Day 10

It was difficult to get up this morning, but everyone was on the bus before 4:45 ready for Paris.  Many of you were worried about the news of the apartment fire in London which was really tragic, but it did not affect us.  However, we did see the smoke in the distance.


We took a bus to the Eurostar station and climbed aboard our second train in a week!  The ride was a very smooth two hours or so under the English Channel, through the Chunnel, and across western France.  When we arrived, we discovered that the truck that was to pick up our bags was late.  So, we were a little frustrated about having to wait a few minutes for them.  However, we soon found toilets (not restrooms, we've been told) and something to eat which made us all a little happier!

After a quick lunch at some local patisserie's near the train station, we had our first experience with the Paris Metro!  It is not much like the Tube!  It was very crowded, and everyone was nervous about getting on and off together.  We managed to do that, but everyone was a little shaken afterward!  We found our next bus/motorcoach and hopped on for a three-hour tour with a local guide.  Noah told us all about the history of her beautiful city.  

We started near the Louvre which we will be visiting tomorrow.  It was once the palace for the kings and queens until Louis XIV, the Sun King, moved into the Palace at Versailles.  Now, it is a huge art gallery.

We passed the Tuileries Garden and people shopping on Rivoli Street.  We drove through Place Vendome where we saw the former Republic of Texas Embassy, Louis Vitton (aka: the mother ship), countless famous jewelry stores and more.  Noah told us that the jewelry stores were all just around the corner from the Opera House which was built by Napoleon.  She said the point of going to the Opera at that time was not so much for the performance but to show off your wealth and position in society!

Next, we drove past the Place de la Concorde which was once the site of many beheadings including that of Marie Antoinette!


We passed an Egyptian Obelisk which was a present from the king of Egypt to the King of France and is the oldest monument in France!

We saw Madelaine Church which Noah said is known for being the worship site of many well known jet setters who come to Paris.  We also saw the American Embassy.  


Next, we turned on the Champs-Elysees, a very famous road with shopping for everyone!  About half way down the road is the Elysees Palace - the President's home.  At the end is the Arc de Triomphe which was built by Napoleon in 1806 as a military building for the soldiers to march under on return to the city.  Unfortunately, it was never used for that purpose, but it is a memorial for France's heroes today.  It includes flowers and an eternal flame for the unknown soldier...very similar to our own tribute in Washington, D.C.

Next, we saw what everyone had been waiting for....the Eiffel Tower!  It was built for the World's Fair as a temporary statue for 20 years, but it's still here...making money for the city!  

We got out for about 20 minutes to take pictures from one of the best places in the city to see the Eiffel Tower.  Tomorrow we will actually go to the tower and attempt to get tickets to climb up!

Next on our guided tour was the Place des Invalides.  Napoleon obviously cared about his military because this was another thing built for them.  It was like a hospital/living space for those who had been hurt in the military.  He even built an amazing chapel inside which is visible as the dome on top.  We took a few minutes to take pictures of the church and have a toilet break.  The last few days, we've been having to pay to use the toilets.  So, we are buying more coffee than we were.    Public toilets are scarce in Paris.  So, the shops will let you use theirs ONLY if you purchase something.  They actually guard the entrance to the toilets!  It's serious business!! :)

We rode through the Latin Quarter where mostly students and young people live and which contains many schools and universities.  We saw the remains of the Roman Bath on Boulevard Saint Germaine, and we passed the Pantheon which was built as a church but turned into a mausoleum after the Great Revolution.  Some of the famous people buried here are Victor Hugo (author of the Hunchback of Notre Dame), Pierre and Marie Curie, Voltaire and Rousseau.

Before ending our tour, we also passed the gorgeous Gardens of Luxembourg which were built by Mary de Medici in 1600 after her husband, Henry IV died.  She didn't really like living in the Louvre Palace and wanted a more Italian Castle to remind her of home!  I hope we may have some time to sit in the gardens tomorrow!


And that was all in 3 hours!!  Our bus dropped us off just across the Seine River from Notre Dame Cathedral.  We crossed the beautiful river on a bridge and waited in line for about 15 minutes before entering Notre Dame.  Everyone walked around at their own pace enjoying the architecture of the cathedral which was opened in 1345.

After Notre Dame, we had dinner and then had another adventure on the Metro before arriving at our hotel!  We are all in for the night and looking forward to a great night's sleep as we have until 7:30 to arrive downstairs for breakfast!

Tomorrow will be a full day, and I may not be able to send our email until the following morning, but I will continue to keep you updated. In the mean time, please remember that we are coming home on Friday, and we are ready to be there!  This is fun, but we are tired and ready for our own beds!  Our flight is scheduled to arrive at 4:25 p.m. on Friday, the 16th, at Bush.  Please watch Delta flight #930 to be sure there are no delays.  Please plan to meet us at baggage claim! 

Have a wonderful evening!

Jacqueline Hughes

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!

Paris: Luxembourg Gardens and Notre Dame

We are finally settling down for a good night's sleep after some of us have been up for almost 36 hours straight!  It has been quite an adventurous "day" with multiple people experiencing motion sickness due to 2 plane rides, an hour and a half bus ride, 3 rides on the metro (which included an unfortunate pickpocket of one of our adults), and a tram ride to finally bring us back to our hotel which has no air conditioning!

While we are looking forward to saying "bonne nuit" (good night) to this day, we also had some very good experiences.  We had lunch at a patteserie (bakery) in Paris followed by one hour of free time at le jardin de Luxembourg.  The palace and gardens were built in the 17th century at the request of Maria de Medici, Queen of France, who did not want to live in the Louvre Palace.

The gardens are beautiful and are now a community hangout for people exercising, reading, people-watching, relaxing, and more.

We later went to Notre Dame Cathedral, taking in all of the intricate art work and construction done in an age without electricity!

We enjoyed a traditional eastern French/German dish that is similar to thin crust pizza.

We have now checked in to the hotel and made sure most everyone has showered and are hoping for at least 8 hours of sleep!

Please don't worry! The first day is the hardest and we made it through without any complaints or attitudes!

Until tomorrow....
Mrs. Hughes

If you aren't following us on Instagram yet, you can find us at cypress_world_wanderers

Versailles and the Eiffel Tower

We are getting in bed...hopefully, everyone else is already asleep, actually!  It has been a very busy day!  The students dos a fantastic job getting up and ready this morning!  After breakfast at the hotel, which was an experience in itself, we boarded the bus and picked up our first local guide.

Francois gave us a beautiful guided tour of the city.  We drove for about an hour and a half as she pointed out important buildings, famous cafes, and more.

On the tour, we saw the Pantheon where many famous people are buried, including Marie Curee, Alexandre Dumas (author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo), and Victor Hugo (author of les Miserables).  We passed the Dome Church - the burial site of Napoleon and the Vendome Hotel, aka the Texas consulate building, which was in operation for only one year during the days of The Republic of Texas!

We've seen much of the Seine river which runs through Paris.  However, it is very high due to much flooding last week!  It just makes us feel at home! :)

We saw the tunnel where Princess Diana died and the flame statue over it which was a gift from the US in 1989 as a thank you for the restoration project three years earlier in the Statue of Liberty.

We saw the Opera House, where the famed "Phantom" of the Opera was born.  We also passed the Arc de Triomphe which was built by Napoleon to commemorate his military victories.  And guess where it is... The Champs-Élysées!!

We ended our driving tour at the palace of Versailles.  We ate lunch across the street at a little cafe.  By the way,  many of the kids have decided they like Croque Monsuier.  You can ask them about it later!  After lunch we divided into groups to take turns on a guided tour of the palace with Francois and a walk in the beautiful gardens!

Many of the students have been surprised at the amount of money spent by royalty!  The palace was once the hunting "cabin" of the kings until Louis XIV, the Sun King, made it his home.  The rooms are incredibly ornate.  We saw some interesting art with great stories, but we all loved the Hall of Mirrors.  It is gorgeous, but it is also the location of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles which ended World War 1.

After Versailles, we had dinner and then went to the Eiffel Tower!  It was not super busy, and we were able to get tickets to go to the top!  31 of our 43 went all the way up, but most everyone else went at least to the 2nd floor.  It was amazing.  The air felt great, and we enjoyed trying to find the places we'd seen throughout the day!

Lastly, we rode the metro and tram back to the hotel.  We are experts at the Metro now.  People know to watch out for us because we rush to get on and off to be sure we are all together!

Tomorrow, we go to the Louvre for a short visit and then we're off to Nice.  Unfortunately, the train operators are on strike tomorrow.  (There is always someone on strike here!). So, we are not going to ride the train.  Our great Tour Guide has arranged a bus to drive us to our destination.  So, we are looking forward to the rest as we travel!

I hope you are enjoying the pictures!  Have a wonderful day/night!

Jacqueline Hughes