Last Day in Paris

Despite the rain, we enjoyed a final day of French hospitality. One of the host mothers invited all of us to her house for a lesson in authentic French cooking and eating. The girls helped assemble Salad Niçoise, a fisherman's salad that was very popular with Impressionist painters in the south of France because of the salad's beautiful colors. They also made two Tarte Tatin, a pie crust with carmelized apples in the middle. And of course we enjoyed a plethora of French cheeses from across the country.
This afternoon, the girls are attending classes with their corrés; the classes range from Spanish to Math to Physics. Tonight we will spend a final night with our French families before leaving early in the morning for the airport.

Links to Old and New Exchange Picture Albums

Here are the links to the various photo albums from the past two years of the French Exchange:

Foxcroft visits Daniélou in 2010: https://picasaweb.google.com/jlnelson1114/FrenchTrip2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCMTytO619MKWPA&feat=directlink

Daniélou visits Foxcroft in 2010: https://picasaweb.google.com/jlnelson1114/FrenchGirlsAtFoxcroft2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCLro-5avrLLijwE&feat=directlink

Foxcroft visits Daniélou in 2011: https://picasaweb.google.com/jlnelson1114/FoxcroftFrenchExchange201102?authkey=Gv1sRgCMq8hrPBkPvbmwE&feat=directlink

Daniélou visits Foxcroft in 2011: https://picasaweb.google.com/jlnelson1114/FrenchGirls2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCKf01qaPocifMg&feat=directlink

From Pizza Party to Farewell Dinner

After a weekend of adventure, travel, and a little relaxing with our French families, the group reunited for our final day in Paris. Over the weekend, we had a soirée with pizza and ping pong at the beautiful house of one of our French hosts. The girls who were in town enjoyed the unusual pairing of escargot and American style Pizza. From there, we said au revoir to the girls traveling to Brittany, Normandy, and other exotic French locales.
Today we ventured into Paris for our final rendez-vous. Beneath the mystical, glass pyramid of the Louvre, we encountered many great masters from across the centuries. From the Venus de Milo to the Mona Lisa to the Raft of the Medusa, we learned about beauty and sacrifice.
After our artistic education, we moved on to lighter affairs-- shopping along the Champs Elysées. The girls ate, shopped, and viewed the Arc de Triomphe.
Our day ended with a farewell dinner at Centre Daniélou where the girls performed a magnificent rendition of our Foxcroft School Song. Tomorrow, we will be visiting the home of one of our French hosts to learn how to cook an authentic French meal, complete with table manners. From there, we will travel back to Daniélou to attend classes in the afternoon.

Phantoms of the Opera and Montmartre

The Opera Garnier was our first stop on a crisp, sunny morning. We had a fabulous English speaking guide who led us through time (and the building) describing the magnificent opera house. From the solid marble stairs to the red velvet and gold auditorium, nothing was left ungilded. We learned that Charles Garnier, the architect, cunningly signed his name in many of the elaborate artworks. We also learned that the Opera skews the lines between reality and illusion. We felt that if we looked into one of the many mirrors, we might just come face to face with the phantom (the Opera Garnier is the setting of the novel the Phantom of the Opera).
From there, we made a quick stop at the must visit Galleries Layfette, the largest department store in Paris. It has eight levels of designer wares and rises to the beautiful dome of stained glass.
Our next pilgrimage took us up the funicular to the highest point in Paris, Montmartre and the Sacré Coeur. This beautiful French Byzantine style basilica, like a magestic wedding cake, perches above the art colony. We climbed 300 stairs to the dome of Sacré Coeur where we beheld a breath taking vista. Paris lay at our feet. Upon our descent, we explored the history and making of present day Montmartre at the Montmartre Museum, learning that artists including Picasso, Renior, Dali, Toulouse-latrec, and Edith Piaf have lived in and been insipired by this vibrant community.
The girls will be with their families for the four day Ascention holiday. Please check out our pictures and stay tuned for more posts early next week!

Food, Operas, and Impressionists

Yesterday we began our tour of Paris eateries. But first, we visited the Impressionists at the Museé d'Orsay, a converted train station. In the wide open space under the view of the giant, golden clock, we met Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Cézanne, and Rodin among others.
Following our trip's theme (food and Impressionism), we made our way to DeDa, a restaurant owned by a Foxcroft parent. This was the first time for many to try Georgian food and we enjoyed the family style entrees and desserts. Everyone got to try many delectable Georgian dishes, while enoying each other's company. Served-lunch Paris style!
We continued eating throughout the afternoon, with stops at Ladurée for macaroons, Maille for mustard, and Angelina's for the finest hot chocolate on the face of the earth.
To follow our day of decadence, we attended the Opera at Bastille. After a brief history lesson about the plaza (It was where the Bastille Prison and the Guillotine were during the French Revolution), we thoroughly enjoyed "The Marriage of Figaro", an opera sung in Italian, written by an Austrian (Mozart), with subtitles in French. Needless to say, we bought a program with a summary. Although it was a late night, we felt quite saturated in food, art, and culture.