Service Learning and Versailles!

Greetings from Paris!

On Friday our group once again helped to provide lunch for some folks at the American Cathedral in Paris. The other volunteers and diners were excited to see us back again. Interestingly, two of the other volunteers have Seattle roots. One of the volunteers graduated from Nathan Hale High School and the other raised a family in Spokane for years. They were impressed to see Shoreline students in Paris!

Some of the group also returned to the Louvre on Friday night to take advantage of the free entry for those under 26 years old on Friday night. They just needed more of the aesthetic power of the Louvre's enormous collection.

Today, the group spent a long and warm day at Versailles. The 18th century palace provides an overwhelming example of 18th century power, money, and art. Quite a change from the day before! We were fortunate enough to see one of the fountains on display, but the day was long and the group did a lot of walking. Tomorrow, a day of rest--which everyone needs!

Getting a Local and Global Perspective

On Wednesday, our group had the unique opportunity to meet with a local expert on French immigration law and immigration issues. Jean Taquet was born in France, married an American, and has lived in the States and in France. He offers free legal help for any newcomers to France on a weekly basis. He shared with us his work, his perspectives on French immigration law, and views of diversity in France. We discussed the practical realities of being an immigrant in France, the aftermath of the riots in 2005 and 2006, and the recent headscarf controversy. His views were challenging, informed, and different than those we have been reading and discussing.

If you are interested in hearing more about Jean and his work, here's his website:

http://www.jeantaquet.com/

Loire Valley and the city of Tours

On Saturday, we took a tour of two chateaux and Clos Luce, Da Vinci's home for the last three years of his life. The tour started in Chenonceau (far left), the famous "chateaux of the six women." The medieval castle was almost completely raised before being redesigned according to Italian Renaissance style. Then we moved on to Clos Luce (top of the post) and the magnificent Da Vinci. The museum provides insight into Da Vinci's relationship with Francoise I, the Renaissance King, who brought him to France. Da Vinci's lifestyle is reflected in the living quarters and furniture. Many displays, inside and out, depict many of the inventor/artist/scientist's plans and ideas. Then, a short walk and we were inside the famous Amboise (far right). Amboise maintains more of a medieval castle style and was for many centuries the primary home of the French royalty (prior to the Paris palaces and Versailles).

The city of Tours was a lively place for dinner on Saturday night and the many college students and tourists in the area flow into the main medieval square, Place Plumereau.

We're back in Paris now and will go to the famous and amazing Louvre on Monday.

Week One In France

Salut!  It has been a quick week of beautiful sites.  I'll give you a short rundown of the things I have done since I arrived in Paris last Tuesday:

Upon arrival to our dorms at Cite Universitaire, our group wandered the streets around our campus.  We found a rummage store, which was promising because I had read somewhere that you can not find reasonably priced clothes in Paris.  Supposedly even the thrift stores are expensive and filled with high-end designer clothes.  After rummaging around we headed to a little square that had a street market and an excellent crepe restaurant.  I had a crepe with chantilly and pineapple ice cream. Magnifique!  After crepes we headed to a department store called Monoprix so I could pick up some things that I forgot to pack.

Our second day in Paris was fun.  We started a walk in the Jardin Des Tuileries.  I had been there during my previous trip to Paris, but we walked down a different side so I got to see some new things.  For anyone who travels to Paris, you must visit the Tuileries.  The garden is very beautiful with many amazing statues.

Later that day we visited Notre Dame and then the Latin Quarter.  We saw many funky shops and restaurants.  This area is a happening place for nightlife.  I found a wonderful clothing store that sells fancy gothic and victorian clothing.  I forget the name at the moment, but I will be heading back there when I have more time to shop.  That evening we saw some street performers doing break dancing in mime masks.

Thursday we visited Musee Quai Branly.  Our group went to explore the extensive works of African Art.  My feet hurt a lot from the rigorous day before, so I didn't get to see a lot of that art, but I am familiar with the beautiful and ornate masks and jewelry from Africa.  The group told me about the things the saw as I rested at the Quai Branly restaurant, where I experienced Africa by eating some Pan African cuisine.

After the museum, our group had a snack at a cafe nearby and then I separated from the group.  I walked through the Eiffel Tower park, crossed the Seine River, and headed to the Arc de Triomphe.  The drivers around there are super crazy.  I believe that the area is uncontrolled because I didn't see any stop lights.  The cars go in arbitrary directions crisscrossing through each other at a very fast pace.  It took me a bit to figure out how to cross the street to get to the Arc.  It turns out that you have to go underground.  I didn't take the stairs to the top.  I am going to wait and do it during the night to see the "city of light".

Friday we did service learning at the American Cathedral of Paris.  The recipients of our service were very kind and we enjoyed serving them food.  We will be continuing to do service there during our stay.

Friday afternoon we took a train to Tours in the Loire Valley.  There is great shopping, especially for lovers of European shoes, on the rue Nationale.  We had dinner in a funky square called Place Plumereau.  It has narrow cobblestone streets and lots of restaurants and clubs.  After dinner we went to a concert by the river and I hung out with the band for a little while.

Saturday we visited a couple of beautiful chateaus.  My favorite part of the day was visiting Leonardo Davinci's home.  We also visited his tomb.  I was hoping that by our being there that we may absorb some of his genius.

So now it is Sunday and we are back in Paris.  I am resting while I type this entry and soon I will head off to explore.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Au revoir!

Shoreline Students Serve Lunch in Paris

On Friday we put down our cameras and journals to serve some of the residents of Paris. We volunteered at the American Cathedral in Paris and helped to prepare, serve, and clear lunch for a diverse group of Parisians. The diners gave us a warm welcome and generous thanks. As Edgar noted, many of the diners were not from France originally, but many other parts of the world, such as Columbia. The staff and long term volunteers were extremely complimentary of our group. One of them told me afterward that our group did a better job helping than any other group they've ever had. They were ecstatic to hear that we'll be returning the next two Fridays. "Service learning" may be what our work was called, but I think everyone in attendance was serving and learning.

In the afternoon, we took the TGV to Tours in the Loire Valley. Today we'll be taking a tour of two chateaux, Da Vinci's home, and a winery. Tune in later for more pictures!

Day 2: Hotel des Invalides and the Quai Branly Museum

Hello from Paris!

Our focus today was the amazing new Musee de Quai Branly. The Branly, as it is known locally, houses an incredible collection of art and antiquities from Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. We concentrated on the extensive Africa collection, which contains artefacts from as far back as 900 A.D. It also has paintings and sculptures from the late 18th and 19th centuries.

The students noted the incredible detail on all the objects in the collection, especially the masks and wooden sculptures. Many of the antiquities reflect the theological history of North Africa. The remnants of pre-Christian worship of nature and animals, the introduction of Christianity, and the replacement of Christianity by Islam are all evident in the collection. This visit provides an excellent backdrop for our emersion into the history of France next week in Louvre and Versailles.

Tomorrow we begin our service learning work in a homeless shelter near the Champs Elysee and then we depart for Tours in the Loire Valley.

In the Heart of the Latin Quarter!

After a few hours of walking and taking photos, we ended up at St. Michel's Fountain in the heart of downtown Paris!

Together in Paris!

All the participants in the Paris Summer Institute have arrived safe and sound!

After a day of rest and adjustment, we had our first full day of activity. We began with a meeting at the Cite Universitaire and then took the Metro to the Luxembourg Gardens for a walking tour of the Latin Quarter.

Maria de Medici's fabulous 17th century gardens provided a great place for everyone to feel like they were truly in Paris. We even had some fun with a modern art display and the students saw the French Gendarme in action. From there, we walked to St. Sulpice, the second largest church in Paris, past the Sorbonne, and to the Pantheon. The Pantheon's perfect dome and incredible columns were very impressive. We proceeded to Place Contrescarpe, made famous by Ernest Hemingway and his furious cafe writing exercises, and took a break for food and drink to refuel before the rest of the walk.

Next up was the Arab Institute (we'll be returning for a full visit inside the Institute later on), the River Seine, and Notre Dame de Paris. We approached Notre Dame from the river walk and found lots of great photo opportunities. We spent some time in the square in front of Notre Dame and all agreed that Edgar summed it up best--"Magnificent." We made a quick stop at Shakespeare and Company, the famous American bookstore, and then headed to St. Michel and the amazing restaurant section of the Quarter around St. Severin.

Tomorrow, we head to Quai Branly!

A great first full day!