Paris Trip Day 5 (Final Day)

Last day and last post. Thank goodness. It will be short and sweet because a) I don't have as many pictures because b) we didn't do as much today and c) I am very tired.

Today we left around 9:00 AM and headed back in the eastward direction of Collonge. But we couldn't just go straight back, no no. We stopped along the way at another chateau called Fontainebleau. It was pretty big, I tried to capture how big with the three pictures that are all one building, don't know how well you can tell. Oh, and guess what! We had the exciting opportunity to see not just one modern art exhibition this week, but two historical anachronisms! How lucky are we?!? This one I have to say was even more bizarre. See the giant elephant? And notice the (real) stuffed cat hanging from the ceiling by helium. This is art? Really? Someone please explain. These are just two examples of the randomeness someone calls art that was displayed in the ancient chateau. Honestly though , at this point, we were all so tired from the week and seeing so many things that this just didn't capture our attention like it probably should have. But we went, we saw, we somewhat marveled, then we left.

Afterwards, we dropped off most of the group at the train station. We've had a week off with the school seeing Paris, and now we have a week and a half on our own to travel wherever we'd like. So most of the group was flying out of Paris, while a few of us stayed on the bus and headed back to school. I have tried to thoroughly catch myself up on this thing so I don't get even further behind. I leave bright and early (Five AM) for my flight out of Geneva tomorrow morning, where I will fly to Munich, have a layover for seven hours, then fly to Dubai, have a layover for eight hours, then fly to Delhi, have a layover for, I think, five hours, then finally arive in Kolkata late Sunday night. I'm sleepy just thinking about it. But I've stayed up till it's almost time to go, and I still have to pack and shower. I figure I can spend all my free time in the next couple of days sleeping.

For those that are curious as to what I'm doing going off to India, my general plan is to spend about four days in Kolkata visiting friends, checking on the progress of New Light's literacy program, going to Soma Home and talking with the girls and taking pictures, hopefully meeting up with the lawyer I met the last time I was there, and doing some shopping. Then I will take the train to Varanasi where I will go to an organization called Budhha Smile School that provides the untouchable children with a place to go to school. I told one of their sponsors I would take pictures of their new classrooms and talk to some of the kids. Also I want to explore that city a bit since I've never been. Then I will take a train back to Delhi, spend a day there, and fly out at 4 AM Nov. 5. So that's the general plan for the next week and a half if you don't hear from me before then, but you probably will since internet is so cheap there! :)