Trafalgar Castle School - Yearbook (Whitby, Ontario Canada)

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OFF TO PARIS (Continued) many books, most of them second hand. People can browse through these books for as long as they want to and buy if they wish, or just go on their way. The person who is selling the books just sits on a chair propped against a tree and knits or passes the time of day with a possible cus- tomer. Down by the banks of the Seine are many artists. They are not only on the banks, but on the bridges and all over the city, drawing the buildings which are famous for their architectural fineness. It is no wonder so many artists come from Paris — they have so much to paint there. A beautiful clean, sunny day greeted us when we woke Friday. That was the day to go to the Eiffel Tower, we decided. When we reached the Tower we had to stand in line waiting to go up. This gave us an opportu- nity to look around and up. The base of the Tower is huge; you could have a used car lot there! Looking up, all you can see is a massive structure of steel. The pattern made by the girders is very intricate and beautiful. Our turn finally came to board the elevator and we went up. On the first level there is a restaurant and souvenir shop. There is a snack bar on the second level. There, also, you change cars if you want to go to the top. We did. It gave me a very queer feeling to look down through the lace-work of steel to the people standing on the ground. It was a long way down! Finally the car stopped going up, and up, and we stepped onto the observation platform. Above the windows which en- circled the platform there was a map. You could easily locate the well- known buildings from it. If you wanted to get right outside and as high up as you could go, you had to climb some stairs; we did and the most beautiful view stretched before and around us. Some days when it is very clear, they say that you can see Versailles which is about 15 miles away. That night we went to L ' Opera Comique. The entertainment is like our musical comedy. Notre Dame, that beautiful old Cathedral which is the mother church of French Catholics, was the next place we visited. In the afternoon we went to the Louvre to see an exhibition of stained glass windows taken from cathedrals all over France. From there we drove down the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomph. We spent Sunday at Versailles which was the magnificent home of Louis XIV and XV. I was most impressed by the gorgeous ballroom, whose walls are made of glass, where Louis XIV held his extravagant parties. The fountains did not play while we were there, but that did not lessen our enjoyment of the beauty of the gardens. Monday we were taken for a drive outside of Paris and we passed the SHAPE headquarters. Tuesday came all too soon. I would have loved to stay longer, but it was impossible. When you leave Paris, you always vow to return. It has a certain air of magic about it that can ' t be defined, and I ' m going back! Jessie Trumper, Grade 12. -20-

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CORONATION DIARY (Continued) while to get into the spirit of things, but it wasn ' t long before the rain didn ' t matter and we sang; Pack up your troubles was a favourite song along our section of the Mall. Finally the Queen ' s carriage came into view and there were rousing cheers. She looked quite tired, but managed to smile when she passed us. After a brief rest, the Royal family appeared on the balcony. A great shout went up and the people swarmed out of the stands and up the Mall to stand jam-packed at the gates of Buckingham Palace. Many people fainted but the St, John ' s Ambulance Corps couldn ' t even get through to them. We left our stands around 6:30 and it took us three quarters of an hour to walk to our buses. Finally, we arrived at Chigwell and had sup- per. Then we watched the fire-works, heard Churchill ' s speech and the Queen ' s on T.V. Now I ' m dead tired and ready for bed. I can ' t believe that I ' ve actually been to the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. OFF TO PARIS! Exciting thought, isn ' t it? You can imagine how Violet and I felt on the morning of Tuesday, June 23. Here we were starting off on the first lap of our journey to the magical city of PAREEl At 6:30 we boarded the bus that took us to the airport. Soon we were in the plane flying over the Straight of Dover to Paris. Without Violet to speak French I would have been lost at the airport. It is enough trouble to get your bags and go through customs in the United States or Canada. At 11:30 we were driving through the streets of Paris. You could hear music coming from the side-walk cafes in which people were sitting and chatting. There were gay lights on all over the city — just as poets, writers and painters describe Paris, On Wednesday a friend of Violet ' s, whose mother has lived in Paris for eight years, offered to drive us around the city. Naturally, we ac- cepted. On the tour we saw the He Ste. Louis, the oldest quarter of Paris where many famous painters and sculptors lived. We went through the Bois de Boulogne, where the Longchamps race track is located. We rode down the Champs Elysees to the Arch of Triumph; it is magnificent; you feel as though you ought to be in an open limousine to get the full bene- fit of the view along the tree-lined street. We passed the Louvre, Notre Dame. Les Invalides, where Napoleon ' s tomb is. Grand Palais, where some Kings of their guests stayed when in Paris. That night we went to see Janine Solane in a ballet. It was wonderful. On Thursday we went to the Tuileries Gardens and we hod lunch there. That afternoon we walked along the Seine. Everyone has heard of how wonderful it is, but you have to walk yourself along the river to get the feeling . There are boxes on the walls above the river which hold (Continued on Page 20) -19-

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WAR NIGHT How silently the lake lies Within its bed of gold While far away a loon cries Its tale so sad and old. The stately pines are whispering Of olden days gone by. As, like a mighty guardian. The big moon mounts the sky. How beautiful the rocks look! Spreading like a floor They pillow little wavelets That come tumbling to the shore. I love this time of wonder, I love its moon so white; It doesn ' t matter where I am I ' ll always love the night. Margaret Bird, Grade 9. TUNE OF THE TIMELESS TRAMP Keep whistling old man, for the day may be long; Keep the smile on your face, in your heart a glad song; Keep your eyes to the road through the rain and the dust; Keep whistling old man, for a song is a must. By the brook where the wavelet is spanking the shore. By the bird-house where songs from its portals do pour. By the mill with the waterwheel covered with rust. Keep whistling old man for a song is a must. Where the cross roads meet, and the fine dust is flying. Where the bulrushes sway, and the wild geese are crying. Where the wind and the rain have been there with a gust. Keep whistling old man, for a song is a must. A song is an ageless sign of content, A song notes the happ ' nings of a day well spent, A song keeps in man, the wandering lust. Keep whistling old man for a song is a must. Suzanne Eckel, Grade 12. War brings on death, A sleep with no peace; A war breathes no breath Till dying has ceased. Its bitter arms stretch. Folds more in its grasp. The more fertile the catch The stronger the clasp. The war wages on With fire on its breath. All godliness gone Only strife for the best. There are hopes in the world That we will see peace. But a war breathes no breath Till dying has ceased. Suzanne Eckel, Grade 12. -21-