|
Ou est le Singe |
|
|
In February 2000 the language department took a group of Year 12 and 13 students to Paris on a mini -break. |
|
|
The party stayed at a small but
friendly hotel in the District of Anvers. Each day as we left the
hotel we looked to our left to see a lovely view of Le Sacre Coeur.
In Israel, people talk about going up to Jerusalem, but in Paris, even
with so many tall buildings on the horizon, it is always up to the
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart,
and the view from the top is very special
too.
...We walked around the mount of the Cathedral, we even explored the crypt and the dome, but still there was no monkey.
|
 |
|
|
After we left the Sacre Coeur we visited the Museum of Science and Technology, we looked at applications of light, of sound and of movement. We explored technological developments, air and space travel and a Renault Formula 1 car, but still there was no monkey |
|
|
While we were in Paris, we also soaked up a bit of French culture. On the first evening some of the party watched a French film, while others showing a little less culture, settled for a version of Toy Story 2 - with French subtitles (Poullet). We also visited the French theatre and saw a studio workshop presented by the equivalent of the English RSC. We hoped to find the monkey on the stage - but still we had no luck!
|
|
|
Each night we enjoyed excellent international cuisine. On our first night we ate Chinese, on our second night Moroccan and on our third night Italian. We also had a traditionally French Sunday lunch at Monmatre. The French menus, particularly the house menus we sampled were exceptionally good value. Meal tables provide excellent opportunities to talk and discuss the day as well as politics and current affairs. The French have turned dining out into an art form. We looked for the monkey on the dinner tables, in the wine bottles and on dessert trolleys, but still he was nowhere to be seen.
|
|
|
On our last full day in France we did (as the Americans would say) Paris. We set ourselves an amazing itinerary for the day and we achieved it! We started the day by visiting the Louvre. We looked for the monkey by the Mona Lisa, in the art galleries and amongst the sculptures, but we still did not find him.
|
|
|
After we left the Louvre we walked through the gardens of the Toulieries to Le Place de la Concorde. Here we looked up the Champs Elysee and walked down the banks of the Seine to the Cathedral of Notre Dame. The Museum in the crypt is a real treasure trove for historians. We thought at one time that we might have seen Quasimodo, but we never saw a monkey! |
|
|
After lunching near the Seine, we took a train out to Versailles. The palace was built by Louis XIV in the 1600s. The architecture and the history of this world famous palace and hunting lodge is amazing, but most of our party seemed to prefer walking around the gardens!! We saw lots of images in the mirrors, but we didn't see a monkey!
|
|
|
Finally we traveled back to Paris and
climbed the Eiffel Tower. This for many of us, was the highlight of
the four days. The views from all stages were amazing and the idea
that this was built in 1887 is incredible, and yet the tower has been
standing for 113 years.
At the top we saw Gustav Eiffel, and his daughter, but we did not see a monkey on the tower either. |
|
|
On our very last day we returned to Monmatre. The market is still as quaint and as romantic as it has been for the last 100 years. There are artists painting scenes both of the Parisian highlights and also of the immediate locality, men offer to cut amazing silhouettes of unsuspecting tourists as they walk by, and on the side of the square we found our monkey. The monkey who reads! |
