I’ve never seen anything so cool! The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 as a landmark for the World’s Fair that Paris hosted. Did you know that it was almost built in Barcelona, Spain? The city leaders in Barcelona didn’t like it, so the French said it could be built in Paris!
It is 1,063 feet high and was at one time the tallest building in the whole world. I know that in movies set in Paris you can usually see the Eiffel Tower out of the window… but really, it isn’t like that. In Paris, most buildings are under 7 stories tall, so there are very few buildings that you can actually see it from.
At night, the tower is lit up using over 3,000 lights. The brightly lit tower is partly why Paris is nicknamed “The City of Lights”. There are about 25 known replicas of the tower all over the world from Kazakstan to Texas! Monsieur Gustave Eiffel sure knew what he was doing! I wish I could have told him “Merci” for building such an awesome structure!
I guess that going to Paris isn’t bad for my first time out of the country (or even out of Texas, for that matter)! I’m so lucky that Phillip and Lara invited me along on their Parisian adventure.
The plane seems so HUGE! I was a little nervous before we boarded. I wasn’t sure what to expect!
Surely they weren’t going to make me ride in the bottom part… Or were they?
Thank goodness! I had my very own cushy seat by a window! Guess what I saw the majority of the time I was flying? WATER! After we left Houston, we crossed over some of the southern states and then headed off over the Atlantic Ocean for the rest of the flight. The flight from Houston to Paris was about 9 hours and 25 minutes. I can’t wait to show you more pictures of the incredible things I saw and places I went.
Have an adventure every day!
Affectueusement,
Dewey
P.s. What is the longest you’ve ever traveled to go somewhere? Where did you go and why?
Very soon I will be taking a trip very far away! Try to guess where I’m headed…
I’m going to be visiting a European country with a rich history. The city I’m staying in is know as “The City of Lights”. The World’s Fair was held there in 1900 and many famous movies have been filmed here. Think you know where I’m going? Leave me a comment with your best guess! First person to correctly identify the city and country gets 5 tickets.
I can’t wait for my adventure!
Love, Dewey
Congratulations, Victoria! You guessed correctly! Next time I’ll have to make the clues a little harder. Please remind Mrs. Gentis that she owes you 5 tickets from me. -D
Dewey and I want to know what YOU are interested in! Where should we go? What should we do? Your assignment is to leave a comment with two or three suggestions for adventures we can have together. Maybe you think we should interview someone, put together another Top 10 list, report on something at school or visit someone or something in the community…
Earth Day is all about helping our earth by doing things like recycling, reusing, and reducing waste.
It’s the only home we’ll ever have and it’s important to take good care of it.
I helped Caitlyn and Catalina picks up garbage on Earth Day!! We had lots of trash to pick up around the school.
When I helped the 4th graders, we planted plants by the CISbuilding. Plants help us to stay alive and help the environment and give us oxygen to breathe. It was fun helping the 4th graders!!!!
I was helping Mrs.McGowen and Mr. Kenroy’s class plant more flowers by the 5th grade building. It was so much fun!!
Mr.Kenroy and I were cutting some leaves of a bush by the 5th grade door. There were a lot of leaves to cut off.
I really had a good time and I think we did a good job picking up trash around the school, planting plants and taking care of our environment.
Love, Emerson
P.S. What was your favorite part about Earth Day? What did you do to celebrate Earth Day?
Night in Old San Antonio is the heartbeat of San Antonio’s Fiesta celebration. The San Antonio Conservation Society hosts NIOSA (pronounced knee-oh-sah) where over 85,000 people come to eat, play and listen to music in 15 different areas. It all started in 1937 when a one day event was held to celebrate the city’s colorful history and has since grown into a 4 night operation. Did you know that it takes over 16,000 volunteers to make the event even happen? That is 4,000 volunteers per night!
One of my FAVORITE traditions of Fiesta is CASCARONES! Cascarones are confetti filled eggs that you “crack” over people’s heads so that they are covered in colorful bits of paper! NIOSA volunteers make every single cascarone that is sold during the 4 nights.
Aren’t the cascarones beautiful? A hollowed egg is colored with dye and then filled with confetti and sealed with a colorful piece of thin paper. Then you sneak up on someone…
…and before they know whats happening to them…
You break the egg open and ….
… get covered in confetti!
There is also tons of music at NIOSA. After all, Fiesta is one big celebration! This cool cat was playing his saxophone in the French Quarter area. He was nice enough to let me take a picture with him. I asked to play the saxophone but he wasn’t so cool with that. Did you know that at one time there were as many French settlers in Texas as there were Spanish settlers. The French actually had a Fort on the Texas Gulf and claimed Texas as their own from 1685-1690. If they had been able to keep the fort going longer, we might all be saying “Bonjour” instead of “Hola”!
Texas also has a very rich German heritage and there is a whole building dedicated to our German roots at NIOSA. This gentleman is Senior Captain James Thompson and he is dressed in an authentic Bavarian Royal Guard uniform. He kindly pinned me with the Bavarian Coat of Arms (see it on my shoulder?) used by the Royal Family of Bavaria. One member of the Royal Family actually LIVES in Dallas, Texas! (Does this make me a royal monkey?)
Another fun tradition at NIOSA is all the wonderfully decorated hats! This lady’s hat reminded me of home… so tropical and lush! I saw some thet were as big as… as… well, they were HUUUUGE!
All of the different events, people, and organizations who have something to do with Fiesta make medals and pins. People collect and trade their pins. I was given two medals this year – I think that Dewey and I need to create our own medals for next year!
NIOSA was so much fun! I felt like I traveled around the world without leaving downtown San Antonio! If you have an opportunity to have your own NIOSA adventure, I suggest you seize the moment!
Have an Adventure Every Day!
Love, Emerson
P.s. Which tradition do you think you’d like the best?
The San Antonio River Parade celebrated Texas this year as barge after barge floated down the San Antonio River. I was lucky to be sitting with Mrs. Raba and we had a perfect view of the barges as they made their last curve in the river.
I kicked back to watch and I noticed that each of the floats was driven by a guy in a funny blue and red coat! Ah! The hosts of our evening festivities, the Texas Cavaliers! The Cavaliers were founded in 1926 to promote and preserve the ideals of the heroes of the Alamo. Today, they are business men who promote charitable and civic causes. The floats are ridden on by members of local organizations such as the Daughters of the Revolution of Texas and staff from Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital.
There were also many floats that had service men and women from all branches of the military. I saluted them and a few waved back! I bet they have incredible adventures everyday!
I think Emerson said he was going to Night In Old San Antonio Wednesday night. I wonder what he’ll see?
Have an adventure everyday!
Love, Dewey
P.s. What is your favorite Fiesta event? What Fiesta event have you not been to, but really want to go to? Let me know!
I can’t believe we have to memorize ALL fifty states and their capitals! That’s a lot! Mrs. Gentis posted the link to the YouTube version on the Animaniacs song we’ve been listening to in class. Here is the TeacherTube version you can watch at school: 50 States and Capitals
Why do you think it important for you to know the names of all 50 states and their capitals? Which state did you do your report on and what is one interesting fact you learned?
Have an Adventure Every Day!
Love, Emerson
P.s. I hear that Dewey is going to the River Parade tonight! Viva Fiesta!
Please help us identify where all of our amazing blog visitors are from by clicking on the "Our Visitors" tab above and leaving us a comment with your location in it. We'd love to visit your blog, too! Tell us the address in your comment so we can read all year long. We love tracking our visitors, thanks for your help!
Earth Day is all about helping our earth by doing things like recycling, reusing, and reducing waste. 
All of the different events, people, and organizations who have something to do with Fiesta make medals and pins. People collect and trade their pins. I was given two medals this year – I think that Dewey and I need to create our own medals for next year! 
