Day 9 - I honestly can't believe that tonight was the last evening in Paris. This week has seriously flown by and we have so many stories, pictures and experiences to share with you when we all get home. I'll try to not get too sappy, I'll save it for the end!
The day started the same, 7 AM wakeup, breakfast and then out the door. We left a bit later today since the Musee Rodin is literally a stone's throw away from the hotel. We spent the morning meandering through the outdoor museum where we posed with Rodin's "The Thinker" and found other incredible creations such as the Four Burghers of Calais and the Gates to Hell. Madame gave us some history into some of the sculptures and how some of them might not be sculpted by Rodin but by his mistress. Camille Claudel was an extremely talented sculptor and many think that Rodin would put his name on her pieces. Women were not recognized or respected in the art world quite yet so Rodin would put his name on these beautiful pieces so they would been for many for decades, centuries and millennia's to come. It was a nice, peaceful way to start our full day in Paris. After the museum, it was time for lunch and we headed to trusty Rue Cler for our last lunches on our own. Lunches were had, last minute gift items picked up...I'm starting to well up for sadness already and I'm only two paragraphs in.
The last time we came to Paris, there was a large fair type market along the other side of the Eiffel Tower. We all walked over to try to get some last minute items/souvenirs but quickly realized that the fair vastly shrunk from the last time we were there. No worries, the kids were fine looking at the different vendors while Madame bought the tickets for the boat tour, later that evening. Some of the students wanted to go back to the Rue de Rivoli as they didn't get a chance to explore the streets off the road. But before we did that, bathroom stop! Some students said that they didn't have any else to buy so we broke into two groups. Half stayed to shop with Madame and Miss Cassella and the other half returned back to the hotel with Maestra Sawyer and I.
When we got back to the hotel, some started to get their rooms together so they wouldn't have to do it tomorrow morning while others relaxed and took a nap. The second group returned to the hotel for a quick break before it was time to head off to dinner at Hereaux comme Alexandre for another fun night of fondue! So far, our subway trips have gone off without a hitch (with the exception of when we lost a student, oh Fannie!) and tonight was a great lesson into listening to instructions! As usual, Madame went over the subway route we were taking and any connections we had to do and made sure we all knew where to go. Once on the platform, the first group started to board but we quickly noticed that the train was too full for all of us. Half got on and the other half stayed behind. The train left and there was a small sense of panic as this had never happened before but the sense of fear quickly subsided as the kids started going over the subway route out loud, "Duroc, get off switch to Austerlitz and get off at Cluny-Sarbonne. It was awesome to see that they were actually listening! The second group got on to the train directly after and as we approached Duroc, we saw the other group sitting there waiting for the rest of us to arrive at the station. Everyone was accounted for, then it was off to our connection and finally for our final group dinner.
Alexandre was extremely happy to see us again and welcomed us with open arms. In addition to the 28 of the Valley students here for dinner, he also had another reservation for 24 inside the restaurant and he actually had to put up extra tables on the quiet alleyway and even turn some people away. Alexandre is always welcoming, warm and we're glad to have a new friend in Paris for many years to come! Dinner tonight was the same as before, an incredible cheese fondue with pieces of baguette for dipping, raw chicken and beef to be cooked in hot oil and of course, chocolate fondue with an assortment of fruits. At the Sawyer/Lam table, we got an really nice chance to talk with the students at our table and asked them about their trip and how they're going to end the school year. It was an incredibly fun dinner and the night was far from over.
As the clock neared 9PM, Madame started to worry that we wouldn't have time to go on the boat tour on the Seine River. The walk was too far and the subways too messy with 4 connections to get us to the docks in time. So we took taxis! That's right, we fit 28 students/adults/chaperones into a line of taxis and took us to the docks for our boat trip. And it this would happen on the last night of our trip but as the chaperones exited out taxi to a flock of our awaiting students, we realized that we were missing 4 people: Madame's friends and one student. We called the student and soon realized that they were dropped off on the wrong side of the river and three bridges too far...ugh. We weren't sure when the last boat ride was so we all made the executive decision for the group to go on with Miss Cassella, Maestra Sawyer and myself while Madame waited and directed her friends and the one students to the correct dock. We boarded the boat and had incredible unobstructed nighttime views of Paris. The boat tour cruised along the Seine passing underneath 35 bridges and sailed by some of Paris's most iconic structures. Also, what would a trip to Paris be without a "promposal?!" We had one five years ago and that happened on the Champs-de-Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower and I think we might have skipped one last year but this year, it was back and it happened right on the boat as we made our way down (or up, i didn't look at the current direction) the Seine. The promposal was successful and everyone enjoyed the rest of the boat ride and the chaperones got a chance to get to know your students even more!
An hour later, it was time to de-board and head back home. While on the boat, Madame called me and told me that the missing had trekked 45 minutes to get to the right dock and finally got onto a boat. Madame told us that we could start heading home and they would taxi after their boat ride ended. As we walked through Champs-de-Mars on our way back to the hotel, someone yelled out, "It's 10:59!" We quickly stopped and found a clear view of the Eiffel Tower and not a moment later, the Eiffel Tower twinkled with thousands of lights flashing at all different times. The Eiffel Tower twinkles for 10 minutes on every hour and it's something you have to see when you're in Paris. The students were in awe and those who had battery left, whipped out their phones and took pictures, videos and added them to their Snapchat Stories (oh these kids and their social media platforms). We watched the twinkling for a bit and continued on our way home. We passed by Rue Cler and it was sad to know that we weren't going to go there for a quick crepe or macaroons or a lunch the next day. We walked in front of Les Invalides and remembered how we didn't even notice that a portion of the building had a facade covering over it until the second day. We walked by the convenient store that has supplied us with waters, snacks, candy and other essentials over the past week (even though I'm sure some will be going there tomorrow to spend their final eurocents before heading to the airport). And finally, it was time for the final bed check of the trip. The kids entered the hotel quietly, went straight to their rooms, and hopefully, began packing.
Disclaimer: This past is going to be sappy so you might want to grab a box of tissues for this part.
I can't tell you how wonderful this trip has been. Your students, your children are some of the most respectful, kind, interesting people we have ever met and have had the pleasure of calling them, our students. They have respected not only themselves as peers, but they respected a country, it's culture and it's people with open arms and an open mind. They spoke the language (even the Spanish students!), they ate the local foods, they embraced the culture, they helped the economy (don't check your bank account until a couple of days later...they'll pay you back...eventually), they actively engaged at the museums, the asked questions, they broadened their views of the world, and most importantly, they had a blast.
These students should be proud of themselves for all they've done this week. These memories, these stories, these experiences will be "one for the books" and will hopefully last them a lifetime...until the next time they come and create new memories with family and friends.
One last thing before I close out this blog. Madame Wheaton is a force of nature. She singlehandedly put this trip together and is the main reason why these kids are exhausted, well fed and full of love and memories. She loves all of your students and wants what's best for them in order to give them a trip of a lifetime. She has been an incredible leader and we could not have had this trip without her. She is an incredibly caring person and we are lucky to have her at Valley Regional High School as a world ambassador of to give our students a glimpse into a much bigger world than the tri-towns. Her goal of course is to give her students an authentic experience on the French language and culture, but I truly believe her main goal of this trip to spark our students' thirst for knowledge and for what the world has to offer. Thank you, Madame for another successful trip. WE LOVE YOU!
I hope you've enjoyed reading the blog these past couple of days. Some of the kids ask, how do you remember all this stuff, do you write it down? And the answer is, no. I remember these things because your students make these moments memorable and it's not easy for me to forget when I have a bank of memories of my own to cherish and share with all of you.
Tomorrow is a normal wake up at 7 AM, breakfast and then it's time to hit the road. For years, we have taken Air France Flight 10 home from Paris which gets us back to Valley around midnight or later but this time around, we'll be home much earlier as our flight lands at 4 PM Eastern Standard Time. We are hoping to be back at Valley around 7-7:30.
It's been an honor and pleasure chaperoning this trip and from Madame, Miss Casella, Masestra Sawyer and myself, I am signing off on the VRHS French Trip 2017 travel blog. See you tomorrow and be ready for a tired teenager and plenty of pictures and stories to go along with it.
LAM, OUT!
The day started the same, 7 AM wakeup, breakfast and then out the door. We left a bit later today since the Musee Rodin is literally a stone's throw away from the hotel. We spent the morning meandering through the outdoor museum where we posed with Rodin's "The Thinker" and found other incredible creations such as the Four Burghers of Calais and the Gates to Hell. Madame gave us some history into some of the sculptures and how some of them might not be sculpted by Rodin but by his mistress. Camille Claudel was an extremely talented sculptor and many think that Rodin would put his name on her pieces. Women were not recognized or respected in the art world quite yet so Rodin would put his name on these beautiful pieces so they would been for many for decades, centuries and millennia's to come. It was a nice, peaceful way to start our full day in Paris. After the museum, it was time for lunch and we headed to trusty Rue Cler for our last lunches on our own. Lunches were had, last minute gift items picked up...I'm starting to well up for sadness already and I'm only two paragraphs in.
The last time we came to Paris, there was a large fair type market along the other side of the Eiffel Tower. We all walked over to try to get some last minute items/souvenirs but quickly realized that the fair vastly shrunk from the last time we were there. No worries, the kids were fine looking at the different vendors while Madame bought the tickets for the boat tour, later that evening. Some of the students wanted to go back to the Rue de Rivoli as they didn't get a chance to explore the streets off the road. But before we did that, bathroom stop! Some students said that they didn't have any else to buy so we broke into two groups. Half stayed to shop with Madame and Miss Cassella and the other half returned back to the hotel with Maestra Sawyer and I.
When we got back to the hotel, some started to get their rooms together so they wouldn't have to do it tomorrow morning while others relaxed and took a nap. The second group returned to the hotel for a quick break before it was time to head off to dinner at Hereaux comme Alexandre for another fun night of fondue! So far, our subway trips have gone off without a hitch (with the exception of when we lost a student, oh Fannie!) and tonight was a great lesson into listening to instructions! As usual, Madame went over the subway route we were taking and any connections we had to do and made sure we all knew where to go. Once on the platform, the first group started to board but we quickly noticed that the train was too full for all of us. Half got on and the other half stayed behind. The train left and there was a small sense of panic as this had never happened before but the sense of fear quickly subsided as the kids started going over the subway route out loud, "Duroc, get off switch to Austerlitz and get off at Cluny-Sarbonne. It was awesome to see that they were actually listening! The second group got on to the train directly after and as we approached Duroc, we saw the other group sitting there waiting for the rest of us to arrive at the station. Everyone was accounted for, then it was off to our connection and finally for our final group dinner.
Alexandre was extremely happy to see us again and welcomed us with open arms. In addition to the 28 of the Valley students here for dinner, he also had another reservation for 24 inside the restaurant and he actually had to put up extra tables on the quiet alleyway and even turn some people away. Alexandre is always welcoming, warm and we're glad to have a new friend in Paris for many years to come! Dinner tonight was the same as before, an incredible cheese fondue with pieces of baguette for dipping, raw chicken and beef to be cooked in hot oil and of course, chocolate fondue with an assortment of fruits. At the Sawyer/Lam table, we got an really nice chance to talk with the students at our table and asked them about their trip and how they're going to end the school year. It was an incredibly fun dinner and the night was far from over.
As the clock neared 9PM, Madame started to worry that we wouldn't have time to go on the boat tour on the Seine River. The walk was too far and the subways too messy with 4 connections to get us to the docks in time. So we took taxis! That's right, we fit 28 students/adults/chaperones into a line of taxis and took us to the docks for our boat trip. And it this would happen on the last night of our trip but as the chaperones exited out taxi to a flock of our awaiting students, we realized that we were missing 4 people: Madame's friends and one student. We called the student and soon realized that they were dropped off on the wrong side of the river and three bridges too far...ugh. We weren't sure when the last boat ride was so we all made the executive decision for the group to go on with Miss Cassella, Maestra Sawyer and myself while Madame waited and directed her friends and the one students to the correct dock. We boarded the boat and had incredible unobstructed nighttime views of Paris. The boat tour cruised along the Seine passing underneath 35 bridges and sailed by some of Paris's most iconic structures. Also, what would a trip to Paris be without a "promposal?!" We had one five years ago and that happened on the Champs-de-Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower and I think we might have skipped one last year but this year, it was back and it happened right on the boat as we made our way down (or up, i didn't look at the current direction) the Seine. The promposal was successful and everyone enjoyed the rest of the boat ride and the chaperones got a chance to get to know your students even more!
An hour later, it was time to de-board and head back home. While on the boat, Madame called me and told me that the missing had trekked 45 minutes to get to the right dock and finally got onto a boat. Madame told us that we could start heading home and they would taxi after their boat ride ended. As we walked through Champs-de-Mars on our way back to the hotel, someone yelled out, "It's 10:59!" We quickly stopped and found a clear view of the Eiffel Tower and not a moment later, the Eiffel Tower twinkled with thousands of lights flashing at all different times. The Eiffel Tower twinkles for 10 minutes on every hour and it's something you have to see when you're in Paris. The students were in awe and those who had battery left, whipped out their phones and took pictures, videos and added them to their Snapchat Stories (oh these kids and their social media platforms). We watched the twinkling for a bit and continued on our way home. We passed by Rue Cler and it was sad to know that we weren't going to go there for a quick crepe or macaroons or a lunch the next day. We walked in front of Les Invalides and remembered how we didn't even notice that a portion of the building had a facade covering over it until the second day. We walked by the convenient store that has supplied us with waters, snacks, candy and other essentials over the past week (even though I'm sure some will be going there tomorrow to spend their final eurocents before heading to the airport). And finally, it was time for the final bed check of the trip. The kids entered the hotel quietly, went straight to their rooms, and hopefully, began packing.
Disclaimer: This past is going to be sappy so you might want to grab a box of tissues for this part.
I can't tell you how wonderful this trip has been. Your students, your children are some of the most respectful, kind, interesting people we have ever met and have had the pleasure of calling them, our students. They have respected not only themselves as peers, but they respected a country, it's culture and it's people with open arms and an open mind. They spoke the language (even the Spanish students!), they ate the local foods, they embraced the culture, they helped the economy (don't check your bank account until a couple of days later...they'll pay you back...eventually), they actively engaged at the museums, the asked questions, they broadened their views of the world, and most importantly, they had a blast.
These students should be proud of themselves for all they've done this week. These memories, these stories, these experiences will be "one for the books" and will hopefully last them a lifetime...until the next time they come and create new memories with family and friends.
One last thing before I close out this blog. Madame Wheaton is a force of nature. She singlehandedly put this trip together and is the main reason why these kids are exhausted, well fed and full of love and memories. She loves all of your students and wants what's best for them in order to give them a trip of a lifetime. She has been an incredible leader and we could not have had this trip without her. She is an incredibly caring person and we are lucky to have her at Valley Regional High School as a world ambassador of to give our students a glimpse into a much bigger world than the tri-towns. Her goal of course is to give her students an authentic experience on the French language and culture, but I truly believe her main goal of this trip to spark our students' thirst for knowledge and for what the world has to offer. Thank you, Madame for another successful trip. WE LOVE YOU!
I hope you've enjoyed reading the blog these past couple of days. Some of the kids ask, how do you remember all this stuff, do you write it down? And the answer is, no. I remember these things because your students make these moments memorable and it's not easy for me to forget when I have a bank of memories of my own to cherish and share with all of you.
Tomorrow is a normal wake up at 7 AM, breakfast and then it's time to hit the road. For years, we have taken Air France Flight 10 home from Paris which gets us back to Valley around midnight or later but this time around, we'll be home much earlier as our flight lands at 4 PM Eastern Standard Time. We are hoping to be back at Valley around 7-7:30.
It's been an honor and pleasure chaperoning this trip and from Madame, Miss Casella, Masestra Sawyer and myself, I am signing off on the VRHS French Trip 2017 travel blog. See you tomorrow and be ready for a tired teenager and plenty of pictures and stories to go along with it.
LAM, OUT!