Nice is Nice

We woke up this morning for breakfast to be on the bus at 8:30 to head out to the largest  petanque park in the city of Nice. What is a patanque park?  Why it is where they play petanque!  It is like a cross between curling, horseshoes, and bowling and is a game (sport?) that was invented and is still very popular in the south of france.  Pretty much every park has a couple of petanque courts amd it is the stereotype that when men retire, they retire to play petanque (like we retire to fish or play golf. In the evenings you will see all of the older guys (and some women) out at the parks playing petanque.

  This park is exclusively a petanque park and hosts a petanque club.  The club gives lesssons and we got to take one!  We went out and had lessons in two different styles of Petanque - the traditional petanque played in Nice and a style played in Lyon, called boules lyonnaises.  The kids enjoyed these to greater and lesser degrees, but they were good sports, even if they didn't love the Lyon style of play...because - after all - "you're only in France once."
It is our last full day in France, of course, so after our lesson, we are going on a tour by bus to see the major sites of the city, and then finishing with a walking tour in the  rues pietonnes (pedestrian-only sections) of the old town.

We have the afternoon "free" and plan to do a little shopping and see a few things we haven't seen yet.

We have only today left to see what we want to see, do what we want to do, and eat what we want to eat in Nice before we have to wrap things up.

The kids will be happy to get home to see family and friends but also sad to leave behind the experiences that they have had in France.  Their worlds have been immeasurably expanded and they have taken their first step towards umderstanding that we are not only citiens of Fort Wayne; as well as being Hoosiers; and Americans; but we are also citizens of the Globe and that no matter what country we are from, what language we speak, or what faith we follow, there is a pan-human experience that we all share.  I think that having an opportunity to be in Nice after the tragedy here and seeing the sadness of the city had not been a bad thing; it is a reminder that in being brothers and sisters in Christ, we have more in common with others than we imagined and more obligation to each other than we knew. The path to Global Citizenship is long, but they have certainly started on the way! Nothing can take the place of a trip like this in terms of accomplishing that, so in helping the kids participate in this trip, you have done them a great service in their education - in terms of academics, as well has giving them an opportunity to grow as human beings.

Tomorrow we must be on the bus early in the morning to start the long journey back home.

We plan to make the most of it! (In fact, the girls have indicated that they plan to stay awake all night. Kyle - practical, as always - has said he will be sleeping. Lol.)

Sunday, Sunday

We had a great day today.  This morning after breakfast, we got on the bus at 8:30.  We went to a small mountain village called Saint Paul de Vence.  They call it a
"mountain village" but the mountain is not what we usually think of when we think of the Alps.  Les Alpes Maritimes are not the snowcovered Alps that we usually think of -- they are smaller rocky coastal mountains that share the Mediterranean weather of the area.  St. Paul de Vence is a small village with an intact medieval wall.  We went to mass in a small chapel that serves a Benedectine convent.  It just so happened that there was a baptism during mass that day, so... that was interesting.   The kids got a chance to use some of the prayers that they learned in class, joining in with the Sign of the Cross, and the Hail Mary, and the Our Father.   After Mass, we walked the rest of the way up to the town. Kaitlyn and Emily went with one of the other teachers into the Fragonard store right by the city gates.  (Fragonard was the parfumerie that served Marie Antoinette and their "factory" is close to St. Paul de Vence.)   Kyle went with me on a mini-tour of the old town.  Kyle has really enjoyed using the spring-fed water fountains that are all over in this area of France and St. Paul de Vence is full of them.  They are really fresh and cold and the water tastes SO GOOD!  It was a hot day, so Kyle had the chance to refill his bottle several times as we walked out on the ramparts, explored the cemetery, and wandered through the little winding streets looking for the surprises that wait just-around-the-corner in these historical little towns.   For me, they are like the "easter eggs" that game designers hide in games.  I know that they are there, and it is just a question of exploring them and unlocking the secrets of the town.   Each time I go to an old town, I look for them.  If I don't have enough time to find them all, and it is a really cool town, then that town might go back on my list of towns to be sure to come back to.  Our one hour visit after mass (which was loooooong due to the baptism) was not long enough, and St. Paul de Vence was a fascinating town, so now that one is is on 'the list."  All too soon, we met back at the bus and made the short drive down the mountain to visit Cannes, where they have the famous film festival.  We saw the building where the celebrations are held for the festival.  We walked a little farther to see the handprints of the stars which are set in the sidewalk and are the French equivalent of the stars on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame."   Afterwards, we had an hour for lunch and then we all met up again.  Kaitlyn and Emily went with the other groups to the beach at Cannes (it is LOVELY!)  while Kyle and I took the short ferry ride out to the tiny island of Sainte Marguerite.  Only 3 miles long and 900 feet (about three football fields) wide, the history of Sainte Marguerite begins around 2000 BC with a Greek trading post.  Around the time of Christ, the inhabitants of the island welcomed in the Romans and willingly joined the Roman Empire.  There were water works built at that time that exist to this day, and there is now a museum of Greek and Roman artifacts located in what was an enormous vaulted Roman cistern which was used to hold trapped rainwater and supply the island with fresh water for drinking and washing.  During the time of Louis XIV, when he was beefing up security against the Spanish and asserting control over the local aristocrats (he was the consummate absolute monarch), he built a military station on Sainte Marguerite.  Only about two miles out in the Bay of Cannes, it made attacking Cannes by water nearly impossible as the Spanish Armada would be trapped between the cannons of Cannes and the cannons on Sainte Marguerite.   With about 600 soldiers stationed on the island, it was also a great place for a prison, and it was where political prisoners were usually held.  I don't know if you have heard of the story of The Man in the Iron Mask (A novel by Victor Hugo, from which they made a film a couple of years ago...) but it is based on a true story of a historical figure.  Sainte Marguerite was where he was held for the first few years of his 40 year captivity, before he was moved to the Bastille.  We saw his actual cell and Kyle took some really great pictures.  It was very interesting.

At the end of the day, we reboarded the bus and headed back to Nice for a late dinner.  We went to a seafood restaurant.  (Going to a seafood restaurant when one is on the coast of the Mediterranean is ALWAYS a good choice!)     I was proud of the kids because they all tried something new.  Kaitlyn ordered the "Mixed Fish Platter"  -- sea bass, mussels, shrimp, and two other kinds of fish, served with regional vegetables and rice pilaf.  I showed her how to eat mussels the local way (It is just the best way to eat mussels!  So trouble-free!)  Emilie had pasta aux moules and she also enjoyed the mussels.  Kyle bravely ordered duck, which is very popular in the region, because he "had never tried it."  They all really enjoyed the meal, and I was proud of them for trying something new.   After dinner we went for a walk, down to the beach and watch the waves come in.  The weather was perfect, warm with a light breeze and the moon reflected off of the Mediterranean as the lights of Nice sparkled back at us across the bay.  After a while we strolled home in through the warm summer night, enjoying the sights and sounds of evening in the French Riviera.  We went to bed earlier than we might have liked, but later than we probably should have.  (Morning comes early when you are touring France!)

Friday Free Time

Good morning from France!   

I wanted to give you a better report from yesterday. We were finally at a hotel with good wireless for uploading, but  -- we were out so late last night that I could not keep my eyes open as I typed. 

We had a great day yesterday!  Although we were sad about the events in Nice, there was so much cool stuff to do, and we are trying to make the most of our time in France, so we dove in to the day. 

We woke up very early for a 5:30am breakfast because the bus was leaving for the train station at 6am.  We ate quickly and discussed the events in Nice before boarding the bus.  We arrived at the train station with some time to spare and the kids had a chance to look around. (I grabbed the largest coffee I could find!)   Paris was going about its business and the only sign that something had happened in Nice was a small squad of military in the train station, but I understand that they have been there since the Charlie Hebdo attack.  

We got on the train and settled in.  The French TGV (trains de grande vitesse) are the fastest trains in the world, and very comfortable.  Some kids slept (it was an EARLY morning!) and the rest of us watched the French country side rush by.   We arrived in Avignon in only two hours and got off the train to be met by our bus. 

Avignon is famous as the home of the French Popes.  From 1305, through the Great Schism of the Church (1429-ish?) there were a series of French Popes/  Pope Clement didn't trust the people of Rome who didn't like having a French Pope and he moved the papal court to Avignon.    The Papal palace was built a few popes later and the 14th century building is still standing today, as is the entire city wall that enclosed Avignon during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.  

The old city of Avignon still has its many of its buildings from the Middle Ages and the Rennaissance period and they are still in use, a fact which I find absolutely AMAZING.  The town wall is intact and the area is small, so the kids were able to have "free time" to choose what they wanted to do.   The kids who like history focused on some of that.  Avignon is also in the heart of Provence, which is known for its lavendar, herbs, oils, sunflowers, textiles...and...locusts.   The girls did some shopping in the local artisan stores (You should expect some nicely scented products coming home!)  There is also a national theater festival held in Avignon each year and we were lucky enough to catch it.  The tickets can be quite expensive, but in the off-times, the theater companies also do free street performances and there are a lot of other performance artists out on the street.   The kids ate in cafes on the terraces of the town square and watched free performances.  

Here is a little bit about the Old Town of Avignon:     click here to learn about Avignon

Here is a link for Google Maps if you want to make your own "virtual visit" to the papal palace, just put your little man on the red pin:  Click here to "visit" papal palace:

For information about the theater festival:  http://www.festival-avignon.com/en/

After wrapping it up in Avignon, we reboarded our bus and headed on to Nimes.  Nimes is a small town in Provence.  They are well known for the state of their Roman ruins.  The Romans were at their most powerful in France around the time of the birth of Christ and built prolifically.  There are Roman ruins throughout Europe, of course, but in this area of France, when the Romans declined, the people of the area did not abandon their buildings, nor tear them down to harvest the stone for other projects, but rather repurposed the buildings for their own use.  After checking into our hotel, we did a quick walking tour of Nimes before dinner.   We had a lovely dinner of local specialties.  The salad was topped by un rond de chevre frais. (a round of newly-made goat cheese) and I did not expect the kids to enjoy it… but ALL THREE OF THEM LOVED IT!!!   I was proud and happy.  I LOVE French cheese, but most American students do not.  I have been really happy that all three of these guys have joined me in the cheeses that have been presented to us each day, and that they share my appreciation of them.  Now, to be honest, we have been presented pretty “safe” cheeses – mild and unoffensive, but… still….    I am so glad that I finally have some students in France with whom I can share my love of French cheese!  

In Nimes, there is a Roman arena intact enough to still use for theater and performances, and a number of other structures that date to Roman times.    There was a show on the arena yesterday ( a play, not a gladiator event, haha), so we were unable to enter the arena, but we did visit the outside.  All over France, there are also history signs (because all over France there is so much history)  which I read with Kyle while the girls sat at a café on the square to get a drink.  The square is right by the hotel, so the girls went back to their room afterwards while Kyle and I went on a walk through town.  The sun goes down suddenly in this part of France and it was suddenly night.  We continued our walk past all of the French enjoying the beautiful evening on the terraces of the cafes.   We walked in the warm night into the old town on marble tile sidewalks. A three-quarter moon hung in the navy blue velvet sky.   The north star appeared as we walked and the Mistral blew through the Sycamore trees overhead, sounding like waves crashing vaguely on a distant beach.  It was a perfect night.  As we came into the old town, we saw our destination, the Maison Carree. A glowing white Roman pillared edifice built by Augustus Caesar in honor of his two grandsons.   It has been in use since it was built 2-4 years before the birth of Christ.  It is currently a museum.  On this night, of course it was closed.  As we approached it, it seemed to glow in the moonlight and the contrast with the navy sky was beautiful beyond description. Kyle could not resist the opportunity to photograph it from every angle.  (I will try to upload some of his pictures, when I find solid wireless access again.  We are down in La Camargue which is a wild region known for wild horses and flamingos.  Very beautiful, but not great for wireless bandwidth.)   

We climbed the stairs of the monument and touched the pillars.  It is difficult to describe these things but... when you touch things in Europe, you can feel history beneath your fingers.  We thought about the two millenia of things that the pillars have looked down on. There was nothing to say. We read the sign telling the history of the building and translated the Latin engravings.  Then we headed back across town towards the hotel.  Everywhere we looked, there was history standing silently under the stars.  Roman ruins.  An eleventh century church.  A monument to a French queen. Seventeenth Century houses.  And a modern fountain, next to a street lined with parked cars.  In Europe, the people live with their history and new history always unfolds on top of the ancient  and the two coexist together, sometimes in tension and yet somehow also in Harmony.  It is one of my teaching frustrations that I never can find accurate words to convey this properly to students... in fact, this is one of the reasons that I started offering this trip.  Because there are so many of these experiences and so many of these things to see and do (and eat!) that can only really be understood when we are here.  All three students have said that, and they are trying to figure out how to get you guys to come back with them, so that they can share these things with YOU!    Especially the French students been remarking frequently that being here lends a whole different level of understanding to the things we talked about in class, but I think it is particularly meaningful to Kyle. He just smiles and shakes his head like he can't believe that this is all real.  He says over and over "This is another thing that you just can't ever describe."   It makes me so happy when the students say things like that... it makes all of the planning and paperwork that goes into a trip like this worthwhile!   The students who got to attend this trip are really lucky, and you have done them an immeasurable service by supporting them to have this experience.   They are not only having a great time, but they are having experiences that can't be had other places, and learning things that can only be understood here.  It is an extraordinary opportunity and they are truly grabbing it with both hands to wring every drop out of it -- they have been game to try everything and experience as much as possible.  

We are on the bus now and in the Alpes region, so wireless reception is not great and we have a busy day planned, but we should have decent reception in the hotel.  I will update you again and try to get our pictures loaded, as well!  

We are making our way towards Nice, as we had planned.  Nice is perfectly safe – as safe as anywhere else in the world these days and, overall, quite a bit safer than Fort Wayne, really – so there is no concern in that regard, but I do expect Nice to be very sad. Also, I understand that you are concerned for your children because they are far from you in a place you do not really know.  So, I have been working with the travel company, the tour manager and the other group leaders to make some adjustments to the plan.  We have added visits to other towns on the way to Nice, so rather than going straight to Nice this morning, we stopped at Sainte-Marie-de-la-Mer and drove through La Camargue to see the flamingos, wild horses, and black bulls.   We are going to lunch in Aix-en-Provence and spend an hour there, then stop again in Antibes to enjoy the beach there.  Tomorrow we are going to get up early and go out to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a lovely little town on the coast in the Maritime Alps region (more info here)  

We will try to be there by 9:00 and attend mass in a Dominican convent  before taking a guided tour of the town (walking tour info) in the morning and spending the afternoon there at the beach. We will head back to Nice to a hotel. 

On the last day, we will stay in Nice and do a sight-seeing tour of the city in the morning and have a petanque lesson in the afternoon.  

These are the current plans, but we are watching the situation and keeping up with any updates in the news.  I see no reason for concern but will continue to exercise an excess of caution and will keep you updated.  

Hope all is well at home.  Things are GREAT here, and though we are sad for the losses in Nice, we understand that this is possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (maybe-- they are plotting to get you to come back with them, haha)  and we are taking advantage of every opportunity!  

Friday in France

We woke up early this morning to get ready to leave, and learned about the sad events in Nice.  After a discussion with the kids, we all ate breakfast and boarded a bus to the train station.  We continued the conversation with our Tour Manager and we explained to the kids what had happened and reassured them that we are safe.   Just as the attacks in Orlando or San Bernadino might make us sad or angry but do not hurt us in a physical way, so it is with the attacks in Nice.
Very sad!
The kids understood, and as the day went on and they saw the French going about their "everyday lives" and became more and more comfortable throughout the day.

I will update more on our events shortly.  Wireless has been a blessinh

Thanks!

Thursday in Paris

We had another GREAT day today ! We woke up and ate breakfast at the hotel.  The girls have done quite a bit of culinary exploring.  (And don't worry, Marie, Kyle hasn't done too badly either!

After breakfast, we headed out to continue our exploration of Paris.  We took the Metro (subway) today and went downtown to the Louvre.    The line was long but moved very quickly and we discussed what we wanted to see as we waited.  The building itself is phenomenal and we had a lot of conversation in line about the building itself.  It is so large, that it is difficult to even understand how big it is, and I shared some "tricks and tips" with the kids that I use when I want to get a better idea of the scope and size of things in Europe. (the tip is... look for a person on the stairs, on a balcony, or in a window to give you a sense of scale. It works in photos too...
I am posting a link below... drop in the little yellow man and give it a try!  You can look around a little bit and try to get an idea of what the kids saw this morning... although - as the kids keep saying - there is NO WAY to convey these things in a picture or with words... the only way to really understand it is to see it.  (they have been discussing how to get you, their parents, here....)   For now, you will have to make do with Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/U8b8WgjprjC2

You can't get the whole building in a photo, so here is a link to the floor plan, if you want to see what the kids visited:  http://www.louvre.fr/en/plan       I will explain more below

Once we got in, we decided to head for the Richelieu wing to see the Apartements de Napolean.  I am a total history nerd, so I regaled them with stories and drowned them in info and useless tidbits of information.   I always worry that I will bore them, but Kaitlynn said that she actually enjoyed it much more when she got the history and understood what she was looking at - so I was glad for that.

We had the option to leave early to do something else, but all of the kids felt that the Louvre was worth staying for and we remained at the Louvre until the last minute before it was time to leave.  We saw the clocks/watches, jewelry, furniture and tapestries, and MANY MANY MANY famous statues and paintings.  We saw the Wedding Feast at Canna (I think that was Emily's favorite), the Coronation of Napolean, and - of course The Mona Lisa, among others...   We saw the throne of Napolean (Kaitlynn's favorite) and his wife's jewels.  It was a remarkable morning!  For more information on the Louvre, please check out this website:  http://www.louvre.fr/en.

At around 2pm, we sat down to rest our aching feet.  (The kids are not used to walking so much and their feet are suffering a little bit.)   We sat under the famous glass pyramid and aate AMAZING sandwiches and desserts from the cafe at the Louvre! (delicious!!!)

At 3pm, we met the rest of our group and headed off again, taking the subway to Montmartre, the artists district where Picasso, Matisse, Degas, Dali, Renoir, Van Gogh, and others worked.  Of course, Hemingway lived there, as did F. Scott Fitzgerald, JD Salinger, and Josephine Baker and many other creative types.   At the top of the hill at Montmartre, stands Sacre Coeur - the highest point of the city. Built in the 1800s it is very "modern" by European standards, and we toured the church from foundations to Dome.

Sacre Coeur is known for its mosaic tiles.  Check them out here: http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/

I have much more to tell, but I am falling asleep and we have to be on the bus at 6am tomorrow to say goodbye to Paris and catch the train to Avignon!

Tuesday In Paris

We arrived in Paris early on Tuesday morning.  We had not really slept on the plane, so we were pretty tired, but we were ready to see Paris.  After a LONG trek through Charles de Gaule airport and an even LONGER line to get through Passport control, we finally retrieved our luggage and made it out into the airport.
As always, there are HUNDREDS of people waiting in the arrivals section holding up signs with names on them, and we found one advertising our names, and went to it to meet our tour manager, Guillaume (Gee-yome), a frenchman from an eastern suburb of Paris.  We waited a few more minutes to collect the other American group who would be joining us (turned out they were near us on the plane) and headed outside to locate our bus.  We got quite a driving tour of Paris as we drove through the city on our way to our hotel, and - although tired- just being in Paris was exhilerating.
We left our luggage and went out right away to eat lunch and explore our immediate neighborhood for an hour.  Then we all met back together at the hotel and our guide took us on a walking tour of the district, Montparnasse, culminating at the Tour Montparnasse -- the tallest building in Paris.  For 12 Euros, we went up to see the 360 degree views visible from the 56th floor and gaped down on Paris.  The kids were able to spot many of the cool things that we have learned about in French Class and we talked a lot about the history and layout of the city.  After viewing the city from all angles, the kids stopped in the gift shop.  As I waited on them, I realized that at that point caffeine was necessary for survival, so we stopped briefly in the coffee shop.  I drank a coffee and he kids ate chocolate. Then we climbed 3 more stories to visit the roof and see the views from there.
When we had seen all that we could see, it was the assigned time to meet up with our guide, so we returned down to the ground floor and met the groups and guide. From there we proceeded to dinner.  We ate at a little specialty restaurant and tried the northern specialty, gallettes and crepes.

ALMOST READY TO GO!!!

Passport - check
Eticket number - check
Money exchanged - check
Bag packed... uh...    

We are wrapping up our preparations... at this time tomorrow, we will be on our way for the ADVENTURE of a lifetime!     FRANCE.... HERE WE COME!!!!  



You can keep up with our adventures by following this blog for daily updates and pictures!