. Our group ventured onto the streets of France determined to find gelato. We eventually ended up at a small cafe not too far from the hotel and was greeted by a tray of desserts. Apple pie, raspberry pie, triple chocolate cake, a chocolate cake with a chocolate dome, creme brulee and chocolate mousse were ordered along side with an assortment of ice cream or sorbet. We reminisced about our day and wondered what time curfew was set...we remembered 10:30 being a time from our meeting with Madame before we left for dinner. We enjoyed our desserts, figured out the bill and looked at our watches...10:20. We left the cafe and broke into a steady jog for fear of missing our curfew. The kids joked about getting cramps and "wishing they had passed gym class." A conversation was also overheard that was similar to this: "I don't think I'm going to make it!" "I guess this is what they call 'natural selection.'' We ran, walked and ran some more until all of us were inside the doors of our hotel at 10:28. We then found out that Madame extended curfew to 11. All the kids were in their rooms at 11 (some went to bed early) for some well-deserved sleep. We were greeted the next morning by Ms Wheaton gently knocking at our doors reminding us that breakfast was at 9 and to meet in the lobby at 10. Our breakfast included an assortment of "carb-tastic" pastries, a hot drink, two varieties of cheese, OJ and of course, Nutella. Our first stop of the day: a not so exciting bridge...which eventually lead us to the Rue de Paris (ferris wheel). We got into our respective cars, went around the track a couple of times and then continued our day to Champs Elysee. We received a history lesson from Madame as she told us the champs means field and Elysee is from Greek Mythology where the honored deceased would spend eternity. We were given a meeting time and instructions and everyone was on their way to explore the most famous street in the world. We explored high end clothing stores, bought souvenirs and things for ourselves, watched street performers and met for our next attraction: the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe is located at the end of Champs Elysee and Ms Wheaton told us that we would be going to the top! Approximately 200 steps later (along burning calves), we made it to the top where the views were breathtaking Commence group photos, panoramic shots and sitting back to enjoy the views and then it was time to head off again. Because of all the stores on Champs Elysee, we went back down to the world famous road and had additional time to explore. 2.5 hours later, we traversed the river on the bridge, Pont Alexandre III, on our way to Le Bistro Septieme for our first of three dinners at the exceptional establishment. Course 1: Foie Gras with raspberry marmalade and salt or a mixed green salad with parmesan cheese. Course 2: Coq au vin with potatoes or salmon with potatoes Course 3: Cassis and mango sorbet or Charlotte au chocolat with creme anglaise The food was incredible, the service even better and the kids were extremely well-behaved. I'm excited to go back to Le Bistro Septieme on Thursday for another great meal! We are now at the close of day 2 and we have another full day of sightseeing and French immersion. Many times throughout the day, Mrs. Fallavollita and I had to remind ourselves "We're in Paris!" It seems surreal and we are extremely honored to be here with your students, Mrs. Easton and Mrs. Mehan and of course, our fearless leader - Madame! Tomorrow's itinerary is TBD as we haven't heard back from the Louvre but because Ms Wheaton is a pro, we just follow "mama duck" and we know we're going to have a good time. I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday back in good ol' CT (when one of the ferris wheel attendants asked where we were from, we thought it would just be easier to say "next to New York.") and we shall see you soon! Even with all these obstacles in our way, we made it through security in a record 30 minutes with all 38 of us! We have boarded and just waiting for take off. Next time you hear from us, we will be at Charles DeGualle Airport! See you soon!
Stuck in traffic through New Haven and even more around New Rochelle...who knew a three and a half hour trip could turn into an almost six hour ordeal. Thank you traffic. I'm pretty sure we set a land speed record for unloading our bus as we had all of luggage off in less than 2 minutes. We ran to American Airlines's check-in and received our boarding passes. We are all accounted for and departing at 900PM. Stayed tuned.
-KLAM "Just sit anywhere, it's only a three and a half hour bus ride to JFK..." Kate Wheaton
And we're off! The bus is packed with all of our belongings for the week, including Anna's prized brick collection...! Everyone is buzzing with excitement as we make out way to JFK airport. Our American Airlines flight departs at 930PM and we will land six hours later at 1030 local time (3am EST...oy). I'm sure the lack of sleep will not be enough to stop this group from charging off the plane and onto French soil. Stayed tuned for updates and pictures! -KLAM |
AuthorA long weekend in Quebec City through the eyes of Mr. Twombly Archives
February 2020
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