Amiens: Boat Tour

My last day in Amiens, I wandered into the tourist office with two other assistants from Saint-Quentin. When we asked for some recommendations of things to do in the city, one suggestion we received was to take a boat tour through one of the city’s parks, the Parc Saint-Pierre. We decided it sounded like a fun thing to do, and it ended up being my highlight from the whole trip!

We managed to find the ticket office in the park and reserved three spots for an afternoon tour. We boarded what seemed like a large canoe with a motor (I don’t know boat terminology), where we joined about eight other passengers plus the guide. The tour took us meandering through the park’s small canals, past flower gardens, houses’ backyards, and through tunnels of trees where it was easy to forget we were in the middle of a large city.  There were a ton of ducks that were highly amusing to watch, and the natural scenery was beautiful.

I couldn’t follow everything that our French guide said, but I got the impression that we were traversing an area known for its biodiversity and impressive man-made islands. My favorite moment was near the end of the tour. We rounded a corner into a broad body of water and could suddenly see the Amiens Cathedral in the distance, just visible above the trees and water (I snapped a photo, the last one below). The rest of the city was hidden, so it looked like there was an isolated cathedral in the middle of a lush landscape.

~ Just around the river bend... ~

~ Ducks! ~

~ Lovely flowers ~

~ Sarah, Haidee, and me on the boat ~

~ Cathedral in the distance ~

Amiens: Cathedral

One of the main sights to see in Amiens is the cathedral, one of the tallest in France. It was breathtaking—truly enormous, with plenty of towering arches, stained glass windows, and a black and white labyrinth pattern on the marble floor.  There were also military memorials throughout, honoring both French and foreign troops who fought during World War I (this part of France is rich in WWI and WWII history).

~ Back of the cathedral ~

~ Side view; detail of the facade ~

~ Me in front of the cathedral ~

~ Interior views ~

~ Memorial to American soldiers ~

~ Stained glass windows ~

~ Decorative detail ~

~ I added a Warhol spin~

Amiens: Orientation

The first official part of my job was attending a program orientation in Amiens last week. Amiens is the capital of the academie I’m working in (kind of like a county in the US).  It’s much bigger than Saint-Quentin, so I decided to stay a few extra days and turn my visit into a mini-vacation.

The orientation itself was a mix of standard administrative things (forms, forms, forms) and learning a few strategies that will help everyone in the program be effective teaching assistants. I’ll have to see if I end up implementing any of them once I get into the swing of things over the next few weeks.

During the rest of my stay in Amiens, I had a nice time exploring the city with a few other assistants. The city has a beautiful network of canals throughout (it’s called “La Petite Venise du Nord” – the Little Venice of the North) which made for scenic views at every turn. Below are some snapshots of the city’s streets, plus a few images from the Musee de Picardie (an art museum in Amiens).

   

~ Picturesque cobblestone streets and old buildings ~

 

~ I really hope creepy statues won't be a theme this year ~

~ Glimpse of the cathedral ~

~ Musee de Picardie; Egyptian artifacts ~

~ Dinner spot on Friday night - I even fed some bread to a swan family that swam by ~

~ By day and by night ~