Megève - Snow in September?

Bonjour mes amis! Today Lee and I continued our Wednesday afternoon adventures - we decided to travel northeast into the heart of the Haute-Savoie Alps region. We couldn't believe the snow-capped Alps in September. Also, it was quite cold. We were wearing winter jackets and this morning in Chambéry we woke up to 45 degree temperatures - Brrrrr! My walk to school is becoming a run on these cold days!! We started our ascent into the Alps and ended in Megève, a beautiful French ski resort. For lunch we had typical Savoyard fare - boeuf in a cream sauce with potatoes and red wine. Our waiter told us that the population of Megève grows from 4,000 to 45,000 during ski season. Émile Allais, the 1937 world ski champion founded the "French skiing method" which lives on in his famed ski school in Megève. Megève's forested slopes under rounded mountain peaks provide a charming setting for its village.

Mme. Wallace

Evian-les-Bains - water, anyone?

Bonjour mes amis! Yesterday, Wednesday afternoon, I had no classes so Lee and I headed towards Lake Geneva or Lac Léman. We stopped on the French side of Lac Léman in Evian-les-Bains which is a lovely town, known for its bottled mineral water. We had a delicious lunch of filet de perche and saumon, beside the lake. The best was, after lunch, when Lee found the gelato and two comfortable chairs by the lake. He may have found the perfect retirement location! Evian-les-Bains is located in the northern region of Haute-Savoie. What is so interesting is that Lac Léman is located on the border between France and Switzerland, so you can be in a town on the French side, yet take a boat across the lake into the Swiss side. As we relaxed by the lake in Evian-les-Bains, we could see Lausanne, Switzerland across the lake, in the distance.

Mme. Wallace

Montpellier, La Grande Motte, Aigues-Mortes QUEL WEEK-END!!

Bonjour mes amis! What a weekend we had. We left Friday afternoon after I finished class and travelled by TGV to Montpellier where Benoit's parents live. Saturday morning we left early for a walking tour of Montpellier. Montpellier is in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon and is the 8th largest French city. Saturday afternoon we went to St. Guilhem Le Desert which was a pictoresque village created under Charlemagne by Guilhem(Prince of Orange). He founded the roman Abbey in 804, where you can still view remains of a cross. Sunday we went to La Grande Motte, which was a seaside resort on the Mediterranean, with pyramid-shaped architecture, and built from nothing but the sheer determination of mankind. Sunday afternoon we went to Aigues-Mortes ("Dead Waters") which is in the Camargue, an area of salt marshes in southern France. The foundation of this city was in 102 B.C. but the first documents on the city date from the 10th century A.D. Saint Louis built the port in the 13th century as France's only Mediterranean port at that time. Aigues-Mortes was the embarkation point of the Seventh Crusade (1248) and the Eighth Crusade (1270). The city includes 1650 meters of medieval city walls, including watch towers. Many thanks to Benoit's parents for an unforgettable weekend. Quelle histoire ce week-end!!!

Mme. Wallace

La Croix du Nivolet - what a view!

Bonjour mes amis! What an afternoon Lee and I had! Wednesday afternoon I have no classes so we decided to explore. From our house we can look up on the mountain and see what is called La Croix du Nivolet.(a large cross on top of the mountain) At school, one of my colleagues, Eric, gave us directions as to how to go up the mountain to see La Croix. Standing 25 meters high, this cross commands the entire Chambéry basin at an altitude of 1546 meters. The cross replaces the first one which was erected in 1861 but which was knocked down by a violent hurricane in 1909. The cross represents the Black Penitents who were condemned to death many centuries ago. When Chambéry welcomed the rulers of the House of Savoy, fireworks were sometimes shot off from the summit of Mount Nivolet. Much to our delight, a few minutes after we arrived at the top, a group of paragliders arrived with their parachutes. It was a beautiful clear afternoon and we stood and watched the paragliders sail into the sunset - Incroyable!!

Mme. Wallace

Panorama from the Fort de la Bastille - Grenoble

Bonjour mes amis! Today, Sunday, Lee & I visited Grenoble, often referred to as the economic and cultural capital of the French Alps. The drive to and from Grenoble was spectacular. I kept telling Lee to "stop" for a new photo opp. because the new mountain scene was more beautiful than the one before. The télépherique (cable car) ride to the top of the Fort de la Bastille was amazing - you couldn't have a "fear of heights" to try this one! The view from the Fort was a panorama of mountains unfolding all round: Belledonne, Taillefer, Obiou, Vercors and even Mont Blanc. You could also see Grenoble, including old town and the 19th century districts to the south and west. How many of you remember the name Peggy Flemming? For those of you who were around in 1968, Grenoble was the sight of the Winter Olympics and Peggy Flemming was gold medal winner for ice skating. We could see evidence of changes to the town's infrastructure and facilities including a large sports hall and residence halls, also seen in the panorama of Grenoble. Afterwards we took a walk down Grande-Rue in Grenoble. House #20 is the Maison Stendhal, where the novelist spent part of his childhood in the apartment of his grandfather. Later we had a great lunch in Grenoble at an outside café with street musicians and pigeons at our feet!!

Mme. Wallace

Meet the English Department at Lycée Vaugelas

Bonjour mes amis! I wanted you all to meet the members of the English Department at Lycée Vaugelas and their guests. There are 8 members of the department, including me. We had so much fun at a get-together last night at our home for the year. I love learning about their perspectives on education. Today is the first grève (strike) so I'm sure I'll learn a great deal today about how things operate. The strike today is a protest by teachers about the new educational reforms. Supposedly, there is another strike tomorrow protesting a change in retirement age. We are told that all public transportation will not be running tomorrow. We will see! I'll keep you posted.(no pun intended!!) Hope you all had a fun weekend!

Mme. Wallace

Vieux Lyon

Bonjour mes amis! C'est le weekend - Yeah! Lee and I traveled to Lyon Saturday to explore one of France's leading cities since Roman times. We began our visit in Vieux Lyon(Old Lyon). Vieux Lyon is known for its Old World cobbled alleys and colorful facades. We began our exploration at St. Jean Cathedral which is the historical cathedral of Gaul, considered to serve the oldest Christian city in France. It is a Gothic cathedral which took 200 years to build. Outside the cathedral we discovered the ruins of an 11th century church which was destroyed during the French Revolution. What was most fascinating were the "traboules", hidden passageways which connected the main streets of old town. Lyon was the leader of Europe's silk industry from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The "traboules" provided shelter when silk was being moved from one stage to another. We discovered secrets of spiral staircases, arches and lovely courtyards. It was such a fun day!

Mme. Wallace