Life in Saint Germaine, Paris, France

Family fun with Andrea, Tommy and Monica

Though I spent nearly every day touring Paris, each evening I returned to the Ruggeri household in Saint Germaine-en-Laye. With three children, aged 7, 12 and 14, there was always something going on. Homework was done at the dining room table, and lessons were done in both French and Italian. The older girls, Virginia and Camilla, go to Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye ("International high school of Saint-Germain-en-Laye"), along with about 400 other Italian children. French children do not attend the school, but there are students from many European countries, as well as other countries around the world. Children have language and history classes in their native language, but all other classes are taught in French. The school provides a rich multi-cultural experience, and for Europeans, the school is free. 

Andrea and Virginia discussing her homework

Every evening when I got back to the Ruggeri home, the children were busy doing homework around the dining room table. Virginia and Camilla speak Italian, English and French, and are now starting to learn Spanish. Tommaso, who goes to a French elementary school, speaks Italian and French. He even has a French accent when he speaks Italian. 

Tommy working on English

During my stay, Tommaso and I gave each other a few language lessons: I taught him English, and he taught me French. He was an avid student, and we had fun with it. He was a baby when the family lived in the U.S. for three years, so he didn’t have the advantage of learning English in school as the girls did. However, Italian is the main language used at home, and English was rarely spoken while I was there. Full immersion for me!

Market day in Saint Germaine-en-Laye

I spent one Sunday at home with the family, and in the morning, I went shopping with Monica and Virginia in the town center, where a large market takes place in the main piazza. When we got back to the house, Andrea was grilling meats in the back yard for a sumptuous pranzo, or lunch.

Dinnertime with the Ruggeris

During the afternoon, I stayed home with the kids while Monica and Andrea went to a large antique market, hoping to find a dining room table for their new house. 

More family fun!

When they came back, Andrea had a new treasure, a collection of 3D slides with scenes from the early 1900’s. The device was similar to a stereoscope (which later evolved into the Viewmaster), but its images were mounted on glass rather than cards. It was fun passing around the viewer and making up stories about what was going on in the scenes. I enjoyed being included in the family activities, and always felt welcome and appreciated by everyone.

Monica and Camilla

I’m truly grateful for the warm hospitality I received at the Ruggeri home. Staying with them allowed me to not only experience Paris at length, but to also share their new life in France and enjoy the company of their warm Italian family.

Arrival in Paris

Saint Germaine-en Laye, France

My flight to Paris was uneventful, though less comfortable than usual. I'm accustomed to a having a wide variety of movies to enjoy on transatlantic flights. Even though I was flying on Delta, the plane and crew were with Air France.  The plane was older and less comfortable, with only overhead screens and no choice of movies to watch. Three movies were shown during the seven hour flight, but only one of them interested me, so I spent most of my time reading.

I sat next to a young man who was headed to India to work on a movie, a political thriller that takes place in New York and India. He was chatty at times, but seemed most interested in teaching other passengers how to do a Rubic's cube.

When I arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris at 6 a.m., it was cold and rainy. The airport was empty at that hour, so we moved quickly through passport control and the retrieval of luggage. I followed the signs to find the RER train that would take me across town to Saint Germaine-en-Laye, the suburbs where my friends live. I had to change to another line once we were in Paris, and it was during rush hour, so I stood with my bags for most of the thirty minute ride from central Paris to St. Germaine, where my friend Monica picked me up.

I've explained before that I'm staying with Italian friends who moved to Paris two years ago from Rieti, Italy. Monica took me to their house to stash my luggage, then we went to pick up her 7 year-old son from school for his lunch break. We went to the center of St. Germaine for lunch, to a creperie, where I ate my first galette, which is a type of crepe made with dark flour and a variety of toppings, from sweet to savory. Mine came with lettuce, walnuts, golden raisins and chevre cheese. It was quite delicious!

La galette

I also had a popular beverage from Normandy called Il Cidro, which is a kind of apple beer. It tasted like a mild apple cider, very tasty. After lunch we walked Tommaso back to school and I went along with Monica to the Lycee International, which her two teenage daughters attend. Only children from countries outside of France can attend this school, and those from Europe have no tuition. But there are also students from the U.S., Britain, and other countries, who do pay tuition. Students have language and history courses in their native language, but all other classes are taught in French. It's a wonderful opportunity for the girls to increase their language skills, which include Italian, English, French. They are also starting to learn Spanish. There are some 300 Italian families with nearly 400 of their children at the school, and the Ruggeri family has found a great community of friends among them.

That evening, Monica made a wonderful meal of French onion soup, another staple of the French diet. As usual, the family made me feel quite welcome, and by that time I was ready to crash. All too soon, I'd be back on the metro for my first day in Paris.