From Paris to Annecy

June 11, 2015 by

By Ashley Crannick

IMG_0829I have officially finished my first week in Annecy! What an amazing adventure so far. In the beginning, I was a little timid about staying with a host rather than living alone or with the group that I came here with. Living with a stranger in a foreign country isn’t exactly the most comfortable situation in my eyes; however, living with a host has greatly improved my comprehension of the language and given me a different cultural outlook of the French people! I admit that the first couple of days it was tough to adjust. In Paris, I had a lot of people speaking English to me, so coming to Annecy was difficult because I had to completely immerse myself in the language and keep up. [Read more…]

Filed Under: French Culture, Miners in France 2015

Friday in Paris

June 10, 2015 by

By Katie Werth

IMG_0794Friday in Paris [May 29] was an incredibly fun day! We met one of Mme Langston’s friends, Drew Flanagan. He gave us a very interesting lecture on colonial expositions in Paris, which occurred in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He took us to the Bois de Vincennes where some of these events happened and explained the process, which consisted of taking people from colonized areas, making an exhibit that looked like their “natural habitat,” and then putting them on display so visitors to the exposition could see how the people of those regions lived. We went to the Musée de l’histoire de l’immigration, a museum located near the park that gives you a good idea of the kinds of people who immigrated to France. They had a really cool fashion display that showed couture fashion and its changes through the past century. After the museum we went to an area in the park where there was a lake. We were attacked by geese, or at least I was. After one came and stole my bread off of my leg, Drew grabbed someone’s backpack IMG_0801and heroically scared away the geese by swinging it at them. It was quite comedic. After lunch we went on a long walk through the Bois de Vincennes to get to the Jardin d’agronomie tropicale, which was designed for the 1907 Colonial Exposition. It was very cool to see the old structures and to think about how they were used. Drew explained how the people who were on display there would be dressed in very stereotypical clothing and then would perform an act such as basket weaving. It was a tiring day from the long walking and the heat, but it was also an amazing time.

Filed Under: Miners in France 2015, Paris

Just Another Parisian Day on a Beautiful Monday!!

June 7, 2015 by

By Julie Glenn

photo 4

Julie at Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame and the Latin Quarter were the first places the Miner crew visited. They are in an older section of town and if you look down the streets you can see how narrow they are, with the cobblestones still in place. This is a chance to truly get the feeling of what medieval Paris felt like because many of these types of neighborhoods were torn down to make room for wider boulevards, especially during the nineteenth century. The streets are very beautiful and are lined with many cafés serving a variety of food. Flowers can be seen hanging off of some balconies and there seem to be flower stores on every corner. The French have an appreciation for fresh flowers and a love for fresh pastries. Israeli, Japanese, Parisian, and Italian are just a few of the types of delicious cuisine that you can find in Paris, which illustrates how diverse the city is. The Latin Quarter in Paris got its name because of the nearby university (the Sorbonne)—in the past, the students who attended spoke Latin.

Notre Dame is a beautiful Catholic cathedral that has Gothic attributes. Many beautiful stained-glass windows and arches are apparent throughout the building. Unique architecture with buttresses allows for the cathedral to have very high walls. Many people might be familiar with this cathedral because of Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Julie gives a presentation on the Luxembourg Gardens.

Julie gives a presentation on the Luxembourg Gardens.

Today, we also took a walk through the Luxembourg Gardens in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, which were commissioned by Queen Marie de Medici in 1612. We had a magical experience of enjoying the well-manicured gardens, observing the site of the queen’s palace, and watching the local French children play with sailboats in the fountain. We strolled among a variety of statues, many of them of prominent women. There are 106 statues in total. Throughout Paris most of the statues are of prominent men that had an effect on Parisian history, thus it was a unique attribute of this particular garden to have so many women.

As the Missouri S & T Miners strolled along the romantic park we came upon the Orangerie du Sénat, a large building situated next to the Queen’s palace. We entered an inspiring photography exhibition produced by photographer Marie-Hélène Le Ny. It was called Infinités plurielles and included portraits of 145 diverse women scientists whose specialties include chemistry, history, astrophysics, philosophy, and biology, for example. These researchers or engineers are described in detail with the important work or research they have conducted. Le Ny’s goal is to inspire other women to reach for the stars and try to make a difference in this world, too. The France 2015 Miners Abroad group is a diverse group of women and we all connected with several of the stories the Le Ny’s portraits told.

Julie--artiste

Our group got to meet artist Marie-Hélène Le Ny.

As we were walking through the exhibit the artist of the exhibit came and chatted with us. We were able to practice a little French and connect deeply with a woman on the other side of the world. She may speak a different language than we do but the message and struggle is the same. It can be a tough world out there but it is important to hold your head up high and push through tough struggles to reach important milestones. Our troupe of Miner women took silly pictures with her and declared that we would carry on the message to be strong and become leaders in the world by pursuing our interests with passion. Here is a link for the artist where you can read more about her: http://www.mariehelene-leny.fr

 

À tout à l’heure!

Filed Under: Miners in France 2015, Paris Tagged With:

Exploring Paris on My Own

June 4, 2015 by

By Ashley Crannick

Inside Versailes

Inside Versailles

Americans like to think that they know France.  Before I came to France, I had an idea in my head that the French people were rude, smelled bad, had overwhelming accents, and ate mounds of cheese.  America had created these stereotypes through the infamous Pepe le Pew and bad accents in movies, but a lot of what I thought France would be like has already been proven wrong in my first week here.  Although some stereotypes that Americans have of the French can be applied in situations, there is a whole different world to France than what is portrayed in the States.

I decided to come to France early alone as a way to build my navigation skills and confidence in myself as a traveler.  Haunted by jet-lag, I got off the plane and began my journey in this enormous, beautiful city.  My first impression of France began as soon as I got onto the train to reach my hotel.  Looking out the window, I could see signs with French words such as boulangerie and épicerie on these intricate, elegant, tan buildings that held symmetry throughout the city.  The city seemed so fast-paced, with people running to get onto the train at the stops and holding conversations at a quiet, yet speedy pace, and cars zipping around the streets trying to make every green light that they could.  I thought of all the movies I’ve seen that portray France; none of them could capture the extraordinary feeling of being here.  IMG_0309I was so proud of my navigation skills until it came to finding my hotel.  I walked the street back and forth about twenty times with all of my luggage until I finally found my destination!  After taking what was going to be a brief nap that turned into a long, deep slumber, I walked to a nearby café and had an experience I will never forget.  While sitting with my bubbly water (I had thought that carbonated water was the only water offered in France because I had misunderstood the server, but I found out later that was not true!), I had an experience I’ll never forget. The people in the café were all chatting, when suddenly the bartender started humming a song.  Then suddenly, everyone started singing together and the entire café was filled with music.  I felt like I was in a movie with some sort of impromptu musical scene!  It was really cool to see the community get along so well and all come together over a song.  Even I started to sing along once I caught on to some of the chorus!

La Fontaine St. Michel

La Fontaine St. Michel

On Saturday, I went to Versailles, where I got to explore the old castle that French kings once lived in.  The palace was absolutely stunning, and a place that I’ll never forget.  The gardens were so enormous. I got lost multiple times; however, I did not mind getting lost at all, because every time I took a new turn, there was another beautiful sculpture, fountain, or work of art for me to become mesmerized by.  It’s hard to put into words the beauty and elegance that the Palace of Versailles holds.  It is just one of those places that people need to see for themselves.  I went to a restaurant for a well-deserved meal after walking around the gardens and palace for a good six hours.  The server there could tell I wasn’t from around the area, but she played along with my poor French, and she actually talked with me and taught me a few words that would be useful in a restaurant setting.  The people in France are extremely friendly!  I headed back towards my hotel and actually stopped by the same café to say bonjour to my new friends.

Ashley and Darci

Ashley and Darci, just before our group dinner

That Sunday, the rest of the study abroad group arrived in the city.  With my luck, when I tried to check out of my hotel, my credit card did not work, and I ended up running late to the group lunch because I had to call the bank and fix the issues.  However, I did make it in time for the check-in at the Generator hostel that we are staying in for the week.  I was really nervous coming to the hostel because other than my friend Julie from class, I had only met the other girls on the trip at the pre-departure meetings.  Thankfully, we have a wonderful group of girls, and I have had such a good time with them.  We left for dinner around 6:00 p.m. and went to a lovely restaurant in the Latin Quarter.  This was the first time that I had seen the Latin Quarter, and I was absolutely speechless looking at the Fontaine St Michel.  The sophistication of the details of the fountain and the elegance that it brought to the city was breathtaking.  Madame Langston gave us a history lesson about the fountain, and I that’s when I got really excited to learn more about the city.  I had seen landmarks like the Fontaine St Michel online before, but a picture does not do the real thing justice.  We walked a little by the Seine River, which provides another beautiful view of Paris, and continued as a group to dinner.  The restaurant was absolutely wonderful, with fresh flowers, a friendly staff, and terrific food.  I thought it was very interesting to be able to experience the differences between French dining and American dining.  The French eat dinner very leisurely with multiple courses in order to promote time for conversation and enjoyment.  I had such a good time bonding with my new friends that I’ve made on this trip!  I am so grateful for this opportunity to study abroad, and I cannot wait to see where this trip will take me.

 

Filed Under: French Culture, Miners in France 2015, Paris

Thursday in Paris: Markets, Memorials, and Memories

June 2, 2015 by

By Rachel K. Miller

Rachel1Exhausted from the prior events of the week (and from being squished into people from the ceremony at the Panthéon Wednesday), the day began too early. We marched on to the Bastille Market and Katie gave a thorough presentation on the history of the area. The market is filled with small street shops and vendors that sell everything from fresh produce to cooked meals to scarves to shoes. I also saw stands for kids’ toys and stands filled with beauty products, which was interesting. Like most of Paris, each stand was individualized and sold specific items.

After that, we went to Père Lachaise Cemetery, which is a gorgeous and famous cemetery. Rose gave her presentation on its history and gave a list of those she recognized that were buried there.Rachel2 This is the graveyard where you pay your dues after your death in order to remain there. I would imagine the family plots are bought out in advance, but there was a wall filled with holes and small boxes where it could be surmised that the urns were removed. While we were there, we saw the graves of Guillaume Apollinaire, Edith Piaf, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison. There were also memorials for those involved in political turmoil. While many of the memorials were for WWII, I saw at least one from WWI and from other wars that France participated in.

BateauNext we went to the Shoah Memorial, which is a memorial for the Jews and others who suffered genocide during WWII and related events. There were many photos and artifacts from the time period and illustrated timelines with the events leading up to and ending WWII and to the creation of the museum. I was surprised to find out how many of the memorials in Paris were created after much time had passed since the events had occurred.

After a bit of free time, we went on a boat tour on the Seine. It was a lovely tour with views of the Eiffel Tower and other main sights of Paris. It was nice to be able to relax and view Paris without tracing it all out by foot. It was a nice finale for the day with beautiful weather. Perhaps a little cold on the boat, but nothing a good Parisian scarf couldn’t handle.

 

Filed Under: Miners in France 2015, Paris

Wednesday in Paris

May 31, 2015 by

By Rosamond Hoyle

Warding off the jet lag, we started off our Wednesday morning at a little café Rose2next to our hostel, Café des Dames. As we finished up our coffee and croissants, we heard on the news that that evening, President Hollande would be speaking at a ceremony, adding four Resistance fighters’ remains into the Panthéon (a crypt for famous French citizens): Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz, Pierre Brossolette, Germaine Tillion and Jean Zay. (The women’s families did not want their bodies exhumed, so their coffins are symbolic and contain soil from their gravesites.) We were all super excited to be in Paris during such a historical event so we decided to Rose1change our plans for the day and go see the ceremony. As a group of girls, we were particularly interested because the Panthéon only has one other woman (Marie Curie) who was added because of her own merits and it was very special that two new women were being included.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: French Culture, Memorials, Miners in France 2015, Paris, Study Abroad programs

Tuesday in Paris

May 29, 2015 by

By Darci Graefser

Today was our second full day as a group in Paris and it was incredible. I was able to view the two monuments I was most excited to see in France, along with the appreciating the artistry of Montmartre, the Place du Tertre, and Sacré Coeur. One of the first things we did this morning was visit the Eiffel Tower. Through the years, I have done a large amount of research on the Eiffel Tower and have become quite interested in it. I knew that the tower itself was huge (over 900 feet tall), but until I saw this beautiful iron monument up close, Darci2I never truly understood just how tall 900 feet felt from ground and sky level. Seeing the Eiffel Tower was an experience of a lifetime for me, something I have dreamed about since I was a little kid. It still feels so surreal that I was able to view the city of Paris from the top of the “Dame de Fer” (“Iron Lady”). After we were finished up with our group touring for the night and were able to break off into smaller groups, three other girls and I went on an adventure to find and see the outside of the Moulin Rouge. The film based on this club has been one of my favorites for years and I have longed to see that legendary red windmill that stands proudly out front of the Moulin Rouge since I first Darci3saw the film. Touring the city today helped me to really appreciate the care in the artistry and architecture that was used when designing each and every building throughout Paris. As I visited two of the highest viewpoints in Paris today, the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré Coeur, I was able to see an astounding overview of the city and see that the shape of each building in the city was in itself a work of art.

Filed Under: Miners in France 2015

Paris-London Challenge: Beat This!

May 29, 2015 by

While our London Miners are running from dragons, we are taming them in Paris. So we’ll see your dragon photo,

Paris dragon

and raise you a selfie photo,

selfie challenge

and a photo with a randomly found St. Pat’s object. Alex found this 1991 sweatshirt in a vintage store. Good luck with that one!

St Pats in Paris

 

Filed Under: London 2015, Miners in France 2015

Paris-London Challenge

May 26, 2015 by

Bonjour!

Our Paris group is having a fantastic time. Students will be posting their impressions of the city beginning in the next day or two, but in the meantime, we want to throw out a challenge to our London Miners group, led by Dr. Michael Bruening, to come up with one or more group photos as awesome as these: 20150525_184440

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Miners in France 2015

The Vel d’Hiv Roundup–by Will Hays

July 12, 2013 by

I was not sure exactly what to expect upon leaving Gare de l’Est Wednesday morning. However, after our morning activities and our break had passed, I found myself with the group at a particular monument next to the Eiffel Tower.  The monument was erected in memory of the disturbing events that occurred in July 1942.  This event was known as the Vel d’Hiv Roundup.  I soon learned from listening to Stephani’s excellent expert assignment and also by doing my own research that between July 16-17, 1942 over 12,000 Jewish men, women, and children were defenselessly arrested and taken from their homes in Paris and other parts of France.  These people were brought to police stations and perhaps the most disturbing thing was that it wasn’t even the Nazis that were arresting the Jews in France, but the French police. The Vichy government was very much influenced by the German leaders, and was forced to co-operate with the orders that would come from Berlin in order to maintain what sovereignty it could manage to keep. After the war, the roundup became known as a symbol of French guilt and shameful compliance in the Holocaust. The terrible conditions the many victims faced in the camps they were later taken to were far too terrible for most people to even attempt to grasp, in terms of the lack of food, filthy water, and no place for them to go the bathroom. The prisoners were treated worse than POWs in most camps.

The artistry that is portrayed by the monument does an excellent job of illustrating such an atrocity, to the maximum extent that a monument can portray. The artist portrayed the victims as all appearing as if they are all in a state of disarray, including a woman holding suffering children, and one laying down on a suitcase, which I believe symbolized how they were all forced to leave their homes with almost no time to pack, and the exhaustion experienced by all. The faces of the individuals on the monument represent all the victims of the Vel d’Hiv Roundup as a collective whole. Below the monument, there is a plaque, and part of it reads “We will never forget.” I find France’s history to still be extremely prevalently embedded into its citizens’ memories even to present day, and feel like this quote is both very appropriate and symbolic of the French culture today.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized
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