Équipe Brest 2019: July 2019

When we arrived in Paris, it was early evening. We had plenty of time to visit the Cemetery of Père Lachaise. Why visit a cemetery? Well, some of the most famous people of French history are buried there. It didn’t look like a long walk on the map, but it was 30 minutes. And we only had an hour there, as it closed at 6pm. And we had to walk back. But we did get to see the tomb of Honoré de Balzac.

I’m not sure why it was so important for the students to see the tomb of the man whose most famous poems were published in a book called, “The Flowers of Evil.” But what I don’t understand about teenagers could be published in a book.

Our first excursion in Paris was to the Porte de Villette area of Paris to see the King Tut exhibit. This is the last time the treasures of King Tut will ever leave Egypt. And a family friend of one of our students happened to be involved in the exhibit. So we got free tickets!

The woman who was our contact met us outside the entry hall with bises. Imagine our surprise when she followed that with, “I don’t really speak much French.” She was American. She supplied us with audio guides in French, and helped get us into the exhibit.

I have lots of pictures of the exhibit, but few of our students in the subdued lighting of the exhibition hall. As French photographers say, “Sans lumière, il n’y a pas de photographie."

Our group of students who danced to the music of “Pookie” during the family show was determined to dance Pookie throughout Paris. They started at Porte de Villette.

From there, we went in search of a picnic lunch, which we ate in the gardens around the Tour Saint Jacques. This had been a church, but all but the tower was demolished. Today, it is a favorite spot for a Parisian picnic lunch.

From there, we visited the Sainte Chapelle. This is the extraordinary chapel created by Saint Louis (King Louis IX) to house the relics of Jesus, the crown of thorns and a piece of the true cross, that he had purchased during the crusades. It features 30 ft. tall stained glass windows that tell the stories of the Bible.

Our next stop was the Consiégerie on the banks of the Seine. It began as a royal palace, but became a prison. It was here that Marie Antoinette awaited the guillotine. Today, you can see her cell and the chapel adjacent.

Monday evening, we went for a boat ride on the Seine. We took the Bateau des Vedettes. It was a beautiful evening, and the sites along the Seine are incredible.