Diane Ellis
Entry 1:

We have been in Europe for one and a half weeks and we have so many wonderful things to report. We arrived in Paris Sunday morning with all luggage and a little fatigue. We moved into our apartments and then went to tour the city. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Napoleon’s Tomb, the Arc de Triumph—they were all as wonderful and beautiful as we imagined!

On our second day we went to the Louvre Museum and it is bigger and more magnificent than everyone anticipated—except the Mona Lisa. She is quite a small painting to be so famous! Afterward we began our first session with James King, an art historian, who is teaching the students how to draw and create.

On Tuesday, we were the very first group to view the Valentino collection in the Museum of Decorative Arts—in the back part of the Louvre. It was absolutely amazing. We all left there wanting to own a Valentino gown! Then we went up to the northern-most part of the city and toured a gorgeous Basilica—Sacre Coeur. We were touched by the beauty of this church. In front of the church you can stand and look down on Paris, seeing the entire city. What an incredible view! Then we introduced the students to some of the fabric stores in the area. I found some Italian wool that felt like silk.

Wednesday morning we were up early and on a flight to Rome. We got there with no problem, checked into the hotel, and went on a walking tour of the city. We roamed through the Coliseum, walked through some very old ruins, threw pennies in the Trevi fountain, and saw statues, monuments, buildings, and staircases that took our breath away.

Thursday was a fashion student’s dream! We shopped! A bus took us to an outlet mall where we met the president of MacArthurGlen, the owner and developer of outlet malls in Europe. He and his associates discussed the concept of outlet shops in Europe. It was quite interesting! After that we shopped the city of Rome and had a group dinner at the end of the day. What charming restaurants we found in Rome!

Friday was the day of a lifetime! First a tour of Fendi—the store and the factory. We saw Karl Lagerfeld’s drawings, we saw the fabrics and furs, we saw the women sewing the fur, and we saw the gorgeous fur coats. That visit alone was worth the trip over here! And to top it off, we then went to Vatican City to St. Peter’s Cathedral and the Sistine Chapel.  What an incredible day!

Saturday was on our own in Rome and students split up and did all sorts of things. That night we boarded a night train to Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Sunday when we arrived in Monte Carlo, we toured the palace of Princess Grace. What a beautiful family! Monte Carlo was amazing but way too expensive! After a short while in Monaco, we continued on to Nice. It was so nice to be back in France!

Monday was a glorious day at the beach. Students bathed in the sun, shopped, visited the fort, and had a relaxing day. That evening everyone flew back to Paris.

We were all glad to be back in our apartments. It is amazing how quickly a place can feel like home! Since returning to Paris, we have continued art classes with James, learned to embroider, been introduced to dyeing silk using the Shibori technique, been to a Peruvian exhibit, visited the exhibit and archives of Yves St. Laurent, and attended our first menswear fashion shows. It just doesn’t get any better than this!