Kenzie and Allie at Atelier Cézanne

As amazing as it seems, this is the last day of Abbey Road, Aix-en-Provence 2008. Over the past four weeks we've spent almost every waking hour with one another and I'll be the first to say that, though I'll be glad to sleep in my own bed and no longer have to use a midget shower, it's going to be tough to say goodbye to everyone tomorrow at the airport. Of course on the upside we do have almost 15 hours of travel together before arriving at JFK, so that should provide ample time to rehash all of our inside jokes, finish those friendship bracelets we started, and share ipods...maybe some of us will even sleep. Stranger things have happened.

Jackie, Gussie and Jackie do Henna with the visiting French kids

Since the entry last Wednesday a lot has been going on: we hosted some French students from a camp near La Couronne; we had a second installment of Henna with Vidya; began a mild friendship bracelet making craze; visited the vast, huge, and immense workshop of Paul Cézanne; and even made a trip to the camp at La Couronne where we hung out at the beach and danced the night away with the Frenchies. Sunday was more-or-less a day of rest used for packing and cleaning - we met for pizza in the park at 8:30, followed by some free time and a quick dip in La Rotonde. On Monday we finished up whatever packing was left and then most headed out for a day in the town - shopping, crêpes, smoothies...or to buy extra luggage for the trip home, as the case may be. Tonight it's another picnic in the park - our last group dinner. Then we'll head back to the residence, play a rousing game of Jeopard-Aix and "go to sleep". While I'm doubtful as to how much sleep we're all going to get, since the draw to spend one last night talking with friends may be too strong, I am hoping that we'll all have enough energy in reserve for Tuesday so that no one loses a passport, ticket, or luggage. But really, who could lose their luggage going from the bus to the terminal? It seems almost impossible.

Amine, Amélie, Vidya and part of Fred's back in Marseille

We'll be saying goodbye to Fred, Vidya, Amélie and Katharina tomorrow morning at the residence - the first three will obviously be staying in France, while Katharina's flight back to beautiful Vienna doesn't leave until later in the afternoon. Andrew will be leaving with his family tonight, so we'll be saying our farewell's to him during the picnic. Amine will be with us all the way to Paris and then helping us navigate our way to the terminal that we fly out of to New York. Once there we should have plenty of time to grab a bite to eat before crossing the Atlantic. There are 18 of us that are being picked up at JFK, 5 flying on to Boston, Teddy is heading to St. Louis, Rachael to Raleigh, Katie to Richmond, Caroline to DC, Tiffany to Miami, Shannon to Toronto, me to Pittsburgh, and Chloe has the inexpressible joy of getting to fly another 6 hours back to California. By the end of it, I'm sure we'll all be glad to get some sleep...even if the sleep is a little bitter-sweet because of having left these people that we've come to know and love over the past month.

To end, here are some more words from the students and Vidya:

Abbey Road –Aix is by far the best program EVER!!! The town is amazing and there’s always so much to do!!! I love the shopping and café’s and the markets. Cooking group definitely provided interesting moments but has been so much fun and delicious! Our time here has gone by so ridiculously fast and I’ve had so much fun. I feel like I never stop laughing and have made so many great friends that I look forward to keeping in touch with. As much as I like New York/the states/english being in Aix makes me never want to go home! - Hannah

Aix has been sooo much fun! Getting to know all these interesting people (like Chan Chan and Jackayyy) makes the trip worth while. I seriously love everyone here and its going to be weird when I don’t have to yell at the boys to turn their music down or people watch in the courtyard from our balcony! There are so many fun things to do in Aix like walking around the outdoor market or spending all our money buying nutella from monoprix! But nothinggggg, and I mean nothing, beats the amazingness of the Vitam Fruits smoothies, yeah, I get them every single day! July 29th will be a weirddd day saying goodbye to everyone who has seriously changed my life. I’ll definitely neverrrr forget this experience. - Chloe

Now that Aix is coming to an end, I realize how much I am going to miss it! I am going to miss the amazing food, the people, and especially room 505. Abbey Road has been an amazing experience. Oh and I’ll miss people watching zhe jcc afternoon’s on balcony. jackieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee channnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn - Jackie M.

“Get out of the bathroom!”, “I need more towels!”, “Can you make me eggs?”
Pretty much this sums up our summer….. I can’t even begin to describe this amazing experience. Being here in Aix and being part of this family I have grown to love was great, never doing the laundry, never cleaning the room/dishes was unforgettable. I will always remember to cream my friends on the beach and avoid the sketchies in town. Going to Monoprix and dropping 90 euros on unnecessary foods/things was so carefree, but most importantly I’ll miss room 301 with our midnight snacks of honey, fruit, and grossness. My experience was so much more fulfilling thanks to you girllsss. PS- Tiffany, please shower… our room smells like stinky fromage. - Valerie

Aix has been the most amazing experience! Not only the places we went, but also the people here have made my summer that much better. I’ll miss late nights in the room with nutella, nutella, and of course more nutella, making fantastic lunches with my roommates, and site seeing from the balcony. All in all this summer was one of the most amazing and I wish it had lasted longer. - Jessie

This has been such an amazing experience, everyone and everything has been unforgettable. All the things I’ve learned here have become part of my life and I know I will be able to use them back home, for example, living in Miami there is a lot of sun and well…a lot of sketchies and thanks to abbey road I know to watch out for both of them and I will be sure to cream my friends before I cream myself ☺ ps mom it’s a boy, but don’t worry it will be trilingual. - Tiffany

Our summer in Aix is absolutely indescribable. Zach asked me to write a couple of sentences summing up “my Aix experience” however I find this to be an impossible demand. But being the “go-getter” that I am, I will attempt. Aix is absolutely picturesque and not one moment I have spent here has been in vain. Not only have I learned more about the French language, but also the French people...including teenage boys ;) Being able to call Aix my home after three-ish weeks is completely amazing; I feel like I could stay here for a long, long time. Although the sketchies, the lurkers, and the creepers do frequent the area, they are apart of the experience as well, and make for great stories later… (“UHHH, sorrryyy…it’s six”) Well I must be off to spoon Nutella into my mouth like I have been doing this entire month. FOUNTAIN JUMPING FOREVERRR. - Abby

This trip has been quite the experience. Aix en Provence is such an awesome town. The town has a lot to offer. The people on this trip have been great. Everything combined went so well for me. This trip is an adventure that I will always remember. If I was to explain everything I liked on this trip, it would be a 1000 page thesis. I thank everyone for making my summer so amazing. - Andrew

I can’t even put this experience into words. Not only have I learned so much about the French language and culture but I’ve had one of the best summers ever. I’ve so many wonderful people; Abbey Roaders, Sketchies, etc. I’m also glad I also got to learn the other meaning of my name as our French friends like to say ;) I’ll miss everyone so much especially our cooking group and room 304 :P I love you guys. I can’t even believe some of the fun we’ve had. Woo fountains!!!!!! (and nutella) I LUFF. - Holly

BONJOUR from France. Our time in Aix has been so wonderful from the night market to the class in the cafés. We had a great time touring the Calisson factory in Aix, I espically enjoyed the taste testing part. We also had fun on our weekend visits to the beach. Cassis was so fun and the fireworks for Bastille day were loverly. I had the best meal at a little resturante in the heart of Aix and I could barley walk when we left. -Teddy

Salut from Jamie and kenzie! We swam in the fountain tonight after we got nutella flavored gelato, it was delicious!!!!! We have been having so much fun and our apartment looks so sad and empty now! We are sooooo sad☹☹. The cappachino;s here are one of the best parts, and also salsa dancing in the plaza of hotel de ville. Were trying to soak up as much aix en provence as possible in these last couple of days but at the same time are excited to go home and need only to think in ONE language. The learning and fun have been amazing this summer and we can’t believe its already been a month! We love everyone and hope to eventually be able to return to the beloved Aix. Caio les filles (et les 5 garcons). - Jamie & Kenzie

Aix is really fun! I’m having a great time and the food is so good. I have so much fun in cooking group when I clean the dishes with Gussie. Yesterday we went to a French camp and I had a lot of fun! My roommate Holly was in a dance competition and it was SOO funny!! Tonight we went in a fountain it was also so much fun! - Jackie L.

Bonjour,
I’m Vidya and I’m one of the French teachers in the program. This is the first time I’m posting an entry on the blog (in fact, I think I’m the last one to do so) but I’m glad to be posting now because I know the kids much better and it’s been a real pleasure to be around them. They’ve all been very enthusiastic about being in France and we’ve had a wonderful time together (it’s going to be difficult to say goodbye tomorrow). As you must already know, we visited Paris, Marseille, Cassis, La Ciotat, La Couronne, L’Isle sur la Sorgue, Avignon (my town) and Le Pont du Gard. We also spent a lot of time just hanging around in Aix. We visited the many museums and sights in and around Aix, made lavender bags and French chocolate fudge. We painted henna tattoos on our bodies and even did some clay modelling together. We also tried our hand at French cuisine and did quite well (for the most part). Our cooking group – The Vachement Aix-cellent Chefs - with Abby, Andrew, Caity, Holly, Laura, Shannon and Tara are the proud “créateurs” of some very interesting dishes like the Mango Salad, the Potato Fondue (don’t let anyone else tell you it was anything less than delicious) and the Nutella Hot Chocolate. The kids have managed to discover the best breakfast joints and the best places to get crêpes, ice-cream and smoothies. Some of us even had a refreshing midnight dips in the fountains here. In short, we had a delightful time with your lovely children. - Vidya

Holly, Jackie L, Katie B and Gussie discuss theories of art while taking artistic photos of Aix

Dear Everyone,

It's now the Wednesday of our last full week in France - sad, but true. This week has already gone by pretty quickly, and I'm scared that the rest of it is going to pass by even more so. We have a group of French teens coming to visit us tomorrow and then we'll be returning the favor by hanging out with them at their camp on Saturday - should be a good chance to use all that French we've been learning.

The picturesque view from under the aqueduct where we swam the afternoon away

Chandler, Jamie and Jackie wait on the Pont du Gare

As you know, we spent Saturday in Marseille. Sunday, however, was spent working our way towards Avignon. Avignon was a beautiful city, though I think the highlight of the day for most people was the Roman aqueduct - pont du Gare - that we visited along the way. We got some much needed swimming time in before spending the rest of the day exploring Avignon.

Angela and Dominique pose for a picture with the aqueduct in the background

Andrew, Joe, Chris and Sam pose with Amine for a casual, J-Crew-esque shot

This week in the afternoon we've learned how to make crêpes with Amélie, brushed up on our French slang with Vidya, gone to the cinéma, taken photos of some of Aix's monuments, and even discussed some of the current racial issues in France by viewing the film La Haine with Amine.

Andrew preps the haricots verts for cooking group

Abbey looking less than impressed about mopping up after her cooking group members

The cooking groups started off the week with a recipe that Teddy gave to us: Pasta with Lemon Garlic Shrimp. Tuesday night was the slightly difficult "zucchini boats" and tonight we remade an oldie, but a goody - Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Chicken. Sadly, tomorrow night will be the last time that we cook together in groups. So long family "Discothèque Voilà!" - any of you are welcome to dine at my Pittsburgh residence any day.

Tara, Shannon and Holly show pride - though perhaps a little undeserved - in their accidental discovery of "potato fondue" (it tasted like glue)

Kristina pondering life's mysteries while waiting for Fred to give instructions about the day's events

I absolutely love everything in France!! I am having the time of my life… adorable cafes, great shopping, amazing people. I have found my new home ☺. Aix is perfect—better than I ever could have imagined. I am not looking forward to leaving, but I know I will be back!! I will miss hours of breakfasts and going to three cafes per day. It is an amazing experience that I will never forget. ROOM 310. COOOOOKIESSSSSS!!!!! -Angela

I love Aix en Provence! The town is so nice and I love all the cafes and shops. Aix is the best place to live!!! I made such close friends and I never want to leave them. I will miss Aix so much. I love going to breakfast and walking through the outdoor markets with my friends. Aix en Provence is the most amazing town!!! I LOVE ROOM 310!!! - Julie

Aix is such a cute town with lots to do. I love all the markets and cafes. I am improving my French so much just by interacting with the locals. I will miss Aix so much and am not ready to leave! It has been such a great experience, improving my French and making so many new friends. - Caroline

Aix is the best place in the whole world! I never want to leave. This was the best decision of my life, everyone and everything in the program is great. I love my roomies, 310 baby! And dinner group in 505 is the best too. Love you dinner fam! Tiffany, say h-o-t s-a-u-c-e. - Katie B.

Room 301 smells delicious. PS- mom, I got a tattoo. - Kristina

I LOVE AIX EN PROVENCE! Everything about this trip has been amazing. I’ve learned so much in my class with AMINEEEE and I feel much more comfortable with my conversational French. Cooking is so fun, except the cleanup ☺ My friends are the BESSTTTTT (yeauuuh room 310) Breakfasts, shopping, cafes and pétanque… I never want to leave France! - Maeve

I love everything about Aix! I have had such a great time and have made such great friends. I’m learning so much about the culture and I hope that my French is improving. This summer has been one of the best and I will remember this forever. - Sarah P.

Aix was such a great experience! I love everything in this town (cafes, breakfast, ice cream, markets and of course the nice staff …)! I’m glad that I had the opportunity to learn so much about the French culture but also about the American one!
I’ll never forget this summer and all the good friends that I’ve made! Although some of them are a bit crazy! ;) - Katharina

Aix is the best place ever ! I like talking outloud and saying things I shouldn’t say outloud and vidya is the best ! I love going to fnac and playing the werewolf game but not in fnac and people in courtyards and when Katharina make us grilled cheeses even when she is scared of Americans and today I cleaned my room sooo much and it smells like disgusting + air freshner +mold +basil I also love to drop basil off window sills and “clean” it up…with Jaqueline. - Gussie

Today - Saturday the 19th - was our trip to Marseille and, as you can see above, Chris was certainly a fan. We left in the early afternoon and spent the first part of our day at Notre Dame de la Garde which was not only a beautiful church, but also gave us a great view of the city and the ocean.

Sarah P, Katharina and Hannah pose for a photo at Notre Dame de la Garde high above Marseille

After that we took an hour at the vieux port to have lunch before most of us headed off to see Château d'If of Count of Monte Cristo fame:

Kristina, Tiffany and Valerie on the boat ride to Château d'If

Gussie and Jackie L engrossed in their music while Katharina looks on during the ride back to Marseille from Château d'If

Shannon and Holly practice begging for bread as Château d'If inmates - mad acting skills ladies, mad skills

Amélie, Hannah, Sarah P, Angela, Julie and Vidya take a minute to pose for a picture on their yacht on the Mediterranean - or the boat that shuttled us to the château (you can choose to believe whichever seems more exotic)

Above: Caroline, Caity D and Laura pause for a picture in the depths of the jail
Below: To the left is Rachael in the middle of exploring some of the cells at the château

After the visit to the château we all took a couple hours to find a place to eat dinner - my group ended up at a delicious Indian restaurant...Maeve's group ended up eating ice cream, saying that they'd had a big lunch only a few hours before. They promised me they'd eat something nutritional when we got back to Aix. In their defense, the ice cream in Marseille is delicious.

Tomorrow we're off to Avignon, with a visit to the largest Roman aqueduct in France on the way - hopefully we'll be able to spend some time at the beach also. All in all it'll be a full weekend before we begin our last full week in Aix! It's hard to believe that so much time has gone by.

This past week finished out with various afternoon activities: going to the cinéma with Zach to see the new French movie Nos 18 ans; making plasticine sculptures with Vidya; getting to taste the unique flavors of the provence region with Amélie; and getting to visit the various churches of Aix with Fred. But lest one not forget, the week was topped off by what Fred called "Da Singing Game". In the end, though Amine's team put up a good fight, it was Team Fatigué that won it in the end - a loss that the members of the Wu-Tang Clan team will lament for years to come. Of course, one could say that the winners might not have been victorious were it not for their illegal use of Tiffany's ipod...but who am I to judge?

To end this post, here are some more entries from some of the students:

It was hard to actually believe that we were here the first week or so. We all see our surroundings in movies or described fantastically in novels. It’s an amazing experience because we’re able to adjust after that first week or so. We see so much of what we see at home, that to us and after our experiences with our new friends, it’s become real to us as a home. I’m really glad to call this place home and I know I’ll be sad to leave it. - Dominique

Aix is fantastic!! It is so pretty and I am having so much fun learning French and being able to use it when going out with friends. Everything here is so picturesque and pretty, it makes me not want to come home. This is an amazing opportunity and I feel so lucky to be on this trip. - Laura

Aix has been a really great experience for me. The month here has really flown by because of how much fun I am having. I’m happy to have had the opportunity to improve my French in a town as beautiful as Aix. - Caity D

Aix has been an amazing trip. Not only did I learn more of the language, but I also had a cultural experience while living in France for a month. We worked hard in the classroom and then took what we learned to the streets of France. For example, visiting markets and practicing what we learnt while talking to French people. Also, another important thing that I know I will keep with me after this trip is the friends that I have made. The memories that were made on this trip I will keep forever. - Allie

This is one of the most amazing trips I have ever gone on. I have made great relationships with other kids that I really like. I am so glad I decided to go on this trip. I can’t believe that we only have 9 days left and I don’t want to leave. - Chris

Sarah B, Abbey, Vidya and Tara peek over the wall at Château d'If

Sarah B, Katie B, Holly, Shannon, Abbey, Tara and Vidya pose for a picture on the beach while we wait for the Bastille Day fireworks to start.

Hello Everyone,

As if one day on the Mediterranean wasn't enough, we spent Monday - Bastille Day - in Cassis. The weather was beautiful, the water was...well..."refreshing" at best. But we were able to survive this strenuous day by making frequent trips to the numerous ice-cream vendors, candy stands, and finally with a delicious dinner at Le Clos des Aromes. After that we took our time meandering through the streets until we finally settled on the beach to wait for the fireworks.

The beach at Cassis right before sunset

Tuesday and Wednesday have flown by. Most people - okay, everyone - opted for free time on Tuesday afternoon, but on Wednesday afternoon everyone participated in the cultural activities or either making French fudge with Vidya, playing pétanque with Fred (in prep for next week's Abbey Road Pétanque Tournament of Champions - or so I've begun to call it), or learning a quick history of French poetry with Amine. Tonight's menu of Herb Omelets and Salad with warm brie cheese was successful, but last night's dinner of Cordon Bleu with a goat cheese and walnut salad and garlic green beans on the side was certainly the preference of my cooking group - which has only recently adopted the name "Discothèque Voilà".

But enough of my voice. Besides filling you in on the day-to-day happenings here in Aix, I'm going to try to include student comments each update...starting today with Shannon, Sarah B, and Tara.

This has been an absolutely amazing experience that has just flown by. Time just doesn’t really seem to exist here all I know is that it is going by so fast it’s unbelievable. A completely unique, wonderful way to spend my summer… every moment has been one to remember and I’m so glad that I got this chance to be here, right now. -Shannon

I am really enjoying myself here. This is an unbelievable experience and I am so happy that I had the opportunity to expand my knowledge of French and the amazing culture, here in Aix. The staff is awesome and I have made so many life-long friendships. This is by far the best summer ever! -Sarah B.

Being here in Aix is fantastic! I feel as though I have learned so much and have absorbed a lot of the fascinating French culture. Each day here, the staff caters to our needs and make sure that we all learn as much as possible. Not only has my French improved, but I have also made many new friends that I know I will keep forever. Thank you Abbey Road for making this trip as amazing as it is! -Tara

One last picture of the beach at Cassis

Hello Everyone,

This update is long overdue - but alas our internet in the residence has been down since Thursday morning. Of course you may be asking yourself why it was that I couldn't have found an internet café in which to blog, well the answer is that since Wednesday we've had a pretty full schedule. Wednesday night we ate out at Les Agapes, Friday evening was "Casino Night" and then we headed off to the beach at La Ciotat on Saturday.


Here are Caity, Rachael, Katharina, Dominique, Caroline, Hannah and Sarah enjoying our group dinner on Wednesday - the Nougad Glacé seemed to be the biggest hit (at least at my table).


Tiffany and Tara are trying their luck at the poker table. They did well, but at the end of the night it seemed as if Allie was really the one that had a bright future as a profession gambler. I'm glad to report that nothing got out of hand thanks to the watchful eye of our bouncer Andrew.


This is part of the view from the beach at La Ciotat - in fact the island that you see is the one to which a group of the students and staffed kayaked. The rest of us spent a relaxing day on the sand, wading into the Mediterranean when the spirit moved. As many of the students discovered, La Ciotat has a great deal on desserts - 3E for roughly 200 Churros.

This week wasn't just fine dining, gambling and tanning. For cultural activities on Wednesday and Thursday everyone chose between going to the Fondation Vasarely - a modern art museum; Musée Granet - one of the many museums in Aix that displays the work of regional artists; hand-making lavender pouches; heading to FNAC (France's Barnes&Noble/Best Buy) to get a chance to sample French music and literature; or to learn a little bit of Arabic and Franco-Maghrébine culture in France. The non-cultural activity days were spent playing tennis, doing Henna with Vidya and prepping the decorations for the Casino (thanks to Dominique, Joe, Chanlder and Racheal).

As for our cooking groups, Thursday night was Steak with Bordelaise sauce, sautéed zucchinis and garlic mashed potatoes (I can vouch for the fact that Katie Baxa has a bright future in the mashed-potato-making field). Friday night was Napoléon salads and pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs de provence - judging by the fact that my group had an entire pot of pasta left, I might have bought a little too much. Better too much than too little, though!

Well, that takes you up today - Sunday. The odd thing about today, though, is that it's a "Monday" for us. Everyone is taking classes this morning and we're treating it as a normal weekday. Tonight we'll have pizza in our cooking groups and then head out as a group to the cinéma. The reason this "Sunday" is a "Monday" is because we'll be heading off to celebrate the 14th of July in Cassis tomorrow - a long day at the beach followed by fireworks at night. It's a rough life.

Barring any further technical complications, you'll have a new post in a few days!

Take care,
Zach

Julie, Maeve & Angela were thrilled to find that the candy store they fell in love with in Paris is actually a chain with a franchise in Aix!

Dear Parents,

Well we've just finished Tuesday, which is a little hard to believe since in many ways it's starting to feel like the group of us have known each other for much longer - it's funny how a trans-Atlantic flight, 3 days in Paris, and a flight to the south of France can bond a group, n'est pas?

Everyone seems to be getting acclimated to our home in Aix. The city is simply beautiful and with more water fountains than we'll probably have the chance to see in 3 weeks. I would love to show you pictures of Aix, but that will have to wait. All the pictures I've posted today are of Paris, since being in Aix has kept me on my toes. The picture above is of Sacré-Coeur, the basilica that we saw during a walk through Montmartre; the one below is of the Arc de triomphe, which got to see before it began raining. Part of my job as Coordinator is to prep for the "Atelier cuisine" (cooking workshops) which happen most nights and so the majority of my time has been spent trying to learn the ins and outs of grocery shopping in our neighborhood. Out of the three meals we've cooked, the favorite dishes - by unofficial polling - seem to be the "Champignons de Paris Farcies" (stuffed mushrooms) and Ratatouille Niçoise from Monday night, though the three types of cheeses we had tonight with our Salade Niçoise were a close second - at least in my cooking group.

Each afternoon the students have 3 possible activities to choose from, and tomorrow I'm taking a group to the Fondation Vasarely - a modern art museum that features the work of 1970's artist Victor Vasarely best known for his optical illusion art. Fred will be leading a trip to the Musée Granet, where some regional artists are featured, and Amine will be offering the first part of his course on Franco-Maghrebine culture and the Arabic Language. Not all the activities are this cerebral - in fact, Fred led a session of pétanque on Monday and two of our students even challenged some of the locals to a game...sadly we lost, but nonetheless it was a good effort.

It'll be a full day tomorrow, but at least we'll be able to relax in the evening with a meal at "Les Agapes" - a restaurant in Aix where everyone put in their order tonight for either daube provençal, filet de dorade, gnocchi's aux cèpes, or entrecôte poêlée aux herbes. Being that no French meal seems complete without dessert, we all got to choose between nougad glacé, fondant chocolat or charlotte aux fruits rouges. A fun time should be had by all.

Hope this entry wasn't too long for you all, but we seem to have experienced almost a month's worth of activities already. I'll make sure to add another entry within the next few days, and hopefully by then I'll have had some time to get some photos for you - or at least to have scanned and posted the winners from the Photo Contest activity that happened on Tuesday!

Take care,
Zach

AIX

Hello everybody,

we finally managed to get a connexion working in the residence, once i have it in my room i promise some pictures...
everything goes well here in Aix en Provence, our arrival was smoothly accomplished since everyone needed a big rest, we've had two consequent sleep in. Tomorrow is D day.
hope everyone is keeping in touch with you.
fred

Zach will write few words tomorrow.


Bonjour! I'm Amélie, one of the french instructors for your kids here in Aix-en-Provence. So far the kids have been enthusiastic which makes me feel confident for the coming days. Paris has been great, Aix is even better, the kids have already made it their own city. Tomorrow we start classes and we promise you more updates!
Aurevoir :)
Amélie.

Salut salut! I am Amine, and Its been such a pleasure to meet your kids. Other than few drizlles in Paris, the trip so far has been fantastic. We've arrived to Aix two days ago, we've toured the city in small groups and have done a great tresor hunt to make sure the students feel at ease in our town.
Amine

last day in PARIS

Hi everyone!
What a great day it was: Champs Elysées in the morn then Orsay Museum then lunch in the Latin Quarter. In the afternoon we went to la Cathédrale de Notre Dame then Centre George Pompidou before getting a fallafel in the Marais ... Of course it rained again and we had to deal with it. Those who wanted to shop did and those who wanted to see museums and expositions also did, everybody is happy and obviously tired, tomorrow is our way down to Aix, another early rise...
we will be sending pictures soon, don't worry.

More news from where the sun shines!

frd

paris day 2

Hi everyone who reads us.
Today was a cold cool day here in the capital city, we first went the Eiffel Tower and then had a Seine river boat tour, but then it started to rain so we dashed into a café parisien for lunch. In the afternoon we went to admire Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Students were a little tired by then and we decided to give the Champs Elysées an early look tomorrow instead. The group dynamis is really good, everyone seem to enjoy a lot the different sites. They're all getting excited about coming down to Aix as well. Everyone is doing real fine here in Paris. Tomorrow is our last big day here.

Hope some of you are reading us.

frd

Pars landing

Hi everybody

Our group arrived in Paris safely one hour late, we drove our 34 dozy students to our hotel (+33153465050) where we're resting right now before going to an early french dinner near by. We will go to Montmartre after with those who are not too jet lagged. We've offered students the chance and time to ring their parents with calling prepaid card, so normally you must have heard from them.

So far, so good!

ciao

fred