Hello Paris! Eiffel! Mona!

My first stop in Europe is Paris, France.  I settled into my evening flight and when I woke up we were landing in Paris, a very beautiful city.  The bread is delicious from any cafe.  But I had to be quick to grab a crumb before I was swatted away!  So I headed over to the Eiffel Tower, my first stop for a spectacular view of the city.  But my main reason for coming here was to visit the Louvre Museum.  And today I finally got as close as I could to crawling across the ambiguous smile of the mysterious woman, Mona Lisa.  Then security escorted me out.  She is behind glass, so I don't know why they were so grumpy!  Anyways, The Mona Lisa is Leonardo Da Vinci's most famous work of art.  She is a masterfully painted portrait.  The world has been fascinated with her because her identity has been a mystery.
Do you think her portrait demonstrates symmetry?  Look at me, I am a perfect example of symmetry. But I'm not bragging!


Mona Who? 
To find out more read this!

Mona Lisa is property of the Louvre Museum, Paris

For four centuries historians have debated the identity of the artist's subject.   New research has supported a claim first made in 1550: that she was Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, who had five children.

Giuseppe Pallanti, a teacher from Florence, who has spent 25 years researching the city's archives, has discovered the first clear evidence that Da Vinci's family was closely connected to the silk trader, Ser Francesco del Giocondo, who married Lisa Gherardini in 1495.

Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, will remain the world's most enduring symbol of feminine mystique.   

Year of the Monkey!

Hey everyone!  Charlie here, still in China.  The tradition of the New Year in China is something I am excited to learn about.  I have flown to Beijing now to see a Chinese New Year parade.  2016 is the year of the Monkey. On our calendar the first day of Chinese New Year is February 8.   Please enjoy the videos about how this holiday came to be!  Remember to find where I visit on my map at the bottom of the  page!

Beijing Facts

Th population is over 11 million people.  Beijing is the capital of China.

It has a history that dates back 3,000 years!  The 2008 Summer Olympics were hosted by Beijing.

Where The Mountain Meets The Moon

Hello Everyone!  It's Charlie checking in with you after making it safely to my first stop far, far, away from Pittsburgh!  I wonder if you can guess where I am.

So, fourth grade, I heard you are reading Where The Mountain Meets The Moon in school and that in art class you started to talk about it.  I LOVE that book because it is filled with adventure!  The author uses great imagery in her writing and I can picture everything!

Anyways, here is a fun thing for you to do in art class.   Imagine you are a dragon.  What kind of dragon would you be?  What color would you be?  Where do dragons live?  Where would you live if you were a dragon?  What would be the story of how you came to be?  As you start to write these things down also begin to draw what you would look like as a dragon.

The picture and video below show my first stop.  I think this is where dragons live!  You can try to find it on my travel map.  I placed a pin there!

Mt. Huashan

Situated in Huayin City, Mt. Huashan is 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) from Xian. It is famous for steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags and a high mountain range. Its five peaks are the representative attractions and each has its distinctive charms: East Peak is the best place to enjoy the sunrise; South Peak has the highest altitude; West Peak is the most elegant; North Peak is famous as the Cloud Terrace Peak and Middle Peak is also called Jade Lady Peak.

source:www.travelchinaguide.com