Ça y est!

A WORD OF CAUTION: EN FRANCE THEY USE THE AZERTY KEYBOARD. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY TYPOS.

We have arrived in Biarritz!
Below is a recap of our travels thus far:

THURSDAY/FRIDAY
After several hours of delay due to inclement weather (more than 6 for some of us), we arrived in Paris Friday afternoon. We made it just in time for Josh, notre guide dynamique to give us a tour of the environs. He took us to Sainte Chapelle, the Palais de Justice, and Notre Dame to start. It was rather fascinating because Josh's perspective is that of an artist, architect, and historian. For instance, we learned that most of the red brick architecture found in Paris was a result of Henry IV's Edict of Nantes.
Our energy started to wane due to jetlag, so we stopped to re-charge with une coupe de glace at Berthillon; arguably the world's best ice cream. We ended the day with a stroll on the Pont Neuf to the Institut de France (more specifically, the Academie Francaise), where all decisions concerning the French lexicon are made. Next, we marvelled at the Louvre, Pyramide, and les arcs. Our first day en France culminated with dinner in Montparnasse, followed by a group de-briefing.


SATURDAY
We had a typical French breakfast consisting of pain, jambon, fromage and several cups of café. Upon finishing, we strolled over to the marché de Montparnasse. We were serenaded by an accordionist as we passed through the array of cheeses, meets, fish, délices, clothing, shoes, and accessories. Some students' stomachs turned at the sight of tongue, brain, and other items they wouldn't dare try. We later walked to the Cimitière de Montparnasse and the Catacombes - Josh previously warned us that death would be our theme du jour. We didn't spend too much time feeling morbid, however, since we had lunch in the verdant Luxembourg gardens. Following lunch we hiked to Sacré Coeur. This part of the tour was somewhat frenetic, given the crowds. Heureusement, Josh knows all of the raccourcis, or shortcuts, so we avoided them when we could. After seeing the Moulin de la Gallette and the Moulin Rouge, we said our goodbyes to him at Pigalle. We ended the day with dinner in Montparnasse and a boat cruise on a bateau mouche. We went to sleep early, so we could make our morning train.

SUNDAY
Prior to taking the train, we had one last breakfast, along with another group de-briefing in Montparnasse. During the 5-hour ride, Stephan showed me how to do Sudoku. Although he had the brown belt edition, he's at least a second degree black belt. Our families were there to meet us in Biarritz promptly at 3:30. After the first two nights here, the students have adjusted to their familles d'acceuil as well as to la vie basquaise. I must say that I'm quite impressed with how cohesive they are; they are inclusive and considerate of one another. Furthermore, they're punctual. May they continue to be so!

More to come later. Yesterday, we took time to explore Biarritz and Anglet, in addition to going over logistics and transportation. Today the students will participate in a scavenger hunt to test their knowledge of the French language, Basque culture, and geography. May the best group win!