Spring Break trip to France! as told by Josh and Angela After months of preparation, form filling, and French practice (just to make sure we would survive!), the day was finally here. In the early morning of March 10th, tired but excited, we arrived at the airport and met the students from Meadowridge with whom we would be traveling to France. Getting on the first plane, like always, was exciting. But how this metal contraption could ever fly, however, I had no idea. We soon took off, and throughout the two plane rides we watched movies, practiced French with the stewardesses, and desperately tried to catch some sleep. The stop at Montreal was long - perfect to grab a snack and take a nap! Eventually, after almost 24 hours of planes, the time had come... When we finally touched down in Paris, after two long flights, we were tired - but also extremely excited. Upon arrival at Paris, we checked in at our hotel and were given free time to explore the neighbourhood. In the afternoon we went to Montmartre and had our first experience with the intricate and sketchy metro system. In Montmartre we visited the Place du Tertre, a gathering place for freelance artists; Sacré Coeur, the church on the highest point of Paris, overlooking the magnificent city; and the Dali museum: crazy, eye-catching and surreal. Soon enough, our first day in Paris had passed. Over the next week, we would explore every inch of the incredible city, from the top of the Eiffel Tower to the bottom floors of the Louvre. For me, Paris was truly an incredible and an eye-opening city. With some iconic monument literally on every street block, and every building a chiseled stone masterpiece, I couldn t believe how different it was from the wooden houses and skyscrapers of Vancouver. And there were statues EVERYWHERE! The most memorable parts of this week definitely came with visiting these monuments. The Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower) was a LOT larger than it seems in pictures, and going to the top of it was truly breathtaking, and kind of freaky. The Mona Lisa, on the other hand, was much smaller than one would think - how such a painting became so iconic, I have no idea. L Arc de Triomphe was also huge, along with the incredibly furnished Paris opera house, which we got to explore! And the Louvre - man, I thought people were joking when they said you need a month to see it all. It was positively the largest labyrinth of art I have ever seen laid out on a map. These monuments, along with so many others - Notre Dame, the river Seine, Montmartre, the palace of Versaille, etc. - made this trip truly memorable. But I m getting ahead of myself. On the second day, we spent the morning wandering in the extravagance of Versailles where we got to see the lavish
bedrooms of King Louis XIV and Queen Marie Antoinette. The palace was covered in gold, detailed carvings, and lifelike paintings of gods and royalties. After lunch we went to shop at the one of the biggest mall in Paris Galleries Lafayette-- to satisfy our inner shopaholic desires! Not only did they have an extensive amount of top brands, but the Art Deco decoration of the mall style was also detailed. Not to mention the delicious macarons we got to taste at Pierre Herme! After dinner, a group of us went to see le Tour Eiffel while the others returned to the hotel for an early rest. The next morning, we drowsily rode the elevator to the top of le Tour Eiffel and were awoken by the magnificent view of Paris beneath our feet. We could see the grand, wide boulevards that march in straight lines through the city, lined with bustling cafés and tempting patisseries. Afterwards we went on a Bateau Mouche boat tour and sailed down the Seine River in the beautiful weather. During lunch, we had free time on the famous Champs-Elysées for a couple of hours. By walking in the side streets we were able get a taste of chic fashion and gourmet food that you won t find on any typical route. We then met up at the l Arc de Triomphe and saw a special ceremony with soldiers. Some of us visited the Rodin museum and saw works by this famous sculptor. Early the next morning, we eagerly went to see the Louvre before it was filled with a suffocating amount of tourists. Since it was the beginning of the day, there weren t a lot of tourists and we all got a chance to take photos by Mona Lisa. In addition to the more famous collections, the Louvre has artifacts dating back to the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. Our next stop was Notre Dame, but before we went in, our tour guide showed us where Paris began. From that point, Paris spread to the city it is today. As for Notre Dame, it has to be one of the most beautiful cathedrals we saw in Paris. The stained glass windows were simply breathtaking. The day, however, did not stop there, for as our last tourist destination we visited the famous opera house. Our guide kindly explained the history and designs that made this opera house special. This was where Gaston Leroux had his inspiration for the Phantom of the Opera although the musical was never performed at the opera. After the first week, we took the TGV (the fast train) to Montpellier, where we were to meet our host families, with whom we would stay for the next two weeks. Of this experience, the Mulgrave boys report: Our homestay mother, Madame Ferry, was awesome - extremely helpful, and always ready to help us with something we didn t understand. Even cooler, our homestay brother, Gustaf, was seven years old and very energetic! With this adopted family, we spoke endless amounts of French, constantly picking up new ways of saying things and cool slang, which you just do not find in a classroom. Also, the age-old stereotype of baguettes was entirely TRUE! We ate them every day, all the time - regular bread didn t even seem to exist! The girls say: Arriving at the train station, the three of us were welcomed by Martine, our host. Our apartment was in the downtown area, right beside the opera
house. Through our windows, we were able to see the plaza of the city, and crowds of people bustling past each other in the lively and noisy streets. In Montpellier, we spent spent 8:30 to 12:00 every weekday in l école Klesse, a French language school. Here we learned more French in a French-only environment and also learned of about French culture - listening to French music videos, looking at French brochures, reading French books, etc. I still listen to some of the songs we heard in this school - it was an awesome experience. In the afternoons and on weekends, we went on excursions in and around Montpellier. On the first day in Montpellier, we visited Aiges-Morts, where the Crusades set sail and pilgrimages started. We walked on the city walls surrounding the city and saw the Mediterranean Sea beside us. We spent a big chunk of the day inside the walls of the city exploring and appreciating architectures of the past. In the afternoon, a group of us went horseback riding along the beach, whereas the other group went to another nearby beach. During our stay, we went to nearby towns like Arles, the gathering place of many artists. Vincent Van Gogh once lived there and painted his famous painting Cafe Terrace at Night. The cafe is still currently operating beside the hospital that he stayed in. He also painted two paintings of the hospital he stayed in called Ward of the Hospital in Arles and Garden of the Hospital in Arles. For one of our excursions, we went to the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct. We were able to climb to its highest point and view the passageway which the water flowed through thousands of years ago, as well as being able to see the great river that runs underneath it. During these two weeks, we saw castles and churches and red-tiled stone buildings everywhere, ancient yet beautiful building structures. We played laser tag, shopped in nearby malls and markets, visited ancient cities and Roman ruins in the region of Provence, explored an amazing cave (la Grotte de Clamouse), and went to the beach to dip our toes in the Mediterranean. My personal favourite activity over those two weeks was the zip lining, which we did one day for fun. It was AWESOME! We flew through the trees, not only zip lining, but tackling obstacles high up in the trees - all while attached to a wire, of course! We also ate well---we participated in degustation de frommage - cheese tasting - where we tried piles of different cheeses. There were some really good ones and some stinky ones, too! Along with cheese tasting, we learned to make crêpes (delicious!) and every day, we would go back to an awesome French meal with our host family, whether it was escargots, pasta, or cordon bleu - but always with a baguette. However, all great things come to an end, and soon it was time for us to head home. The plane ride back was similar to the one coming here - lots of sleeping and movie
watching. When we arrived, we said goodbye to all our new Meadowridge friends (exchanging Facebook contacts) and headed back home... Overall, this trip was a great experience. Not only did it enhance our French, but we were also able to broaden our knowledge of French culture and history. Through this trip, I was also able to become more independent and confident whilst traveling alone. Still, I often miss the old stone buildings of France and the endless amounts of baguettes. I also often times catch myself thinking in French - something we started doing in France - and almost always answer people with a Merci! or Au revoir! Although I am sad that this trip is over, I know for sure that it hugely improved my French. I can t wait for my next French speaking evaluation! Otherwise, this trip was unforgettable, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants improved their French, or experience a new world (or to whoever has an insatiable craving for baguettes!) This three-week trip is held during the two weeks of Spring Break plus another week, and is open to students in Grades 10-12. Since this trip will be offered only every other year, students currently in Grades 8 10 are encouraged to consider this for Spring Break 2016! For more information, talk with Josh, Thomas, Ilya, Annika, Weiyun, Angela or Madame Soper. Our group visiting Versailles!
Inside the incredible palace of Versaille! Of course not to forget le tour Eiffel by day..and by night!
Glorious food---cassolet An ancient olive tree An ancient olive tree An ancient olive tree
Pont du Gard - An incredible bridge that was built by the Romans to transport water! Mulgrave girls in the Montpelier tram Versailles Versailles