The O'Connells Come to France

My family is spending this week in and around Tours - it's Michele and the kids' first time outside of America! Evan and Matthew have been discovering French food, learning that you can't touch things in a toy store, and having fun on trains. So far, we've visited the Tours cathedral, the castle in Amboise, the chateau de Langeais, Vieux Tours, Les Halles and the Natural History Museum.

Cloisters behind the cathedral in Tours.


Cave home in Amboise.

Cave home with chickens in Amboise.




Matthew at Amboise.


Evan in front of the chapel at Amboise.


Matthew with the Tours monster.


Matthew enjoys a "chocolate hot dog" in our apartment.

Strike!

You may have seen this New York Times article about a general labor strike in France this week.

A national strike (grève) was declared to protest the government's freeze on new hiring in many public professions (such as teaching). Workers from both public and private sectors joined demonstrations in 200 cities-- the largest demonstrations since Sarkozy took office. For the French, a strike generally consists of one day of demonstrations, and then it's back to work. The efficacy of this approach is hotly contested here. Many teachers in our schools did not strike, based on their concerns about effectiveness, as well as worries about lost pay.

Brendan went to work, and attended the demonstration afterwards. I was unable to get to College Montaigne because the buses weren't running due to the strike.




There has been one other teachers' strike, and numerous demonstrations since we've been in France. Here are some photos of other protests.

A protester holds a sign reading, "Maintain Proper Training for Teachers."


A demonstration passes below our window.


A little girl holds a sign reading "Pre-School is Super!"


Demonstrators gather outside the Prefecture of Indre-et-Loire (our département or county) to protest reforms to the national education system.