Paris - Day 1 :)

We arrived somewhat rested from the train ride.....there were 4 per cabin and they had beds that pulled down - bunk beds. So that was interesting...actually more fun than you would think and a lot quicker too bc for the majority of the time we were sleeping.

Grabbed our bus to the hotel, dropped off our luggage - and went to downtown area. We walked to Notre Dame and Ile de la Cite- the center of Paris and spent some time wondering around the church. We then walked over the the St Germain de Pres area of Paris - Latin quarter.....and the students were able to experience their first French meals - which they loved. Some had crepes, croque monsieurs, salads......on a full stomach we walked over to the Louvre musuem to find out it was closed on Tuesdays.....so Plan B was to go to the Musee d'Orsay.

We split into 3 small groups and spent a couple of hours looking at the impressionist greats like Monet, Cezanne, Pissaro, Van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec....The museum is located in a renovated train station of Paris so even the building is incredible.

The French students are taking their responsibility of helping the Spanish students very seriously. There are only 8 French students - so they are teaching the others simple French phrases....I think Kathryn McCarthy might be able to take French AP now because of Zach and Greg! It is amazing to have seen the Spanish students in action in Madrid - and really wonderful to see the French students in action here.

SO - after the museum we walked through the Place de la Concorde and up to the Opera area to grab our train to the hotel for dinner.

Early night tonite - because we had't stopped running since Monday morning - and we hadn't showered either :0

Tomorrow is guided tour or Paris in the morning, bus to Verseilles and then Eiffel tower at night after dinner.

Pictures still aren't loading - so when I figure that out I will post them. Sorry