Cannes you believe we just finished day 7?

We had a little more travel time today as we rode from Arles to Cannes (pronounce like 

"can").  We are now at our hotel and the kids are in the pool!  

(Jose took a little siesta in the lavender fields!)

Our first stop today was in Avignon where the Popes once lived.  We took pictures in a beautiful field of lavender.  Avignon is known for its Lavender.  Some of us even tried the Lavender ice cream.  

We took a very technologically-advanced tour of the Palace of Popes in Avignon.  Seven different popes ruled in Avignon in the 1700's.   The Palace of Popes is the largest Gothic building in the world and was built in less than 30 years, which sounds like a long time to us, but that is short for these enormously detailed European structures!

The technology was amazing!  We each received a headset and a tablet was tracking us as we walked.  So, when we entered a new room, it began telling us the history of that particular room.  In each room was a "golden medallion" on a post.  When we got the golden medallion into the camera lens of our tablet, it "transported" us back to the 1300's when the building was first in use.  We were then able to scan the room with the tablet and see the room as it looked at that time!  It was a fun way to explore the old building, and a great way to make the history come alive!

We also took a walk along the Avignon Bridge, Le Pont d'Avignon, over the Rhone river.

 

After a little more driving, we stopped in Cannes for dinner before going to our hotel.  Cannes is famous for the annual Film Festival.  It is also a very popular hangout for celebrities.  We did not see any celebrities, but we did see several people taking advantage of the "tops optional" rule in the French Riviera!  😲😲😲  We went down to the very crowded beach and dipped our feet in the cool water which felt great on such a hot day!!

It was a fun day mixed with travel and touring.  We leave tomorrow for Italy!!  

Day 6: Spain to France

Bonjour from Arles in the region of Provence, France!  Today was a travel day with a few stops along the way.

Our first stop, other than the restroom, was in Carcassonne, France.  We had a few hours to wander around the old town within the walls and to eat lunch.  It was a very quaint town with many shops and cafes.  There is still a castle within the walls as well.  It was a fun stop for lunch!

Our tour director has been teaching us how to identify the difference between Gothic, Neo-Gothic and Romanseque styles of architecture.  The Romanesque architecture is more rounded while Gothic has a more pointed arch!

We took a quick peek inside the Basilique Saint-Nazaire.  This is the second Basilica we have been to, and we still have at least one.  The name "Basilica" means it has been visited by and blessed by the Pope. Ooh La La!!

After another three hour drive, we stopped in Arles, a town Van Gogh once lived in! He lived here from 1888-1890 when he cut off his ear and was hospitalized in the mental hospital here - Hotel Dieu.  While not a very happy time, he created some beautiful and memorable paintings including 

"The Starry Night" 

and "Le Cafe de Nuit".

So, our wonderful tour guide, Miriam, arranged for us to eat in the same square as the cafe which was the object of his inspiration!!!

So, here we are across the street!  Do you see it?  How fun!! It is amazing how someone (like me) can not really be a huge fan of art but suddenly actually care about an artist and his works after learning about them and their art!  I hope some of your students are coming home with the same thoughts!!

After a little walk to the bus, we drove about 15 minutes to our hotel which we love!!  It is a small hotel owned by locals.  I think we may be eating fresh eggs in the morning because they have their own chickens on the property.  The kids took a dip in the pool.  The adults have enjoyed a few hours of relaxation in the courtyard, and we are all going to bed soon to be ready for a new adventure tomorrow!!

Feel free to leave comments or questions, if you'd like!!

The Louvre and a Visit to Nice

Good evening!   After breakfast we jumped on our bus and rode to the Louvre. We arrived 35 minutes before it 

opened and were at the front of the line!  I was so happy that our tour guide planned so well because it was the first day the Louvre was opened since Thursday. So, it was packed!  As soon as the doors opened,  we power walked, in our 42 bright yellow shirts, to see Mona Lisa before everyone else got there!  We took selfies and moved on.  Many of the students were so confused as to why she is so famous. They felt there were many more beautiful paintings around!  It was fun to see some of them get excited when they saw something they recognized!  However, they got bored pretty quickly.  So our 2 hour tour was more than enough time for them!

After the museum, we boarded the bus and left Paris for Nice.  We are less than 2 hours away now and looking forward to our arrival!  

We have driven through several well known cities today and have gotten quick glimpses of some vineyards and churches.  We drove through Lyon and past the Rhone river and Saone River.  We took a few pictures of the Museum of Confluence which is a modern museum placed right where the Rhone and Saone Rivers meet.  It tells the history of the rivers which have been the livelihood of the French people for hundreds of years.

Everyone is getting along very well and making new friends.  The students have had wonderful attitudes and have been on time everywhere!  We love this group, and we've only just begun!

Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day!  We plan to visit the perfume factory, Monaco, Nice and hopefully a chocolate factory!

Enjoy a few more pictures!

Nice & Eze, France and Monaco

We started our day by boarding our Mercedes Benz bus for Eze, France.  The drive in was beautiful as we drove up and around a mountain to the perfume factory-Fragonard.  We took a nice walk through the factory and learned much about perfumes, in general.  Then, we shopped!!  i spent most of my money today!    After shopping, we took a walk up the mountain to see a beautiful view of the Meditteranean Sea.  It was truly breathtaking!  They call this area "Côte d'Azur", which means Blue Coast.

Then, we hopped back on our bus and headed about 20 miles away to the smallest country in the world, the Principality of Monaco.  The television does not do it justice.  It was like being in a dream as we drove through Monte Carlo, which is in Monaco.  The buildings are colorful with quaint terraces and window gardens.  Every car was a Bentley, Porshe, Ferrari, etc.  of course, we fit right in with our Mercedes bus!

As we were driving, our tour guide, Jamil, taught us a little about the Gremaldi family which has ruled in Monaco for over 800 years.  He taught the students about the American movie star, Grace Kelly, who married the Prince of Monaco and became everyone's favorite princess.  We visited the Cathedral in which she married the Prince and where she is now buried.  We also saw the starting point of the Grand Prix which takes place in Monaco-Formula One.We did not have a lot of time in Monaco, but we do have several kids dreaming of how they can one day live there!

After lunch in Monaco, we loaded up again and headed into Nice.  While we were parking I became very confused as to why our tour director was speaking Italian to the lot attendant.  I even started questioning if I missed something major - like "Nice us in France, right?"  I spoke to Jamil who said that Nice (pronounced "niece") was once part of Italy.  Therefore the people speak Italian, and the city looks very Italian.  However, Nice was annexed by France in 1860 after Nice voted to become French.  So, it is a French city with an Italian culture.

Our amazing tour director was able to arrange a visit to the local chocolate factory, Confiserie Florian.  We were given samples of several different types of candy and chocolate and were able to see how it was made!  Then, of course, we shopped!  I love chocolate!!

After the chocolate break, we took a little walking tour of Nice and were released for 2 hours to shop or look around.  I was a little nervous about visiting the beach - the French Riviera - but I think there was some divine intervention, as the rain came pouring down just as the majority of us arrived!   We then had a ten minute walk to dinner.  It was pouring the entire walk, and by the time we arrived, we were drenched - well at least our shoes were.  We all had either a poncho or umbrella.

Dinner was a delicious tender beef with roast and a chocolate dessert.

We arrived back at the hotel by 8:30 and had the students in their rooms by 9:30.  We are looking forward to another fun-filled day tomorrow as we leave our second hotel for Pisa, Italy's!

Thank you all so much for making this trip possible for all of us.  It has been an amazing trip thus far - even with the unplanned events!

Have a wonderful evening.  It's time for me to go to sleep!

Traveling with Mrs. Hughes...really!

I have had the wonderful opportunity to travel to many different countries in the past few years.

I have been on mission trips to Panajachel, Guatemala twice.  We built homes for people in need and did medical clinics for people in remote villages.  I was also able to visit with people in the city each evening and get to know the locals!  I LOVE the people in Guatemala!

My husband and I traveled the tip of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico for a week a few years ago.  We rented a Jeep and traveled to several different villages.  It was whale watching season while we were there.  So, we were able to see hundreds of whales as they surfaced and sprayed water or flipped their tales.  What amazing creatures!

In November 2013, I took a short trip to Beijing, China which was designed for teachers.  While in China, I had the amazing opportunity to walk on the Great Wall.  I still cannot believe I was there!  Of course, I also ate a lot of Chinese food which was nothing like the Americanized food we have here!  We also visited Tiannamen Square - a place we will have many discussions about in World Cultures.  We spent a day in the Forbidden City and the Dragon Lady's home. The culture in China is so old and rich.  It was an unreal place to visit and learn about.

This past summer (2014), two other World Cultures teachers and I took 18 students and 5 parents on a European Tour.  We visited four different countries - England, France, Belgium, and The Netherlands. It was absolutely unreal!  We saw all of the iconic things you expect to see in London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.  Not only that, but we were in three of those countries the night their team played in the World Cup!  So, we were able to celebrate with the "HOME TEAM" each of those nights!  It certainly made soccer more exciting for us Americans!

The most wonderful thing about traveling is learning about the culture in each place...their language, religion, clothing styles, and, of course, the food!  I cannot wait to share all of this with you this year!

Stay tuned for how you can travel with me in the next few years!