La Fête des Rois

Bonjour tout le mode!
Tomorrow is January 6, which is Epiphany, or the day that the three Magi, or Wise Men,  arrived in Bethlehem to see the little baby Jesus.  It is always so funny to see church Christmas pageants, because once the baby is born, then the Magi come down to aisle to venerate the newborn.  It was when I was teaching French that I realized exactly why we have 12 days of Christmas, because it took them that long to reach Bethlehem.
Actually, Epiphany was started around the time of the pagans, who had holiday that celebrated the long nights of winter.  For the Fête des Rois, the French celebrate by having a party.  They have a galette des rois, which is a pretty cool cake.  Here in the States, you can order a king's cake from www.kingscake.com, or you can find them at several places here in Los Angeles.  There is the Normandie Bakery, which allows you to pre-order cakes in several sizes, and Porto's Bakery, to name just two. They are round and are more like a sweet bread than what we think of as cake.  The most important part of the king cake is the little token that is hidden inside.  It can be a bean, a small token, or a little plastic baby Jesus.  When you get the cake, the token is in a baggie, and it's up to you to hide it  the cake. The hardest part is making the cake look untouched after you have hidden the token.
At your party, the youngest person sits under the table and says who gets each slice of cake as it is cut.  Instead of diving into the gooey goodness of the cake, everyone waits until the entire group has been given a piece, then they stab it all over first to see if the lucky token is in their piece.  If you are lucky enough to get it, then you are crowned with the golden paper crown and you become king or queen of the party!

Notice the little plastic baby Jesus on the cake!

When I was in the classroom, I would often make a box cake that contained the little token and serve it at my French Club meeting.  For several years, I ordered a 'real' King's cake, which was fun and yummy. For more information, here is an article from thelocal.fr, which is also a great website for French news in English. The article even includes a recipe, so if you are so inclined, you can try to make one youurself!  Then, of course, take a photo and put it in the comment section so that we can all be impressed.

On a side note, I can't believe that this blog is almost 9 years old!  Wow...  I was not consistent in posting; something that is obvious is you look at the posting dates.  In 2017,  my resolution is to post something at least once a week.  If you have any suggestions for a blog post, let me know!

Locks of Love - Where are they now?

Bonjour tout le monde!
Je suis de retour - I'm back after a little break.
Do you remember the locks of love on the Paris bridges?  They made the Pont des Arts one of the most famous bridges in the city with all of the locks that couples had put on the bridges.  Michael and I participated in the "new" tradition by purchasing a lock from one of the local bouquiners (used book sellers), writing our initials on it, locking it to the bridge (there was not much room), and tossing the key into the Seine.
So many couples did the same thing that it added about 4 tons of weight onto the sides of the bridge, which was closed in the 1977, rebuilt, and reopened in 1984.  In 2008, amourous couples, inspired by an old legend, began to "lock" their love on the bridge.  It got to be a bit much as the weight of the locks added as much as 1550 lbs per panel to the bridge. In 2014, one of the panels fell into the Seine - thank goodness there wasn't a Bateau Mouche going underneath - and the City of Paris ordered that all panels, locks included, be removed from the bridge.  The panels have been replaced by clear plexiglass type panels; locks can't be attached to the glass type panels, so lovers have gone to other bridges and places to seal their love.
But, what happened to all those other locks that were cut away from the Pont des Arts?  I thought that they had been simply tossed away, or maybe melted down.  But NO!
Sixty-five tons (including some from the Pont de l'Archevêché) of locks have been stored somewhere and are now being sold.  Anyone who wants can now buy a piece of Paris history and the proof of people's love.  The locks will be sold in groups of five, ten, or even more, and the proceeds will go to those who work to support  and in solidarity with the refugees in Paris. The idea has just been made public, and sales will start in the new year.  That will give you some time to save enough for your love locks from the Pont des Arts!

If you're interested, there is a group that tried to get lovers to take photos of themselves on the Pont des Arts to seal their love instead of using the locks - their website is No Love Locks. Once the sale of the love locks is done, the remaining metal locks will be melted down

What do you think?  Is love for sale?

With locks

the new panels on the Pont

A few tips from the New York Times if you're traveling abroad.

Bonjour tout le monde
Last week I was in Paris when the bombings in Brussels occurred.  We were fine, but I still got a bunch of tweets asking if I was okay. Thanks for all the love and concern!
We should continue to travel and enjoy the cultures of the world. If we don't, then the bad guys have won.  That said, we should be prepared and aware of our surroundings.
Here are a couple of other suggestions, thanks to this article in the NYT

The Eiffel Tower, Tuesday, 3/22

An anniversary

Bonjour tout le monde!
I mentioned in a Facebook post this week that the this Saturday's EF trip to Paris is my 20th with the company.  I started the adventure in 1988 with 15 kids and one other adult.  We went to Paris and the Alps; our trip lasted 10 days.  In 1988, communication was done with mail, phone and perhaps fax (who can remember?).  I was sent a packet with all airplane tickets, our luggage tags and EF backpacks.  We had a blast, and memories that still last a lifetime.
As I start out on this momentous trip, little snippets of memories come to mind.  Losing two students in the 20 minute change of trains in the Chatelet station.  Instead of staying in a small bunch, our group started stretching out into a long thin line.  Fortunately, because there were two of them, they figured out that they were lost, and managed to call the restaurant.  We gave them directions, and our group was reunited.
Losing things is a memory that runs through the years.  Losing passports (twice), losing cameras (twice; one recovered), losing clothing (many times), losing entrance tickets (Melissa Filbeck). Lost luggage that took between 2 days and 4 weeks to get back (British Airways)  Having someone stay too long in one spot only to find out that everyone else has moved on.  I am proud to say that I brought back every student that left with me, although I will admit that a some point on a couple of trips I didn't exactly know where they all were...
The most important thing that I remember about these trips were my students as well as the students we met along the way.  They were remarkably intelligent, funny, resourceful, and creative.  We learned a lot about historical sites, cultural places, and even more about ourselves.  Some of my left Los Angeles somewhat immature, and returned to class with a renewed sense of purpose and maturity. They amazed me with observations of what they saw and experienced.
I love traveling with students.  When I left Prep in 2012, I thought I was done, and felt pretty good. Then I found out how much I missed the entire experience: choosing the destination, creating the group, all the meetings and preparations, flights, hotels, buses, and absolutely marvelous creation of a family. Kids that took care of each other, and sometimes me, who came together as a unit.

I hope to continue to create these memories.  So, who is ready to organize a student group to Europe in 2017?  I'm all set to start working on tour #21!
Here are just a few photos of my tours.  I took
photos of earlier tours with a camera, so I will
have to scan some of those!

Bastille Day in Paris

Bonjour tout le monde!
France's national holiday is July 14.  We call it Bastille Day in the USA, but to the French, it's just the 14th of July.  The weather is usually very nice, the trees are full of green leaves, and the French are ready to have fun.
There are many activities leading up to July 14.  The day before, on July 13, the firemen open the firehouse doors to Parisians and tourists alike, and there is dancing in the streets.  Other streets are full of revelers who dance to live music, sit at cafes, and just enjoy the energetic atmosphere.
There is even a chance to get some artistic culture, as the Louvre is not only open, but free to all.  See the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Venus de Milo, the French crown jewels (from Napoleon III), plus some awesome Egyptian relics. For. Free.  And the Louvre isn't the only free thing in Paris.  You can see a free dance performance at the Opera Garnier, or go see the Alvin Ailey group (which might not be free, but I know how you can find out).
The biggest happening is the military parade that goes down the Champs-Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, where there are stands for special guests and dignitaries.  If you want to see the parade, be prepared to be on your feet, and to wait for several hours. But I bet that it is one of those things that might be better on television!  If you get close, be sure to look up and see the "Patrouille", France's Blue Angel flight group.  They fly wingtip to wingtip, trailing the colors of the French flag - blue, white and red - 3 planes each color.  Then there are the vintage planes from WWII, newer jet fighters, state of the art helicopters, you name it!  Bringing up the rear of the parade are the firefighters, marching in sync in reflective boots.  Perhaps you'll spot the guys that you danced with the night before?
If you want to see how the French celebrate their national holiday?  Join me in Paris (and then in Barcelona) for 9 days, July10-18, 2016.
To see more about what July 14 activites, click here.
To book your spot on an awesome tour to Paris and Barcelona, click here.  Don't overthink this - just $300 reserves your spot. See you at the airport!

July 14th fireworks (in Lyon)

LIttle known parts of Paris

Bonjour tout le monde!

Paris is a beautiful city; there are so many places for tourists to visit.  Neophyte tourists will hit the big ticket items - the Eiffel Tower, Mona Lisa in the Louvre, walking down the Champs Elysées and visiting the Louis Vuitton store located there. There are more sites that bring history to life: Les Invalides, with the tomb of Napoléon Bonaparte; the Musée d’Orsay, which holds the masterpieces of Impressionist painters; the Opéra House designed and built by Garnier; Sacré Coeur and Montmartre.

There are other places to go within this vibrant metropolis:

Le village de Saint Paul – a small street lined with medieval archways that leads to a courtyard bordered with cafés, boutiques, and apartment buildings.  Once you pierce the veil through the archway, you can travel back into time while enjoying a meal in one of the courts.  This little gem is located in the Marais (4^th arrondissement) section of Paris.

One of the little cafes found in the Village St.Paul

The Canal St. Martin – connects the Canal de L’Ourcq to the Seine River.  It was the brainchild of Napoléon I^er (Bonaparte) who needed to create a waterway to supply an expanding Parisian city with fresh water.  The canal, built from 1802 to 1825, was used to supply Paris with food, building materials and other things.  They were brought in on canal boats. The Canal fell into disuse, and almost filled-in and paved over.  Today, the Canal continues to flow from the Ourcq to the Seine, and is covered for part of its journey.  Intrepid tourists can take a guided boat tour and see the newly cleaned Canal.

Canal St. Martin

The Promenade Plantée – similar to the High Line in New York, it is an elevated walkway on the remains of railroad tracks.  From 1859 to 1969, freight trains ran on this line connecting the Place de la Bastille to a station in Saint-Maur, outside of Paris.  Abandoned and overgrown, the rail line became an eyesore.  Then, in the early 1990s the railway was transformed into the Promenade Plantée and the Viaduct des Arts.  The Promenade is 4.5 kilometers long and runs along almost the entire 12^th arrondissement.  Those who venture out onto the Promenade get a perspective of the city that is only available from this verdant path, walking by old and new buildings, through forest like areas, and offering spectacular views of Paris.

Therefore, the next time you are in Paris, besides seeing the old standards, pick one of these lesser known areas and spend some time there. You will never think of Paris the same way.

By myself but not alone

Bonjour tout le monde
Yesterday, one of my friends called me.  She has been eyeing my (now) July tour to Paris and Barcelona. She had some concerns since she would be signing up for the trip as a single traveler.  In her mind, that meant that she was traveling by herself, and that she would be "alone".
The coolest thing about group travel is that you are as alone as you want to be.  Sure, you have that single room with a bed all to yourself, and if our tour included any bus time, you might be able to score the one double seat all for you.  But you are never alone. Unless you want to be.
City stay tours are just a little different from the tours that start in one place, then go through a series of towns with several hotel stays.  We are going to two places - Paris and Barcelona - and are flying between the two.  When we don't have a group activity, travelers are free to explore the cities on their own, or with new friends in the group.
When you travel with me, however, things are just a bit different.  My group is a "group within the group".  As Madame's group, we often cruise through the town together.  Together. So you are never alone.  Unless you want to be.  And that is the genius and joy of traveling with me to Paris and Barcelona this coming July.

There is still room on the Paris and Barcelona tour; 9 days, leaving LA on July 10 and returning on July 18.  We visit the two cities, and take an internal flight between the two, so there is no time wasted!  See the beauty of Parisian architecture, the genius of Gaudi's buildings in Barcelona; experience the tastes of both places, and even delight in some people watching from a cafe, or on the Ramblas in Barcelona.

For more information, and to put down your $300 deposit, visit here.  And I will see you at the airport and we travel to Paris and Barcelona - together.

The Canal Saint Martin; one of the hidden gems of Paris.