You see, watching a play every night is all well and good, but when you're getting home at 11 after a solid day of being on your feet with an intense foreboding that you have to pull yourself out of bed by 7:30 the next morning, well, writing on the blog comes after snuggling into bed. That has been our life on this trip for the past three nights, and while I desperately want to update you on everything we have done in the past three days, I just want to go to sleep. Right now.
Our three plays were amazing, like, unbelievably so. Tonight, we witnessed children who couldn't be more than seven singing and dancing and wowing us all with their boundless talents in Matilda. Last night, we got to sit as the bourgeoisie of Shakespeare's time would have sat, and watched Antony and Cleopatra. And the night before, we fell in love with puppet horses and their amazingly real, human masters in War Horse. What an unbelievable week this has been, what an unbelievable trip! All I can think of half of the time is "wow, I would never have done this otherwise" and I just feel so fortunate! Hopefully your child does too.
I will return to update you on the winding staircases and beautiful views of Saint Paul's, the shops and nick nacks of Covent Gardens, the changing of the guards, the various beautiful galleries we have visited in London, and my group's run in with Harrods during our free time. As they say in France, bonne unit!
Thursday, 22 May 2014
Monday, 19 May 2014
Day 4: Last Tango in Paris
...first tango in London!
Today was an interesting day of missed connections and missed trains, but we have arrived in London, safe and sound. Today, we started our morning with a final croissant and pain au chocolate breakfast and a few minutes to pack, then we were off to Paris' amazing, ornate opera house to take a glimpse into the life of Paris' 19th century upper crust.
Now a place for ballet performances, the Opera Garnier is a perfect depiction of wealth and what beauty truly means. Every wing of the ornate building is different and magical in its own way. Rich colours and metallic finishes cover the thousands of archways and pillars throughout both the theatre and the entranceway. Everything was carved into the shapes of leaves and boats, even things like butterflies were common decorations in the building.
After learning about the wealthy's poor treatment of the actual art of opera and the strange (and true) myths surrounding the Phantom of the Opera, we were already headed back through the Metro to our hotel. Soon, we had everything loaded in the van and we were off to the Garre du Nord.
This is where our day got messy. Already later than scheduled, we stopped at the Garre and were rushed off with our bags towards the entrance. After a passport mishap and a lot of broken English transfers, we managed to miss our train and make the next (hint: this was basically all my fault).
The train ride was really interesting, seeing all the French country side and then entering the Chunnel and knowing "wow, I'm under water!". The ride gave us even more time to bond as a group and the train itself was clean, spacious and smelled good. Wish we could have switched the ten hour from the plane to this!
Upon arrival in London, we were late yet again, this time to get our bags to the hotel and to make it to dinner. We rushed everything into the hotel, freshened up a bit and then it was back to exploring yet another new city. London is so interesting to look at! It's such a strange hodge podge of old and new, but somehow it works. On route to the restaurant, we crossed the Thames on a walking bridge and had our first run in with the London tube.
Dinner was near the water, right at the base of the London Eye, which everyone was excited to see. Naturally, due to the general tardiness surrounding our whole day, the food took a long time to come and we were late for our time on the Eye - the last time slot of the day. Mr. Hartley-Foltz sad that there is an opportunity to try again, so at least the loss isn't too great!
London at night was so well lit as we walked back to our hotel. Big Ben was right there, looking just like in the movies and pictures. We had time to get some good shots of the city and the river, then it was beck home for a semi-early night to prepare for yet another big day coming tomorrow.
Today was an interesting day of missed connections and missed trains, but we have arrived in London, safe and sound. Today, we started our morning with a final croissant and pain au chocolate breakfast and a few minutes to pack, then we were off to Paris' amazing, ornate opera house to take a glimpse into the life of Paris' 19th century upper crust.
Now a place for ballet performances, the Opera Garnier is a perfect depiction of wealth and what beauty truly means. Every wing of the ornate building is different and magical in its own way. Rich colours and metallic finishes cover the thousands of archways and pillars throughout both the theatre and the entranceway. Everything was carved into the shapes of leaves and boats, even things like butterflies were common decorations in the building.
After learning about the wealthy's poor treatment of the actual art of opera and the strange (and true) myths surrounding the Phantom of the Opera, we were already headed back through the Metro to our hotel. Soon, we had everything loaded in the van and we were off to the Garre du Nord.
This is where our day got messy. Already later than scheduled, we stopped at the Garre and were rushed off with our bags towards the entrance. After a passport mishap and a lot of broken English transfers, we managed to miss our train and make the next (hint: this was basically all my fault).
The train ride was really interesting, seeing all the French country side and then entering the Chunnel and knowing "wow, I'm under water!". The ride gave us even more time to bond as a group and the train itself was clean, spacious and smelled good. Wish we could have switched the ten hour from the plane to this!
Upon arrival in London, we were late yet again, this time to get our bags to the hotel and to make it to dinner. We rushed everything into the hotel, freshened up a bit and then it was back to exploring yet another new city. London is so interesting to look at! It's such a strange hodge podge of old and new, but somehow it works. On route to the restaurant, we crossed the Thames on a walking bridge and had our first run in with the London tube.
Dinner was near the water, right at the base of the London Eye, which everyone was excited to see. Naturally, due to the general tardiness surrounding our whole day, the food took a long time to come and we were late for our time on the Eye - the last time slot of the day. Mr. Hartley-Foltz sad that there is an opportunity to try again, so at least the loss isn't too great!
London at night was so well lit as we walked back to our hotel. Big Ben was right there, looking just like in the movies and pictures. We had time to get some good shots of the city and the river, then it was beck home for a semi-early night to prepare for yet another big day coming tomorrow.
Sunday, 18 May 2014
Paris, Day 3: Montmartre and the Eiffle Tower
Today was our first day in separate groups, whereas the rest of our time in Paris involved a lot of group binding between the students of arts and drama. As I am summarizing the whole trip, but can of course only attend one part (the drama part), I'm just going to talk briefly about what we did apart.
The drama students and I were guided around Paris on a walking tour to discover the life of the famous playwright and actor Moliere. We were able to see the sites of his birth, baptism and the theatre where his plays continue to be preformed to this day. This walking tour took us all over the 1st arrondissement and ended up around the Louvre where Moliere's statue is standing among many important men of France.
From the tour, we took a long Metro ride followed by a climb up seemingly endless stairs to the foot of Montmartre, which is the poorer, more artistic district of Paris. When I say foot, I mean foot; there was an entire hill left to climb! At the top, we saw the beautiful Sacre Coeur, a church placed on the hill that overlooks the city of Paris. Both groups met up on the steps for photo-ops before lunch and a chance to explore the paintings and poster shops of Montmartre.
After lunch, Mr. Hartley-Foltz gave us a mini-tour of the homes of various famous artists who had lived in Montmartre over the years such as Monet. There were a lot of ups and downs on the hill and by the end of it, our feet were aching all over again. The houses in Montmartre all have many different vibrate lot coloured walls, which is very different from the apartments in Paris and learning about the different people who had lived and worked in them over the years was fascinating.
Somehow, despite the heat and blisters, we stumbled down the hill passed the Moulin Rouge, back into the Metro and all the way to the Eiffle Tower, in time for our scheduled ride to the top. Lines were brutal throughout the experience and the group was broken up frequently by the thousands of tourists from all walks of life, trying to take a photo or five of the city of love.
The view, however, was indescribable. Many of the apartments had hollowed out courtyards in the centre, many of which had another smaller apartment seemingly slotted into it. The mix of old and new architecture was just as fascinating from above. We were able to see all the places we'd visited over the course of our travels and even the Opera House, of which we have a tour tomorrow.
After a long struggle against the crowds lining up for the downwards elevators, we conglomerated at the bottom of the tower and it was off to dinner at a Galloise-style restaurant. The walls were all bare stone and covered in stuffed animal heads, the tables were large and rustic and everyone agreed that we might as well have been in Game of Thrones. After a meal of fresh veggies and lamb, it was time to head home. As we were entering the final Metro entrance before our hotel, we were met by some amazing street dancers blasting cheerful music and enchanting us with their moves. What a great way to end our final night in Paris!
The drama students and I were guided around Paris on a walking tour to discover the life of the famous playwright and actor Moliere. We were able to see the sites of his birth, baptism and the theatre where his plays continue to be preformed to this day. This walking tour took us all over the 1st arrondissement and ended up around the Louvre where Moliere's statue is standing among many important men of France.
From the tour, we took a long Metro ride followed by a climb up seemingly endless stairs to the foot of Montmartre, which is the poorer, more artistic district of Paris. When I say foot, I mean foot; there was an entire hill left to climb! At the top, we saw the beautiful Sacre Coeur, a church placed on the hill that overlooks the city of Paris. Both groups met up on the steps for photo-ops before lunch and a chance to explore the paintings and poster shops of Montmartre.
After lunch, Mr. Hartley-Foltz gave us a mini-tour of the homes of various famous artists who had lived in Montmartre over the years such as Monet. There were a lot of ups and downs on the hill and by the end of it, our feet were aching all over again. The houses in Montmartre all have many different vibrate lot coloured walls, which is very different from the apartments in Paris and learning about the different people who had lived and worked in them over the years was fascinating.
Somehow, despite the heat and blisters, we stumbled down the hill passed the Moulin Rouge, back into the Metro and all the way to the Eiffle Tower, in time for our scheduled ride to the top. Lines were brutal throughout the experience and the group was broken up frequently by the thousands of tourists from all walks of life, trying to take a photo or five of the city of love.
The view, however, was indescribable. Many of the apartments had hollowed out courtyards in the centre, many of which had another smaller apartment seemingly slotted into it. The mix of old and new architecture was just as fascinating from above. We were able to see all the places we'd visited over the course of our travels and even the Opera House, of which we have a tour tomorrow.
After a long struggle against the crowds lining up for the downwards elevators, we conglomerated at the bottom of the tower and it was off to dinner at a Galloise-style restaurant. The walls were all bare stone and covered in stuffed animal heads, the tables were large and rustic and everyone agreed that we might as well have been in Game of Thrones. After a meal of fresh veggies and lamb, it was time to head home. As we were entering the final Metro entrance before our hotel, we were met by some amazing street dancers blasting cheerful music and enchanting us with their moves. What a great way to end our final night in Paris!
Saturday, 17 May 2014
Paris, Day 2: Art Museums And River Cruises
What a day! Who knew one city could have some much beauty and history for us to look at. We just returned home after yet another busy day roaming the City of Love and, suffice to say, we'll all be sleeping well tonight.
Today was all about art. We started bright early with a self guided trip to the Musee d'Orsee, Paris' collection of impressionist paintings and sculptures. We saw Gaugins, Rodins and Monets (oh my!) and feasted our eyes on the museum's beautiful architecture, which used to be an old train station. My group members all agreed that the textures in the paintings were the most spectacular part. The people looked so real and the colours were so vibrant, it was like you could taste and feel everything inside them.
After the Musee, we made our way along Paris' winding streets, examining how the architecture changing from block to block. There just always seems to be something to be looking at. The walk (and a Metro ride) led us to the Louvre, our next destination for the day. The Louvre is located in the most recent of Paris' palaces, where Louis the Sixteenth and MarieAntoinette lived at the time of the French Revolution. The museum stretches the equivalent of five miles of hall, separated into wings, and all the ceilings are equally carved and ornately painted.
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We were left to explore the underground shops and the massive garden located near the entrance to the gallery. The entrance to the Louvre is underground, so it is known as an invisible entrance. They built a pyramid over the entrance because pyramids are known to disappear if looked at from a distance - of course, the Louvre pyramid is also made of glass, so the entrance truly is invisible!
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After our lunch break, we were given an hour-long tour of some of the highlights of the massive art gallery, but an hour barely covered a wing. Did you know that looking at every piece of art in the Louvre would take a total of nine months? We saw many sculptures made in early Rome, the Mona Lisa, and finally the red room, which contains many famous French paintings such as Napoleon's Coronation and the classic painting which is known to symbolize the French Revolution.
We were given a mere hour to explore the rest of the museum on our own, and even with a plan, my group barely covered any ground at all. Then, it was off to shopping in the streets of Paris! We visited some arcades, which are sort of like covered shopping squares, often made out of old train stations where we looked at stationary stores, shoes and used books. After we arrived at the Paris Opera House, we went back with our separate groups to look closure at places we'd passed, or find new and exciting places to shop.
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We met back at the opera house after exploring the City of Love on our own and began our trek to dinner where more delicious French cuisine was consumed. Last on our whirlwind day was the boat cruise on the Seine River. We rode the Metro to the Eiffel Tour, and for the first time in two days it sort of hit me "wow, I'm really in Paris", what a crazy thing to realize. Seeing it up close and personal was amazing for everyone, and pictures were most definitely taken (lots of them!).
Down at the water, with the Tour still in sight, we hopped a boat that took us all around l'Ile de la Cite where we got to watch the sun set over Paris. Locals were all out having dinner along the edge of the Seine and many of them greeted us with waves. We saw the palace, the court house and the Musee d'Orsee, along with all of Paris' beautiful apartments. As it was getting dark, the boat drove back up to the Eiffel Tower and we saw it all lit up.
![]()
Seeing Paris at night was an all around magical experience, and even returning home after the cruise was pretty spectacular, seeing everyone out enjoying the heat in coffee shops and just looking so happy to be alive. But how could you not be? It's Paris, after all!
Today was all about art. We started bright early with a self guided trip to the Musee d'Orsee, Paris' collection of impressionist paintings and sculptures. We saw Gaugins, Rodins and Monets (oh my!) and feasted our eyes on the museum's beautiful architecture, which used to be an old train station. My group members all agreed that the textures in the paintings were the most spectacular part. The people looked so real and the colours were so vibrant, it was like you could taste and feel everything inside them.
After the Musee, we made our way along Paris' winding streets, examining how the architecture changing from block to block. There just always seems to be something to be looking at. The walk (and a Metro ride) led us to the Louvre, our next destination for the day. The Louvre is located in the most recent of Paris' palaces, where Louis the Sixteenth and MarieAntoinette lived at the time of the French Revolution. The museum stretches the equivalent of five miles of hall, separated into wings, and all the ceilings are equally carved and ornately painted.
We were left to explore the underground shops and the massive garden located near the entrance to the gallery. The entrance to the Louvre is underground, so it is known as an invisible entrance. They built a pyramid over the entrance because pyramids are known to disappear if looked at from a distance - of course, the Louvre pyramid is also made of glass, so the entrance truly is invisible!
After our lunch break, we were given an hour-long tour of some of the highlights of the massive art gallery, but an hour barely covered a wing. Did you know that looking at every piece of art in the Louvre would take a total of nine months? We saw many sculptures made in early Rome, the Mona Lisa, and finally the red room, which contains many famous French paintings such as Napoleon's Coronation and the classic painting which is known to symbolize the French Revolution.
We were given a mere hour to explore the rest of the museum on our own, and even with a plan, my group barely covered any ground at all. Then, it was off to shopping in the streets of Paris! We visited some arcades, which are sort of like covered shopping squares, often made out of old train stations where we looked at stationary stores, shoes and used books. After we arrived at the Paris Opera House, we went back with our separate groups to look closure at places we'd passed, or find new and exciting places to shop.
We met back at the opera house after exploring the City of Love on our own and began our trek to dinner where more delicious French cuisine was consumed. Last on our whirlwind day was the boat cruise on the Seine River. We rode the Metro to the Eiffel Tour, and for the first time in two days it sort of hit me "wow, I'm really in Paris", what a crazy thing to realize. Seeing it up close and personal was amazing for everyone, and pictures were most definitely taken (lots of them!).
Down at the water, with the Tour still in sight, we hopped a boat that took us all around l'Ile de la Cite where we got to watch the sun set over Paris. Locals were all out having dinner along the edge of the Seine and many of them greeted us with waves. We saw the palace, the court house and the Musee d'Orsee, along with all of Paris' beautiful apartments. As it was getting dark, the boat drove back up to the Eiffel Tower and we saw it all lit up.
Seeing Paris at night was an all around magical experience, and even returning home after the cruise was pretty spectacular, seeing everyone out enjoying the heat in coffee shops and just looking so happy to be alive. But how could you not be? It's Paris, after all!
Arrival in Paris, France
After a long and tiring day of travel and adventure, the Lord Byng Arts and Drama crew arrived safetly at our hotel for a restful night. It's the morning now and we're enjoying some final breakfast snacks before heading out to the Musee d'Orsee. Yesterday was such a crazy worldwind of history and sleep deprivation that I was barely able to eat, let alone write on this blog!
Yesterday morning, we got off the plane at nine in the morning and we're met by bright sunshine and some lovely heat. From there, we rode into the city and dropped off our bags at the hotel.
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We had an amazing tour guide named Joshua who met with us at the airport and shared with us his knowledge of the city. With Joshua, we traveled to Saint Chapel, the chapel that Louis the 9th of France (or Saint Louis) built himself. This tiny jewel box is a model of gothic architecture with its huge stained glass windows depicting colourful biblical stories and almost nonexistent walls. The chapel contains the oldest existing piece of art native to Paris which is a painting of the Mother Mary over where the main alter would have been. Much of the chapel was destroyed during the French Revolution as it was attached to Louis' castle and represented the monarchy. The castle has since been transformed into France's major court house in which the biggest court cases in the whole country take place.
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After Saint Chapel, Joshua took us to the Latin Quater, near Notre Dame Cathedral, to get some lunch. Baguettes, gyros, pizza and even espressos were enjoyed by all! By the time we were done lunch and had begun walking towards Notre Dame for our tour, nearly everyone was asleep on our feet! For most of us, we had been up over 20 hours.
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Joshua showed us around the cathedral and we were able to drink in the many beautiful statues of religious figures including Joan of Arc and Mary. Candles were placed around the cathedral for you to leave as prayer offerings. Joshua gave us many wonderful lessons on the history of Notre Dame and how it took many, many years to build. Our lovely chaperones then lead us to one of the many green spaces Paris has to offer and of course, gelato!
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Dinner brought us back, a little sore and very tired, to the Latin Quarter. We enjoyed a classic French meal between accidental nods off to sleep at the table, then finally, it was back to the hotel for a nine o'clock bed time. I'm sure some of the parents will be amazed to hear of your child going to sleep at nine, but I promise it was true for nearly everyone in the party, plane rides are brutal!
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As it nears nine, everyone is conglomerating in the lobby for our second day in Paris. The weather looks like it's going to be sunny and hot again today. Off to the Musee d'Orsee!
(EDIT: Images should be visible now!)
Yesterday morning, we got off the plane at nine in the morning and we're met by bright sunshine and some lovely heat. From there, we rode into the city and dropped off our bags at the hotel.
We had an amazing tour guide named Joshua who met with us at the airport and shared with us his knowledge of the city. With Joshua, we traveled to Saint Chapel, the chapel that Louis the 9th of France (or Saint Louis) built himself. This tiny jewel box is a model of gothic architecture with its huge stained glass windows depicting colourful biblical stories and almost nonexistent walls. The chapel contains the oldest existing piece of art native to Paris which is a painting of the Mother Mary over where the main alter would have been. Much of the chapel was destroyed during the French Revolution as it was attached to Louis' castle and represented the monarchy. The castle has since been transformed into France's major court house in which the biggest court cases in the whole country take place.
After Saint Chapel, Joshua took us to the Latin Quater, near Notre Dame Cathedral, to get some lunch. Baguettes, gyros, pizza and even espressos were enjoyed by all! By the time we were done lunch and had begun walking towards Notre Dame for our tour, nearly everyone was asleep on our feet! For most of us, we had been up over 20 hours.
Joshua showed us around the cathedral and we were able to drink in the many beautiful statues of religious figures including Joan of Arc and Mary. Candles were placed around the cathedral for you to leave as prayer offerings. Joshua gave us many wonderful lessons on the history of Notre Dame and how it took many, many years to build. Our lovely chaperones then lead us to one of the many green spaces Paris has to offer and of course, gelato!
Dinner brought us back, a little sore and very tired, to the Latin Quarter. We enjoyed a classic French meal between accidental nods off to sleep at the table, then finally, it was back to the hotel for a nine o'clock bed time. I'm sure some of the parents will be amazed to hear of your child going to sleep at nine, but I promise it was true for nearly everyone in the party, plane rides are brutal!
As it nears nine, everyone is conglomerating in the lobby for our second day in Paris. The weather looks like it's going to be sunny and hot again today. Off to the Musee d'Orsee!
(EDIT: Images should be visible now!)
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