Thursday morning….on to Giverny

Giverny at 9am when it opens with the early morning light is absolutely the best time to see Monet's home and his unique and outstanding gardens. And as you can see, the weather, once again, is perfect!

Here's a favorite photo that Jan took. See the bug on the orange flower?

Heather took this shot of a lone pink lily out in the pad.
Irene took this photo from the bridge.

Here is Jane's beautiful dahlia.

Here is one of Linda's photos, also from the bridge.  Interesting to see people's different perspectives!Here is Pam's Pink Profusion!

Sherrill C's cone flower all by itself contrasts so well with this background. Bravo!Marge says about her photo: "Monet's house has a beautiful array of colors inside and out. The kitchen in yellow and blue is so welcoming!  No photos allowed inside, unfortunately."

Some sweet friend took this photo of Vivian with her camera at Giverny.  She is like a beautiful flower!

Sherill W's favorite photo of Giverny:

  

We had a ball learning how to make those oh so desirable little delicious macarons from pastry chef Audrey in Paris. Everyone made different flavors and we went around with little boxes and did a little macaroni cookie exchange.  We are in heaven!

Here is our instructor Audrey, such a cute diminutive little creative woman! She is shooing how to pipe out the macarons.

Olga is smacking the pan to flatten the macaroons.

Vivian and Marge with their finished products.

Suzie and Jan with their macaroons all done.

Look at these babies and DROOL!!!

Exploring Montmartre

 We headed up to Montmartre in the late afternoon and were so glad the weather was perfect.

The statue on the right on horseback in front of Sacré-Coeur is Joan of Arc.

Sherrill refills her water bottle at the famous Wallace Fountain.

 Highlights for everyone were strolling around Place du Tertre or Painters Square.

Dinner at Welcome Café near the Louvre.

Can everyone say crème brûlée? It was truly divine.

Our guide, Angélique knows all the tricks for avoiding the crowds. On Wednesdays, the Louvre is open until 9:45pm.  We pretty much had the run of the place! C'est cool!

Needless to say, we saw all the great pieces and then some! It was great to see a beautifully restored Winged Victory.

Time for bed.  We had another extremely full day.  And tomorrow is an early start at Giverny!

More Wednesday's Capers

The gorgeous dome of Les Invalides gleams under the sun


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Wednesday's Capers

Sherrill C expressing her joy at seeing the Eiffel Tower.

Polka dot twins: Suzie & Jane

Luxembourg Gardens

Here is our group in front of the Statue of Liberty. We feel so energized this morning after a great night's sleep!

Climbing l'Arc de Triomphe

Angélique is our great tour guide. Everyone is learning new things from her. We went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe tonight and had a wonderful view.























Time for bed. Here's the view from one of our 6th floor rooms: Dreamy! We are pinching ourselves.

Lunch

Illy's was a great place to have lunch. We loved this tea cup tree.

Fragonard Perfume

It was everybody's first time in the Fragonard Perfumery. Charming little Ariana filled us in on the history. We smelled samples galore.





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Paris' Opera House

How fascinating to explore the opera house in Paris, hear the story of the lake beneath, see the Marc Chagall ceiling and soak it all in.

We have landed!

It was a very pleasant flight and not completely full so many of us had some extra space to sleep! On to customs and then to the City of Light! Cloudy and 59 degrees this morning.
We have arrived at our beautiful hotel Princesse Caroline!!

Airport Rendezvous

Everyone made it to the airport safely and on time. Security was a breeze. Boarding in a little while. Detroit direct Paris Charles DeGaulle. Talk to you on the other side of the pond.

Meet Olga!

I am a life long Detroiter. My appreciation for France began when I first read the words of Blaise Pascal. I have read the letters of Vincent Van Gogh in "Dear Theo" several times, I find something new in them each time. VVG loved the light and warmth of France. I am happy to have the opportunity to see it now for myself. I appreciated the voice of reason from the French Prime Minister, Dominique Villepon (sp), at the UN in 2003, that is when I decided that I must study French culture. I have worked in hospitals for 40 years. I have lived in my Detroit home all my life. My sister remembers my mother carrying me in to the house as a newborn. I sing in my church choir. I love to read, cook, I dabble with coloring, illuminating my journals, when I could see better, I cross-stiched, I play Scrabble, and enjoy crosswords. In the good weather you will always find me outside working in my yard/garden, my goal is to go through my home and eliminate clutter of all those years in the same house.

Meet Pam

Salut mes amies. Je m'appelle Pam. I've been teaching French and Spanish for over 40 years with a couple of years off for my two boys. Bryan now lives in Kalamazoo and Brandon lives in Alabama with his wife and our 2 grandchildren - a boy 1 1/2 yrs. old and a girl 3 1/2. This will be my 5th trip to France. I was a student in Aix and Angers and accompanied 2 student trips as a teacher. It's been 14 years since my last trip so I'm very excited for the chance to return. I 'm looking forward to our trip and grateful that my husband suggested I join the group! A bientôt. Pam

Meet Your Chief Leader and Organizer

Bonjour tout le monde!

Je m’appelle Marge et j’enseigne le français depuis 1970 ! I taught both French and Spanish in secondary schools for 37 years and I have been teaching for L’Alliance Française since January 2011. I started my career teaching in Lake Shore Public Schools but I spent the majority of my years in Utica Community Schools until I retired in 2010. Vivian and I taught right across the hall from one another for many years at Henry Ford II High School. Sherrill C and I were classmates at Regina High School! I now work for Oakland University supervising interns who are student teaching in French and Spanish. I love this work and I will have 6 interns starting this fall. I will add several more in the winter from the Master’s program. Last spring I also had the opportunity to teach a class in Foreign Language Methodology at Oakland U.
My dear husband, Jim, of 42 years passed away one year ago from pancreatic cancer and he was the love of my life. I miss him terribly. We knew each other since we were in the third grade and dated from January of junior year in High School. We have two wonderful children, Jim and Melissa. Jim teaches CAD and pre-engineering at the Warren Consolidated Career Prep Center and has a wonderful girlfriend named Dawn. Melissa is a school psychologist for Utica Schools. She and her wonderful husband, Jason, have given us 2 beautiful grandchildren, Natalie, 10 and Matthew, 5. They are the light of my life and I love spending time with them.
In my spare time, I love to go to antique shops and flea markets. I have many collections including Eiffel Towers, glassware, seashells, santons, music boxes, and fleur-de-lis. I am very passionate about French music! I love all things French including the food. I cannot resist une tarte au citron, une tarte aux fraises, une religieuse ou un pain au chocolat en France. Miam ! Miam !
I have been to France many, many times and have led numerous student trips dans l’Hexagone. I have travelled with ACIS since 1982 and have had many memorable experiences along the way. I have always been pleased with the quality and variety of their trips. I am looking forward to our trip together (Toujours en France) and know that we will have a wonderful time in la Belle France!