Paris Shimmers

Paris! We made it to the city of lights and the first days in Europe went fairly well. We are now 20 instead of 21 students as I lost one minutes before boarding our flight- not literally, but she opted to stay in the states with her family, feeling it was best for her.

The group has acclimated to being in this amazing and somewhat overwhelming city so well they are teaching me how to navigate the metro! Well, on the other hand my sense of direction has not returned simply because I am on another continent- at least we know it is a global malady. Though their expertise is mostly due to an excellent exercise Magdalena made up that we did in class before leaving. Then we went off in groups of ten to see Sacre' Couer, a high point in Paris in Montemarte, an interesting neighborhood with an artistic history. Then students were free to wander all afternoon and they took advantage of it. We discussed the history of the neighborhood and what they could find there and they sought out the sights- some of the boys walked for the next 5 hours! We went to see an old cemetery in that neighborhood with some very famous residents. It was something to walk anywhere with that kind of density of crypts- centuries of French families stretching out for blocks.Vampires anyone?

Tonight the group went to a wonderful neighborhood haunt and SAE tradition, Le Gueuze, and everyone ate amazing food, even splurged on wonderful desserts! Students got to know one another at the tables during the three hour meal. Afterward a few of us ended the evening up on the Terrace on a beautiful cool night. Seeing Kevin and Haiya watch the Eiffel Tower lit and then- surprise- shimmering with lights for minutes on the hour delighted me and them, and it was a fine end to a good day. I will post some photos of our adventures soon!