Day 1 & 2 - Berlin

I was so exhausted last night that I could not type after three sentences!  I kept falling asleep and waking up to see sentences that made no sense!  So, here is a recap of our first 2 days which really seem like one to us!

Our plane left Houston at  3:00 local time on Friday afternoon and arrived around midnight in Amsterdam (7:00 a.m. local time)!  We then boarded another plane for an hour and a half flight to Berlin.  We arrived at about 10 a.m. (3:00 am Houston time), and waited for two hours for another group to arrive.  We then loaded our luggage onto our bus and drove down to the city center where we walked around in the hot sun for what seemed like forever!!

We learned a few interesting facts throughout the day:

White rabbits lived in the area between the walls!  Not only were the people trapped in East or West Berlin when the walls went up in the middle of the night, but the rabbits were burrowed underground and also trapped when they came up the next morning!  Apparently, they were very happy living in the space undistrubed by people, but there were A LOT of them by the end of the Nazi reign and .....

Things we saw on our tour:

A beautiful protestant church with a fabulous organ.  We even got to hear the organ being played!

We stopped at the Topography of Terror Museum which included an original section of the Berlin Wall.  We took turns taking our pictures with the wall, but we got some even better ones today!  We did not have much time in the museum to really read, but we are getting bits and pieces of the awful times in Germany's history everywhere we go.  You really can't get away from it!

Amplemann is on all of the walk/don't walk signs instead of just a stick figure.  He was actually a part of East Berlin and was incorporated into all of Berlin when it was reunited.

We stopped by the train station where the first children were saved from the Nazis in 1938.  This statue depicts the ones who were not saved and eventually had to live through (or die) in the Holocaust.

On the opposite side are these children who thankfully made it out safely before having to go through all the torture.  However, we were reminded that these children left without their families, and had to start a whole new life with people they didn't know.  Even their story can be tragic!

There are many places in Berlin where the country has tried to memorialize the Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust.  One of those ways was placing these "stumbling blocks" at the entrance to each house where Jews lived in the Jewish quarter.  Each block has the name of the family who lived there and where they went when they left their homes (which concentration camp, etc.).  They are called stumbling blocks because they are raised a little so that you literally stumble over them a when you pass and are reminded to look down and remember - not just Jews in general, but the names!  These stones can be found in most of the countries where Jews were exhiled.

We spent a very short time in the Jewish quarter learning a little about the people who tried to save others.  One man was made known for helping disabled people learn to make brooms and other equipment - trying to give them a trade or job so they weren't seen as worthless.

170,000 Jews lived in the Jewish quarter before the Nazi invasion.  Only 4000 remained after!  They are now coming back slowly.  About 20,000 Jews now live in Berlin.


We did a walking tour of downtown and then ended with a dinner of sausages and potatoes.  Lastly, we boarded the bus and were in our hotel rooms by about 8:30 p.m.  Then, we crashed until this morning!!  The "first" day is always the hardest because they are trying to keep us up and moving constantly so we will quickly get acclamated to the time change.

We all felt better this morning and were grateful for cool weather and a lot of time on the bus!

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

Europe Trip 2016 Trailer

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!