We are HOME

Amazingly enough - we landed yesterday on time at 2:30pm in JFK. We woke the students up at 5am to leave at 5:30am for the airport. We had a flight to Munich, then Munich to JFK. We made our connecting flight and somehow were able to land yesterday.

After a good night sleep - looking back on the trip - it was a great experience and we were all thankful that the students were well behaved and I hope had a good time.

Kind of weird to not have to look after 25 students :)

Last Night in Paris

While in Montmartre they these 2 guys performing on the street who were absolutely amazing....we took a picture with them and then they proceeded to ask Isabelle to be in their act!

After dinner we went back to the Seine to finish our trip with a boat tour of the city.

Last Day in Paris

We ventured back to the Louvre Museum. Upon arrival, they informed us that the workers were on strike - France at it's best :). Just as we were getting ready to put plan B intoplace, they opened. So we broke up into 3 small groups and wondered around the museum - the pictures above are of Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory and of course La Joconde (Mona Lisa).

After the museum we walked along the Seine, stopped at a few of the bouquiniste (book/souvenir) sellers and made our way to the Latin Quarter for lunch.

After lunch we broke into 2 groups - one went to Galerie LaFayette for some last minute shopping, the other to the Catacombs......unfortunately even though we called ahead they were closed.

We met up in Montmartre to see the Sacre Coeur - then walked through the Moulin Rouge area (which had about 6 blocks of sex shops - yikes!)....to dinner.

Paris Day 2

We got up early (actually some of the kids have been getting up even earlier in the mornings to go for little run...this was our 3rd morning....and it will be the last )....we headed to center city to pick up our guide Thierry - who I am sure the students will agree was GREAT. He had a great sense of humor and was not a boring or dry guide.....he made jokes with the students and got them invested in the history of Paris and France.....

With the bus and Thierry we visited the main attractions of Paris, Place de la Concorde, Eiffel Tour, Hotel Invalides where Napoleon is buried, the Louvre, Musee D'orsay, Notre Dame.....it was a drive by type deal. Then we took the bus to Verseilles.....and toured the King and Queen's apt, the chapel and the hall of mirrors. The picture above is from the back of Verseilles in front of the building. Today's weather was not so great - but not horrible.

We got back to Paris around 2:30pm - where we saw the Opera - the largest opera house in the world - and we broke into smaller groups to eat some lunch, then met up again and had some shopping time. My group walked to Angelina's a famous place for hot chocolate (make from pure chocolate) - to get some goodies....the picture is of Kevin enjoying a decadent mousse thing.....

We then went back to the Latin Quarter for dinner - and then took the metro to the Eiffel tour. We got there just as it was sparkling - the lights on the tower blink for 10 minutes on every hour. We went up the tower to enjoy the views......and then afterwards got a crepe and watched the tower sparkle for the second time.

Got back to the hotel at 11pm....so it was a 8am-11pm kind of day - and it was wonderful.

Last day in Paris tomorrow is the "free" day - but we were quick to fill it up :)

We are going to the Louvre tomorrow morning, then the Catacombs, then to the Latin Quarter for lunch....then a little bit of free time - maybe for more shopping! Then off to Montmartre to see the Sacre Coeur and tour around that area. After dinner in Montmartre we are finishing our trip with a bateaux mouches tour on the Seine (Glass window ceiling boats that circles around the city).

I heard from one of the students say that it might snow on Friday :(

Will blog tomorrow - but just in case - make sure to call Lufthansa for flight info and if there is some sort of delay we will activate the phone chain as soon as we can.

Paris Day 1

Small group in front of the Louvre museum and the glass pyramid designed by IM Pei

My group at the cafe in the Musee d'Orsay.....it was so beautiful

First Day in Paris

Train picture of arrival in Paris.

Notre Dame group picture and groups hanging out outside Notre Dame.....this first day in Paris was beautiful couldn't have asked for better weather....cool and sunny.

Pictures from Toledo - Last day in Spain

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