When in the Paris region, you must visit the medieval town of Chartres, renowned for its' Gothic cathedral. The original structure was destroyed in 743 when the Duke of Aquaitaine quarrelled with Charles Martel's sons and sacked the entire town. Before this, it is believed that 4th century Christians worshiped on this spot. In 1194 the structure was again destroyed except for the crypts, western towers and Royal Portal. Later in the 1200's with the decline of the feudal system, merchant brotherhoods donated their labor and materials for the needed reconstruction. Their 'signatures' are represented in 43 of the stained glass windows, timeless evidence of the dedication of the French to their cathedrals. It is of significance to notice that by the time the second tower was completed, architectural style had changed from Romanesque to Gothic.
During World War II, the stained glass windows were removed and stored until the German occupation was over. How fortunate that today we can appreciate the beautiful 'bleu' of Chartres that remains impossible to duplicate. These masterpieces were created by adding metal to molten glass: copper for red, cobalt for blue, antimony for yellow, manganese for purple, and iron for green.
If you plan to visit Chartres, your tour will not be complete without an escort by Malcolm Miller, the most knowledgable person alive on this structure. He is a retired English gentilman and charges only a nominable fee. I've even retained him for student visits and everyone was amazed at the what they learned. Mr. Miller has published a beautiful book, available for purchase on site and he will sign it.
Be sure, too to appreciate the Labrynth where pilgrims of ages past crawled on knees to repent for their sins.
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Lovers of art and nature can't miss the opportunity to visit Monet's home at Giverny only a short drive or train ride from Paris. Although none of his personal paintings are here (they're mostly in Paris at l'Orangerie) you can see the many oriental works that Monet himself collected. The house is charming, the gardens are ever changing and the Japanese Bridge still stands just as it did long ago.
Everyone visiting France for the first time wants to see the stupendous palace of Versailles that helped bankrupt the entire country and bring on the French Revolution, yet few seem aware of l'Hameau de Marie Antoinette,the charming hamlet that exists within the grounds (a little walk of 1 mile so allow enough time!). There is a train that will take you there, but why do that when you can get some good exercise after all those rich pasteries and cheese. Here the Queen would seek the solitude unattainable at Versailles with her intimate friends. Rid of the confining garments of the court, Marie would pretend to be a citoyenne who tended a garden and gathered fresh eggs for breakfast. If you'd like to learn more about the misunderstood Queen of France, read "Marie Antoinette, The Last Queen of France" by Evelyne Lever it will give you a new appreciation for a most misunderstood pawn of history. By the way, she never said, "Let Them Eat Cake!"
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Monday, March 17, 2008
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Funny Stuff
If you know anything at all about a language other than your native one, you know that somethings can't be translated, and when one tries to, it just doesn't come across as planed. Here are a few translation slip-ups that originally ran in one of Ann Lander's newspaper columns. I hope that maybe one of them brings a smile to your face :)
Rome Laundry: Ladies, please leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time.
Moscow Hotel: If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it.
Japanese Hotel: Cold and Heat: If you want to condition the warm in your room, please control yourself.
Greece Tailor Shop: Order your summer suit. Because of the big rush we will execute customer in strict rotation.
Hotel: It is forbidden to steal hotel towels. If you are not a person to do such a thing, please do not read this notice.
Hotel: Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 a.m. daily.
Hong Kong tailor shop: Ladies may have a fit upstairs.
Tokyo Car Rental Firm: When passenger with heavy foot is in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage, then tootle him with vigor.
Copenhagen Airline: We take your bags and send them in all directions.
Now I'd like to share some souvenirs of my travels with kids (and their parents) - there are some good times and some bad times. There are times that they have learned, and others when I have learned. For the most part, however they've been rewarding times - I like to think of it as an investement in my future and theirs. For what it's worth, read, enjoy, and be glad that it didn't happen to you.
My Top 10 Worst Travel Experiences With Students:
10. En route from Dallas to Paris via London's Heathrow hearing, Mme Peace (Mom), I left my ticket on the plane. That was during immagration clearance and we had 15 minutes to board for France.
#9. At Père Lachaise Cemetary in Paris, two student splattered with pigeon doo!
#8. In Paris with 12 cute 15 year olds and 20 something young Sicilian males in the same hotel with rooms that would not lock! #7. Doing room-check at midnight for a girls-only trip to France and discovering size 11 mens' tennis shoes protruding from the shower curtain in the bathroom!
#6. Loading 34 students and parents onto an overnight train from Venice to Paris - we had 2 weeks each worth of baggage and were booked on couchettes!
#5. Italian Waiter dumps a bowl of hot pasta all over a student at a restaurant in Rome.
#4. Doing room-check at midnight and discovering 3 15 year old females missing in London. They begged, borrowed and stole money to go see a Dave Matthews concert on the other side of town after telling the teacher/chaperones a different story - Oh we're going to be with Mme *!!!.
#3. Turning around in the Paris metro to discover that you are 4 students short - the gendarmes had detained them for skipping through the turnstyle without verifying their tickets. (yes, they did have tickets, they just wanted to see how many could squeeze through at one time!) They were charged $60 American on the spot! And don't believe the add - American Express IS NOT EVERYWHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE. Thank you VISA!)
#2. Learning for a fact that a certain student has brought marijuana into a foreign capital city inside ballpoint pens, much to the dismay of her peers! We could have ALL been strip-searched and detained at the police station, and believe me, it would not have been a pretty sight.
#1. Discovering on the return that in a grudge match, 3 females used their roommate's toothbrush to clean the doggie-doo from their tennis shoes in Paris! They were kind enough to rinse it off before replacing it in her container for use the following morning.
Rome Laundry: Ladies, please leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time.
Moscow Hotel: If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it.
Japanese Hotel: Cold and Heat: If you want to condition the warm in your room, please control yourself.
Greece Tailor Shop: Order your summer suit. Because of the big rush we will execute customer in strict rotation.
Hotel: It is forbidden to steal hotel towels. If you are not a person to do such a thing, please do not read this notice.
Hotel: Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 a.m. daily.
Hong Kong tailor shop: Ladies may have a fit upstairs.
Tokyo Car Rental Firm: When passenger with heavy foot is in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage, then tootle him with vigor.
Copenhagen Airline: We take your bags and send them in all directions.
Now I'd like to share some souvenirs of my travels with kids (and their parents) - there are some good times and some bad times. There are times that they have learned, and others when I have learned. For the most part, however they've been rewarding times - I like to think of it as an investement in my future and theirs. For what it's worth, read, enjoy, and be glad that it didn't happen to you.
My Top 10 Worst Travel Experiences With Students:
10. En route from Dallas to Paris via London's Heathrow hearing, Mme Peace (Mom), I left my ticket on the plane. That was during immagration clearance and we had 15 minutes to board for France.
#9. At Père Lachaise Cemetary in Paris, two student splattered with pigeon doo!
#8. In Paris with 12 cute 15 year olds and 20 something young Sicilian males in the same hotel with rooms that would not lock! #7. Doing room-check at midnight for a girls-only trip to France and discovering size 11 mens' tennis shoes protruding from the shower curtain in the bathroom!
#6. Loading 34 students and parents onto an overnight train from Venice to Paris - we had 2 weeks each worth of baggage and were booked on couchettes!
#5. Italian Waiter dumps a bowl of hot pasta all over a student at a restaurant in Rome.
#4. Doing room-check at midnight and discovering 3 15 year old females missing in London. They begged, borrowed and stole money to go see a Dave Matthews concert on the other side of town after telling the teacher/chaperones a different story - Oh we're going to be with Mme *!!!.
#3. Turning around in the Paris metro to discover that you are 4 students short - the gendarmes had detained them for skipping through the turnstyle without verifying their tickets. (yes, they did have tickets, they just wanted to see how many could squeeze through at one time!) They were charged $60 American on the spot! And don't believe the add - American Express IS NOT EVERYWHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE. Thank you VISA!)
#2. Learning for a fact that a certain student has brought marijuana into a foreign capital city inside ballpoint pens, much to the dismay of her peers! We could have ALL been strip-searched and detained at the police station, and believe me, it would not have been a pretty sight.
#1. Discovering on the return that in a grudge match, 3 females used their roommate's toothbrush to clean the doggie-doo from their tennis shoes in Paris! They were kind enough to rinse it off before replacing it in her container for use the following morning.
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