Thursday morning, July 3: Carlos Ortiz started out our walking tour of the Marais District by telling us that we would be leading the tour, not him. We had to get out our maps and find where we were. He then named a location and we had to find it and figure out as a group the best way to get there. This went on throughout the tour. It really helped us get ourselves oriented to the city. If we started to get lost—which we did on the way to the Pompidou Centre—Carlos would redirect us.
We saw many places. One that impressed to me was Les Halles, an underground marketplace and huge shopping mall. Also, throughout Paris you see odd juxtapositions of ancient structures and modern architecture. It was nice walking through the Jewish Quarter and seeing a different culture. Carlos also pointed out through example the difference between French and English gardens (symmetry, geometry and the control of nature are very important to the French.) It was a nice, leisurely tour—we took lots of time looking and exploring. We saw a lot of the Marais, and the best part was that it felt like we did it ourselves.
- Megan Thrash
Parlez Vous Francais, S'il Vous Plait
Thursday afternoon Sue Richardson, Brittany, Megan, and I visited the American Graduate School for International Relations and Diplomacy (AGSIRD) for a tour. It is located within the Alliance Francais. Once you enter the gates, French is the only language allowed. So, naturally, as we left the building, Brittany decided to talk very loudly in English accidently.
- Shaina McAndrews
Show above: Professor Carlos Ortiz (in olive-colored shirt), students and President Greiner on tour in the Marais District.
View the day's photos
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