From last Sunday to today, there was a special cinema event throughout France called Le Printemps du Cinéma (The Spring of Cinema). This event happens every year in the spring. During this time, it only cost 3.50 € to see most movies at participating theaters. Needless to say, I took advantage of this offer since it normally costs around 7 € for students to see a movie, and I saw Lincoln, the recent Steven Spielberg movie. Since the film has been out for some time, I could only see it in a small theater and in English (which I didn't mind of course). I definitely recommend the movie for history buffs!
Some interesting tidbits about French movie theaters:
Butter or salted popcorn is not sold at movie theaters. If movie theaters sell popcorn, they will only have sweet popcorn. From my understanding, most European movie theaters will only sell sweet popcorn as well.
If you want to see a foreign movie in its original version (with French subtitles of course), you will have to go to smaller theaters. I have found that these small theaters are easy to find in Nancy, which I commend because it is more difficult to find theaters that play the original version of foreign films in the U.S. As to be expected in major theaters, foreign films are dubbed in French.
So just because I'm not Irish or in Ireland, doesn't mean my French students shouldn't enjoy la fête de la Saint-Patrick (St. Patrick's Day).
I worked with the second graders during this first week back from winter break. To introduce St. Patrick's Day vocabulary, I showed the class pictures from a St. Patrick's Day parade I went to in Florida- including a man dressed up as a leprechaun. In addition, I read the students the poem, "Don't Pinch" by Bruce Lansky. The class quickly learned why you have to wear vert (green) on St. Patrick's Day. In order to review sound words, I took out familiar sound words from several words in the poem and then the students had to figure out what sounds were missing and write them on their worksheet. During the last part of the lesson, students wrote sentences and illustrated what "lucky" is. I was very touched that some students wrote that being lucky is having a sibling or giving a present to your friends and family.
I started the festivities a little early- the whole school is celebrating St. Patrick's Day next Tuesday. Stay tuned for updates!
Bonne fête de la Saint-Patrick! Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
The second week of winter break took me to Royan along the Atlantic coast where I visited some family that live in the area.
Even though I had just come from Nice, I was really in need of some beach time.:
The Royan beach:
The Cabanes de pêcheurs (Fishermen's huts):
Saint-Palais-sur-Mer:
Saint-Georges-de-Didonne:
Boyardville:
Le Phare de Chassiron (Chassiron lighthouse):
The écluses à poissons (stone fishing traps) and a blockhaus (fortification made by the Germans during World War II) on the île d’Oléron:
La Cotinière:
Les cabanes ostréicoles (Oyster harvesters' huts) on the île d’Oléron:
Les Grottes de Matata (homes that were built in the beach cliffs):
The cathedral in Talmont:
Blockhaus on the Plage de la Grande-Côte:
Blockhaus on the Plage de la Grande-Côte:
Blockhaus on the Plage de la Grande-Côte:
Le pont de Pierre, Bordeaux:
Le pont Bacalan-Bastide, Bordeaux:
Monument aux Girondins, Bordeaux:
Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux:
La tour Pey-Berland:
I really enjoyed my time this week in the Charente-Maritime region and visiting the city of Bordeaux. I saw that history is still very much alive in France. It was fascinating to see the German blockhaus that remain on the beaches. The Germans had constructed many blockhaus during World War II along the coast of France to prevent an Allied naval invasion, and today they serve as a solemn reminder of that war. It was also really neat to see various elements of the Charente-Maritime fishing culture.
Finally this weekend I got to be on the Côte d’Azur - the French Rivera! The Sun! The Mediterranean Sea!
While in Nice, I managed to see a lot of gorgeous sites...
The Baie des Anges
Cascade (waterfall) at the Colline du Château
View from Colline du Château
La cathédrale Saint-Nicolas
(A Russian Orthodox cathedral that opened in 1912 under the patronage of Czar Nicolas II.)
Every year the City of Nice has a grand Carnaval celebration- easily the biggest one in France. Carnival is essentially an extension of Mardi Gras, and is a festive time during Lent when people can dress up and make fun of each other. The modern Nice Carnaval has its origins in 1873, when the Nice painters Alexis Mossa and his son Gustav-Adolf Mossa introduced grotestque and spectcular parade floats to the city's festival.* There is a different theme each year for the Nice Carnaval- this year it was "Roi des Cinq Continents" ("King of the Five Continents"). Consequently throughout the Carnival parades, there were floats that represented the various cultures of the world. *Summary from http://www.nicecarnaval.com/en/carnaval/historique/origine.php
Highlights of the Bataille de Fleurs (Flower Parade):
The different floats were spectacular and very interactive. This is a video of the mechanical camel.:
The Flower Parade was so beautiful! The people on the floats even threw mimosas and other flowers out to the crowd!
Highlights of the Corso Carnavalesque Illuminé (Carnival Parade of Lights):
Although the Flower Parade was not really political or controversial, the Carnival Parade of Lights definitely made some political, economic, and social statements.
Video of the Chinese dragon breathing "smoke":
What the French think of the United States:
(In case you were wondering...yes, the fat Statue of Liberty is holding a Coke and has ice cream cones for a crown- while standing on a hamburger.)
Video of the mechanical dragon breathing "smoke":
The European leaders trying to stay afloat during this economic crisis:
The Académie française fighting the influence of Captain America (English) on the French language:
Surfing during global warming:
The world's dependence on oil:
The "World Wide Web":
The Nice Carnaval was very entertaining and amusing! Nice is the place for Carnival in France!
