Paris Day 4

We met with students at the train station and headed into the city.  We got off at Chatelet and walked along the Seine to the Louvre.  Still very cold today - or at least at 9am it was very cold.  But the students have learned and now come with hats, scarves and gloves!

We met up with our guide - who was hard to understand in English and so she switched to French.  The students did  a great job at listening attentively and learning about the most famous parts of the Louvre.  I also helped and did a little side translation ... otherwise Mr Barnett would have been lost and for those students who wanted to listen in English.

I did see the Mona Lisa - I just didn't push my way in to take a picture - for Day 4 pictures.  We had our bagged lunches in the louvre cafeteria and also some students bought some more food.....like the one and only Big Mac!

After the Louvre we walked to the Saint Chapelle for a guided visit.  But because of the weather (cold?) it was closed for today....even Fabien didn't understand why.   Ah, the French and their random closings - you have to love it.  We stopped and sent some post cards, exchanged some more money and headed to Notre Dame.

At Notre Dame we got a little group shot crazy and had to have every sort of variation possible - we got the full group, seniors, the boys with Barnett and Fabien, all the levels of French classes that came on the trip, Cross country - because Rena was my captain last year and Alex is the captain this coming year.  We went inside to see the amazing stained glassed windows, lit a candle for some loved ones and were planning on walking up to the top of the towers..... but helas - closed too.  This however did make sense - there was ice on the stairs.

We headed to the back of Notre Dame to see the famous flying buttresses and also to visit the Holocaust memorial that is right next to the Seine.  I had never gone at a time it was open and was able to take some photos.

we crossed one of the bridges to the Ile de la Cite .... to get some of the famous Berthilion ice cream that Mme Ambrose had talked to the students about since 7th grade french class.  Also stopped in a boulangerie for a cheese sandwich, pain au chocolat and of course the staple of the trip : macarons!

Then we walked back over 2 bridges to the Latin Quarter where the students had some time to shop, get some more food .... sensing a food theme here.  But they were exhausted so it was good that they had some down time to enjoy a hot chocolat.  Wait until you see some of their food pictures .... amazing.

And then it was back to Lisses.  Our train was canceled so we had to literally RUN to catch a train ... that of course we missed by 20 seconds - so we had to walk 2-3 floors up for the next train.  

But all is fine - students are safely with their french families...and as always they have just been GREAT.

Click on the Day 4 photos to view today's pictures :)

Day 4 Photos