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!!