Roman France MMXI: Conard and Hall

After a rather early start this morning we arrived in Chartres in an hour and a half.  The cathedral and its Gothic architecture were beautiful and not very crowded.  The town itself was quite quaint.  It was more like a little village with its patisseries and boulangeries.  The baguettes with jambon and fresh mozzarella are indescribable.

In the afternoon we hopped on the TGV where we travelled down to Avignon at up to speeds of 200 mph.

We arrived in Avignon around 6 and had dinner at the hotel around 7.  Currently many students are enjoying the pool and others are exploring the neighborhood.

Once again I can’t begin to describe what a well oiled machine of responsible travelers we have to work with.  You should witness the sight of 50 people moving in and out of the Metro at all times of the day.  We did this well over a dozen times.

As for much of the group and myself I can say that Paris has surpassed all our expectations!!!  In  particular, Paris itself was amazingly clean and the Parisians were very friendly.

STUDENT COMMENTS

It should be called the city of stairs instead of the city of lights LOL the views from all of the towers we climbed were fantastic!
Kelsey and Julia

Paris was amazing absolutely beautiful although we were in the city of stairs the views were worth the hardy climb the food was different and unique the metro really grew on us and the trip so far has been better than I could have even imagined 
Melissa & Lucy 

Awesome trip; I’d do it again next year.
Lauren

Though the conversation is scarce and the items are expensive, minus the cigarette smell and the street merchants, I must say that this is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to. One of my most desired things to do has been checked off (seeing the Eiffel tower at night) and it was even better than I could’ve ever imagined.
Liz

Up at 6:15 and off we go …

This morning we were out the door by 9 and took the Metro to the Louvre.  (By the way, we’ve been taking the Metro EVERYWHERE in Paris. I can’t believe how clean and reliable they are!). After spending 3-4 hours at the Louvre, we barely scratched the surface.  Not only was the collection amazing, if not a bit overwhelming,  the architecture from the glass pyramid to the the spacious halls to the parquet floor was breathtaking.

In the afternoon, the students had lunch while they explored the city on their own.  We are extremely proud of their reliability and punctuality.

After dinner we went right to the Eiffel Tower. What an incredible view from the top. Next we boarded a boat for a sight seeing cruise on the Seine river.

When we got back tonight it was past midnight, just like last night.

As a result of getting back so late in the evenings, I have not been able to process and post pictures.  As soon as I get a couple of hours in an evening, I will post a few pictures.  I have been posting these updates from my iPhone when I have wifi access.

This morning was spent at Notre Dame where we climbed one of the towers all the way to the top both appreciating the close views of gargoyles and the impressive gongs of the Sunday mass bells.

Again we had lunch and free time in the Latin Quarter. 

Afterward we walked along the Seine to the Musée D’Orsey where we saw the works of such artists as Monet, Van Gogh, Seurat, Degas, Tolouse Lautrec, Rodin etc.

Later, we walked from the museum through the Place de la Concord to dinner. We celebrated Matt Paskov and Taylor Hadra.

Finally, we finished off the evening by walking along the Rue de Clichy and climbed the l’Arc de Triomphe.  What a view!!!

Tomorrow the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower!!!

It’s Saturday evening, 9:30 and most kids have already turned in for the night in their double rooms. Everybody enjoyed dinner, a Flemish version of pizza with toppings and cheese. We also celebrated Maggie’s birthday again with another Happy Birthday song and a mini cake and candles.

Tomorrow morning we are starting off at the Notre Dame and then we will visit the Musee d’Orsay, home of the Impressionist painters.

Everyone is doing well though a bit tired. We have gone to our hotel, had lunch in the Latin Quarter and are currently on the heights on Montmartre visiting the Sacre Coeur. I think it’s going to be an early night tonight. We’ll see.

We made our connection with no time to spare. No change in the schedule. We are all on the plane to Paris!!!

We’re currently sitting on the tarmac in Logan. There are some technical difficulties with one of the computers. We will most likely miss our connecting flight in Chicago. As soon as I get any new information about a new connection to Paris I will post.

We all made it to Logan and got through security without a problem!