Six Degrees of Anne Shealy

As you have probably determined by now, I had a fabulous time on this super short trip to Paris. But, one of the reasons that this trip was so fun was that the people who traveled with us were so fun.  I jokingly wrote to one of my TFFs (Teacher Friends Forever) that I didn't need her anymore because I now had new friends.

But, it took me about ten minutes with these people to realize that I was going to have a great time with them.  You know, it takes a certain type of crazy person to take kids on trips.  It is probably some sort of gene mutation or character flaw, but we are a little bit nutty and idiosyncratic and impulsive and adventurous - and I believe being adventurous is the first key.

The first person I met was Krystal Weeks who teaches at Calhoun County High School and lives out in Lone Star.  She opened her mouth to introduce herself to me and I felt right at home with her.  It's so good to hear a Calhoun County accent when you are heading 4000 miles from home. You know that person who had many of the same teachers you had and still calls the Bi-Lo in St. Matthews the Piggly Wiggly because it will always be the Piggly Wiggly.

Krystal Weeks Thames and Anne

Anne with Señora Sylvia Shealy

Sylvia Shealy is hilarious and so incredibly young at heart.  When she told me she had grown children, I was shocked.  How could this young soul be a grandmother?  She taught me to not take myself too seriously and to enjoy everything.  I loved how she would talk about her daughters-in-law and continue to say how much she loved them every single time she mentioned them.  She told me that she had once taught kindergarten in Lexington 1 with a partner teacher Cheryl, I knew immediately it had to be Ken Banks' wife, Cheryl.  She couldn't believe I knew Cheryl and Ken.  Well, actually I know Ken much better than I know Cheryl, but if you know Ken, you have to understand that Cheryl must be amazing.  Sylvia assured me that Cheryl was the greatest kindergarten teacher to walk the earth and I felt certain that she was speaking the truth. She also told me about Ken's adventures of being Camper Man and visiting their kindergarten class. 

So, these are the women that I'm flying to Paris with and we have our own Cheryl there in our group, Cheryl Cheatham. Once I realized that she worked at Dent Middle School, then I knew she had to know the single-gender guru of South Carolina, David C.  Everyone knows him.  We laughed at his contagious energy.  It took us until the last night of the trip to realize that we were also common friends with MaryAnn Sansonetti, the tech guru over in Richland 2.  I knew that there was something about Cheryl that reminded me of my Hand friends.  As soon as we got back to the airport, she pulled out her book and started reading.  And when I got my friend request from her on Goodreads, I knew she was one of my peeps. But, somehow in all of this madness, I never got a picture with her?  Whassup wit dat?  I don't know how that happened.  She probably realized I was a crazy stalker woman and needed to be kept on a leash.

After our long day that never ended for our first day, we were all ready to go to bed, but no one knew who they were rooming with.  Leonora Cabute and I were assigned to room together.  She and I had not gotten to know each other yet, but it would not take long.  When we got to our room and commiserated about the lack of AC, we figured out we had an incredibly important person in common, my sister-in-law Charlene!  She and Charlene had met each other through common teaching courses, and she had even traveled to David and Charlene's house to get veggies from their garden.  What a small world. She teaches at Edisto High School and had returned from Hong Kong just in time to catch her flight to Paris! Her husband packed her suitcase for her trip to Paris.  Can you imagine?  I hate to think what would happen if Mike had to do this for me.

Anne & Leonora Cabute

My trip was going great!  The people I am traveling with are fabulous, and I am loving every minute of it.  On the second morning at breakfast, I started talking with Kaitlin Zach who works with EF tours.  She has just graduated from Tufts University in Boston, and we were discussing how one gets involved in educational travel.  I mentioned that my friend Janie Copeland's daughter had attended Tufts.  She dropped her fork, and said EVIE COPELAND?  You are kidding me.  She and Evie had been roommates for years at Tufts and now Evie was going to be her maid of honor in her upcoming wedding.  I miss Janie so much and it's so nice to make a connection to her.

Kaitlin Zach & Anne

Our trip was coming to an end.  There had been no disasters or issues.  None of us had been lost, and on Sunday morning we headed to the airport on shuttles.  My SC peeps and I waited forever for our flight to leave Charles de Gaulle as someone forgot to file the paperwork so that the plane could be boarded - minor detail, people.  We arrived in Atlanta and fortunately had plenty of time to make our connection to Columbia.  As our flight attendant welcomed us aboard, she announced that our pilot today was Carter Love.  Hmmmm . . . how many years have I known Carter Love?  Uhhh . .. .since about third grade?  Oh well, the world is much smaller than we all realize.

Day 3, The Best for Last

This was the day that I was really not looking forward to because it was our Sit and Get/Question & Answer session. I was afraid that it was going to be a typical teacher professional development, but the EF staff was incredibly informative and answered so many questions that we all had.  Plus, we were all exhausted and we needed a bit of time to just sit. And, even better, we didn't have people asking questions that were specific to their issues. That is always a pain when you have to spend 20 min answering questions for one person and that person's info doesn't apply to anyone else.  One thing that was really helpful was that they had two teachers who had traveled repeatedly with EF. Their information was fabulous. They gave so many practical tips on keeping your groups safe and together and how to travel easily.

After lunch, we could have time on our own but almost all of us chose to go with Tristan as he lead us on a trip to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur.  Originally, I thought I would try to go to the Musee d'Orsay because it has so many of the paintings that I really wanted to see.  But, I had never been to Montmartre, and my new theme in life is to do what you haven't done or do what you think you cannot do, so Montmartre it was. This was probably our longest metro ride of the trip as we made a number of connections, and I feel certain I would never have made it there without direct guidance. As soon as we came out of the metro stop, the view was beautiful and I can't believe I didn't take pictures then. The air was so sharp and everything seemed so quaint.

Outside the Metro stop at Montmartre

We walked up through neighborhoods and saw beautiful homes. This neighborhood is one of the most expensive in Paris and has gone through a distinct renovation since the 1950s as at one time it was quite poverty stricken. I knew when we got there that I had made the right choice to come on this trip today instead of venturing out on my own.  Montmartre is incredibly hilly and one needs good walking shoes when going there.  We walked through tiny streets and alleys, saw gorgeous window boxes and geraniums, and even happened on a small vineyard in the center of things.  We continued walking up and down and up and down and finally reached the area of Sacre Coeur.

I really must return and go inside.

Outside of Sacre Coeur, we stopped and talked about the architecture of the church which I have totally forgotten now. We roamed all around the village and saw the artists and shops. It was so fun. The area was packed with tourists but it was such a beautiful area and the artwork was fun to see. We intended to go back into Sacre Coeur but never got there. So, that definitely has to be a place I return to so I can see it.

Our first close view of Sacre Coeur

A Piano Bar for a quick drink

Weary Travelers

After walking for such a long time and climbing hills, we stopped in this little piano bar for a drink.  The walls were covered in notes and drawings that people had left over the years. And, the piano player played Georgia on My Mind for our UGA guy in our group.  This was a tiny little hole in the wall and I kept thinking that this would be where Mike would want to hang out if he were with me.

The artists' stands in the center square of the town were really cool.  They lined every inch of the square and people were crowded around having their pictures drawn.  And the work really wasn't outrageously expensive.  But, I vowed not to buy any art and simply took pictures of those creating it.

Artists' stands surround the center area.

The streets near Sacre Coeur are really narrow so you will often see signs like the one below. Poulbots is not normally the word for children. However, at Montmarte there was an artist named Poulbot who painted so many pictures of small children in his neighborhood that children began to be called petits poulbots. 

Street signs in Montmartre.  Slow down and watch out for the petits poulbots.

This was a really fun Saturday afternoon walking around Montmartre.  There were so many people roaming the town and seeing the sights.  We met in the center market for our final meal as a group at a restaurant called la Cremaillere.  Again, I had to sit in a far corner away from any moving air but I managed to survive.  Delicious, cold wine and a delightful meal.  We started with this beautiful little round dish - which in my snarky little mind, I would have likened to a can of cat food. Here kitty, kitty, kitty.  I chased away my ridiculous thoughts and dug in. Meooooow!  There was a thick layer of tuna on top that was placed on a layer of some sort of carrots, I think.  It was the best thing that I ate on the entire trip.  It was so good.  My friend Jody makes fun of me for taking pictures of my food, so I caved to her peer pressure and refrained from photographing this delight.  It was absolutely unbelievable and I completely blame Jody for my not having more of this memory to share with all of you.  Afterwards we ate a beef meal, which was a bit heavy for me and finished it with a sort of cake that was rolled with a berry mousse.  Delicious, to say the least.

Since this was our last night together, we thanked our tour director Tristan.  He was fabulous and there is no way that we tipped him enough.  He was patient and kind, organized and funny.  Jody and I have been arguing over whether her tour director was better than mine, but I feel certain that no one could beat Tristan. Absolutely incredible.  After thanking him, he spoke for a few minutes and told us how he first participated in educational travel when he was 14.  That experience was so powerful for him that he made a career of it.  This was a great reminder for all of us as teachers and the power that these trips can have for our students.

But, Tristan wasn't done yet.  He had one more surprise for us.  The Moulin Rouge.  We took a delightful walk back down and through the village and headed to the Moulin Rouge. On the way, we passed this delightful little park that has a this work of art on the wall.  It has I LOVE YOU written in hundreds of different languages.  The park was locked and we couldn't get any closer, but what a delightful idea to celebrate love.


Street Scenes

Le mur des je'taime

The Moulin Rouge is one of those places that I want to visit again. We walked all the way down to it, but apparently one must by tickets in advance.  It just sounds like fun and like something everyone should go see in their lives.  I think it's just a cancan dance but what fun. Prior to coming on my trip, I read A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable that my mom recommended.  It was a fabulous little book and it was set in this neighborhood.  I am so glad I had read it as it gave me a more clear picture of what I was seeing.

This was the last of our sight seeing and our ride back to the hotel was a bit bittersweet that night.  I kept thinking that I was tired and wanted to rest but there was this amazing city all around me and who knew when I would ever see it again.

Our train was a bit slower coming this night and it was nice to have a long train ride back to hash out our day.

Day 2, aka The Day that Never Ended

We started our morning with a wonderful breakfast at our hotel and then boarded a bus for a tour of Paris. We headed to the Arc de Triomphe and heard all about its history. I remember when I was here twenty years ago that we climbed it and took pictures. We didn't get out here, but it was nice to visit again and be reminded how massive it is. It was also important to remember how many French soldiers lost their lives in World War I. Equally intriguing was the traffic circle around the Arc. I could have sat and watched that crazy traffic forever. I will never know how more people are not killed every day in French traffic accidents.

From the Arc, we drove down Champs d'Elysseis and got to see the highlights of the chic shopping districts. There were so many places in this area that we saw. There was the statue of Charles de Gaulle and an obelisk from Ramses II that was a gift from Egypt. We also saw the Opera House from the outside, and I need to out it on my list of sites to visit when I return. We continued driving around Paris for the morning and truly saw it all. The problem is that so many of those places really run together after a while, and in order to learn anything about it, you have to get out and walk in the streets.

Before heading out to Versailles, we went to the Eiffel Tower where we took lots of pics with our group. I really would have liked to have gone to the top on this trip but it just didn't happen. We never did get time to come back to it but that was ok. One day, I will make plans to drink champagne at sunset at the top.

After all of our pictures, we drove out to the Palace of Versailles. Normally during such a trip, I would watch the countryside and soak up every word from our tour guide. Ahhhh . . .not this time. It is a wonder I was not told to quit snoring as I fell sound asleep with the guide yammering away about King Phillipes and Louis and Antoinettes and guillotines. But, it was the perfect nap, and I arrived refreshed and ready for our tour.

We grabbed a quick sandwich to eat on the street and then walked through the castle. It truly was unbelievable. One thing I have learned on this trip is that the French heat is just as (or possibly more) imposing than our heat at home.once we got indoors, I expected it to be cooler, but it was not. The entire tour was extremely crowded but the building was unbelievable. No wonder e French were so put out with the king's excess. We toured through the castle for about an hour and then walked along the grounds for a little while. The gardens are beautiful but we only saw a small portion of them. I can only imagine what it must have been like to have been a resident or guest of this estate. Another thing I need to note for my next trip is to arrange to visit the stables. Apparently Louis XIV had over 1000 horses in his stable. We found a spot for an ice cream before heading back to our bus. I kept thinking of the Biltmore Estate while we were there and how I need to visit it again. 

As if we had not done enough for the day, we had the bus take us back to Paris and drop us off at  Montparnasse. This is an extremely tall office building in downtown Paris. Originally the French had planned to build an entire hub of sky scrapers. However, once it was built, Parisians hated it and re fused to allow another one to be built in the area. For that reason, Paris has beautiful, unobstructed views with only a few tall structures. (Montparnasse, Eiffel Tower). Our guide bought tickets for our group to go to the top on the high-speed elevator. Once we were there, he gave us a wonderful explanation of what we were seeing from each view. I found delightful junk in the gift shop and picked up a few souvenirs for my people at home.

Our bus was gone by this time, so we took the metro back into the Latin Quarter. By this time, some people elected to go other places and we were traveling with a smaller group. We stopped at the at the Saint Michele fountain before Tristan pointed us indifferent directions. We had approximately 3 hours before we were to meet back at the fountain. We walked down Boulevard du Saint Michel, affectionately know by the French as the Bu Miche. We were able to find th Musee du Cluny (medieval Museum). I was able to practice my French at one point as I stopped and asked a French shopkeeper Oú est Musee de Cluny? And, miraculously he responded in French as opposed to many French who put you out of your misery and reply in English. (I always assume at that point that my French is so dreadful that the native speakers don't want me to participate in their beautiful words.)

The Cluny Museum is really quite striking. First of all, it is really dark and spare, mainly because the tapestries would be destroyed by the light. We saw the incredibly amazing tapestries including the Lady and the Unicorn.  This is one spot that I enjoyed so much when my mother and I came all those years ago with Doris. I refrained from buying anything in their giftshop though I would have like to have bought a pillow cover of the lady and the unicorn.

We only had a brief time at the Cluny as they were about to close when we got there. Little did they know how fast we could breeze through a museum. Fortunately, they did not ask us to pay the admission fee. With the Cluny checked off our list, we walked back towards the Seine and stopped at a restaurant for dinner. Of course, I can't remember the name of where we stopped but I will look through my books soon and see if I can find it. This was our first meal where we truly ordered on our own. I had a Niçoise salad for my aperitif, beef with Roquefort sauce and creme caramel for dessert. I split a half carafe of white wine with Sylvia. The menu had English translations so I felt like we were cheating on our ordering. It was a pleasant enough meal but we ate indoors when we should have chosen seats on the street. It was so hot while we ate. I definitely have a new appreciation for AC.

After dinner, I finally made it to Shakespeare and Co, the bookstore where Hemmingway hung out when he was a young writer in the 1920s. The owner was Sylvia Beach and she would loan him books since he could not afford to buy them at the time. It was a tiny, tiny store with rickety little staircases and seemed quite dusty and warm. It was a delightful little place and I think it would be so fun to go there when it wasn't quite so warm and just sit upstairs and read.

And of course, our day was not over yet. Our group returned to the Saint Michele fountain and we headed off for an evening boat ride down the Seine. I really  enjoyed this, except for my seat. You know life I lways better in a boat.  I was still so dreadfully hot that I was a bit late getting on the boat because I was standing in line to buy an overpriced bottle of warm Evian. One of the women in our group saved me a seat at up at the very front of the boat. The seat was designed for a very small child so I sat with my knees crammed up against the metal side of the boat for the entire hour. That was ok. It was a beautiful ride. The boat had a guide who described what we were seeing, both in French and in English. And, people in our group splurged for a couple boxes of wine which we shared among ourselves. Wine definitely goes with a Seine boat ride. What was amazing to me was how the Parisians enjoy their river during the evening. Americans would call it tailgating but there were no tailgates. Throngs of people gathered on the banks of the river to eat and drink with their friends for a mile or so up and down the river. It looked like a delightful thing to do and maybe if Mike and I ever make it back, we will have to buy a picnic and take it down to the Seine for a romantic evening.

And, that completed Day Two for my excellent Paris adventure. Of course, there was a group of teachers who went out drinking late into the evening, but I definitely was not one of them. I headed back with the majority of the group and completely collapsed into my bed.

Bonjour!

Good morning all. I am much more refreshed this morning and can actually think so now I am going to try to write a bit and tell you about my trip. First of all, on the way here, I wrote two amazing blog posts that should have been picked up by Conde Naste as great travel writing. Alas, they are lost in cyberspace somewhere, so, if you see them out there in the world, you should read them.  One is title Cranky Traveler-which I am. And the other was called A Moveable Feast about reading Hemingway's book and visiting here.

Our first day here was a bit of a whirlwind. I slept very little on the plane and they dolled out coffee to us in tiny little paper cups the size of shot glasses. It was not espresso, but I do believe the two ounces that they gave me was the nectar of the gods. We arrived in Paris around 8:00 am, found the other 40 teachers traveling with EF, and went directly to the hotel. I brushed my teeth and hair in the bathroom of the airport while armed guards walked by with AK-47s. (I much prefer my weapons concealed.) 

We got on our bus, drove about an hour to our hotel with constant commentary from Tristan our tour director on how to lead our students in such a tour. We dropped our bags in a hotel storage room and took off to see the sights.

Our first adventure was the Paris Metro where we learned to use the RER line and take it in to the city. We traveled from Rueil-Malmaison to Chatelet-Les Halles. We walked through the city to Notre Dame. Everything is a bit of  a blur as to what we saw along the way. The line to get into Notre Dame was much longer than what I normally wait for so I elected not to go in. I might be sorry about that later. Another traveler and I, Heather, decided that we did not want to wait so we took off for a walk. We walked down the street past Notre Dame and bought a jambon et Brie sandwich. We ate it in the little park right behind the Notre Dame. We then went for a walk along the Left Bank (I think). We had about an hour to roam and then we met our group again back at ND.

During the afternoon, we walked on the edge of the Latin quarter and up towards the Louvre. We stopped at the oldest tree in Paris and discussed the different buttress styles for churches while looking at the Notre Dame from a distance. We headed to the Louvre where we walked through miles of relics from the Egyptians and Romans. I think one of the most impressive sights in the Louve is the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

 You walk up this grand staircase with it located at the top. It is impressive. Immense and beautifully carved. People jockey for position to have their pictures made with it, like ooh mom look what I carved today on my trip. It's really quite beautiful. My group of people I was traveling with got a bit turned around as we were looking for Mona and I had to dodge a few teenagers around the top of the staircase. I took a wrong step at the very top and felt myself tumble a bit. Fortunately, the kind teen whom I was dodging grabbed my arm and saved me or I would have been a little sack of sweaty bones and the foot of the grand staircase. I imagine that Winged Victory might be saying to herself, Score! I got another one. Oh the irony of my gracefulness. 

Other highlights of the Louve include Mona Lisa and the Code of Hammurabi and that amazing glass pyramid at the entrance. I love that. 

After several hours at the Louvre, I had been traveling for over 24 hours, and my fun meter was nearly pegged. In the Paris heat, we walked several more city blocks stopping to discuss which king did what where before we finally turned into a restaurant for dinner. We had a little savory tart thing for our appetizer, duck for our main course, and chocolate mousse for dessert. I have never in my life been so tired as I was during that meal. We sat upstairs in an un-air conditioned room, and I really thought I might perish during this meal. Somehow I survived, made it back to the metro station and then back to our hotel. Showers and deep sleep for all. 

Heading Out

The day is finally here! I am heading to Paris today. It will be a short trip, Wednesday through Sunday, but that's ok. It's Paris! This trip should prove to be just long enough to whet my desire to come back soon. 

This trip is my training trip through EF Tours as next summer, I will be leading a tour to London with kids from Hand and Dreher. I am sitting in the Columbia airport, which is quite nice, waiting for my flight. I am also looking around trying to determine who the other women are who are supposed to be on this trip with me.  I believe there are four of us, and I think that I have them picked out. I am refraining from taking pictures of them so I am not ejected from the airport before my trip even begins. 

I have managed to pack lightly for this trip. Only a carry on bag, a book bag and a purse. But, I feel that I have everything I need. Bon Voyage!