Countdown to Paris: 2 Days

I love Paris in the springtime; however, the high is currently in the 40s. Still, here I go. Tuesday, March 26th I will be on my way to Paris. Stay tuned for more posts from the blog...

Normandy, Mont St. Michel, and Chartres

The last two days have been packed, and I've spent 38 hours straight with 18 teenagers. To say I'm exhausted is an understatement. I am loving the peace and solitude of Fabienne's apartment. However, this was perhaps my most fun two days because I saw things I've never visited before. (except Chartres) They did not disappoint.

First on the list was the American cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy. This was certainly a memorable and very touching experience. We watched a short film about five of the soldiers buried there, as well as the French people's reaction to what the Americans did, and then we walked out to the beach. The guide explained the lay of the land, so to speak. She showed us on a giant map where the different divisions landed, how far they are from where we were, etc. And then we walked over to the cemetery. There are just under 10,000 soldiers buried there. After the war when the families were asked whether they wanted their deceased family member's body transported back to the US, 60% said yes. The other 40% wanted them to be buried in Normandy. Of course, thousands others were never found, and they are memorialized on a wall on the edge of the cemetery. It was appropriately cloudy, cold, and windy as we walked through the cemetery, pausing to read some of the names. The guide said there were 44 sets of brothers buried there, as well as a father and son. She also regretted that we had only over an hour to visit because she said she wanted to tell us more stories about some of the people. I pointed out that we could stop at every grave and there'd be a story. The students were all respectful while taking it all in. Some shared with the group where their own family members had served. It certainly was a harrowing experience, and one that we won't forget.

Thankfully we were hungry so that we could move on and get our spirits up for the rest of the trip. We ate at a typical French restaurant bordering the beaches. We ate croque-monsieurs, frites, pizza and even mussels. Delicious. Then we headed to St. Malo. This small Normandy town features boutiques, crepe stands, cafes, and ramparts bordering the sea. We had free time here to explore. The view from the ramparts was beautiful, and the small cobblestone streets were picturesque and oh so French.

Finally we arrived at Mont St. Michel that night. I can't even begin to describe how fantastic it is. It almost looks like something out of a medieval Disney movie in the sense that it doesn't even seem real. Cobblestone streets, tiny passages, endless numbers of stairs, quaint boutiques, creperies, and of course the beautiful abbey at the summit. Thursday night we ate dinner and then walked around the town for a little while, but as it was so dark, we couldn't see that much, except of course the illuminated abbey. Friday morning after breakfast we had a little over an hour to meander around. It was magnifique! One could easily get "lost" wandering around, trying out different stairs or passages. But that is the fun of it. In a sense, it reminded me of Venice in the way that you can't get off the island, there are no cars, it's quiet in the mornings, the smell of the salty sea surrounds you, and you can wander around aimlessly forever. Of course, trade in gondolas for about three hundred stairs and gelato for nutella crepes. The view was beautiful. And we lucked out with a sunny, gorgeous, even hot day, on the Mont. The visit to the abbey was also lovely. We grabbed a quick lunch and then sadly had to leave for Chartres. But it was Superbe! Incroyable! Fantastique! Definitely my favorite thing we've done so far on the trip.

Lastly was the visit to Chartres. Chartres is a small town about an hour outside of Paris, known for it's stunning cathedral. The cathedral is a mix of different types of architecture, most notably Romanesque and Gothic on the outside, and add in a little Renaissance and Baroque on the inside. The tour was long, but we learned a lot about how the stained glass windows were paid for by guilds, and how the style of architecture inside changed as the king changed. After this, we did a quick walk through the town and finally ended at a creperie for dinner. Then it was back to Paris.

Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday

Well it's been quite a busy two days. Tuesday we went to the Musee d'Orsay in the morning. That was ok, but not my favorite visit to the museum. The tour guide talked too long at each painting, and so we only saw about eight. But there was also a big exhibit that went to Chicago, so I think a lot of the good stuff was missing. I did see my favorite painting by Renoir though, so it wasn't all bad.

From there we went to the Jardins des Tuileries for a picnic. How French! The weather was gorgeous, and so we enjoyed sitting out in the sun. We walked to Place de la Concorde after and were smack in the middle of Fashion Week. How fabulous. The only thing we saw were some really interestingly dressed people, but all week I've seen odd hairstyles, outfits, etc. because people are going to the fashion week events.

We then went to the Lido, the classy cabaret on the Champs Elysees. I learned that you never wear green on stage in France (of course, I had to wear a green shirt) because Moliere was wearing green on stage when he fell down. People thought it was part of the play, but in fact he was dead. So...unlucky. Also, you can never say "rope" or "rabbit." These come from sailing traditions. A lot of sailors worked in theatres because they could climb up to the rafters and work the backstage drops. Saying rope was unlucky on a ship, and that tradition carried over to the theatres. And as for rabbits, once there was a boat sailing on the ocean. The men had brought rabbits to eat with them on the voyage, but the rabbits escaped, ate the wood of the boat, and the boat sank. So....unlucky. Anyway, it was fun to see the backstage areas of the Lido, but the most fun was the rehearsal on the stage. At first it was a group number, but at the end it was a couple dancing. The girl must've been made of rubber. The final pose was her with her head touching her feet, arching back in a complete circle. The man picked her up, lifted her over his head, still while she was in the circle. Then suddenly he threw her up in the air, and she fell/slid down him as a circle around him. I hope I wrote that clearly enough. It was unbelievable! The best was that after that, Deborah said, "Hey, Shay, go show her how it's done." Yeah, right.

After the Lido, we went to the Latin Quarter to hang out, shop, explore pedestrian streets, and generally meander for about two hours. And then we met all our French buddies at a Moroccan restaurant for dinner. I was surprised that I liked the food. Of course, I didn't add any spices to my couscous and chicken. Haha. How bland can you get? We didn't get in until almost 11pm, and I had a slight headache, so I went straight to bed.

This leads me to Wednesday. Appropriately, we spent Ash Wednesday in two cathedrals. First was St. Chapelle. Built in the 13th century by Louis IX, this gothic cathedral was made to house relics. It is not very big, but most impressive. Three of the four walls are all stained-glass windows, and the fourth wall has a giant rose window at the top. The picture doesn't do it justice. It was breathtaking. This was my first time visiting it, and I was not disappointed. It certainly lived up to my expectations.

Then we went next door to La Conciergerie. This used to be a palace, but was transformed into a prison during the Revolution. Prisoners were held here until they were carted off to Place de la Concorde to be beheaded at the guillotine. Most notable among them was Marie Antoinette. There is a recreation of her cell and a chapel on the site of her actual cell. Had I thought about it, we should've all eaten cake in the cell. That would've been so appropriate. Alas.

Last on the tour with the kiddos was Notre Dame. No matter how many times you see it, it's still quite remarkable. This time I enjoyed sitting in the relative warmth, listening to organ music, and not having teenagers ask me questions or say my name. It was wonderful.

The kids went off with their buddies, and I joined Fabienne and her two friends Sabrina and Marlene for lunch. They are both really sweet and funny, and I hated having to tell them goodbye. Fabienne, who is still not feeling totally well, went home, and I went shopping on Rue de Rivoli. This street of shops runs from the Louvre all the way to the Bastille. I was successful in finding French ensemble pieces as well as gifts.

Tonight, Fabienne and I ate a quick dinner : salmon and avocados and chocolate cake, and then headed off to the movies. We saw The Fighter, which opened here today. It was fantastic. Fabienne was happy there were subtitles what with their thick Boston accents. At times, I too was happy there were subtitles. Most amusing was a scene in which they go to a French film. They can't pronounce it correctly, and Amy Adams' character complains about having to read subtitles. That got a laugh.

Now I'm off to bed because I have to leave with the students at 7am for Normandy and Mont St. Michel. I'm not taking my computer, so it'll be Friday or Saturday before I write again. Yikes!

Happy Lundi Gras

It was not a very busy day today. First we went to the Eiffel Tower. It was sunny and gorgeous outside, so the view from the top was fantastic, but it was also colder today and windy at the top. We did not stay for very long up there. Toes and fingers frozen, we headed back to school. After lunch in the cafeteria, we went to the Louvre.

The Louvre was packed. There were more people there than there have been anywhere this whole trip. The kids took the Shay's Highlights of the Louvre tour, and then had free time to spend on their own. I always like seeing Liberty Leading the People and the Italian sculpture of Cupid and Psyche. Two of the students are currently in AP Art History, and we appreciated their explanations of some of the paintings. I think the kids should study art earlier on, because it is hard to appreciate all of the Louvre unless you know what you're looking at. Several times when they had a chance to sit down in the galleries, many of them would pull out the cell phone and play games. I can't believe that!! I'm so glad I'm not of that generation. Why wouldn't you want to look at the art?!

After school, Fabienne unfortunately had a stomach ache and wanted to come home. This meant no gourmet meal for Shay. haha. Just kidding. I'm not that spoiled. I had leftovers. We postponed out trip to an exhibit on Dior til Saturday. So the fashion blog post will not be until the end of the week! Saturday night, Fabienne's friends want me and her to come over to their house for dinner. This is because when they met me in the bar at that concert, they thought I was awesome. Hellz yeah! And Gilles and his boyfriend Cedric, who is the French version of just Jack, will be going too. I'm looking forward to that after this long week of touring!

La Vie Parisienne

Last night, after dinner in a brasserie, Fabienne, Gilles (her gay guy friend), and I went to see La Vie Parisienne, a musical, at Theatre Antoine. The theatre itself was beautiful. It had posters of plays by Camus, Sartre, Tennessee Williams, and Shakespeare. There was the orchestra level, and then three additional balconies, none of which were very big, so it certainly had an intimate feel.

The show was a musical, with music by opera composer, Offenbach. The writers used his repetoire of compositions and added French lyrics. They'd pep up the melodies with faster tempos and additional instruments, beats, and a French twist on some of them.

The play itself was like theatre within a theatre. There were 13 actors, all dressed in very French black and white costumes, who sat on stage almost the entire time. It started off as if the actors had assembled for rehearsal of a play. In fact the set was just the bare stage itself, complete with the clock on the wall in real time, brick walls, exit lights, etc. Then they got their parts, and put the show on. Think Nick Bottom in Midsummer, but the entire play was like this. One actor was "on book" and a couple times fed actors their lines. In addition, when a scene was being played, there were other things happening in the company of actors "offstage." I say offstage, because of course they were still on stage. All the way upstage were what looked like prop rooms. In an show not like this, they would be covered with the set or a backdrop, but in this show they were exposed and used as actors changed clothes and put away props. There was even a moment where the girls in this room gathered around a mirror that had suddenly lit up just like in a dressing room, and they were getting ready to come on for their next scene. The stage manager was also a character, and his funniest bit involved the entrance of the characters with a piece of set. There was a drop that was a door and window to a cafe. When characters entered into the cafe without going through the door, the stage manager would come out and motion for them to enter again, this time through the door. They'd have to redeliver their lines as well, which got a big laugh.

The other incredible part was that aside from the entire cast being able to sing and dance, they could also play instruments, several of them played more than one. So when they were not in the scene, the actors were the musicians. The grand piano remained on stage, making it a part of this theatre within a theatre set. Several different people played the piano throughout. The main girl, when not in the scene, played the flute or the bass, another played cello, the stage manager was the percussionist, playing drums and some sort of Orff instrument. The violin player doubled as the guitarist, and the character who was the assistant to the stage manager surprised the audience by playing the harp. The stage manager would occasionally motion for the cast to accompany the song on an instrument of his choosing, and they'd act like they'd never played before, and then of course play it wonderfully. But they'd make a bit out of this initially acting as if they were trying to play for the first time. So of course not every song had the same sound because depending on who was in the scene, they wouldn't be able to play their own instrument. But as I said, many knew how to play the piano, so it was always available.

The show ended with a can-can number, and the actors moved seamlessly from dancing to playing an instrument, to dancing again, to playing a different instrument, and singing at the same time. It was an amazing finale.

The story itself was simple enough to understand, even though I didn't get all the French. It was about a Parisien guy who is trying to seduce a visiting Baroness from Sweden, but her husband is there, so the guy tries to get his girlfriend to flirt with the Baron, so that he may have the baroness all to himself. Of course, two other members of the cast try to seduce the Baron themselves. In the end, the girlfriend tricks everyone and sets up the Baron and Baroness, they realize they love each other, and the girlfriend can return to her Parisien boyfriend. So typical of a French plot. What I enjoyed most was how they were able to appear as a theatre company putting on a play, but that in itself was a play. They were all so talented! I had a great time and wish it would exist in English so that you could all see it.

I found this link on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ86joSsFm0&feature=related
There's just a couple parts where the writer is talking that you won't understand, but if you watch the various bits of production numbers you'll see what I'm talking about. It's not a very long clip. Enjoy!

My favorite part of town

First off, I love that I have a favorite part of town in Paris. How chic. And Montmartre it is. This morning, after barely enough sleep, we ventured to the Moulin Rouge to start our tour of the artsy, bohemian part of town. From there, we climbed the hill up to Place du Tertre. Walking on the cobblestone streets, I thought, "how could one possibly do this in heels?" And yet, there the French women go, in heels and coats and red lipstick looking oh so fashionable. We continued past Place du Tertre to Sacre Coeur. After our visit inside, I let everyone have two hours of free time to sit at cafes, have crepes, and do souvenir shopping.

I took some pictures first, listened to a man playing an accordion (of course), bought some souvenirs and post cards, and then sat at a cafe right on Place du Tertre to write my postcards, drink a cafe au lait, and watch as people walked by. As the kids would walk by, they'd show me what they bought, but several of them said, "oh I thought you were a French person." Yes! Success! I've tricked my own travel companions.

They all went home with their hosts after we made it back to the school, and I came to Fabienne's, where she had delicious food ready for me for lunch. We had a mix of chicken, rice, mushrooms and creme fraiche. And bread and cheese as well, naturally. In the afternoon we hung out, and I am getting ready to go pick up her gay guy friend Gille, who I met last year, and we are all going to dinner and the theatre. What else would you do with your gay guy friend?! We're going to see "La Vie Parisienne" a satiric opera/musical comedy. It should be good.

More tomorrow. Enjoy the pictures!

Vendredi

This morning, the students and I all attended classes with our French hosts. One of their four classes was fencing lessons. The fencing teacher at the school happens to be the coach for the National French team as well as one of the organizers for the Olympics fencing competitions. So, I'd say he's pretty good at fencing. The kids enjoyed his instruction and having the opportunity to scream "en garde"!

Other classes included French, history, math, Spanish, and English. When we all reconvened, they had a lot to say about the differences between St. Jean and Country Day. Most notably, the students don't change classes, but stay in the same room, and the teachers come to them. I was not a fan of that system at all, as I was constantly following Fabienne up and down stairs to different rooms. Because the students are already in the room, when the teacher enters, the students stand up, say hello, and then sit after the teacher sits. I told our kids that we definitely had to start that tradition at Country Day! One freshman boy smiled and said, "No one would do that." Another difference was that the French teachers lectured a lot and the students took notes. In the language classes it was more interactive, and our kids were impressed at the difficult vocabulary they learn in English-for instance the words dilapidated and old haunt. They also enjoyed participating in a skit where they were the French person wanting to immigrate to America, and the French were trying to convince them otherwise. (This is because they are studying Ellis Island and immigration to America in English class) This was amusing because of the reasons they gave to go to America. As Antonio said, "We have football, hamburgers, and Megan Fox." And the French retort was "Our food is better." But Fabienne and I noticed that the French students did not give very convincing arguments to stay in France and not to immigrate. This is probably because they all want to visit the United States. As Sam struggled to help his partner come up with reasons not to go to the US, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I honestly can't think of any reasons you wouldn't want to go."

After lunch at school, we headed off to the Arc de Triomphe and free time on the Champs Elysees. The woman who took our group ticket at the Arc was quintessential rude French. We all had to go in together, a group of 18 plus me, and I made sure that there weren't any other people mixed in, so by the time I got back to the front of the line, I arrived at the entrance at the same time as a student. The woman spoke to him, but then saw it was a school group and started yelling at him, "Where is your chaperone?" Of course, he had no idea what she was saying, but I raised my hand and said, "I'm right here." (all this is in French, by the way) So she said, "Well you need to be at the front of your group." So I said, "Yes, well this student inadvertently stepped in front of me." So she says all miffed, "You should pay better attention." Ugh. What I really wanted to say was "It's people like you who give your entire population a bad rep!!" But I didn't. I just proceeded up the 284 steps. I must say, I did tell the students that while this is the only exercise I do all year, most of them play Varsity sports, and yet they were huffing and puffing all the way up! The views from the top were spectacular especially since today was another sunny and gorgeous day. Once we got back on the Champs, they had an hour and half to wander into all the shops. Favorites included H&M, Mercedes and Peugeot show rooms, Lacoste, and the crepe stand!

After school, Fabienne and I went to a restaurant near the school for dinner. I had eggplant something with salad and fried ham. It was so good. Then we went to a bar near the Opera House to hear a band play and meet up with some of Fabienne's friends. The band was called Calamity Jeanne. Like Calamity Jane, but Frenchified. The band consisted of one electric guitar, a guy on percussion, and a singer. We ended up finding out the drummer and singer are married and the sister of the drummer was an old friend of the friend of Fabienne. Whatever. Anyway, suddenly I was like connected to the band. Best part of that was the sister/sister-in-law brought her three year old to see her aunt and uncle perform. Meanwhile, she was pregnant with twins and in a bar!! So, pregnant, and toddler in tow, surrounded by smoke, alcohol, and a crowd of people. We left there at about 11, came home, and now I've got to go to sleep because I take the kids to Montmartre tomorrow at 8:15.