Boots with the... Plastique!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned that it rains everyday, but it rains every day in Brest. After 2 pairs of crappy boots that didn't survive my rough lifestyle, I bought some rainboots. FINALLY. I had intended on purchAsing them earlier in my move to Brest but shopping results yeilded a price too expensive. Luckily there is this amazing month in france where everything is on sale and so I was finally able to purchase my rainbboots.  And since, as I've mentioned, it rains everyday in Brest, I wear my rainboots everyday.

This is where my store begins.  One day in class with the 3D*, i believe, one of my students, Baptiste: the class clown, starts laughing hysterically.  I'm naturally dumbfounded as to what could possibly be so funny at the beginning of class and no one else seems to know why he is laughing either.  So, I of course, ask him... "What's so funny?" And somewhere among fits of giggles he manages to say "tes bottes" which means "your boots". So I ask him, "why are my boots funny?" and he responds "parce qu'ils sont en plastique!" (they are plastic).  Um... true.  They are rainboots.  Baptiste: "Mais, il pluet pas" (it's not raining).  Me, le prof: Yes, but it will be in 5 minutes time.  Just wait.  Baptiste: ahh... je pense que c'etait à la mode (you understand la mode, right?)  Nope... that's the "Boots with the furrr"  but good try Baptiste.

There was a girl in the class that said "I like your boots".  Thank you sweet girl who likes to complement me.  If I could give you a grade... it would be an "A". Baptiste = Fail.

*3D denotes the class and group.  3 or troisieme is equivalent to 8th graders.  I could be wrong about the being 3 though.  In any case they are either 3 or 4 and 4 is close to 7th graders.

Vacation #3: The Photos

Château Chenonceau

I don't know what this big ugly construction tarp is all about but it was ruining my photos.

Château Amboise.  I didn't actually get to visit this one. :(

Spring is on the way!

Château Chambord

The De Vinci inspired/designed staircase.  There are 2 intertwining staircases that never meet on the same floor.  The floors that they stop on are supposed to be identical though.

An interior view of the staircase.

My look-a-like.  AKA, not me.

Château Cheverny

Petite Palais in Paris.  This is where we saw the Italian photo exhibition.

Vacation #3: Tours, Chartres, Paris

Return from vacation land.  This last vacation was awesome!  Nick came to visit me in Brest where we stayed for about a week.  After Brest we took a train to Tours to visit some friends who are assistants there.  I'm really disappointed in myself for not taking ANY photos of our Tours visit.  But oh well.  Tours is BEAUTIFUL and incredibly close to all the french castles and Paris.  I'm way jealous of their great placement.  Our first night we went to Jim's roller hockey game.  He plays for the awesome Tours team who kicked some major Paris butt!  I believe Jim scored 2 of the 7ish goals.  I would also like to add that Paris is currently ranked #1 in France, or they were at least.  If the team wins the French cup (or whatever they play for in roller hockey), they will get to play against other European teams next year.  I was very impressed... but enough sports talk.

Nick and I visited a few Castles that are located not far from Tours including Chambord, Chenonceau, and Cheverny.  I was a little sad that we didn't get to see the Leonardo de Vinci house and Chateau du Clos Lucé, but now I have a reason to return to France in the future!

Chartres was a short visit.  We saw the Cathedral and then moved on to Paris!

Paris was of course wonderful, comme d'habitude! We saw three exhibitions: One on the debut of photography in Italy, the second on William Turner, and the third Edvard Munch.

All in all, another vacation well spent!