Frenchification by Immersion
Monday, June 29, 2009 at 9:10AM In a little over a month, we are trading houses for three weeks with a family who lives near Versailles. We found our house exchange through HomeLink, and we are very excited about our long-overdue vacation. Patrick and I took a three-week trip to France and Switzerland sixteen years ago; it remains one of our fondest memories. I anticipate that this trip will become a highlight of family lore for years to come.
As of last Friday, school is finally out. It’s time to begin our preparations. Because I am paranoid and prideful, I find I must add “clean out and organize every closet, cupboard, and drawer” to my already lengthy To Do list. I know, I know; but the French family will be living here for three whole weeks, and what if it rains a lot, and the kids play Hide and Seek, and one of them gets lost not in Narnia, but in some unpleasant little purgatory like our linen closet or the arts and crafts cupboard?
Long time friends and Novembrance readers will remember that I homeschool our kids every summer. This year, except for working on Daniel’s reading and Tess’s math, we are setting aside our usual curriculum and focusing exclusively on France.
We’ll be reading or re-reading:
Linnea in Monet’s Garden
The King in the Window
A Company of Fools
The Red Keep
A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
Katie Meets the Impressionists
Cathedral
The Annotated Mona Lisa
The Da Vinci Code*
The Eight*
The Count of Monte Cristo
Paris to the Moon
Tintin
Asterix
We’ll be watching or re-watching:
The 400 Blows
My Father’s Castle
My Mother's Glory
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Cyrano de Bergerac
An American in Paris
Charade
The Scarlet Pimpernel
And listening to:
Josquin
Dufay
Machaut
Berlioz
Saint-Saens
Debussy
Satie
Bizet
Ravel
Poulenc
Charles Trenet
Maurice Chevalier
Edith Piaf
Charles Aznavour
Yves Montand
Les Alchimistes
Saint Privat
Amélie-les-crayons
Plastic Bertrand
Each of the kids will be using the fantastic Rosetta Stone program every day, and I’ve pulled out my old Champs Elysées CDs. As I mentioned once long ago, I try not to think about how badly my French has eroded since my mission and those years of intensive study in college. I’ll set regret aside and focus on doing my best.
Food, of course, will not be neglected in our study. Croissants, cassoulet, escargots, steak frites, crepes Nutella, and chocolat chaud will all be consumed in anticipation of the culinary delights we will encounter in France.
Places we plan to visit while there:
Within Paris
La Cathédrale Notre Dame
La Sainte-Chapelle
Montmartre
Le Louvre
La Musée d’Orsay
L’Orangerie
Café Angelina
Berthillon
La Tour Eiffel
L’Arc de Triomphe
La Bastille
Outside Paris
Versailles
Normandy
Giverny
Chartres
Saint-Cloud
Fontainebleau
Saint-Denis
Parc Astérix
* Christian gets a couple of softballs due to his summer reading requirements for AP English. James is determined to finish the unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo (866 pages--he's about a third of the way through), and I am re-acquainting myself with my beloved yet long-neglected M. Proust.
We know we are beyond lucky to be having such a grand adventure, and we plan to make the most of it. It won't be a whirlwind tour; three weeks will afford us the luxury of taking our time to enjoy the riches that will surround us. I can't wait!
Reader Comments (21)
suggestion: add to the list "places we plan to visit" Brussels and /or Leuven. Hop on the Thalys (ok make reservations first) and sit on a nice comfortable train and within the hour (!!!!!!!!!) you are in downtown Brussels.
And then if you'd tell me in advance when you'd plan such a thing....I could take the day off and be a tourguide?
how about that?
by the way, for longer trips, we have 1 guestroom.
Oh my! Please take lots of pictures and then blog about it so we can all experience it vicariously!
Wow, sounds fun filled and educational! Can't wait to hear about your adventure!
Sounds like a splendid vacation -- how fortunate Patrick and your children are that you are doing all of this preparation!
Ah, to be more French. Or Japanese.
Happy preparing...and tripping, er, vacationing.
OOO! Can I come to camp Chez Perkins?
BTW... if you haven't seen it, the Kevin Kline/Jennifer Garner Cyrano is simply divine.
Wow! Sounds like a grand adventure!
You'll have to let us know how the house swap goes. I think that would make me pretty nervous!
Merveilleux! I'll add it to my list of things to do in a few years. Think there'll be anyone wanting to swap for a house in Portland?
I'm ridiculously jealous. Like...ridiculously.
Have a wonderful time! Take beautiful pictures to show us on the blog. =]
This is fabulous, Luisa--a complete French "staycation" for those of us not going anywhere near the Continent this summer.
We're taking a much less ambitious trip to Boston this summer, but thanks to you, I've now been to the library to check out _Johnny Tremain_ and a bunch of travel books about Boston. Will also be eating fig newtons and tollhouse cookies (possibly with bacon). Thank you!
Do post pictures and travelogues!
Oh I am so thrilled for you! Neil dreams of taking me to France some day and showing me his beloved Bordeaux region. I really ought to resurrect my terribly rusty French in anticipation, but it's many years away yet and laziness triumphs.
I hope it is all you are currently dreaming of and hoping for. And that the French family don't poke into your closets overly much!
Color be jealous. But in a good way. I am truly excited for your fun adventure!
Oh my goodness! I am so jealous. I would love to vist France and so many other places around the world. This really will be an experience your children will talk about for the rest of their lives.
We're headed to Europe for a couple weeks this summer with the kids. All year, for FHE, we've had a spiritual lesson, followed by a cultural lesson, in preparation for our trip. We learn some French or Italian phrases, talk about history, famous people, artists, architecture, watch a Rick Steves video, or something else along those lines. It's been fun - trying to give the kids some background knowledge that will enhance their experience there.
It sounds like you've got a great curriculum lined up for your summer; what a fun project!
Have a fabulous time! I hope I get to hear all about it when I'm back in NY this August.
How fun! Will you adopt me and take me with you?
That sounds great. I'll try not to get too jealous :)
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I wanna be in your family.
I've always wondered about house swapping. I can't wait to hear all the details! Do you pay money too, or is it just a fair swap? Do you each use each others' cars as well?
Jenna, it's a straight trade. And yes--we are switching cars. I'll tell you more once we're done!
Some friends of ours did this and had a fabulous experience...but something tells me Provo, Utah doesn't rank nearly as high on the must-see tourist lists as New York and Versailles. And our house is, well, not necessarily 4-star accommodations (except maybe the theater room). Still, I LOVE the idea (except for the closet-cleaning). And I'm trying very hard not to be envious of both the upcoming adventure and the studious preparations. You will undoubtedly have a wonderful time.
I wish you had a copy of my dad's book, Architecture Is Elementary. He has over 900 pen-and-ink renderings, mostly from Europe, illustrating every possible style of architecture. I know you'd love it!
Fantastic! I can't wait to read about your adventures.
Alas, I gave up on Proust and have moved on to Colette.
CAN I PLEASE BE A KID IN YOUR FAMILY????? Do your kids have ANY idea of how awesome you are????
I'm so excited for you and yours, both for the trip-prep and the trip itself!