Sunday, June 3 2007
On Wednesday afternoon, Bernard Millot drove several of the students to the high mountain pass called the "Col du Joly" . In the photo at left, Annaliese is having a "hills are alive" moment...
The photo at right shows Bernard and his Renault Laguna at the col; some fifteen inches of snow had fallen the night before, blanketing the heights with fresh snow. The students decided to make snow angels, leaving Bernard quite perplexed and the students thoroughly soaked by the slushy snow.
Thursday morning, we all met at the Place du Marché to organize our motorcade into Annecy. In the photo at left, Karen and Rachel are figuring out how to fit their suitcases into Christine Montcoudiol's spacious Citroën Picasso minivan.The early-morning drive took about forty minutes, giving us all ample time to board the train.
In the photo at right, Graham and Matthew are boarding the TGV. The students were dispersed throughout the train, and many used the three hour, forty minute ride to walk up and down the train to chat with the other students.
In this photo, Rachel is seen photographing the countryside as the train speeds through the Burgundy countryside at 270 kilometers an hour.
We arrived in Paris right on schedule and proceeded into the nearest métro station to get our metro passes and board a train to our hotel.
Within minutes, we were at the Fred' Hôtel in the 14th arrondissement. The hotel is located on a side street, near a metro station and just off a commercial street which is lined with restaurants and shops of all kinds. Many of us bought some food at a local supermarket and started to spot eating places for later.
After an hour at the hotel, we headed for the Latin Quarter to start our visit of Paris and our familiarization with the transportation system. In the photo at right, students can be seen walking down the Rue de la Huchette in the heart of the 5th arrondissement.
Among our first stops was a famed bookshop called Shakespeare and Company, which is located just across the river from Notre Dame cathedral.
Notre Dame was our next stop, and we were fortunate to hear some music as a mass was being said. The crush of tourists was impressive but did not prevent us from admiring the huge nave and brilliant stained glass windows.
As we walked back into the Latin Quarter, rain began to fall. Students crowded under umbrellas and hurried their pace.
Just after visiting the Square St Julien-le-Pauvre, the heavens opened and we rushed for shelter under a restaurant awning, along with other pedestrians. We waited for about fifteen minutes as thunder roared and rain poured from the sky.Once the rain let up, we ran to a restaurant for dinner.
After dinner, the group split up, some returning to the hotel, others walking all over the city as night fell.
Friday began auspiciously, as the sun shone and the weather remained cool. We walked the length of the Rue de Rennes, returned to the Latin Quarter to visit Saint-Sulpice, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Institut de France, Pont des Arts, Pont Neuf, Place Dauphine ...
In this picture we can see the Louvre and the Pont Neuf as the students walk along the Quai des Orfèvres, in front of the headquarters of the French police.
The line at Notre Dame was so long that we opted not to climb the towers; we headed instead for the Sainte Chapelle, probably the most perfect Gothic building. Originally the private chapel of the king, it was built to house the Crown of Thorns which had been purchased by King Louis IX for the equivalent of some eight billion dollars today.(Click on the photo at left to see a larger version.)
After visiting the Sainte Chapelle, we broke for a brief lunch, meeting again at our rendez-vous spot in front of the Fontaine Saint-Michel.
We proceeded to walk the length of the Louvre and of the Tuileries Gardens before reaching the Place de la Concorde, where we boarded a bus down the Champs Elysées to get to the Arc de Triomphe.
The photo at left shows the Arc de Triomphe, a monument to Napoleon's military victories. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is beneath the Arc and its eternal flame is rekindled every day.
There are 284 steps to the top of the Arc, and just as many back to the bottom. In the photo at right, David looks up at the camera.
From the Arc, we took the metro to the Trocadéro, which overlooks the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower.
On the plaza at the Trocadéro, students took photos of each other in curious poses.
Don't ask.
A few courageous souls took the stairs up the Eiffel Tower; the rest of us waited patiently for the elevator and admired the view after the ride to the second level. This group of students has discovered the fun of taking pictures of themselves by holding the camera at arm's length. While this may seem a touch narcissistic, it is in reality an exercise in sociability, as pictures always include at least two or three smiling faces.
After getting back down the Eiffel Tower, the group split, half returning to the hotel, the other half returning to the Latin Quarter.We were all to meet at 9:45 at the Square du Vert Galant for our boat ride, and everyone did make it more or less on time. In any case, we all rode together on the boat as night fell and the monuments were lit up.
We rode west to the Eiffel Tower, and back east around the two islands.
A good time was had by all.
(Click on the photo at right to see a larger version.)
The boat ride ended at 11:15, and nearly everyone in the group returned to the hotel, some going out again to the nearby Rue de la Gaité to sample Parisian night life.
On Saturday and Sunday, students were free to roam in the increasingly familiar city. Some went to the Louvre and Orsay museums, others to the less famous Marmotan and Cluny museums, still others went shopping for gifts. On Sunday, which turned out to be a beautiful day, many of the students opted to see Versailles. By Sunday evening, feet were aching and plans were already being made for our return to the Alps on Monday.
Our host families are to meet us in Annecy at 4:50pm. Classes resume on Tuesday.
