Day 2 pour nous :)

Quelle journée!

Our morning started with breakfast at the hotel, and they have quite the spread- croissants, fresh baguettes, jam, nutella, cheese, eggs (scrambled and hard-boiled), bacon, cereal, and fresh fruit. I was happy to see the cafe au lait :)

After filling our tummies, we took the metro to Montmatre/Sacre Coeur. The cathedral sits atop a hill in northern Paris and offers a great view of the city. There was a bit of fog and wind again, but it was still enjoyable. The students had some time to take a tour in and around the cathedral, as well as squeeze in some shopping (I'm telling them to bring you lots of souvenirs ;) ).

Mid-day, we visited the Arc de Triomphe and part of the Champs-Elysees. Selfishly, this was the part I was waiting for..... the exit from the metro offers a very dramatic first impression of the Arc, so I snuck my way to the front of the group. I was able to get video of the monument, plus the look on the students' faces when they saw it for the first time. I'll get that video up this weekend as well- I know it will be my favorite!

The traffic around the Arc de Triomphe is unlike anything else. One must pass through a tunnel under the roundabout to get to the monument itself, and from there, we took the circular staircase up to the top! This is another extraordinary view- the Eiffel Tower made a great back-drop for some photos, as well as the Champs-Elysees and Sacre Coeur. The view wasn't 100% clear, but it was sunny nonetheless.

After an hour of free time to eat or shop on the Champs-Elysees, we regrouped and took the metro to the Musee D'Orsay for our guided tour. Again, I don't know if the students know how lucky they are- in all the times I've visited this museum, I've never taken a guided tour. This was a wonderful and very educational experience! Our guide shared (in French) amazing information and some fun stories as well about the impressionist paintings and sculptures. On one of them, he even referenced Bob Dylan, not knowing the Minnesota connection- quel coincidence. I was quite impressed by our students' attentiveness and curiosity.

Again, students had time to explore on their own for a bit before heading back to the hotel. It was a bit of a "free" evening, meaning that the students were able to choose a restaurant near our hotel and be in groups of their choice. They all signed out and we've just checked that they are safely tucked in their beds.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day- we are hoping that it is sunny, clear, and calm enough to take in the Tour Eiffel! In the afternoon, we will be taking the TGV to Rennes, where students will meet their host families for the first time. They seem very excited for the weekend, and I can't wait to hear their stories.

In the meantime, enjoy the photos from the day. Bien sur, il y aura plus demain (more tomorrow!)

Second man (Rambaud) from the left was a big influence on Bob Dylan

Vocabulaire du jour:

le petit déjeuner- breakfast

de la confiture - jam

un café au lait- coffee with milk/cream

des céréales - cereal

des oeufs- eggs

du fromage - cheese

faire les magasins- to go shopping

la circulation - traffic

le musée - museum

une visite guidée - a guided tour

les tableaux - paintings

le soir libre- a free evening