June 2008 Archives

Today was another long day of walking. After taking the train from Geneva to Lausanne, we dropped our luggage off at the hotel and walked down the hill to Lac Lemans. Lausanne is a beautiful city from which you can see Lac Lemans and mountains on all sides. We spent the last part of the morning and the early afternoon at the Olympic Museum. It was a very interesting visit. They had souvenirs from many of the modern Olympic Games. There was an exhibit on the founding of the Olympic movement, and several short films.

From the Olympic museum we started our long walk up the hill to the Cathedral and the old part of town, but not before exploring part of one of the beautiful parks along Lac Lemans. Most of the kids chose to enjoy at least one BOULE DE GLACE. After looking around for a while, we started off for the old part of town, the so-called Vieille Ville. Half way up the hill, we convinced that it was a better idea to take the bus. At 30 degrees C in the shade, the hills get old fast. The bus we took brought us most of the way up the hill. We walked the rest of the way to the Cathedral, a beautiful example of gothic architecture with modern stained glass windows featuring scenes from the reformation and stories and themes from the bible. We even climbed the tower. At the top, we were greeted with the ringing of the bells and a breathtaking views of the city of Lausanne.

After a brief pause to explore Lausanne, we regrouped for dinner. Dinner was at a nice little restaurant that featured local foods. We had a nice green salad, cheese fondue and a slice of cinnamon and strawberry ice cream.

M. Swanson

Today was the end of the family stays and the beginning of the last leg of our journey. I was proud to hear the reports of how well our students did during the family stay. Every family that I spoke with told me about how well things worked, how much each student used French, how much fun they had. These families all spoke of future rendez-vous, either in Europe of in the States. When it was time to leave, as M. Saunoi and I had predicted, there was a lot of crying. It was evident to me that our students had put in the effort we had requested, had worked hard and were enjoying the benefits of their hard work. The vast majority of the students agreed that this had been the best part of the trip. Fantastic. Many agreed that the family stay could have been longer. It was awesome. I am very proud of each and every one of them.

M. Swanson

Before becoming a concentration camp Le Struthof, as the French call it, had been a ski resort. The drive up the mountain was gorgeous. The sky was blue. The sun was shining. The view became more and more beautiful as we climbed. We passed streams cutting through the forest. From time to time we could see freshly trimmed trees ready for processing stacked along the narrow road. We would talk about the prowess of the chauffeur and his ability to keep driving as another bus would be meet us at the hairpin turn, or discuss weather or not we would try biking on the road. As we approached the top we drove by a quarry, identified by a new sign on an old building. I remembered the first time that I had come to Struthof. In the early 90's, Struthof was presented alternately as a work camp and a camp for political prisoners. I remembered reading about what had happened at the quarry.

A couple of years ago, Radio France presented updated information on its website and invited people to share their perceptions and understanding of Struthof. When we arrived at the camp, we would learn just how much the understanding of what happened at the camp had changed. Approximately 55 000 people were imprisoned at the camp during the war. Approximately 22 000 of those people never returned.

Before leaving the hotel that morning, Mme Johnson and I reminded the students that we would be visiting the camp. Just one quick reminder to dress appropriately and to behave respectfully was all it took. I have been very pleased by the way our students have behaved and how well they have represented our school and country during the first week of our trip. Here, at Struthof, I was again very pleased. What a great group we have.

M. Swanson

Once we left Colmar, we had a three to four hour bus ride ahead of us. We spent the first thirty minutes talking about the family stay. We talked about some of the rules of politesse, the importance of using as much French as possible and when to use the formal and informal forms of address. The students had great questions: When should we give the gifts? What are the families going to do to find us in the group? What if my family is not there? What if they don't understand me? I remember how nervous I was before the beginning of all of my family-stays. The MPA students were also nervous, but something incredible happened as we got closer to the drop-off point. The nervousness changed to excitement. I've never seen anything like it. This was just one more example of just how good this group is.

M. Swanson

We slept in a bit this morning. Breakfast was at 8:00 and half of the group made it. A few had to grab a croissant on our way to the Louvre. M Saunoi led us through Paris passing by Les Halles and l'église St. Eustache. We saw the wonderful Pyramide du Louvre designed by I. M. Pei. On our guided tour we learned that he redesigned the entrance to handle 4 million visitors per year. Last year there were 8.5 million visitors and the President of the Louvre is working towards reaching 12 million visitors per year. We can vouch for the fact that it was crowded.

The afternoon was in smaller groups. One group returned to Notre Dame and climbed the towers. They were lucky to experience up close the ringing of the bells.

Another group visited several museums and also made a quick stop at the Adidas shop to pick up French soccer uniforms.

The third group was shopping with me. We went to the Galleries Lafayette and the Champs Elysées.

Tomorrow - Versailles

M. Swanson

This was the first visit to the Opéra Garnier for many of us, and it was an excellent tour. One of the seniors on the trip told me how surprised she was that she got into the details of the tour. Opéra Garnier is beautiful and worth seeing. Ask your child about the details inside: the second stage, the kinds of marble used (over thirty), the details in every area, how Garnier put himself and his wife into the Opéra.

After going to the Opéra, we broke up into three groups for lunch. We followed lunch with an open bus tour of part of the city.

More later, it's after 1:00 am here.

M. Swanson

We have arrived at our hotel. Everyone is doing well. The flights were long but good.

For the rest of day one:

Bateaux mouches
Quartier Latin
Diner

Pictures to follow.

M. Swanson

Hello,
Can you believe the day we have been anticipating is almost here?
As you take care of last minute details, please consult the pre-departure checklist. A reminder to pack light, but don't forget important things like your passports, money, medication, sunscreen, gift for host family, etc!

Please meet the group at 7:30 am in front of the Continental Airlines ticketing area this Friday, June 13th. I have all our e-tickets.

We are really looking forward to this trip!
Madame Johnson