We have landed! More updates soon.
Bonsoir on night number 7 and our last night in Paris. I'll save the mushy stuff for later but for now, here's a recap of our last day.
We woke up as usual, breakfast at 8:30 and 9:00 and then out for some last minute shopping and roaming. The original plan for today was to go to Champs-Elysee but because we had to be back at the hotel for the bus to Versaille, we wouldn't have enough time to get to Champs-Elysee, go shopping, have lunch and be back for the bus at 1:00. Instead, we went back to trusty Rue Cler. With it being the end of the week, some of the kids are just downright exhausted and chose to sleep in this morning. Miss Cassella, Mrs. Redhead and I (Madame stayed back to look after some of the tired kids) took a smaller group of kiddos down to Rue Cler for the morning and some lunch. When we arrived to Rue Cler, I told them that the road actually extends beyond the part we usually hang out on and that blew their minds. There were so many more shops and stores to visit and help the EU economy. Macaroons and chocolates seemed to be the popular last minute gifts for family members and friends. Everyone had their lunch, met back at the designated spot and headed back to the hotel. Madame was contacted 3 times by our bus company and each time it said that the bus would pick us in front of our hotel at 1:30. 1:30 rolled around and no bus was to be found. Finally, at 1:35, Madame asked me to run around the corner (where the Musee Rodin is) and to see if there was a bus waiting. I jogged across the street, parallel the Rodin Museum and there it was, our bus waiting to take us to Versaille. I ran back, got the kids and boarded the bus for the 45 minute trek. We drove through parts of Paris we haven't explored (16th arrondissement) and the City of Lights was soon behind us. The drive to Versaille was short and uneventful; however, the change of scenery was nice as we have spent the whole week in Paris. We got to Versaille, unloaded the bus and waited for our tour guide to find us and give us our tickets. There was so communication breakdown and it took our tour guide about 25 minutes to finally find us. We went through the queue, got security checked and waited for people to use the bathroom. It seemed like that every where we went, we spent a good chunk of time waiting for bathroom breaks...word of advice, use the bathroom before we leave the hotel/restaurant! We each got audio guides to help us along the gigantic palace but with masses of people prevented us from seeing many of the numbers we had to punch into our handheld device to get it to start talking to us about the particular room/artwork. Each room was packed with people, squeezing by to get a picture with their camera/iPad/phone. Claustrophobic people would have not done well here. We powered through the masses and finally ended up in the courtyard. Versaille is not only know for the palace but for the incredible gardens and courtyards surrounding the palace. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to fully take in the outside gardens. It was time to get back on the bus and head out for our last dinner in Paris. Our bus driver dropped us off next to the Musee Rodin and we headed into the hotel for a quick break and then it was back on the road for dinner. We had dinner of Rue de Grenelle, like the first night, and even had some extra time to roam around with our groups. We went down some of the side streets off Rue de Grenelle and found an abundance of cafes/restaurants/passtisseries and other fun stores. We know for next time where we need to go! Dinner ended and we walked over to the Eiffel Tower. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of people on the Champs de Mars just lounging, enjoying the warm evening with a bottle of wine and a picnic. We haven't had a chance to see the Eiffel Tower with it's lights on so phones and cameras were whipped out and many selfies/snapchats were taken. We crossed the road to where we went for the Spring Village a couple of days before, descended the steps to the river and stood in line for our last group outing. While in line, a game of SNAPS was introduced to the group and I didn't quite catch the rules so I gave them another game to try out. Ask them about it when they get home, I'm sure you'll have a blast (or get very frustrated). We got on the cruise ship but unlike 2 years ago, this boat was completely enclosed with windows and a clear ceiling. When we came in 2013, the boat had an enclosed space but also had ample seating outside with no plastic obstructions. We decided that it might be for safety reasons like falling objects from the bridges above or rowdy teenagers trying to throw things at passengers along the river...but I guess we'll never know! We cruised along the Seine, enjoying each other's company at the end of a long, but incredible trip. We docked, exited and caught taxis back to the hotel. Bags need to be packed, rooms needed to be tidied up and sleep to be had on our last night in Paris. So now the mushy stuff. I can't say it again but your students, OUR students are seriously the best there could be. They are respectful, responsible, caring, fun, determined, flexible, compassionate, and all the positive adjectives I could possibly come up with. This trip has been breeze because the students are truly amazing young adults. It has been a pleasure to get to know your students and to spend time with them in the City of Lights. I talked to many of them throughout the week and we talked about how traveling to Paris is a great jumping point for future world travels. Our world is vast and our experiences small. We need to get out there and see what the world has to offer and share in other's cultures, foods, language and way of life. Explore as much of the world as you can and never stop loving life and learning about others. Lastly, Madame Wheaton has a very special place in my heart. She is truly an amazing chaperone, French teacher, trip organizer and an incredible person I am lucky to call my friend. She single handedly made this trip one to remember for years to come. Madame Wheaton always has the interest of your students at the top of her priority list and she was able to be flexible, accommodating and then some. She loves French language and it's culture and she has given us a glimpse into what this beautiful country has to offer. She is an inspiration to all and we are lucky to have had this experience with Madame Wheaton. Thank you is not enough to express how thankful we are for Madame Wheaton but I'll say it anyways...MERCI BEAUCOUP MADAME! NOUS T'AIMONS! I hope you all enjoyed reading the blog and the pictures on the Instagram. It has been an honor to get to know your children and help them expand their cultural horizons. There's no going back now, once you catch the travel bug, it's with you forever. I will give a final update once we land at JFK and until next time... AU REVOIR! -KLAM Bonsoir on the evening, actually morning of Day 6. Sorry for the later than usual post, the internet has been a bit spotty tonight. Breakfast went on as usual but today we had an extra treat, mini-crepes. These French staples are tasty especially with nutella. After breakfast, it was time to meet in the hotel lobby to get instructions for the day. We were headed towards the catacombs because all of the national monuments were closed because of a strike (which we still aren't entirely sure of) of the workers. We took the subway to the catacombs and began to wait in a rather long line. We think that everyone else knew about the national monuments closing and came to the catacombs instead of the museum/monuments. I got out of our spot in line and headed towards to front. A group towards the beginning of the line, but still quite a ways away, said they had been waiting for an hour. We all decided that instead of waiting in a line for the next 1.5-2 hours, that we'd cut our loss of the catacombs and head to the Jardin du Luxembourg, instead. We walked towards the Jardin and along the way, saw some communist propaganda starting to be posted on posters, stickers, banners and flags. We thought nothing of it and made it to the garden. The Jardin du Luxembourg was Madame's mother's favorite park in the entire city of Paris and we could see why she loved it so much. The grass was perfectly manicured, the trees perfectly trimmed, the weather was bright and warm, and the overall ambiance of the park was relaxing. It was truly the perfect day for a visit to the park and were happy that we didn't wait in a long line to be in a dark tunnel with many dead things. After a short visit to the garden, it was time to head to Le Quartois Chinois (Chinatown). Madame had talked this portion of the trip up for the past couple of days and I was starting to feel the pressure that I had to make sure that everyone had a good time (I brought the idea of Chinatown up to Madame on our last trip here). We got back on the subway but we noticed that it was quite packed for a Thursday afternoon to have so many people. We quickly realized that these were protesters of the strike. They crowded the subways with their flags and stickers and had a great energy about them. We all made it onto the subway and headed to Place d'Italie (metro stop for Chinatown). But when we excited, so did a majority of the subway did as well. The station's platform was crowded with strike workers and we finally made it above ground to find that there were literally thousands of other people in the this town square. We pulled our group over to the side regroup and figure out how to handle this situation. Chinatown was literally right around the corner but we did not want to have to fight through the masses of people. Madame Wheaton found an alternative route but it would take longer (we were just happy to not have to go through the thousands of demonstrators). After about 30 minutes, we made it to Chinatown! The kids split off into different ethnic food groups including: Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese. Madame recommended pho, which is a Vietnamese noodle dish with vermicelli, beef broth and assorted veggies. The adults headed to a pho restaurant that Madame and I visited last time. This was the trip where I found out that a large population of the Asian people in Chinatown spoke my dialect of Chinese. This was the trip (2 years ago) where the spark ignited for me to be reunited with learning my culture and my language. I have Madame Wheaton to thank for that and I am forever grateful for her help in my cultural journey. The six of us sat down at the pho restaurant and ordered a myriad of different Vietnamese dishes including shrimp, pork and beef spring rolls, banh cuon and banh xeo. Then came our main dishes, 6 heaping bowls of pho (both beef and chicken). It was a new experience for many but a favorite for others. Everyone tried something new and everyone left with full bellies (like all of our meals in Paris). We walked around the markets and stores and I chitchatted with some of the locals about our trip to Paris and the many languages spoken. I spoke with a store owner and he was saying that on a daily basis, he will speak 7 different languages including: French, English, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, Teochew Chinese, Vietnamese and Cambodian. After lunch and some time in Chinatown, it was finally time to head back to the hotel before dinner. The ride back home was more relaxed as it seemed like the strike had calmed down. We excited the subway to find out that the party from Place d'Italie in Chinatown had moved it's way to where our hotel was, just our luck. As we walked back towards the hotel, we were stopped by a barricade of police officers and their vans. They officers stopped the kids and asked them why tey were headed that way and one of the answered, in French, we are students heading back to our hotel and this is our professor. Madame stepped forward and informed the officers that our hotel was right around the corner and we were heading back before dinner. He let us right through and had some downtime before dinner. Because of the strike, we had to take an alternative route to dinner. A 15 minute walk became more of a 25 minute roundabout route to get to the Bistrot de 7eme for our last "family" dinner. The kids had the opportunity to try out les escargots for the first time and many of them jumped on this opportunity to try something new. Some kids loved it while other kids tried it, didn't hate it, but wanted to save their stomachs for the rest of dinner. Main courses consisted of steak with french fries (steak frites) or a steamed cod on a bed of spinach. Dessert was creme brulee or chocolate cake. Dinner ended, we bid adieu to the Bistrot and took our regular route back to the hotel with no issues. Our time in Paris is quickly coming to an end and we are sad to be leaving soon. It's hard to believe that we have one more full day in Paris (and Versaille) and then we are packing up and heading back to the United States. Since we are heading back in a couple of days, I asked the kids to write a little something about their time in Paris before coming home (I hope I got everyone!)
Sorry if I missed anyone! Goodnight! -KLAM Today was a long day and flexibility was the word of the day. Madame woke us all up at 6:15 for an early breakfast so that we could visit the Louvre and not wait in a never-ending line. Some of the kid chose sleep over breakfast and slept in an extra 45 minutes or so while others sleepily made their ways down to the breakfast basement. We all gathered in the lobby and Madame Wheaton gave us some interesting news. Tomorrow (4/9) is a national strike of all the workers at the national monuments. The bus company that is taking us to Versaille called Madame and told her of this situation and that we needed to reschedule our Thursday trip to Friday because of the strike. And like a pro, she said "D'accord!" (ok) We had to do some adjusting to our schedule because of this strike so instead of Louvre in the morning, Chinatown in the afternoon...we did Louvre in the morning/afternoon, lunch, half of us went to the Paris Saint-German soccer game and the rest continued on to the Foundation Louis Vuitton.
Everyone was assembled and ready to head out by 8:15 and after a stop at the ATM, we were headed towards Le Louvre. We walked by the Obelisk, through the Tulierie Gardens and even had a chance to catch some rays by the water fountain. The unmistakeable glass pyramid peered over the horizon as we got closer but before we go to the Louvre, Madame Wheaton gave us a little history lesson. On the road to the Louvre, there was a small arch which lined directly up with the Arc de Triomphe which lined directly up with the Grand Arc. On a clear day, you can look down the same road and see all three perfectly in line with each other. We continued on and could see and hear the masses waiting in line to enter the gigantic museum. The line was wrapped around for what seemed to be a never-ending line but we eventually found the tail of it and hoped in queue. We waited and waited...but moved nowhere. We couldn't help but wonder what was going on. By luck, I heard a man talking to another tour group in front of us and I found out that we were in the wrong line. We relocated to the line where we didn't have tickets. Thankfully we switched lines or we would still be in line right now. I walked up towards the front to see why our line was at a complete standstill. At the end of the line was a small sign that read, the museum will not be opening until 10:15 today because of a general meeting with the museum staff...so we woke up early, stood in line and had to continue to wait until their doors opened. It could have been worst and we could again, still be waiting in line. The wait was only about 45 minutes and we were in the Louvre and ready to explore (after some lunch, of course). There were so many people at the Louvre, maybe they all caught wind that the museum wasn't going to be open the next day so they needed to fit the museum in today. Masses and masses of people filled the former castle of Louis XIV. Many of the kids flocked to the Mona Lisa while others wandered around and got lost in the labyrinth that is the Louvre. The Louvre is impossible to get through in one week, let alone one day. It is truly incredible to be amongst the history, the artwork, the architecture in one huge building. It really makes you think about our world's history and how long it has come and eventually where it's going to go. The Louvre is truly an humbling experience. After three hours of exploring the Louvre, it was time to meet up and head on. The soccer game people were suppose to leave to head back to the hotel and then to the game because of the massive-ness of the matchup. So the rest of us were planning on going to the catacombs but once the soccer people caught wind of this, they wanted to go as well. There was lots of confusion and logistical nightmares so Madame made an executive decision that instead of the catacombs, we would head to the Foundation Louis Vuitton. After a short lunch, the soccer crew and the LV crew parted ways. Once again, we headed on to the metro and successfully made it to the metro stop for the LV foundation. We made a not-so-quick bathroom break at a local Burger King and finally after a half hour...we were on our ways. Madame had never been to the Foundation LV since it opened in November of 2014 so it took us a bit of wandering around to finally find the awe-inspiring structure. We got our tickets and headed into the Frank Gehry inspired building. Inside was modern art, an auditorium and an incredible reflecting pool and rooftop access. This museum was much smaller and the kids had a great time to actually look at each artwork and not be overwhelmed by everything else. We met up, headed back on the metro and back to the hotel for a quick break before dinner. A couple of the kids really wanted to do fondue so our gracious hotel front desk person, Raphael, found us a great fondue place in the 5th district. When the restaurant heard we were going to have 24 people, they graciously said "D'accord!" and they cleared the restaurant for our party. We are seriously pros at the Paris subways, we get on, get off with no issues (knock on wood) and we were able to find the restaurant tucked away in a small alley that you would have no idea was there unless you were looking for it. The main server, and also owner, was a riot from the moment we walked in! He was so happy to have all of us and made us feel so welcome. There was great music, great ambiance and more importantly, great food. We had a choice between cheese or meat fondue and all of it was incredible. We were laughing, singing, eating, singing some more...it was a great night to be in Paris. The owner liked us so much, that he offered us free chocolate fondue dessert...who would refuse that?! The owner thanked Madame and gave her 2 bottles of wine for bringing the kids to the restaurant. One was for Madame to enjoy at home in the states and the other was for Raphael, for recommending the fondue restaurant. With fully bellies, aching feet and tired eyes, we metro-ed it back to the hotel for the evening. This just in, the soccer group just got back and according to Hal, "It was the best game, ever." I'll have to ask for more details tomorrow and fill you in on the details. For now, we're exhausted and also sad that the end of our trip is in our sights. One more thing before I sign off: this is to reiterate how great our kids are. Our kids are so quick to help people out and it happened on two occasions today. Sarah C. helped a person with carrying a baby carriage up the metro stairs and Leah (and one other person I couldn't see, sorry...I'll find out who) helped another person with their suitcase down the metro stairs. Incredible kids. Tomorrow, catacombs (hopefully) and Chinatown. BONSOIR! -KLAM Bonsoir from day 4 in Paris. You all have wonderful children, seriously. Extremely well-behaved, respectful and just overall great kids. These kids have been nothing but wonderful this entire trip and we hope that they act the same way at home for all of you!
OK, enough of the mushy stuff. Just like with every day so far, it's been a whirlwind...today more so than the others. The day started off like the others with breakfast in the basement and a run down of the day's events. Today: Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur. Madame gave us the choice of walking to Notre Dame or subway-ing it and I'm glad the kids chose to walk it. You get to experience culture more that way. We all know what a subway tube looks like, we want to see what makes Paris...well, Paris! We headed out towards Notre Dame. Today was definitely a lot busier than the previous days because the holiday weekend was over. People driving their cars, mopeds, riding their bikes, or just plain walking to work. Stores, restaurants and cafes all had their doors open for business as we made our ways to Notre Dame. We walked about 20 minutes and arrived at a busy street corner where there were three famous cafes where some of the most influential people hung out like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picaso and Gertrude Stein. Les Deux Magots, Lipp Cafe and Cafe de Fleurs are all located on the same street corner on la Rue du St. Germain. These three cafes served as meeting places for these famous writers and authors and was where we all stopped for a little snack/coffee break. We sipped our hot chocolates and coffees and were soon back on the road towards Notre Dame. We arrived, got in line and waited to get in. Many pictures were taken of the incredible structure and even more pics were snapped once we were inside. Notre Dame is a definite must when you come to Paris as it is filled with so much history and architectural feats. It is honestly too difficult to put in words the "awesome-ness" of Notre Dame. We walked in a building that was first built in the 1100's and finally completed in the 1700's (with some touchups here and there). The pictures on the Instagram don't do it justice, you just have to come out here and experience it for yourselves. We all met at the designated meeting area and Madame Wheaton gave us a history lesson of Notre Dame. Here are the cliff notes: Napoleon had the Pope come up all the way from the Vatican City to crown him as Emperor (but Napoleon snatched the crown and put it on his own head right before the Pope was to crown him) and the Notre Dame Cathedral was in shambles during the 1800's and it was through the work on Victor Hugo that ultimately saved it (Hunchback of Notre Dame ring a bell...hahaha, do you see what I did there? I'm a bit tired if you couldn't tell). After our history lesson, it was time to make the trek to Sacre Coeur via subway. All the kids lined up, Madame gave them the run down - What stop we were getting off, what direction the line was going, where we had to transfer and how many stops we were going before we got off. It's formulaic but exactly what we need when we have 30+ people in tow. And like clockwork (despite some issues with tickets and getting through the initial ticket check) we were on, off and at the Sacre Coeur before we knew it. Madame gave us 1.5 hours for lunch and some shopping in the area. The adults had lunch outside with a the Sacre Coeur right in front of us, it was quite the site to be seen. After lunch, many of us took the funicular up the steep mountain while a couple of the senior guys and gals ran up the 300+ steps. Once at the top, we were able to take in the beautiful city. The view was absolutely breathtaking. The hill that the Sacre Coeur sits atop is the highest natural point in all of Paris. We walked through Le Sacre Coeur and marveled at all the art, history and stain glass windows throughout the basilica. It was definitely smaller than Notre Dame so we were done fairly quick with our walk through. Right behind Sacre Coeur is the artist district known as Montmartre. The streets are filled with sketch artists with canvas and charcoal at the ready to do a caricature or portrait (for more money of course). Cafes lined the outside of the square and in the center were artists an their artwork for display. Some artists specialized in pencil sketches while others focused on paints. It is incredible to see all this talent in one area. By this point, we were all tired. It had been a long day of walking, traveling and sightseeing and of course, eating. It was time to head back to the hotel before dinner 2 at Le Bistrot 7eme. Our travels back took us on the subway once again and like clockwork: instructions, tickets, on, off...done. We were back and relaxing at our hotel in no time. After an hour of relaxation, it was time to head out for dinner. Dinner was much less dramatic tonight and the kids had the opportunity to try foie gras and veal. It is great that these kids are trying something new. Whether or not they liked it, it is great that they're giving it a try and can make an informed decision if they want to continue eating it or if it wasn't for them. I have done quite a bit of traveling in my life and the best way to learn a country's culture and custom is through their food. My motto is "try everything" and that they did. With full bellies, we stood outside of the bistrot for instructions of the next day. The Louvre had changed their reservation policy so we weren't able to get group reservations as in years past so Madame had to do a bit of improvising. We are going to get to the Louvre first thing and wait in line in hopes that we will get in quickly. That means a wakeup time of 6:15 with breakfast at 7 and 730. We will spend a good chunk of time in the Louvre and then head to Chinatown for lunch and sightseeing. Madame Wheaton had never been to Paris's Chinatown until two years ago when I suggested that we go there for some good Asian eats. I'll tell this story more in detail tomorrow. And it's 11:49PM local time and I still have to do a bit of research for tomorrow and get to bed for a long day. We hope you are all well in CT and we'll see you soon. -KLAM Instagram: @vrhsfrenchtrip or www.instagram.com/vrhsfrenchtrip It is the end of another day and what a day it was. Wakeup was at 8AM and today's breakfast was a bit different. Instead of bringing breakfast to bed, we go to enjoy a breakfast buffet in the breakfast basement area. You would never expect a basement to be so well furnished and it honestly felt like you were in a well to do underground restaurant. We had the same pastries as the previous morning, but more of them! In addition, we also had an assortment of yogurts, cereals and fruit. It was nice to get out of the rooms and enjoy each other's company.
After breakfast, it was time to head out towards the Eiffel Tower. Because of the size of our group, Madam Wheaton had to divide our group into two. Madam Wheaton, Mrs. Redhead and Ms. Donagher's group was going up the Eiffel Tower at 11 while Miss Cassella and my group had 2:30 reservations. Madam's group started off towards the Eiffel Tower while the second group had other plans. We walked towards Rue Cler (where we spent some time on the first day) to get things for a picnic. The students picked up an assortment of foods including fruit, cheese (brie), veggies, water and baguette for our makeshift picnic. We finished up on Rue Cler and headed to the Champs de Mars, the green space in front of the Eiffel Tower. We have been in Paris for about 3 days now and for some reason, the Eiffel Tower still didn't seem real. It was right in front of us and we just couldn't wrap our minds around this architectural marvel. We picked a nice place in the grass to have our picnic, laid out plastic bags to sit on and began our lovely picnic on a picturesque French morning. We could see hundreds of people taking pictures, posing with the tower, playing soccer and smiled anytime we saw a puppy/cute baby. Our picnic was relaxing, warm and filled with excitement as our reservation time grew nearer. We packed up and headed towards the tower where we would meet Madam Wheaton and the rest of the students before our 2:30 reservation. We still had quite some time to pass so we used the bathrooms (which is quite the task) and headed across the street to Le Village du Printemps (The Spring Village). Le Village du Printemps was sort of like a festival with handmade jewelry, soaps, trinkets and some nice scarves. There was also an abundance of different types of foods including pastries, crepes, candy, a paella station, grill station (gourmet hot dogs and other things) and a raclette stand. Raclette is a dish customary in Switzerland where the cheese is heated enough where it was be scrapped off and onto a tasty baguette or potatoes. I was already stuffed from our picnic so I could not take part in this culinary speciality. After the market, it was time for group 2 to head up the Eiffel Tower. Madam Wheaton's group made their ways back towards the hotel for food and some rest. Word of advice, if you're ever coming to Paris and would like to go up the tower, make sure to buy tickets in advance. The lines for reserved tickets and regular admissions were drastically different. We hoped in line, went through security and were on an elevator to the first landing. The tower has three main landings, the 1st landing, 2nd and the summit. The elevator to the 1st landing is unique in that it must move at a diagonal in order to ascend the legs of the tower. We squished onto the elevator like sardines and then took another packed elevator to the summit. The view at the top was spectacular. You could see for miles in every direction. Some of us immediately whipped out our cameras and took pictures while others nervously inched towards the railings before grasping onto their friends for dear life. We spent about 20 minutes at the top and after many pictures, selfies and general amazement of the sites, we headed back down to the 2nd level. We thought we could staircase it down but that was note the case...also, it would have taken forever, we didn't realize how high up we really were. At the 2nd level, we had some more time to explore and take in the sights. It was then time to head to the 1st level. The line for the elevator was quite long so we walked down. Leah was terrified about the descent and couldn't get down those stairs faster, she was pretty much running while Marissa and Acacia's "slow-but-steady" method helped pace our stair descenders, nicely. We reached the 1st level and I asked if we should spend some time and I got a resounding "No" back from the crew so we continued downward. We were on solid ground in no time and the kids were relived to be back on the ground but extremely happy to have had the experience of ascending the Eiffel Tower. I was very proud of our kids that were afraid of heights and still went up and conquered the tower! We walked back to the hotel where they had free time until it was time for dinner. Tonight was one of the nights where we have dinner at Le Bistrot du Septieme. Madam Wheaton has been bringing groups to this restaurant for 10 years and she was continuing the tradition for this year. It all started off kind of funny when Madam received a phone call in the hotel lobby from the restaurant. The person on the phone gave us our options for the appetizer, main course and dessert. We were all deciding what we wanted to order as we headed over to the restaurant. We got there a bit early so we did some waiting outside the restaurant until it was our time. Madam went in and came back out perplexed...the menu had changed again and instead of having different options for dinner, it was one set menu for everyone. This was strange because Madam Wheaton has never had this issue before but we attributed it to the holiday weekend (France observes Easter Monday). We went in, took our seats and our server immediately recognized Madam. We were all having a good time and ready to order our food but again, we had a change of menu. The appetizers now included a choice between smoked salmon or a house salad, the entree was a salmon on a bed of spinach or duck l'orange and dessert was a chocolate mousse, creme brûlée or flan. Our appetizers arrived without and issue and then came our entrees. They ran out of salmon so only a handful of people got the salmon and everyone else got the duck. The duck was awesome, tender and perfectly seasoned. The kids were amazing at rolling with the punches and gave everything a try. So during dinner was a bit of drama. The maitre'd seemed frustrated all evening. We heard a glass drop and then we saw him storm off, grab his coat and threatened to leave the restaurant right at that moment. With some convincing from his colleagues, he stayed (but continued to make quite a scene). After about 10 minutes or so, everything seemed back to normal but still quite odd to seem a meltdown unfold before our eyes. Our desserts were served and I heard some kids say that it was the best chocolate mousse they had ever had. With stomachs full and our soap opera fix for the evening, it was time to take care of the bill. Madam went up to the counter to pay and began talking to her waiter friend then out comes the chef. Long story short...the chef (also owner) said that tonight was very confusing because we kept changing things. Madam Wheaton assured him that she was just doing whatever she was being told and that the menu kept changing. Again, he said everything was fine...but to not change things. Madam Wheaton bit her tongue and nodded in agreement and paid the bill. After the chef/owner left earshot range, both the maitre'd and server both apologized profusely. The owner/chef has not been in the kitchen for over 10 years and they were both frustrated and embarrassed with how service ran that evening. They promised that tomorrow night's dinner will be exactly how it has been the past 10 years and that they were very sorry. We were just glad that this incident didn't have to do with us coming in with 35 people. It all ended up being fine and we were are excited to try the different courses for tomorrow's dinner. Back to the hotel we went to rest up and play some cards before lights out. Madam Wheaton has a lot in store for us tomorrow including Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur and one other place I am forgetting at the moment (I'll update it when I remember). Everything has been going smoothly and the kids (and adults) are having a great time! It's only Monday with so much left to do. That's it for tonight! Don't forget to check out pictures from the day's events on our Instagram account @vrhsfrenchtrip) or www.instagram.com/vrhsfrenchtrip. Goodnight! -KLAM Bonsoir from the end of night 2 in Paris. Today, again, was fun-filled with lots of food, shopping and walking. But first, let me review dinner from last night.
The kids went out to dinner with their respective chaperones so each group went off on their ways. Some wanted French, others Italian and some just wandered until something struck their fancy. So because I am only one person, I can only tell you about where my group went for dinner...which was were 3 other groups had decided to go as well so you all get a bonus! My group, Miss Cassella and Ms Donagher's group ended up at La Centenaire (The Century). It was a semi-full but when we all got in, it was a party. Menus were distributed and it was a nice mix of French, Italian and American-type dishes. But first, we ordered our boissons (drinks) - Coke, lemonade, ice tea, water...hot chocolate. Hal and Troy really wanted their chocolate fix (again) so they ordered their chocolat chaud to pair along with their dinners. We joked that they would be sweating hot chocolate by trip's end. Then it was time to order the entrees. Some went it safe for our first dinner in Paris and ordered bacon burgers, a bun-less burger with an egg on top, chicken club, ravioli, chicken, French onion soup...so now that I think of it, I was the only one that decided to be a bit adventurous by ordering the beef tartare. For those that unfamiliar with beef tartare, it is basically raw minced beef seasoned with onions and other spices and flavors. It usually comes with a raw egg on top but this one had no egg. I had it the last time we were in Paris and loved it so I decided to go for it again. The kids were all irked out at the thought of raw meat on a plate but after they saw it, they admitted that it wasn't bad looking (but not one wanted to try any). And after dinner was dessert, of course! Creme brûlée seemed to be a popular choice while others did a sorbet or chocolate lava cake. Hal and Troy both ordered crepes...Hal a chocolate one and Troy a sugar crepe. Both of them were definitely on sugar overload. We finished up dinner, paid our bill and made our ways back to the hotel to turn in for the night. Room check went without a hitch with the exception of a couple of rooms who didn't answer their doors because they were already zonked out (understandably so). And that ended our first night in Paris. Now, day 2 started off at 8:00AM with Madame coming around to wake up all the rooms. Breakfast was served between 830 and 9 and it was a pastry filled delight. A small croissant, a small baguette, an awesome puff pastry, another small baguette and of course, la piece de la resistance...pain au chocolat. But it didn't stop there...there was also creme cheese, a piece of regular cheddar cheese, orange/cherry jelly, a clementine, a choice of hot chocolate, tea or coffee and a chocolate egg. The kids also found that the Easter bunny also made a stop overnight and delivered their own bag of candies. So it was quite the breakfast feast. After breakfast, the kids relaxed for a bit and got the day's plan from Madame Wheaton. Miss Cassella, Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Easton and myself made our ways to St. Suplice for Easter Sunday. We enjoyed the service but we mostly enjoyed the organ. This organ is rumored to be the oldest organ in the entire world and it did not disappoint. The church was packed to capacity and the service was in French was English translations. It was quite an experience to have in a foreign country. When the adults got back to the hotel, the students had just come in from wandering around with Madame Wheaton. They went and walked around the Obelisk and the Tuilerie Gardens. Then, it was time for lunch and also our first time on the metro as an entire group. Coordinating a group of 30 students and 8 adults is not an easy task but Madame Wheaton handled it with ease. Each student got a ticket and given specific instructions on how to use the metro. Madame told them exactly how many stops we were taking and the stop name in the unlikely case of being separated from the group. The students handled our first metro trip like pros. Through the ticket scanner, onto the train and off the train. We emerged from the metro station onto Paris' famed Champs Elysees. The US equivalent would be New York's Fifth Avenue. This street was lined with anything and everything ranging from the Disney Store, H&M, Zara's, Nafnaf, Haagen Daz, Sephora, numerous car showrooms, restaurants/cafes and some of the upscale places like Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Tiffany and Co. Madame gave the kids one hour to eat lunch and report back to our designated meeting area. The kids went off and an hour later, met back at the meeting place. From there, we walked towards the Arc de Triomphe. After waiting in a pretty long line, we were told that the Arc did not accept large groups on Sunday because it was one of their busiest days. So we walked around the Arc for a bit and decided to scale the Arc another day. The kids were all excited to go shopping so their wish was Madame Wheaton's command. The kids had 3 hours to shop, eat and wander to their heart's content with again, a strict meeting time and place. Like clockwork, the students left and came back but this time with bags of clothes in tow from the various stores along the road. By this point, the kids were tired and ready to head back to the hotel but we had to have dinner before it was too late. We made our ways back to the hotel area and again, went on our separate ways for dinner. I, unfortunately, cannot tell you fun stories for dinner because I ventured out on my own to do some music practicing at a nearby college. But when everyone returned, they were all really happy with their meals and also exhausted. Everyone is all checked in and doing well! Tomorrow's itinerary is not set in stone quite yet but that's the beauty of doing a trip with Madame Wheaton. She knows this city like the back of her hand and she will go wherever the kids want to visit. I'm sure tomorrow will be fun with lots of walking, exploring, eating and being in this amazing city. Bonsoir from Paris! -KLAM Also, sorry for not posting any pictures. The internet is slower here but if you want to see pictures from the day's event, check us out by following us Instagram @vrhsfrenchtrip or by visiting www.instagram.com/vrhsfrenchtrip. When I said we hit the ground running, I wasn't kidding! Now that've we've checked into our rooms, acquired our much needed Wifi passwords, I have a second to sit down and type about the last day...or two days, it's hard to tell.
We landed around 900 local time and we haven't had a chance to catch out breath yet. I'll give you more entries tonight. Right now, it's time to rest! - KLAM We made it! No major traffic issues at all. We arrived to JFK, unloaded the bus, got our boarding passes and loaded our luggage onto the conveyor belt. All with little to no issues. We are a bit early, but better to be early than to miss our flight (last years crew missed their flight and the year before we barely made it). We are making our way through the very long security checkpoint but everyone is in good spirits and ready to board the Airbus 380. Google it, it's a gorgeous plane (and a double decker!). People are aleady asking where they're sitting and switching seats. I got one of the lucky tickets in the upper cabin, pictures to follow. That's all for now. Updates coming soon. - KLAM |
AuthorA long weekend in Quebec City through the eyes of Mr. Twombly Archives
February 2020
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