Day 4 - As Kings and Queens...

 

Day 4

The group had an easier time waking up this morning, ate the hotel breakfast, and headed out to the coach to drive us to Versailles for our morning excursion. 

On the bus, Daniele talked a bit about French history. Did you know that the French royalty first consumed chocolate as a hot drink? Europeans didn’t have access to chocolate until the cocoa beans were discovered in the Americas in the late 16th century.  King Louis XIV thought he was a real “hotshot” with the new special drink. The King also popularized the large wigs of the time period. This was mostly due to the fact that he was balding and was embarrassed by the look, but I don’t know, I think bald is beautiful, right? 

The palace of Versailles was originally used as a hunting cabin on about 2,000 acres. The palace is now surrounded by breathtaking gardens with hidden statues and fountains spread throughout.  Once we arrived, this was our first stop as the palace was not ready for our entry. The kids weaved their way through the maze of trees, bushes, and natural arches. In fact, the gardens got the best of a couple of our kiddos as they were enchanted by its beauty and got turned around. But don’t worry, they found their way out without calling in the search and rescue team. 

When it was our time, we entered the palace. Most kids did not take advantage of the audio guides (big mistake in my mind), but they did work to complete a small scavenger hunt by taking a selfie with some of the most famous pieces in Versailles. Some kids did great with the challenge. I’ve learned over the years, most kids just don’t appreciate anything old (don’t worry, mom and dad, you're not the only ones!). There was some great learning to be had if they spent any time soaking up the palace. We learned that the King and Queen had a going-to-bed and waking-up ceremony where the other nobility and council could witness this great event. Back in the 17th century, they also had the dressing and washing ceremonies available for people to watch. Making an event out of a simple thing… sheesh, they sound like teenagers! The palace was such a cool way to see how European royalty lived. Ultimately, I think the kids enjoyed their time there. I did want to give the Gold Stars of the day to Kason (the only one to get the audioguide), Royce, Sam, Katherine, Grace, Elle and Rowan for really engaging in our trip to Versailles. They read placards and took their time. Great to see they were interested.

We loaded back onto the bus around midday. For some entertainment, both to Versailles and leaving, Daniele called up some of the kids to share their presentations from our meetings this spring. A couple came through and were prepared (yay), some had to wing it (probably more entertaining). Daniele did a great job encouraging our “experts” to summarize our time in Paris as we departed for the train station. 

As we unloaded at the train station, it felt much more like the airport than the metro, thankfully. We parked our luggage in the terminal, and half the group posted guard while the other half went to get food. Then, after about 20 minutes, we switched. We eventually camped out right on the floor of the terminal, ate lunch, and relaxed for a while. Despite our consistent reminders, can you guess which kids ate Krispy Kreme doughnuts, McDonald's, and Starbucks? Argh! We’ve got a small group that is still struggling to fully buy into this experience. But fret not, we will keep fighting the good fight! Someone might even try something new! Can you guess which kid bought a 3.5-foot giant Ratatouille stuffed animal?  Thankfully, it's not too obnoxious, and I’m sure it’ll fit into the luggage. 🙄 Might as well go big, I guess. 

We caught the 2:30 train to Avignon. I thought the metro was a little intense, but the train definitely had its obstacles as well. Getting all of the kids on board, seated in the right seats, and the luggage correctly stowed away in a reasonable amount of time was quite the undertaking. I am convinced that critical thinking skills and situational awareness are some of the most important tools any of us can have in life. Boy, we all had to “lock in” to get settled before Daniele really got fed up with us. Once we had butts in seats, it was actually quite a nice relaxing almost 3hr journey. 

We prepared to get off the train about 10 minutes before we arrived at the stop, and that wasn’t enough time! As soon as our stop came, we had to VERY quickly locate and scurry out the bags, with 20+ people, I had my doubts. And so did Mrs. Shroyer and Daniele. It felt like some sort of combat scene delivering supplies to the front lines… “go, go, go!”. We miraculously got everyone their bags and didn’t leave anyone behind…Whew!

After taking a couple of deep breaths, we walked out to another coach and he drove us to the short distance to the town of Avignon. As we ventured to our hotel, we crossed paths with a HS language trip who is also from Colorado (Cherokee Trail HS) and completing the same itinerary as us. Kinda weird to meet people who live that close to you, all the way around the world. Looks like we might be seeing each other at various points of the remaining trip. They aren’t scary, so I think it will be cool. 

We quickly dropped off our bags and headed to dinner in the hotel after a brief walk through the town’s main plaza. The weather is warm, and the town seems pretty lively. Plus, we are literally across from the former palace of the pope, so we are feeling quite important. Dinner was good. Classic French Onion soup, white fish with rice and sauce, and a Tiramisu, which was quite popular.

We had enough time to walk around the town a bit before bed. Perfect night for it. Some kids popped into the grocery store to get snacks and candy. I am quite sure everyone is breaking your family’s “no sugary snacks” rule. Sorry about that, but it is vacation ;)

The hotel is very historic, so the rooms are scattered throughout the maze-like hallways and hidden staircases. Quite a unique place. The elevator was tiny, just big enough for 2 people with no luggage. I think every group has a different room configuration and a unique view of the town. Daniele taught us that the word “hotel” is an old French word meaning “palace”. So your children are being treated like kings and queens here!

Tomorrow is an EXTREMELY busy day. We have fencing and calligraphy lessons, visiting a couple of museums, and seeing a few of the neighboring southern French towns. It will be our last full day in France. Stay tuned!

**FYI... A little short on the pictures tonight, the WIFI is not great here in the hotel lobby, and it's midnight. I will try to post some more tomorrow.