Friday, May 6, 2011

Friday, Last Day

Friday, May 6 2011.

Today is the last day of the trip.  "Not ready to go home" is a huge understatement.  I left home on April 1 and figured 5 weeks would be a good long time.  It was, but eventually May 6 rolled around and we have to wrap it up.  No real reason to return home, though - I have my Travelers laptop with me, so I could just work from France and make a life of it!  But Heidi wants to go home and see Liam, understandably, so we take off at noon Saturday for home. 

For the last day, we wanted to wrap up some loose ends and visit some more relaxing places.  So here you go.

First, Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre.

And the view from the Montmartre hill over the city.

Next we visited the Parc Floral de Paris, in the Bois de Vincennes at the eastern edge of Paris - where there were sights like this.  


Finally, a few wrap-up photos from where we've been staying.  As you can see from this map, the location was just about perfect - 2 blocks from the Louvre Museum in central Paris.   

Here are a few of the local stores and restaurants we visited nearly every day.


Here is the living room of the apartment, where you can see the actual computer used to update this blog every day...  Oh by the way, there is wine showing up in this picture - which was taken after noon by the way. 

And one last shot from the living room window of the neighborhood.

That's it for the this trip.  We are already planning the next one, so stay tuned.  Thanks for following along with us.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Jardin de Luxembourg & City Views

Thursday, May 5 2011.

Today we visited the Luxembourg Gardens and the Tour Montparnasse to see the city from the 56th floor.

A couple of shots from Luxembourg.


And Paris from the top of Montparnasse.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Versailles

Wednesday, May 4 2011.

We visited Versailles all day today.  The first part of the day was very calm and peaceful, strolling through the gardens, rowing a boat in the canal, lunch in the grass.  Then we visited the Palace where there was a horde of people shoving their way through the tour like they had a tiger on their tail.  Not enjoyable at all. 

A few days ago we saw the Conciergerie where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned.  Today we saw where she lived.  Nice house.  Nice backyard.



Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Museums and Monuments

Tuesday, May 3 2011.

Today was a museum and monument day.  First (and only) museum was Orsay, followed by a quick dash to the Eiffel Tower, Place General-de-Gaulle and various other destinations.  No pictures were allowed in the museum, but here are a few from the other locations.



Monday, May 2, 2011

Prisons and Cemeteries

Monday, May 2 2011.

Today we visited the Conciegerie and Cemetery Pere-Lachaise.  It rained lightly for most of the day, so it seemed appropriately gloomy.  The Conciergerie was once a palace and later a prison, where the likes of Marie-Antoinette once had a room.  The cemetery is the largest within Paris and apparently a big tourist draw as we saw lots of visitors.  Here are a few shots of the cemetery. 


Sunday, May 1, 2011

Paris Sunday

Sunday, May 1 2011.

Today was a casual sightseeing day.  For most of the day, Heidi and I walked around to see some of the city.  We started out with a walk on Ile de la Cite where we came across a ticket sale for Vivaldi's Four Seasons being performed tonight at Sainte-Chapelle.  Decided to buy tickets for that.  Had breakfast at a nearby cafe, which consisted of two coffees and two crepes for the amazing bargain of $32.  Continued walking through Ile St Louis, along Rue Rivoli, through the Tuileries and along the Champs-Elysees to Arc de Triomphe.  Then back to the apartment on the Metro to change clothes for the concert.  While standing in the long line to get into the Chapel, the funniest thing was the large number of tourists envious of the tickets we had in our hands - the concert was sold out and many people were still looking to buy.  The concert was great, and the chapel was incredible.  

Notre Dame from this morning.

Sainte-Chapelle, where the concert was held.

Trip to Paris

Saturday, April 30 2011.

Sadly, packed up our luggage, cleaned out the apartment, and left Nice behind on Saturday morning.  Didn't have enough time to buy a condo there, but there's always next time to do more searching.

Saturday was mostly a travel day, on the TGV from 9:00 to 3:00.  Here are a few shots of the voyage.


In Paris, we checked into the next apartment and spent a few hours walking around before having dinner.  All of these shots are within a 10 minute walk of the apartment.  Nice location.



Here is the apartment - two stories above the toy store...

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Nice Vacation Wraps Up

Friday, April 29 2011.

The last week of school was good, like the others, but it's all wrapped up now.  Heidi has been sightseeing all week while I've been busy.  Here are a few of her photos from her exploration.

The port in Nice.


A shot of the Nice coastline from Mount Boron.

Homes on the hillside in Villefranche, with a cruise ship in the bay.

The Citadel in Villefranche, an ancient fortress to protect the city from invaders.


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Villefranche Vieille Ville

Tuesday, April 26 2011.

Heidi took the bus to Villefranche to meet me after school ended today.  We walked amongst the buildings of the old city, had a little appetizer and wine and watched the people in the port do their thing.  When leaving, we noticed the Citadel there, a huge imposing stone structure built some 5 centuries ago - now Heidi added that to her list to come back and see before the week is up. 

Only 3 more days to graduation from the school, but the learning will never end.  Did you hear that, Alliance Francaise of Minneapolis-St Paul?

Oh, by the way - that bad weather I talked about?  It never came.  Except for a few hours of rain on Saturday, it's been sunny and warm again, every day.

OK, it's 8:30pm.  Time to go out for dinner now, to the Indian place around the corner.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Cooking In

Monday, April 25 2011.

We decided to cook in tonight.  Took the train to the Carrefour store (think: SuperTarget) and brought home some pasta and other stuff.  HT cooked and I did homework from the school.  We were very tired because we were awake half the night Sunday night due to our neighborhood!  The partiers stay out until 3:00am, and 5 minutes after the partiers go home, the city cleaning crew comes out.  Noise all night long.  We were both awake half the night listening to life on the streets.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Rapid Touring

Sunday, April 24 2011.

Today was a whirlwind tour of the city of Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer (the city where the French school is), and Monaco.

Heidi was enamored with the farmer's market in Cours Saleya.  She thought it was the first place we've seen where the vegetables and fruit are so gigantic and amazing looking.  I was still having fun thinking about not going home.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Introduction

Saturday, April 23 2011.

Heidi arrived here today, about noon!  After 3 delayed flights and nearly missing every connection, she arrived only a few minutes late.  I picked her up at the airport and then we went on a crash course of indoctrination to the city - since she has to get around on her own while I'm at school all week.

Less than 2 hours after arriving, she said, "When can we move here for good?" 

Mission accomplished.

Vacation Starts!

Just got an email from Heidi, she is in Madrid, on the way to the plane headed for Nice.  Her long flight from Chicago to Madrid was quite late, but so were all the rest of the flights - so she didn't miss any connections.  We've got the weekend free until I go back to class on Monday, when she gets set loose in Nice to go exploring on her own.

3rd Week Happy Hour

Friday, April 22 2011.

Finished 3 weeks of classes!!  A few of the students were leaving today so we had a little Happy Hour at the local hangout, Chez Betty. 

Too bad, the weather is turning a little.  It had been 3 weeks of solid sun, but today it was gray and windy.  Some rain in the forecast just in time for Heidi to arrive tomorrow.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Wine Tasting

Thursday, April 21 2011.

Tonight the school organized a wine tasting event for the students from all of the classes.  This event was the first one in Nice, only a few blocks from where I'm living - so it was great to walk there and back for 5 minutes instead of walking 45 minutes from Villefranche, the neighboring village where the school is.

Almost everyone came, but it was optional so there were a few who didn't.  This wine shop was "bio" (organic).  It was great wine, but what do I know, really?  I buy wine from Trader Joe's sometimes.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Speeches and Presentations

Tuesday, April 19 2011.

Each day in class, one student gives a speech or presentation on a topic of his choosing for 20 to 30 minutes, and then takes Q&A afterwards from the other students and the teacher.

When I did mine last week, I spoke of the beauty and vitality of the Twin Cities and tried to convince everyone to move there.  There was some interest at first, until everyone found out there are no mountains in Minnesota.  Winter didn't deter them, but it seems that flat landscape is not that much of a draw.  Oh well, I tried.

Today's presentation was much more academic.  The speaker is a professor of Political Science at York University in Toronto.  She spoke on economic policies of the Canadian government when she was at the United Nations a few years ago.  It was very good, but it felt like watching Meet the Press. 

Monday, April 18, 2011

St Paul de Vence

Monday, April 18 2011.

Today, we had a "field trip."  Yes, just like in 1st grade.  Except in my 1st grade class we never had a chartered tour bus to a mountain village in France.  This was all included in the tuition. 

Here's the first stop, St Paul de Vence.


 
Next stop was another village, Tourrettes-sur-Loup.


Small World

Monday, April 18 2011.

There's a student in my class at school who comes from Vancouver Canada.  Just yesterday he happened to mention going to high school in North Bay, Ontario - I stopped him right there, what?!?  Yes, he's from the same town where I was born.  What are the chances of that coincidence?

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Churches and Cemeteries

Saturday, April 16 2011.

Went to check out a couple local places today.  This is a Russian church built 150 years ago in Nice.


The Cimiez neighborhood is very nice.  It has a nice park where hundreds of families were playing, the Matisse Museum, and the Cimiez Cemetery - where only the famous and well to do appear welcome.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Directions and Assistance?

Saturday, April 16 2011.

It wouldn't be a vacation trip for me if multiple people didn't ask for directions or assistance.  I don't know what it is - it's like I walk around with a sign "Ask Me for Help!"  So far, when standing at a bus stop, two different times people have asked me for help with which bus to take or when a bus arrives.  Another time, an older couple wanted help buying a train ticket; they didn't know how to use the machine.  This happens wherever I go.  Funny.  Especially when I barely know the answers myself.  But I always help them.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Acoustic Music

Friday, April 12 2011.

There was a rumor going around that it would be possible to find someone playing English music at a bar in Nice, so we went to find out after school was done.  It was true.  A bar named Akathor had free music - as long as you bought a drink.  No problem. 

Today was the coolest weather we had had since arrival - about 60 degrees.  The wind came in and whipped up the Mediterranean a bit.  The forecast shows sun for the next 10 days though.  I accept. 

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Group Dinner

Tuesday, April 12 2011.

The Institut arranged a group dinner tonight at a local restaurant near the port in Villefranche-sur-Mer.  Most of the students were able to attend.  Here are some of the home countries represented by the students.

USA, Canada, Sweden, Japan.

Switzerland, Canada, Oman.

Brazil, Romania, Norway.  Julian is on the right; he is one of the instructors.

South Africa, USA.

After dinner, two of the instructors decided to entertain us with their guitars and voices.  There were pretty good with their songs in both French and English.  Stephane on the left, Julian on the right.   

When the dinner was over, I discovered that the last bus from Villefranche to Nice had already gone by - several hours before that, actually.  So here we go on yet another hike over the mountain, back to the apartment.  Took about an hour to walk home.  Nice evening.  No rain, no traffic, no muggers, while strolling along the Moyenne Corniche at midnight.

Promenade des Anglais

Sunday, April 10 2011.

Cloudy morning turned to a sunny afternoon, so I went for a walk along the beach to see what was going on.  The Promenade des Anglais is so named for the many wealthy English visitors who came to Nice in the early part of the last century.