En cours à Duruy et dernière promenade parisienne en groupe

This morning we attended class at the lycée.  I went to English, Spanish, and Math. The large classes at Victor Duruy caused class to feel less intimate but enjoyable nonetheless. The English teacher was very strict and had a strong but odd British accent.  Spanish a little more laid back and activity focused.  They also did some history on the Islamic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.  It was nice to have a history class to give context to the language. It was interesting to watch the kids debate over topics involving race and ethnicity. Math class was too large to manage and it seemed like a challenging learning environment.  Experience Duruy and Saint Martin made me realize how lucky we are to be able to learn in such an engaging and personalized setting.  ---Lucas A.

Place du Tertre, Montmartre 

After spending time with our correspondants at school, we took the speedy metro to Montmartre.  At the base of the hill we rode a cute little trolley.  When we stepped off, the beautiful view of Paris amazed us.  One could see every ancient apartment and many famous landmarks.  There were painters selling breathtaking pieces of their art.  Some of us enjoyed de la glace, and later we sat on the steps of Sacré Coeur and absorbed the smell of the French air.  Overall Montmartre provided a great view of Paris, and I will not forget the taste of that ice cream! --Maddy

As someone who has never experienced Europe in the past, having my first experience in France, especially two locations so radically different, was truly eye-opening.  Experiencing firsthand the differences between the urban and rural settings allowed me to better understand the lives of the people and the challenges they face in their day-to-day lives.  This, as well as being able to see life through the eyes of an average French teenager, made my first time truly memorable and educational.  I would have to say my favorite places were probably Les Jardins du Luxembourg and Montmartre, as le Jardins du Luxembourg was a very relaxed and calm place whereas Montmartre was more lively and activity oriented. –Lucas

On Friday afternoon, we had the pleasure of meeting Lauren Libaw in Paris.  Lauren is not only an accomplished opera star but also a Poly alum!!  We met her in a lovely park near her home (the Parc Monceau) and enjoy a chant and walk around.  It was so amazing to see how a Poly student could end up living and working in Paris! -- Willa

 Poly alum Lauren Libaw meets with the group in the Parc Monceau

 

des flâneurs

Final stop in the Saint Germain des Près

Salut! Last night, I enjoyed a little adventure with my French correspondante, Justine. Shortly after arriving at the school, we headed to the subway. After arriving and shopping for a bit, we began a beautiful walk along the Seine river. We enjoyed numerous Parisian landscapes as we also watched the sun set. We finally arrived at our destination: a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tour! We stayed and watched it light up! We finally headed home, where I tried escargots for the first time! A very fun day! -Willa

Correspondant Coordination!

Du Louvre au Marais avec des gourmandises sur le chemin

Bonjour!

Today, we visited the Louvre! We were given little headsets and matching ipods to be able to hear what our guide was saying. Our informative guide took us through many rooms and described the making of the Louvre with great detail. For instance, she told us in French about how the former castle was built and then how the various kings and queens built onto the castle to make what the Louvre is today. Then in French and some English, she led us through some of the many rooms that holds many paintings and sculptures. We saw the Mona Lisa (La Joconde), some paintings of Delacroix, some sculptures of Michelangelo, and some others. We saw the beautiful architecture, including the ceilings.  In the end, we had a great time and learned a lot about the Louvre!-Maddy K

Bonjour! 
We just finished our tour of the Louvre and are reflecting on our experience. We started by learning about the history and construction of the louvre itself and many of us noted it was very interesting. Then we took a brief stop at the small sphinx where our tour guide told us about theEegyptian history in the Louvre. The first part of the tour was all in French to help with our French immersion. Then we visited famous sculptures, paintings and took time to stop at the Mona Lisa. The whole experience was very fun and interesting. --Margaret S.

Chocolat chaud obligatoire après le Louvre dans la Place Colette

reading break with a chocolat chaud

This morning we went to the Louvre and had a tour of the architecture and some important works of art. I enjoyed learning about the history and timeline of the building. We walked through what used to be the moat of the original castle of Charles V and then through the rest of the museum. Of course we stopped to see the Mona Lisa, the Le Radeau de Méduse, Liberté Guidant le Peuple, and some famous sculptures. Our tour guide was très gentille and spoke to us mostly in French and only a bit in English. Now we are at Comédie Française drinking hot chocolate and writing for the blog :). --Olivia S.

Sculpture inspired by Carnac ruins in les Jardins du Palais Royal

dans le metro

Obligatory falafel stop at epic l'As du Falafel

Feeling silly @ the Hôtel Sully!

Salut!

Chiara, my correspondent from Paris, took me and a few others on a beautiful stroll
along the Seine while watching the sunset. Once the sun went down and the Eiffel
Tower lit up, they took us to the Palais de Chaillot to watch the light show. It was beautiful
and an amazing view in Paris.--Lily K.

Napping in la Place des Vosges

Carnaval parade in the Place des Vosges

Histoire de l'Art et l'Histoire du Judaïsme

One last sight --Centre Pompidou" before the crêperie and "Les 300 Mètres" musical 

Jeudi soir, nous sommes allés au théâtre à Paris.   Nous avons regardé  une comédie musicale sur l’histoire de Gustave Eiffel et la Tour Eiffel.  Cette historie est magnifique et trés drôle.  Merci beaucoup à Noë et Mme. Diederich de l’organiser. Nous avons  eu une expérience magnifique.  Cette histoire est comme Shakespeare. ---Henry H.

Jeudi soir, nous sommes allés à une comédie musicale française, Les 300 Mètres.  C’était fantastique.  Quand j’ai vu Mme. Diederich pendant le musical, elle avait un grand sourire.  Tout le monde a aimé cette comédie musicale sur Gustave Eiffel et sa tour.—Ava L.