- Joined
- Sep 15, 2005
- Messages
- 232
- Format
- 8x10 Format
Im just now reporting on my spring break class trip to Paris. It took months to plan this trip and every year I say that next year I'm not going to do it but every year I do it again. This year I managed to coerce 33 students to pay $1020.00 for five days in Paris. They pissed and moaned about the price but it seems like a bargain to me. I had to constantly be on their back to get the money to the travel agent and this caused a lot of stress. My indicator for stress is my degree of alopecia. When I'm stressed out I get bald spots and I got a good one this year. Right above the right ear, got to be the size of a quarter. Had this my whole life so I can somewhat ignore it, i eventually grows back. When takeoff day finally arrived we found ourselves at Houston Bush (41) Airport . Bush 43 has not yet earned his own airport. One of the best things about these trips is watching the students at the airport. The tension is palpable and the adrenaline levels are off the charts. I know they want to go around and just yell at anyone, "I'm going to Paris, dude." Some of these people have never been on an airplane. On these trips it is the little things that will drive you nuts. I told them a million times to have some Euros when they get to Paris. Naturally many did not and they were lining up at the money booth while I had to locate the very impatient bus driver. "Cinq minute, Cinq minute" I'm telling him but he was not amused. Our hotel was supposed to be in the Opera district and I was a bit disappointed with this because I had been to Paris twice before and wanted a hotel in a little bit funkier area. As it turned out we were actually more Monmartre than Opera. Right at the bottom of the hill that goes up to Sacre Couer. Great spot. Good hotel. On the first morning I agreed to give a guided tour to anyone that wanted to go. About 25 showed up and we were off. Down Hausseman to Place d'Condorde, through the Tuillerie garden to the Louvre. It was really cold. By the time we got to the Louvre I had 8 people left. The rest had baled out and claimed they were going on "bus tours". Wussies!!
They spent the next 4 days photographing to their hearts content. That is when they were'nt at the absynthe store or the erotica museum. One student traced the steps of Atget. She got about 10 images in virtually the same spots that Atget photographed, other projects were things like "Paris street fashion", etc. I managed to take everything including ,comlete 8x10 rig including tripod with me on carryon. I'm inordanantly proud of this!
Paris was a great trip. D'ONT MISS PARIS! Next spring break we are going to Rome and I've never been there. What I need from y'all is guidance. Advice. Where is the best pizza in Rome? The best spaghetti carbonara? The best Gelato. Where is the best place to people watch and photograph? Where is all the best stuff that is not in the guidebooks?
Thanks for listening and giving advice( these trips are open to anyone, you do not have to be a student to go
Jack
They spent the next 4 days photographing to their hearts content. That is when they were'nt at the absynthe store or the erotica museum. One student traced the steps of Atget. She got about 10 images in virtually the same spots that Atget photographed, other projects were things like "Paris street fashion", etc. I managed to take everything including ,comlete 8x10 rig including tripod with me on carryon. I'm inordanantly proud of this!
Paris was a great trip. D'ONT MISS PARIS! Next spring break we are going to Rome and I've never been there. What I need from y'all is guidance. Advice. Where is the best pizza in Rome? The best spaghetti carbonara? The best Gelato. Where is the best place to people watch and photograph? Where is all the best stuff that is not in the guidebooks?
Thanks for listening and giving advice( these trips are open to anyone, you do not have to be a student to go
Jack