March 2010 Archives

As promised last night, here are yesterday's photos first, followed by a fully illustrated  account of today's adventures, which were legend!

 

This is view of the French countryside as we traveled on the TGV from Avignon to Paris.

 

And, here we are on the Bateau Mouche, cruising the Seine!

And at La Tour Eiffel.

 

Not only was it just that beautiful, but it actually snowed while we were at the top!  And on the hour it sparkles with a million blinking lights just as it did for the first time at midnight at the millennium.

A short walk from the Eiffel Tower we found la Carouselle.  Who can refuse a Carouselle....at any age?!

 

That was yesterday.  Today, we started with a guided bus tour of the City of Light where we saw one gorgeous space after another, including the Opera where Caruso sang and La Boheme broke the hearts of romantic Europe

La Conciergerie where Marie Antoinette was held until that fateful day when the guillotine took her life and cruel Paris cheered

Paris celebrates the death of Marie Antoinette (see head on stick.)

Place de la Concorde (Place of Peace) where 20,000 aristocrats were guillotined (go figure?)

Les Invalides, site of Napoleon's tomb

And Notre Dame!  Here is some proof that your children's chaperones are still on their feet.

After Notre Dame, the Louvre.  With the pyramid.....  Like it; like it not; like it; like it not.....

We liked it!

If you want to know what we saw there, take a year off work and check out the website at http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en

Next on the agenda, L'Arc de Triomphe.  Built by Napoleon to celebrate the glory of France, this is the symbol that represents France to the French. 

 

It is here that the French build their Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, here that Hitler chose to enter Paris, breaking the hearts of its people

and here that Paris celebrated its liberation in 1944

It was extraordinary for us to be here this afternoon, because just this morning we visited the Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation (France's Holocaust Memorial) where the guard spoke to us movingly about Americans as liberators.  She was, she told us emphatically, a great fan of the United States because of what we had done to help free France.  To stand at the top of the Arc de Triomphe, accompanied by dozens of visiting French soldiers, and to look down upon Avenue President Wilson and Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt where they meet the Champs Elysees, and to consider there the meaning of freedom was something many of us will remember for a long time!

As the day wound down, we dined on the Champs Elysees where we celebrated Grace's birthday, and so did the waiters who covered her with kisses (well, one of them did, anyway.)


Finally, as we made our way home through the Paris Metro, we came upon a musician who began to play as we passed.  His song was Oh, Champs Elysees which Marie has been teaching us to sing since we crossed the border.  What could we do, but stop, accompany the musician at the top of our lungs, and dance?  In the end, the Parisians were taking pictures of us.

Tomorrow night we will be packing for home, so this may be our last bulletin.  It has been a truly extraordinary adventure.  Everywhere we have been people have told us that our students are wonderful.  Indeed they are, and we are immeasurably proud to have accompanied them in Europe.

Our best wishes to all of you, and may you be next year in Paris...or Arles...or Nimes....or Carcasonne....or Barcelona....or Madrid!

Au revoir et adios!

Kari, Evy and Maureen    

WOW! 
It's PARIS!!!!!! It's GORGEOUS!!!  THERE ARE PICTURES!!!!  We road the TGV through the French countryside and then went to  LA MUSEE D'ORSSAY WHERE WE SAW THE VERY SAME COUNTRYSIDE RENDERED BY THE FRENCH IMPRESSIONISTS, THEN WE TURNED THE CORNER AND SAW VAN GOGH!  THEN WE WENT ON A BATEAU MOUCHE RIDE LE LONG DE LA SEINE (ALONG THE RIVER SEINE) AND SAW LE TOUT PARIS (sloppy American gender assignments, I know!)  AFTER DINNER WE WENT TO THE TOP OF LA TOUR EIFFEL AND SURVEYED OUR KINGDOM. 





Above are the words I don't have to describe it.  We have 1000s of photos but an internet that only lasts about 2 minutes at a time.  This is my fourth try and I'm under the gun, so please forgive any errors!  We'll see if we can locate the problem and do a much better job tomorrow!

A demain et hasta manana!

Kari, Evy and Maureen
 

Saturday began with a trip to the Roman Era aquaduct, Pont du Gard, near Nimes.  It was a sight to behold!


As such, of course, it required a group photo!


At the site of the Pont du Gard we walked past this handsome olivier (olive tree).  Born c. 810, he's now at least 1200 years old.  Actually, he doesn't look a day over 200, and he's still reproducing!   (Shocking, really.) 

As we passed Monsieur Olivier, our incredibly knowledgeable and accomplished guide, Marie DuBois, suggested we all touch it for good luck.  Of course, what one touches, another one rubs, the third embraces and the rest climb, so one way or another we all made the acquaintance of the tree!

Below is our guide, Marie, who, according to the kids, knows EVERYTHING! 

Actually, she really only knows

1.  A few languages (like French, German, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and parts of thirty-one others)
2.  A little history (like Rome from Romulus and Remus to Benedict XVI, France since Clovis, Spain beginning with the apes and anything you'd want to know about the rest of the world -- including Minnesota but except Norway)
3.  Architecture from the Acropolis to I.M. Pei
4.  Art from the cave paintings to Van Gogh to Marcel DuChamp (Seriously, a snow shovel suspended from the ceiling?  Really?)
5.  World literature from A-Z
7.  Where to find the best restaurants in town
8.  How to dress like a Frenchwoman  (It helps to be French.)
9.  OK, maybe a few other things.

She's pretty good, if you see what I mean.....  In fact, we're pretty sure she's the best there is!

So what trumps a 2000 year old aquaduct and a 1200 year old tree?  How about a 2000 year old Roman amphitheatre that is STILL BEING USED for bullfights?


Here we are checking out the nose-bleed seats:


Then, of course there was the fencing lesson


Followed by a little caligraphy, and then a simple dinner of exotic salad, taurreax stew (that would be bull stew, but something is clearly lost in translation....) and floating island for dessert.


All in all, quite a satisfying day!  We're going to bed now, so we can be up bright and early to board the train for PARIS!!!!!!!!  Hope your day at work will be fun, too!

Bonne nuit et buena notte,

Kari, Evy and Maureen

Tonight we are staying in Arles in Provence.  See it below in the south of France on the Rhone River west of Cannes. 



Our hotel is right on the main square in the town where Van Gogh lived when he painted Starry Night.  We can look out the hotel windows and see the cafe he painted in this picture:


All the bedrooms in the hotel look just like this: 


But I get ahead of the story!  Our first stop today was the castle of Carcassonne.


Inside Carcassonne you will find the extraordinary cathedral that is today the finest example of Romanesque architecture in France, but, because half of the cathedral collapsed, part of it was rebuild in the Gothic style, so this is also one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals, as well:


Inside the castle walls is an entire town and it was in the town square that we had our first French meal -- of gizzard or goat cheese salad, or perhaps bean cassoulet.  Only the French could make gizzards glamorous! 


But, back to Arles.  Imagine ending your first evening in France with a dinner of crepes, duck, and tartes aux pommes followed by a moonlight stroll down to the local Roman amphitheater where you serendipitously encounter two guitar strumming gypsies who stop traffic and create a flamenco street dance just for you against the backdrop of a 2000-year-old illuminated ancient ruin.  Because that's what happened!

Tomorrow we go fencing, naturally.

A demain et hasta manana,

Kari, Evy and Maureen 

Get ready: Pictures as promised!

As you can clearly see, this trip has been an awesome experience!


Here we are at the Madrid Bull Fighting Stadium:


This is what the cooking school experience looked like....and remember, it was all in Spanish!

"My brain is so full already, and it's only day four!"  We wish we could tell you exactly who said this, but we've been hearing comments just like this one over and over again!   It is wonderfully exciting and just a sheer joy to see the way the kids are embracing the language, the culture, the art, and the fashion (that would be Rex!) of Spain!  The Spanish speakers are becoming bolder and more comfortable in the language every day and their vocabularies are exploding! The French speakers, while surprised and delighted to find themselves absorbing Spanish like thirsty sponges, are, nevertheless, visibly chomping at the bit waiting for their turn to test their skills.  One question we hear more than any other is, "How do you say X?"  No one here is just a passive observer!  Instead, we constantly see students engaging the human statues (be sure you ask), initiating conversations with local citizens, negotiating prices with street vendors, and asking directions.  John B., who now has a clean bill of health, even had to describe his symptoms to a local doctor whose x-rays, thankfully, revealed an unbroken ankle!   We love Barcelona, and the universal feeling here is "We will be back!"

Our day began with a ride across the Spanish countryside on the AVE, Spain's 300k/hr bullet train.  En route we saw blooming cherry fields, massive wind farms, modern developments and centuries old villages.  Nothing, however, could have prepared us for the rich experience of the city of Barcelona.  This city has been here since Carthage!  Its walls were built by Hadrian!  Its cathedral evokes the most celebrated features of Notre Dame de Paris, and its architecture revolutionized the concept of shape!   Look at Gaudi's Casa Mila below.



This is not your typical suburban condo!  There are no right angles, yet somehow the buildings still stand up.  According to Julia, "It's the principle of e."   Apparently, you need Einstein's "e" to keep them from imploding.  "Can you imagine doing the e equation without the computer?" she wondered.  Seriously!  She said that!  After scrambling over Gaudi's surreal rooftop for an hour at least four students are now convinced they want to be architects. 

There is so much more to tell, but it's now well after midnight and we face a 7 o'clock wake up call.  Enough to say it just gets better and better! 

A demain!  Hasta manana!

Kari, Evy and Maureen

Day three in Madrid began with a trip to the Palacio de Oriente, the great palace built by Philip V between 1738 and 1755 to rival the Palace of Versailles.  With over 3000 rooms it offers Versailles some serious competition! 

We have hundreds of photos of the kids at every key spot in Spain, but no way to upload them yet.  We're working on it, but until then, here's what the Palace looks like:

   

We were awed by the beauty of the crystal chandeliers, the gorgeous parquet floors, the exquisite furnishings and the extraordinary chinoiserie found throughout the palace.  The armory with its cross-bows, cannon, and gold and silver suits of armor wasn't too bad, either!

After lunch we headed to the world renowned Prado Art Museum which most famously houses the works of El Greco, Velasquez and Goya, and among these works we saw the famous Goya painting of Philip V, Palace Builder!  Philipe was apparently a very nice guy (which you can easily see in his portrait); Mrs. Philip, on the other hand, was reportedly rich in attitude, but friends....not so much.



From the Prado we took the subway (safely and with 100% success) to dinner at the Formacion Hostelera School of Culinary Arts where, under the direction of master chefs, we made our own dinner!  No, it was not frozen pizza!  Working with chefs who spoke only Spanish, the MPA kids prepared entres including salmon with caviar and pate with mangos, limonada from scratch, tortila de patatas (potato omlettes which they flipped one-handed, just like Julia Child), paella mixta, and natillas de chocolate!  The chefs told us our kids were the "best ever" and even whispered that we had three promising candidates in our crew!  Everyone is returning with a copy of the menu and the recipes, so put a Spanish fiesta on your calendars for April!

Sadly, this is our last night in Madrid.  Tomorrow we take the high speed train to Barcelona for Phase II of this incredible journey.  Again, we know you want photos, and they DO exist.  They are coming, we promise, just as soon as we can get all the stars of technology (internet, electricity, cable and kid) to align themselves.  Coming soon:  Video of Arjun dancing in the late night streets of Madrid!

A demain!  Hasta manana!

Kari, Evy, and Maureen 

First, a disclaimer:  I wrote last night's blog in a fog of jet lag.  I think the spelling errors are corrected now, but forgive me!  And now on to today!

Madrid is MAGIC!!!!!!  The weather has been just perfect for lovely strolls along the city's labyrinthian calles and across its many magnificent plazas!  We had so many adventures today it's hard to believe they began only a 18 hours ago!  Shortly after breakfast we boarded the bus for a trip through the impossibly lively streets of Madrid, and after weaving through thousands of motor scooters and millions of pedestrians we arrived a few blocks later at Las Ventas Bull Fighting Ring!  As the capital's premier sports stadium, the majestic centuries-old architectural triumph makes our dome look like a deflated balloon.  (Sometimes the truth just hurts.....)  Next to the Stadium was a wonderful sculpture of the running of the bulls, where we all took a group picture, so you have this to look forward to when we return.  Several students thought it might be a good idea to bring a bull fighting franchise home with us......

Next on the agenda was a visit to the Reina Sofia museum where we saw the work of Spain's three most important modern artists:  Picasso, Miro, and Dali.  We were broken into two groups, one with a Spanish speaking guide and another with an English speaker.  Both guides were outstanding and they taught us so much, not only about cubism, surrealism and Guernica, but also about the lives of the artists themselves.  To stand before Guernica, all 11x26 feet of it, is to experience the anguish of war in front of one's own eyes.  All the words that have ever been used to describe it could never do justice to the enormity of this work.  You will just have to come and see it yourselves.

We scattered for lunch, but then reunited and proceeded on to Jardines del Buen Retiro, a country estate originally built for Phillip II in the 1500s, now a lovely a public garden (with actual flowers in bloom!  In March!  All colors!  Even blue!!!!)  The extensive gardens house a crystal palace built in the mid-1800s in an effort to out-shine London's Crystal Palace, and the grounds include a lovely lake where some of the students went rowing among the black swans!

After some free time and shopping, we had an authentic Spanish dinner at La Catedral followed by another tour through history, including the Plaza Major and the tower where Carlos V held Francois I of France captive for ransom in 1525!  Our guide, Marie DuBois is an exceptionally knowledgeable and captivating story teller and she makes the history come alive!

Everyone is fine, everyone is happy, almost everyone is healthy, except for poor John B who has been limping his way across Spain with a sprained ankle, nobly, stoically and without complaint!  Please send your best wishes his way!

Hope all is well at home!  Wish you were here!

Kari, Evy and Maureen

P.S.  Apologies for any errors; it's 1AM.....  Good night!

Nous sommes arrives!  Estamas aqu!  We made it!!!  The flight over was a smooth as if it had been put together by TWA in the 1950s, but it was really the result of long months of planning by Kari and Evy, and it certainly paid off tonight. The flight was bearable, the food nontoxic, and there some great films available to pass the time!  We lost not one piece of luggage, nor even a single absentminded fellow traveler.  We landed on time in Amsterdam and by 4PM we were on the streets of Madrid, wading through throngs of outdoor diners, casual strollers, and young lovers, none of whom seemed in the least bit aware that it was Sunday night (i.e., the night before Monday morning) that there was wash to be folded, homework in need of completion and the fun was over.  They were still out enjoying their lives at 10:30 on a Sunday night, watching street musicians and living statues in the Plaza Major (cite of Ferdinand and Isabella's Inquisition and prison home of France's Renaissance King, Francois I.)  The plaza is immense and worth hours of exploration, but dinner called!  Resisting the temptation to be lulled into a sweet Sunday stroll, we set off with determination to enjoy a wonderful dinner of pork, big beans and bacon and an apple tart.  Tour Guide Marie DuBois then sent us all off on a scavenger hunt to become familiar with the city, and following that a light bed time snack of chocolate y churros.They will be rolling us out the door tomorrow we prepare to see more of this lovely city and one of its most famous residents:  Guerinca.  A demain!  Hasta Luego! 

Thanks to all who made it to our final meeting tonight.  We know it was especially difficult for those dedicated students who were passionately immersed in studying for their history finals to leave the company of Kings and Roosevelts, and we really appreciate it! 

A few final but essential reminders follow here: 

1.  If you have purchased an NETC card, be sure to test your card by taking out some money before you leave.  Also, know your pin number!  Your card will not function without it.
2.  Remember to bring your passport, your money and your medication to the airport with you! 
3.  Be sure to pack a change of clothes in your carry-on, along with any medication you might need.  (Don't forget glasses and a contact case if you need them.)
4.  Please arrive at the airport no later than 6PM on Saturday.

A number of documents were distributed at the meeting.  Please let us know if you did not receive the following:

1.  Itinerary
2.  Code of conduct
3.  Phone tree

Finally, we greatly appreciate the students' respectful attention and mature reaction to tonight's discussion.  The three of us have been talking since last September about what a wonderful group of kids you are, but looking out at your excited and enthusiastic faces tonight convinced us that this could be the best trip ever.  We can't wait to share this wonderful experience with all of you! 

A samedi!  Hasta sabado!

Only two weeks until lift-off!!!  Thanks to everyone who attended the Spain-France meeting this afternoon.  Here's what you need to know:

1.  Please turn in your health forms immediately!  It's important that we have access to this information in case (heaven forbid) you go under a bus.  OK, no more scare tactics, but could you get these into our hands ASAP?  Thanks!

2.  Ms. Conway is collecting the $60.00 per person tip for our tour guide.  All reports are that our tour guide, Marie Dubois is the best there is, so we want to be able to thank her appropriately.  Please get this money to Ms. Conway ASAP, as well.

3.  We took a look at the packing list which you will find on the 2/22/10 blog entry.  Don't forget a converter and/or adapter for your electronics or appliances.  American plugs will not fit in European outlets.  If you attempt to force them in you will burn down Spain.  Be safe.  Get an adapter.

4.  Remember, you will be responsible for your own passport until we arrive in Barcelona.  Get something safe to carry it in, and under no circumstances should you put it (or anything else) in the pocket of the seat in front of you on the plane.  Those pockets are black holes.  Someone ALWAYS loses a passport to one of them and this causes PROBLEMS.  With your help, this could be the first trip where that doesn't happen!

5.  Don't forget some dressy clothes for our big evening in Paris.  Think about how glamorous we will all look in the picture!

Less than a month to go before the Spain/France trip gets underway, and the excitement is mounting!  We would like to thank those of you who were able to attend the informational meeting on February 17, and to say, once again, how excited we are to be making this wonderful trip with all of you! 

 

Below you will find

            • Flight Information

            • Hotel Information

            • Packing List (as promised.)

 

We'll keep you up to date as further information becomes available, and we look forward to seeing all of you at the airport at 6PM on Saturday, March 20! 

 

Hasta luego and a bientot,

 

Kari, Evy and Maureen

 

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

 

DELTA AIR LINES • 20MAR • MINNEAPOLIS MN/AMSTERDAM • 845P • 1100A
DL 264 • SATURDAY ST PAUL INTL • SCHIPHOL AIRPO • 21MAR
U ECONOMY • AIRCRAFT: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A330-300
RESERVATION CONFIRMED
  
KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLI • 21MAR • AMSTERDAM/MADRID • 130P • 400P
KL 1703 • SUNDAY SCHIPHOL AIRPO BARAJAS
T ECONOMY • AIRCRAFT: BOEING 737-800
RESERVATION CONFIRMED
  
KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLI • 31MAR • PARIS /AMSTERDAM • 1020A • 1140A
KL 1230 • WEDNESDAY CHARLES DE GAU SCHIPHOL AIRPO
V ECONOMY • AIRCRAFT: BOEING 737-400
RESERVATION CONFIRMED
  
DELTA AIR LINES • 31MAR • AMSTERDAM/MINNEAPOLIS MN • 240P • 440P
DL 265 • WEDNESDAY SCHIPHOL AIRPO ST PAUL INTL
T ECONOMY • AIRCRAFT:  AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A330-300
RESERVATION CONFIRMED
  
RESERVATION NUMBER(S)  KL/JINAAD  DL/CQ8V5Q  DL/CQ8V5Q

ETKT:DL 006 7572237620-21
  
***********************************************
DELTA AIRLINES RECORD LOCATOR: CQ8V5Q

***********************************************
KLM RECORD LOCATOR JINAAD
***********************************************
GROUP CODE 100320YKKMSP01

 

HOTEL INFORMATION

 

3/21- 3/24: 

Hotel Moderno

Arenal 2

Madrid

SPAIN

Tel:  (34) 915 31 09 00

Fax: (34) 91 531 35 50

www.hotel-moderno.com

 

3/24- 3/26:   

Hotel Tryp Apolo

Avda. Paralelo, 57-59

00004 Barcelona

SPAIN

Tel: (34) 93 443 11 22

Fax: (34) 93 443 00 59

http://www.solmelia.com/hotels/spain/barcelona/trypapolo/home.htm

http://www.solmelia.es

 

3/26- 3/28:                         

Hotel Forum

10 Place du Forum

Arles

FRANCE

Tel: (33) 4 90 93 48 95

Fax: (33) 4 90 93 90 00

www.hotelduforum.com

 

3/28- 3/21:                        

Mercure Raspail

207 Boulevard Raspail

Paris

 FRANCE

Tel: +33 1 43 20 62 94

Fax: +33 1 43 27 39 69

Http://www.accorhotels.com/fichehotel/gb/mer/0351/fiche_hotel.shtml

PACKING LIST

 

Recent security regulations require that gels and liquids in your carry-on
must be in containers no larger than 3 oz and must fit in one quart-size
zip-lock bag which is to be presented to the agent at the security check.

In carry-on bag:

Money belt/pouch/neck bag
Passport
Money (cash card, cash)
Toothbrush, small toothpaste and hand sanitzer in quart-size plastic bag.
One change of clothing
Any medications in original containers + prescriptions and generic names of
all essential medicines; liquids or gels must be in a quart-size plastic bag.
Camera, charger and converter
Reading material
A watch!!!
A journal and pen
Prescription glasses or contacts and solution
Sunglasses
Comb/brush
Feminine hygiene supplies
Hard candy, mints, gum (optional)
Decongestant, nasal spray (for ear problems during flight - optional)
Cards, games, to occupy you on the plane (optional)

 

Packing list:

12 days worth of underwear
12 days worth of socks/tights
1 dressy outfit
1 pair of jeans
1 pair of pants (this in addition to what you wear on the plane)
1 rain jacket
1 umbrella
2 pairs of comfortable walking shoes
2 sweaters
6 shirts
* Think layers!!! *
1  jacket or coat
Toilet articles in sample sizes (toothpaste, deodorant)
Travel alarm, small flashlight
Kleenex, band-aids, wet wipes
Plastic bags for dirty laundry
Pajamas
Hat, gloves and scarves

* Note: Most hotels have hair dryers.