Our Wanderings in Paris

Arc de Triomphe

We arrived in Paris on Saturday, December 4th, with high expectations. We found our apartment without too much difficulty and we were well located next to a metro station and only about a half hour walk to the Louvre. As it was the the first Sunday of the month, the museums were free so we took advantage and visited both the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay. I guess like most first time visitors we saw Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo and along the way took in some other amazing works of art. At the Musee d'Orsay we focused on finding the Monets and also came across the Picasso's. Everything seemed to be shaping up for a good week until Monday came.

Monday arrived and so did the bad weather and pickpockets. On the Metro, while heading to the Eiffel Tower, I got the genuine Paris experience of the pickpocket. Like the dumb tourist, I was distracted by one person while a second person lifted my wallet from my front pocket! I had a sense something was going on and just as the two were leaving the train I realized what had happened. Yelling at them and accusing them of stealing my wallet got their attention. The pickpocket dropped my wallet turned to me and innocently said he did not take it and made a show of pointing it out to me. I guess for the pickpocket it is better to give up the wallet than run the risk of being caught. Needless to say, I was quite shaken over the incident, feeling both a little stupid and a lot of relief to get my wallet back.

Sacre Coeur

After that, I can't say Monday got worse but it didn't get better. Arriving at the Eiffel Tower we were disappointed to see it was partly in cloud. We decided to wait for a better day before venturing up for the view of Paris. Instead we headed to for the underground experience of the Catacombs, a destination favoured by the boys and one we figured would not be affected by the weather. On arrival we learned that the Catacombs are closed on Mondays. C'est Paris! Dejected and feeling a little inadequate as travelers, we wandered through a small shopping district letting the boys visit a toy store before heading back to the apartment. Monday was not a good day.

Tuesday the weather was worse than Monday. In the morning we walked to the Basilica of Sacre Coeur, another beautiful church and also famous for its view of Paris. But with low grey cloud and snow we were once again disappointed with the view. As Niall and Aaron were getting a little frustrated with the Paris experience so far and Susan and I frustrated with the weather, we spent the afternoon at the Science and Technology Museum.

Galeries Lafayette

Wednesday the weather was even worse, wet sloppy snow but the forecast for Thursday held hope for a sunny day. For Thursday it was to be the Eiffel Tower but today we decided to give up site seeing and have a normal day. So it was to the cinema for the new Harry Potter movie. Along the way we made a stop at one of Paris's grands magasins, the Galeries Lafayette. It is a spectacular department store and even more incredible decked out for Christmas with its huge Christmas tree, lights, and its lively window displays.

As promised, the weather on Thursday was bright and sunny. Our patience paid off and as planned we headed off to the Eiffel Tower and were not disappointed. It is a spectacular view of Paris and the boys really enjoyed it. After we found a Christmas market, enjoyed a somewhat affordable lunch before wandering our way to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. Here we lingered for a few hours taking in the sites, shops, and another Christmas market. Day quietly became night and Paris lived up to its reputation of as The City of Lights which we enjoyed from the Roue de Paris (Ferris wheel)  at the Place de Concorde. For us, Paris was at her best today and we all felt that it was a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Champs-Elysees

Friday it was back to cloudy weather but this time we made it to the Catacombs. After the disappointment on Monday, Niall and Aaron were looking forward to visiting the Catacombs. They liked exploring the 2 km of  underground tunnels and being boys they had a morbid curiosity about seeing the bones and skulls. They were not disappointed, with over six million skeletons interred in the catacombs. Later we walked through the Latin Quarter and stopped to visit Notre-Dame Cathedral. It was quite impressive and inside we took time to sit and listen to the organ being played. It was quite calming to be sitting in this 700 year old church and letting yourself be absorbed by its amazing architecture, sculptures, and windows while listening to the organ being played. Soon the hustle and frenzy of 100's of other tourists faded away and even the boys seem to appreciate some quiet time.

Paris Catacombs

With just a few hours left of our visit to Paris, we had to make time for some Christmas shopping. Perhaps of all things, this is what most frustrated Susan of our time in Paris. So many shopping opportunities but with so little room in our luggage she could only window shop. We did manage to pick up a few small Christmas gifts and Susan picked up another scarf for her collection. In the end we had a good week in Paris but it was not without some relief that we left Paris. The vigilance of keeping track of the boys (and watching for pickpockets) in the busy sidewalks and Metro of Paris and walking through the city left us exhausted.

For more of our pictures of Paris, checkout our web album. 

Learning French in Sancerre

L'Ecole Coeur de France

Well, I guess it is my turn to put in a blog and of course I will write about the French learning in Sancerre.  I am a teacher after all and that's why we came.

As our 3 weeks come to an end in Sancerre, I have to say that I am happy with  what we have learned. Everything is French here.  You will not find English in this small city and the school even makes sure that the citizens speak only French to you. They are patient here and  friendly.  At the beginning, it was only me who would speak when we went to a store or restaurant.  Now we can send Niall and Aaron to the store and they will order the baguette or buy the stamp and they will order their own meals.

Ma classe

As I am already considered bilingual, I was in a different class from my boys , grouped with 2 or 3 others depending on the week.  We were all about the same level.  For me, I enjoy the oral speaking.  I like to practice and work on perfecting my grammar as I speak. They are not afraid to correct you and personally I love that. During the 2 weeks that I did classes, I reviewed aspects of grammar that have given me some difficulty in the past, learned new vocabulary,  learned everyday French expressions and spoke about many topics.  As my classmates were from , New Jersey, Seattle, and New Zealand, it was fun to discuss the similarities and differences we have. I also enjoyed comparing the French language from France to Quebec.

Rob and the boys were grouped together. Rob and Niall are about the same level when it comes to oral speaking.  Rob has a bit more grammar experience than Niall. Most of the time they would work together with their teacher Beth .  They have expanded their vocabulary, grammar knowledge, and are capable of speaking more French using the proper structures .  It is nice to know that we can have a conversation in total French as a family.

Aaron was the beginner so he had the most to learn in a way.  He now  has a large vocabulary and he is capable of forming sentences and asking simple questions.  Beth only spoke French to him so his listening abilities in the French language are fairly good. He questions himself a lot by translating what you have said in French to English.  He is shy and will not say much unless he is sure of himself.  If I compare it to the French program at home in grade 4, I would say he has completed the year in 3 weeks.  Some areas he would be ahead, some areas he would be missing some vocabulary but not a lot.  He has had a lot of information to process and I hope it sticks.  We hope to continue practicing French throughout our travels.

Les nouveaux amis

To make it more authentic, Beth would take them out to the patisserie, the post office, and other places and they would be required to ask a question . We also made two French meals with friends and professeur.  On our own, we have  watched a movie in French ( old Harry Potter movies),  watched TV in French (had no other choice) and had a French tour of a cathedral .  Rob and I will speak more French amongst ourselves than we do with the boys.

L'hiver est tôt

I would certainly recommend this program. It was worth it for the French culture and experiences, as well as enjoying rural France. The best way to learn French is to go somewhere where they don't speak English!!  It has been fun to meet different people from different countries.  I now have contacts in Australia and United States and we will probably make a visit to them on our travels.  I think spring and early fall would be a better time to come as there are more people but not too many, and more activities offered. In the fall of course, is the harvesting of the grapes which I would have enjoyed experiencing.   A little bit more heat wouldn't go astray either!!  It has been unseasonably cold!!

Sancerre for the Wine Enthusiasts

Putting the wine into the bottles

In the Sancerre area, there are vineyards everywhere. Anywhere there is a slope there is a vineyard. We visited a winery in the nearby village of Chavignol, a community of 300 people but has 40 wineries! As you can tell, wine is big here and they are proud of their Sancerre label. Here they grow Sauvignon and Pinot Noir grapes and produce whites, reds, and rosés. At the winery we saw them bottling the wine and the cellars where it is aged. Of course the boys enjoyed watching the bottling and being in the stone cellars. Then of course we got an opportunity to taste the wine.

In the cellars

After a short lesson on how to taste the wine we set to trying a variety of reds, whites, and rosés. The boys did not do the tasting but Aaron took part in the swirling of glasses and smelling of the wine.  Susan tried all the wines but did not see a lot of differences with each wine as she is not a wine drinker. However, she is taking a liking to the Sancerre Rosé. 

Santé!

With a little bit of guidance, I began to better appreciate some of the different bouquets and tastes of the wine. It was amazing how wine from the same type of grape but grown in different soil could have such different flavours. Of course they were all good and after the fourth or fifth tasting, it all tasted fine to me.  

Later on in the week we had another small wine tasting as it was the release of the beaujolais nouveau. In France this wine is always released on the third Thursday of November. The beaujolais only comes from the Dijon area and is not known as good wine. Instead it is the first sampling of the years wine (perhaps a hint of what is to come), a celebration of the grape harvest, and of course an excuse for a party. At 2 euros a bottle we took up the cause.

Life in the French Country Side

Sancerre, France
It has been a two weeks since we arrived in the town of Sancerre for 3 weeks of French lessons. The town dates back over a 1000 years and is situated on top of a hill overlooking the Loire valley. It is home to 1800 people and is a popular spot in the summer when the population rises to 5000 with visitors and summer residents. In some ways it is like home in Norris Point, except instead of tourism and fishing here it is tourism and wine making. And as we have discovered wine is inexpensive here just as fish is inexpensive in back home. We were at the market today and mackerel was over 12 euros a kilo or $7.50 a pound! 

We are staying in a two bedroom apartment with a great view of the Loire Valley and all its vineyards. The town of Sancerre is lovely complete with narrow cobblestone streets, 500 year old stone houses with walled gardens and they look the same as the new stone houses. Last weekend we did a self guided tour of the town and got great sense of the history here. It is obvious they care about preserving the character of the town.

Over the course of the last week we have begun to step into the flow of  life in rural France. We make daily visits to the boulangerie for baguettes and croissants which we enjoy with cheese and jam and of course the "occasional" glass of wine. We have wandered through the narrow cobble stone streets taking time to enjoy a warm Saturday morning on the terrasse with a cup of chocolat chaud. We stretch our legs with explorations of the French country side, walking through vineyards, over massive stone bridges, and along the shores of the Loire River. And with so many vineyards, of course, we visited a winery and sampled some of the local vintages. With wine comes food, so we spent a morning with one of our teachers learning how to make crepes and mousse au chocolat. Aaron and Susan made the mousse and we all took turns making the crepes. As I said to Susan the other day, I am picking up the French diet faster than the language.

The boys are fitting in well with the flow of life here. They know their way around town and we let them go to school and the boulangerie by themselves. Both Aaron and Niall like visiting the boulangerie. Aaron for the croissants and Niall likes the confidence of speaking French but I am sure he enjoys the pain au chocolat as well. Niall is doing well in trying to use the French he learned last year and seems to be doing well with it. I hope he continues to use it when we travel to Paris and Carcassone. Aaron does well in French class but he is a little shy in trying to speak French outside of class. But he is getting better and he has learned it is easier to get a croissant if he asks for it in French.

Life here is very relaxed and laid back. The people take long lunches with most of the stores closed from 12-3pm and then enjoy late suppers with restaurants opening at 7:30pm. We find the people friendly and they seem to take time to enjoy life. In many ways it is a lot like it is back home. And just to make us think more of home we have actually had snow this week.

Driving in France

 We had our first experience driving in Europe and we had mixed results. It began at the train station in Lille at about 5:00pm. The good things about renting here: it was convenient and the French drive on the same side as the road as we do. The not so good things: we found ourselves in the middle of a strange city, it was rush hour, it was dark, it was raining, and we only had a vague idea where we were going. After about an hour we did make it to our hotel. What a relief. Then we found out we needed to drive to a restaurant for supper. At least  this time we knew exactly where we were going.

Day 2 we tried our luck driving in the French country side as we headed to Beaumont-Hamel. In the daylight, away from the heavy traffic of the city, and with good driving instructions we managed to find our way without much trouble. By this time we had figured out how French road signs and traffic circles worked. In fact it was very pleasant driving in the country side. Unfortunately, things did not stay that way. On our return trip back to Lille, we again found ourselves in rush hour traffic and in the dark. (Apparently rush hour goes from 4:00pm to 7:30pm.) Very quickly I took another wrong turn and we found ourselves lost. It took us another hour to get back to the hotel. One of the challenges we had was finding a place to stop to ask for directions. Here in France driving seems to be all about keeping the traffic moving. Once in the flow there are few places to stop and pull over and ask for directions. Next time I will rent a GPS.

By day 3 we finally figured out it is best to avoid rush hour traffic and driving in the dark and all was good. We knew eventually we would have to return the car back to the train station. Given our track record of driving in the city, on day 4 we had a practice run to the train station where we made our train reservations and also acquainted ourselves with downtown Lille by walking and not driving.

In the end we got the car back on time, undamaged, and in the correct parking space. During the course of 4 days of driving, I only got honked at 3 times, didn't get pulled over by the Gendarmes, and it only took a couple of days for Susan's and my nerves to recover.



Driving in the French country side - excellent. Driving in French cities - avoid. French drivers - excellent.
Susan's patience and asking of directions - priceless.

These photos are taken in Sancerre as we couldn't stop to take pictures when we had the car!!

Remembrance Day in France

As planned we took a few days visiting Beaumont-Hamel (November 10) and Vimy Ridge (November 11) and some of the other memorials from World War I. Everywhere in this area there were memorials and war cemeteries from so many countries. It was very sobering to see these sites and realize the terrible cost in human lives that this war took. It is no wonder people had hoped that this would be "the war to end all wars".

All the cemeteries are striking in the way they have been maintained for over 90 years and the dignity they preserve for these fallen soldiers. The size of some of these cemeteries is incredible. One French cemetery had over 22,000 graves while a nearby German cemetery had over 44,000 graves. When standing at the entrance to the German cemetery, the crosses stretched to the horizon and each cross marked the graves of four soldiers! To this add the thousands of names of soldiers engraved on the memorials. These were the soldiers whose bodies were never found in the mud and destruction of the battlefields. This was the case at Beaumont-Hamel where so many Newfoundlanders died.

It was at Beaumont-Hamel that the women of Newfoundland raised enough money to buy the battlefield and preserve it as memorial for those soldiers. This is now one of the few spots where a World War I battlefield has been preserved. Led by Sarah, a student guide from St. John's, we were able to retrace the path where the Newfoundland Regiment went "over the top" from the "St. John's Road" trench to their furthest advance marked by the "danger tree". It was over this short distance that the regiment was wiped out. It is a powerful image of how quickly so many people were killed.

We spent Remembrance Day at Vimy Ridge. Apparently the official memorial ceremony was held on the previous weekend but the guide staff organized their own ceremony for 11:00 am on November 11. It was a small ceremony with no official groups but instead attended by individuals (including individuals of the Canadian Armed Forces) all making their own personal pilgrimage of remembrance. The memorial itself is beautiful and from its location on top of the ridge it provides a fantastic vantage point of the surrounding French country side. Later we descended down the hill through areas still pock marked by shells from the battle in 1917. At the bottom of the hill we explored the frontline trenches of the Germans and Canadians, just 25 metres apart. From here we went underground where the Canadians used tunnels to bring troops secretly up for the attack. Here thousands of men had to wait in silence for 36 hours in tunnels that were 2 feet wide and about 7 feet high. I can only imagine how frightening and lonely it must have been as these soldiers waited for their orders to attack.

As a Canadian I was proud of these 2 sites. The sites and the staff do a good job of presenting the war not as places of glory and victory but of tragedy and the hope that the lost youth of World War I have passed on to the youth of today. The youth represented by the student guides and my own two children, Niall and Aaron. The lessons of this war were not lost on Aaron and Niall. In their explorations of these sites they seem to understand some of the realities of war and the cemeteries showed them the true scale of the cost in human lives that war brings. I am definitely glad we came. If you ever have a chance, it is well worth visiting these places. And if you come on Remembrance Day, it is just like Remembrance Day in Newfoundland -- cold, wet, and windy.

Leaving London

After a week in London it was time to begin our travels in France. We took a train under the English Channel/La Manche to the city of Lille near the Belgium border. For the next 4 days this will be our base as we visit some of the World War I memorials. Both Vimy Ridge and Beaumont-Hamel are just a short drive from here.

We have fond memories of London and just started to get acquainted with the city's vibrancy. We leave feeling overwhelmed by its size and how little we actually got to experience. I guess we will encounter this feeling again in each place we visit. At least in the case of London, we will have a second chance to visit some of the things we missed this time around. We will be back in London next May as we travel back to Canada.

It was also nice to share this first leg of our journey with my (Rob's) mother. She had visited the city several years ago with my now late father and I guess it was a truly special trip for them. I think she really enjoyed visiting England again and sharing it with her grandchildren. I was glad to be a part of it.

It is now time to look ahead to our future journeys. Now instead of figuring out the London Underground, it will be figuring out the trains in France.

P.S. Hope to start posting pictures soon.

Museums and Markets

There are some amazing museums and markets here in London. The past two days we have visited both the British Museum and the Natural History Museum as well as the Covent Garden, Spitalfields, and Petticoat Lane Markets.

The museums are incredible. The buildings themselves are fantastic, huge halls, soaring ceilings, and all made with stone. And then there are the things in these museums. All those things you have read about in history and science books seem to be in the museums here. Greek statues, Egyptian mummies, and those big heads from Easter Island are all at the British Museum! And still, we only saw a small part of the museum. At the Natural History Museum it was specimens of the "living fossil" Coelacanth and the now extinct Great auk and Dodo. For me the highlight was the mineral gallery, a huge hall of some of the most amazing and beautiful examples of  minerals in perfect crystal forms. (I guess that is the geologist in me.) I have never seen so many minerals before, only if I had more time. The boys really enjoyed this museum but I think I enjoyed it more.

The markets here are so incredible. The throngs of people, fantastic goods for sale, the smell of great food, and the street entertainers combine to make such a great atmosphere. Aaron wasn't so keen on the shopping but he did enjoy the food and entertainment but at Spitalfield there was a balcony where he enjoyed the looking down on the market and just taking it all in. At this market we also enjoyed the antics of a "living statue" as he surprised people passing by. It was here were Susan also begun her collection of scarves.

Overall it was a great couple of days. We are starting to explore more and are beginning to be swept up in the pace and vibrancy of London. The boys are adapting into the new flow of our lives as we start our explorations.

Tomorrow is our last full day in London and then it is off to France.

Gone to London to See the Queen...but she was not taking visitors

We made it to London with all our luggage and immediately found out just how big London is. It took us an hour and a half by underground to get to where we are staying. And as planned, my mother and sister joined us shortly after. They will be with us until Saturday.

The past 2 days we have been exploring London by train, bus, boat, and walking. What a maze of streets and history!!! I don't know how the guides remember it all or how the buses get around so well. I am sure glad I am not driving. We are checking out all the usual London highlights; Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, The Tower Clock and Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, and Picadilly Circus. Today, we visited Buckingham Palace beautiful place but the Queen was not taking visitors.

The boys are doing well and they both seem to have figured out how the London Underground works. I think they could find their way home from central London to where we are staying in Becontree. My mother is doing her best to keep up but at 75 she finds it hard going up and down the stairs of the Underground.

Tomorrow we are off to the British Museum and Platform 9 and  3/4 for all you Harry Potter fans.

Waiting at the Start

After spending the better part of a month putting our travel plans into action, followed by a week delay leaving Newfoundland (Thanks Marine Atlantic), we are now in Halifax waiting for our flight to London which leaves just after midnight on November 2.


We took the time here to get ahead with some of the home schooling with the boys, pick up some much needed travel supplies, and continue with some final travel arrangements. Now we are anxious to go. The longer we wait the more I wonder if we are crazy. This trip is new for all of us .None of us have done any independent travel in a foreign country and here we are planning to do it for 6 months. I guess it is the butterflys in my stomach getting to me. The ones that I always had before a race, interview, test or other big event but they quickly go away when things get started. Let the adventure begin!