Wednesday, July 1

We saved the best for last! The Louvre! To see such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo was a once in a lifetime experience. We also enjoyed exploring the cooking and serving equipment that was on display. Some of our favorites were a filter dated 1550 B.C. , beautiful Egyptian pottery from 1295 to 1069 B.C, and royal serving dishes from the 1700's. Our next stop was the Orangerie Museum in the Tuileries Gardens. The highlight of this gallery is the eight Water Lillies paintings by Claude Monet. The paintings are displayed in two oval rooms that were designed to house these remarkable masterpieces. Our last stop of the day was the Museum Gourmand du Chocolate. The displays and videos were very informative about the history of chocolate.  We learned lots of interesting facts such as that chocolate actually started as a spicy drink instead of a sweet one, tasted many types of chocolates, and watched a demonstration on candy making.

Tuesday, June 30

Today we explored the culture of France. We started with the Museum of Fashion and Textiles which had a display on the history of buttons in fashion. Since we also teach fashion and design this was a very informative exhibit. We then traveled on to the Orsay Museum which houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings in the world. Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, oh my! It was jaw dropping to gaze upon these masterpieces in this beautiful converted railway station. Next we were off to the Rodin Museum. Auguste Rodin is one of the world's greatest sculptors and we were awed by The Thinker and The Kiss as well as many other masterpieces. Our last stop of the day was the Galleries Lafayette which is an upscale department store in the center of Paris.  It was opened in 1912 and is a beautiful building with a Art Nouveau glass and steel dome.

Monday, June 29

We began our day on the Ile de la Cite, which is an island in the Seine River where the city of Paris began. We took a historic walk through Paris beginning at the center of Paris at Notre Dame Cathedral. The people of Paris built this church beginning in 1163 and taking almost 200 years to complete. We continued on to the Flower Market, Saint Chappele Church with its breathtaking stained glass, and the Conciergerie where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned. We crossed back over the river and strolled through the Latin Quarter making our way to The Cluny Museum which includes old Roman baths, the famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, and other medieval treasures. We then travelled up the famous Champs-Elysées Avenue to the Arc de Triomphe that houses France's tomb of the unknown soldier and was built to celebrate Napoleon's victory. The views from the top of this monument are spectacular! We ended our day with an informative boat ride on the Seine River and then watching the twinkling lights on the Eiffel Tower.

Saturday, June 27

This was another travel day as we journeyed back to Paris by train. This was our fifth train ride and we have become pros at hauling our luggage up and down staircases, onto the trains, and into storage areas. As soon as we checked into our quaint hotel in the Marais district of Paris, we headed by subway across town for our Eiffel Tower tour. We zipped up the elevators to the top and we were rewarded with awesome views! Just breathtaking! We worked our way back down to the second and first platforms where we continued to be awed by the views as we searched for famous sites. Our day ended with supper at a street market in the Trocadero section of Paris where we viewed street musicians, acrobats, performers, and even a ballroom dancing class!

Sunday

Wow! What a day!  VERSAILLES ! We traveled by train to the very famous Chateau de Versailles! We started the day with a tour of the chateau gardens where King Louis XIV grew his vegetables and fruits for his elaborate feasts. In the late 17th century, he had his gardener develop a microclimate so that over 300 varieties could grow out of season. We continued our tour through the streets of the city of Versailes learning about the history of the Kings as well as the revolution. We also admired the excellent produce that can be found on star eet corners throughout France. After lunch at a buffet that consisted of foods served in tiny containers (so different from our massive buffets from home) we journeyed on to the magnificent Chateau de Versailles! It was worth the journey across the ocean, and quite fun to see!  The famous and beautiful gardens go on for miles, literally miles!  The hall of mirrors is unbelievably beautiful!  Just in case you need a refresher on a bit of French history, it was built in 1661 by King Louis XIV and is where Marie Antionette lived  with her husband, King Louis the XVI. We finished the day at the hamlet area of the chateau grounds. This is where Marie Antionette developed a little farm where she could retreat from the Court of Versailes. It was very quaint and a major contrast to the grandeur of the castle.

 

Friday, June 26

We started the day off having quiche lorraine for the first time and it was great!  Next, we explored the shops at the local market. We then rode a little train around the city of Amboise to see some of the local attractions. While on the train, we saw the place where Leonardo de Vinci lived and died! Very interesting!
We then toured two of the over 300 Chateaus in the Loire Valley! Chambord and Chenonceau. They were amazing!  In a definite contrast to the Chateaus we visited, we walked through some side streets of Amboise to see another type of housing. In these half-timbered buildings you can spot surviving bits of medieval oak. There is also another very unusual type of home easily seen in Amboise, the troglodyte homes.  These are homes built into the side of the cliffs with only the front exposed to the outside. They are very unique and very private!
After a rather extensive day, we had a nice evening meal at a restaurant overlooking the Loire River and the Chateau Amboise.