We're coming home

I'm back . . . I have been unable to blog over the last few days because I have been unable to access the Internet via a wireless connection. I am blogging from the computer in the hotel in Spain so unfortunately I cannot post any new pictures.

We ended our Paris trip with a wonderful afternoon at Versailles. We toured the gardens and the palace. The highlights of the palace tour were views of the King's bedroom, Marie Antoinette's bedroom and of course the Hall of Mirrors. The girls really enjoyed this visit. After making our way back to FIAP some of the girls went for pizza at a restaurant nearby. They made their way back early to finish last minute packing before we embarked for Spain. We're going to miss Paris and all the wonderful adventures we shared. Spain . . . here we come!

After arriving in Madrid and checking into the hotel, we met for a walking tour of the city. Our tour guide, Leo, was spectacular. She started by taking us downstairs into a parking garage to show us the "walls" that were built by the Moors - incredible. Next we went to Plaza Mayor for a traditional spanish dinner before going to bed after a long day.

The next morning after breakfast we met Leo again for bus tour of the city and a visit to El Museo del Prado. Since we we short on time at the musuem we made a point of seeing Velazquez and Goya. After lunch it was off to Toledo for a walking tour of the city. The cathedral was spectacular as was the view from the top of the city. Afterwards, the girls were on their own for dinner.

We're scheduled to leave early in the morning for Miami. Our flight departs at noon, however, because we're such a big group we're staggering our check out times and we're scheduled leave the hotel by 8:45 am. I know the girls have had a wonderful time but I think they are all ready to come home!

I hope you have enjoyed reading about our adventures - it's been my pleasure to accompany your girls on this trip. See you soon!

Napoleon's Tomb

Thursday, after lunch we headed out to visit Napoleon’s Tomb. What an enormous dwelling for such a small person! It was breathtaking as were the gardens that surround the structure.

It was one of the hottest days we’ve experienced since our trip began. Last week the weather was perfect “touring and sightseeing” weather with temperatures in the mid 70s. Yesterday it felt as though we were back in Miami. The girls had the afternoon free and the seniors chose to come back to FIAP and head towards the Luxembourg Gardens. The juniors walked around the Rue de Rivoli for some last minute shopping (these girls are unbelievable). We ate dinner at the FIAP and as the evening began to wind down we were smacked with a hail storm. As you recall that FIAP is not equipped with air conditioning, therefore our windows are opened all the time. The girls had to scramble to close their windows as hail was coming in. There were down branches and leaves scattered everywhere. Even though the rain stopped, the lightning lasted until the early morning hours.

Today, the day is cooler than it has been as we head to Versailles. This evening the girls want to have a farewell dinner in Paris. We cannot believe that our adventure in Paris is coming to an end. I believe that they have had a wonderful time and it has been my pleasure to accompany them. They are truly a remarkable group of young women.

Saturday morning we head to Spain for a whirlwind tour of Madrid and Toledo. Then it’s back to Miami. I’ve heard the girls tell me that even though they’re having a wonderful time, they miss their family and their home.

Free day in Paris

After lunch, the juniors went to the Latin Quarter (yes again!) and then to Champs Elysees. Many more purchases were made and there have been discussions about “is there enough room in my suitcase for ALL the stuff I bought?” The seniors enjoyed an afternoon relaxing at FIAP then they were off to dinner to a Brazilian restaurant.

Since we have an early flight to Madrid on Saturday morning, we encouraged the girls to begin packing and organizing.

Tomorrow, we’re off to visit Napoleon’s Tomb and Sainte-Chappelle and the girls have a free evening on their own. And finally, on Friday we’re visiting Versailles.

After being in Paris for over a week, I have made the following observations that I wanted to share:
1. Air conditioning is scarce.
2. The French love their dogs and take them EVERYWHERE; even on vacation. When we were visiting Mont St. Michel – there were plenty of dogs on vacation with their families.
3. Smoking in not a taboo – it is part of their culture. People of all ages smoke and they smoke everywhere.
4. Waiters don’t work for tips. Generally the service is slow and if you don’t ask for your bill, they will never bring it.

Bastille Day

Today is Bastille Day (Independence Day), therefore there is no school. The girls took advantage and slept in.

We spent the afternoon at the Orsay Museum. This museum houses a large collection of impressionist painters among other works of art. The girls saw Van Gogh, Monet, Cezanne, Picasso, and Matisse among others.

For the evening we got tickets to see La Fille mal gardee, a ballet at the Opera National de Paris. We sat in individual rooms on the mezzanine level. The ballet was funny and lively, filled with dancing and a wonderful array of costumes. Afterwards, we tried to make it see the fireworks, but unfortunately, because of the crowds we were unable to.

This evening was a “dress up” day and the girls looked beautiful! Tomorrow is a free day for the girls to explore Paris on their own.

The Louvre

Today we were off to the Louvre. Before we let the girls explore the museum on their own we gave three “must sees”: DaVinci’s Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo.

The museum is overwhelming and you could stay for days and still NOT see everything. The girls appreciated the visit and in addition to the “must sees”, found works of art that were deemed as their favorites.

There was no evening activity planned so the girls were on their own for the evening. Sisi, Tabitha, Elsa and Stephanie made their way back to FIAP and enjoyed dessert around the neighborhood. Gayle, Marielou and Alex shopped the Rue de Rivoli and went back to Montmartre for more shopping. Arianne, Aymee, Allie, Zoe, Dani and Gaby headed to the Latin Quarter and Anabelle and Andrea joined me at the Champs Elysees. We ate the most amazing and world famous macaroons at Laduree – which has been in Paris since 1862.

Tomorrow we’re off to Orsay and L’Opera for a ballet.

One week down, one week to go

Today, marks one full week that we’ve been in Paris. It has been a wonderful trip so far and I expect this coming week will be more of the same.

Friday afternoon I took the girls shopping (yes, more shopping!) to the Latin Quarter. The Latin Quarter is a lively part of Paris full of boutiques, cafes and entertainment.

That evening we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Spectacular is the first word that comes to mind. While at the top we saw a couple get engaged – awww how romantic! Many of the girls decided to take the stairs down the tower. We waited until 10:00 p.m. when the tower is lit and the lights twinkle for about 5 minutes. It was awesome. There we were, in front of the Eiffel Tower eating crepes. These are memories that will last a lifetime.

Saturday morning we departed Paris early in the morning on our way to Caen – where we visited the Caen Memorial - A Museum for Peace, which is dedicated to D-Day and the Normandy invasion. We began our tour with a movie depicting the days before D-Day, D-day itself and the days following D-Day. After the movie, we toured the museum which is filled with artifacts from WWII including personal letters written from the soldiers on the front line of Normandy. Our next stop was the beach and the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. While at the cemetery, the national anthem began to play – we all stood at attention and understood the enormity of the moment. There are 10,000 crosses at the cemetery representing all the lives lost on D-day. Next we stopped at Saint-Malo – a quaint fishing town on the coast of France. We walked into town along the sea wall which was erected to protect the town from storms. After a quick tour of the town, the girls were on their own to eat dinner and explore.

The next morning we left for Mont Saint Michel. When Mont Saint Michel was built it was completely surrounded by a forest. Today, it is completely surrounded by water. Mont Saint Michel is thought to date back to 708, when the Bishop of Avranches had a sanctuary built in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. Today it still houses an abbey, a chapel and cloisters. Following a long trip home, we settled in for the evening after an exhausting but fun-filled weekend.

This week looks to be packed with museums, monuments, opera, and Bastille Day celebrations before we depart for Madrid. That’s all for now, continue reading and enjoying our adventures.

Montmartre and Sacre Coeur

We were scheduled to leave for Montmartre at 3:00 p.m., however, some of the girls (you know who you are) wanted to get in more shopping after lunch and before going to Montmartre. We ended up at Rue Rivoli which is a main avenue across from the Louvre. There were many souvenir shops and the girls had a ball.

We met up with Madame at Sacre Coeur - church of the Sacred Heart. The church sits up on a hill and once you get to the top you have the most amazing panoramic view of Paris you could ever see. Most of the girls took me up on my challenge and walked up the 300+ steps to the top of the church. Others (which will remain nameless) decided the Madame needed personal accompaniment and took the easy way on a tram.

After the church visit we went to the heart of Montmartre which is shops, cafes and most of all painters. Montmartre used to be where many of the French painters got their start - that tradition lives on today as many "would be" artists display their work and are willing to paint your portrait. We indulged in the most amazing crepes I've ever had, and some even decided on ice cream AFTER their crepes. These girls have a bottomless pit for a stomach! We finished our day with what else - more shopping! Parents - check your accounts because they shopped to their hearts' content.

On Friday, we have tickets to the Eiffel Tower at 8:00 p.m. We're riding all the way to the top. This afternoon was supposed to be a "napping" day but the girls want to explore and shop some more so I guess I'll continue to make the ultimate sacrifice and take them where they want to go. On Saturday morning we leave for Normandy - really looking forward to it.

Stay tuned as we continue our adventures . . .

Shopping and Seine

Yesterday we started our outing by going shopping. We visited Galeries Lafayette - an indoor mall that houses many, many stores. The girls had a wondeful time but you might need to transfer some money into their accounts because damage was done!

After eating dinner at FIAP we met at 8:00 p.m. to make our way to the Seine for a river cruise. What a wonderful evening! Throughout our trip there was commentary that pointed out and explained the sights we were seeing. The evening was crisp and cool and as we were passing by Notre Dame , the sun was setting and "Ave Maria" was playing over the speakers. It brought tears to my ears. Throughout the river cruise the girls had a great time waving at all passerby boats and insisting that everyone wave back. I heard from all the girls that they really enjoyed this tour.

Tommorrow we are headed to Montmartre and to visit Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart church). Montmartre is also an art district with street artists, full of paintings and other Paris mementos.

I have to say that I'm not sure if I'm having more fun because I'm experiencing Paris or if I'm just enjoying seeing the girls have so much fun. They are a great group and all get along so well. It is truly my pleasure to accompany them on this adventure.

Hope all of you are enjoying the blog. I will try to continue to post as often as I can. Until later . . . au revoir!

The Paris City Tour

Yesterday we had an intense city tour of Paris. Our guide, Katherine, was full of wonderful information (historical and otherwise) that added so much value to the sights we were experiencing.

Among the sights we saw were the Pantheon (where among many other notables, the following people are entombed: Rousseau, Voltaire, Curie, Hugo, Dumas and Braille), the Latin Quarter, the red light district including Moulin Rouge, the Louvre, Orsay, Napoleon's Tomb, the Eiffel Tower (of course) and Notre Dame. Because Notre Dame was our last stop, we stayed for mass. What an experience to hear mass at Notre Dame cathedral!

We got caught in a rain storm and ate at a nearby bistro. We finally made it home where the girls who seemed exhausted called it an early night (or so I like to think).

Tomorow we're meeting at 2:00 p.m. to go shopping - I hope the girls know the meaning of the word budget. This evening we're going on a boat ride on the Seine. Stay tuned and enjoy the blog!

What an awesome night!

Last night we departed our home and headed towards the Champs Elysees - the most famous avenue in Europe! Amazing and awesome are the two words that come to mind when I think back to the evening. I think once we got off the Metro and landed on the avenue it really hit the girls - WE'RE IN PARIS!!!

We navigated our way up the Champs Elysees until we reached the Arc de Triomphe. Along the way we stopped briefly at the shops and ate dinner at Le Deauville. Most of the girls ordered Crepes and other traditional French delicacies. The girls practiced their French with the waiters. After dinner we stopped and Haagen Dazs for dessert before heading towards the "Arc".

As I was sitting outside at a French cafe on the Champs Elysees with an amazing group of girls, I thought to myself -this is Magical! On the way home on the Metro we saw the Eiffel Tower in all its glory - what a spectacular sight. This afternoon we are going to enjoy a city tour of Paris.

Stay tuned . . .

We Made It!

We arrived safe and sound to our "home" FIAP Jean-Monnet on Sunday, July 5th. Most girls were tired, hungry and desperately needed to shower. Once we settled into our rooms and met up with Madame James and her group, we had an early dinner at the residence. We agreed to meet for breakfast between 8:15-8:30 on Monday morning before class. As I write this, the girls are in class and I am downstairs in the lobby surrounded by students.

A little bit about our residence: the rooms are laid out "dorm style" and most contain two bathrooms with showers. The showers are "interesting". In an effort to conserve water, the water does not stay "on" while you shower. You press a button to turn the water on, then after a few seconds (I mean seconds) it automatically shuts off. The girls will quickly learn the valuable lesson of taking short showers. There is no air conditioning at the residence - which so far does not seem to be a problem. The nights are cool and the windows are left open.

After class today we will be taking the metro to the Champs Elysees. On Tuesday, we are scheduled to take a city tour of Paris. More to come later.

I hope to post pictures daily. That's all for now - au revoir!