Rendez-vous à Cedar Rapids

We will leave at 7 AM for Charles de Gaulle airport tomorrow. By the time you see us in Cedar Rapids, we will have been traveling for 21 hours or so......
Here's the itinerary:
Delta Flight 8504 leaving Paris at 11 AM and arriving in Atlanta at 3:35 PM Eastern.
Delta Flight 5225 leaving Atlanta at 7:18 PM Eastern and arriving in Cedar Rapids at 8:34 PM. See you then and there. We will be fresh as spring flowers!

P.S. It was Josh who told me he'd like to live here someday! (answer to poll question to the right)

Au revoir, Paris!

We just returned from our last day in Paris. We visited the Louvre this morning, had lunch as a group in a café near the Louvre, took the métro to the Champs-Elysées, and climbed up the stairs to the top of the Arc de Triomphe! We had good weather and a fabulous last day! See pics below. Au revoir, Paris!

Versailles Palace

We spent our day at Versailles Palace today, which is a bit southwest of Paris. What an over-the-top, extravagant living space the kings of France had! The weather was wonderful, and the students were really interested in the visit. How lucky we are to have such good students! Check out our photos below of Versailles gate and gardens.

This weekend the students will do activities with their host families. Most will be going to Paris to visit things that aren't on our group itinerary.

School and Hippodrome

Today we spent the morning at school. Megan and I taught an English class, and Monsieur Trout and Nettie also did a class. The French students asked lots of questions about cultural differences, the elections, the regions of the United States, and our food.

The group ate at the cafeteria - couscous was on the menu.

In the afternoon, we had a tour of the Hippodrome. It is a large horseracing arena, which is a longstanding tradition here in Enghien-les-Bains. See pics below.

Tomorrow we head to a little house in the outskirts of Paris called Versailles. ;)

Big Day in the Loire Valley!

Today we had a 16-hour excursion by car to the Loire River Valley, which is a region where the French royalty built beautiful castles during the Renaissance. We visited Le Clos-Lucé, which is a home where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life. Then we headed to Chenonceau, a castle inhabited by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médécis, which is built over the Cher River. It is the most visited tourist historical site after Versailles. We had lunch and spent the afternoon in the city of Tours, and then made our way home to Paris via Amboise, which boasts a beautiful castle perched on a hillside. We all had a great time, and I am very impressed by how interested the students were in the visits. =) Check photos below.

First Group Trip to Paris

Today we went to Paris to take a boat tour along the Seine, have lunch and shop in the Latin Quarter, and visit the Notre Dame Cathedral. The students loved the Latin Quarter and said they wished they had had more time - so much to do and so little time! =) See photos below.

Who tried the lamb?

To answer your poll question, it was Megan!

Friday at a French School

Referring to the earlier poll, you are correct! No pizza was offered on the Air France flight!

Today we spent the day at school, either observing or participating in classes. We enjoyed a meal together, along with Noémie, at the school cafeteria, where they served a shepherd's pie with fish, breaded seafood, salads, mini baguettes, yogurt, and dessert. Very good! I asked the students to write their first impressions of France for you, and here's what they said:

Anna: I couldn't ask for a better host family. They make me feel at home even though things are different.

Josh: France is very . . . French. You know you're in France when the food is excellent and the bathrooms smell horrible.

Nettie: Things in France are tiny and pretty, but there is no peanut butter. :(

Megan: France is tasty. Speaking French makes me hungry. I like my host family. I think it's amusing that they love American clichés like Titanic. Sex ed classes for middle school are the same throughout the world.

Judy: So far I've learned that French food is better, that teenagers are loud no matter the language, and that my fashion sense leaves much to be desired.

This weekend, everyone will be with their host families. I don't know of all of the plans, but I believe Judy is going to Normandy, Josh to Disneyland Paris, Anna to the center of Paris, Megan to a concert and crêpe party, Nettie also to a party and maybe the Paris center. The weather is supposed to be lovely so we are looking forward to the weekend.

Sunny!

It's a beautiful, sunny spring day here in Paris! Off to school for us. Megan and I will be at the middle school and the others at the high school. Pics to come!

First Day Here

Bonjour, folks! Today was a great first day in suburban Paris. We spent the day in our northern suburb, Enghien-les-Bains. After our morning espresso, we had the rare chance to visit a French bakery behind the scenes. We meet three bakers who were making baguettes, a strawberry cake, and apple turnovers. Then we got to taste the goods, of course! Anna was a bit under the weather in the morning, but quickly got back on her feet. We enjoyed a lovely three-course lunch at a chic restaurant called "Le Patio" and then enjoyed a suspense thriller movie. The group also sneaked in the first bit of shopping. Everyone is happy and healthy, with good attitudes and French accents. ;) Tomorrow we will spend the day at school and eat in the cafeteria. Some students will have the chance to show off their English skills in English classes!

Safe Arrival!

Bonjour, family and friends! We have arrived in Paris safe, sound, and tired! Our 777 Air France jet was huge and mighty, but our flight had a considerable amount of turbulence, which didn't allow us much sleep. All of our host families were waiting for us at the airport to give us a warm welcome, and we dispersed to our host homes to rest. Nettie is coming to my host home (Noémie's house) a bit later for a visit. The group will meet in the morning on Thursday to tour a bakery, do some testing of French baked goods, then off to a nice lunch. (Arrival pic below)

One week and we're off!

Bonjour, Josh, Judy, Nettie, Anna and Megan! Meet me in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, March 6 at 8:30 AM, and we'll embark upon our adventure in France. There are a lot of things I'd like to show you! At long last - a real, live venue for you to use your French!