Spring Break 2017: French Immersion
- Adayliah Ley
- Jun 9, 2017
- 7 min read
This past Spring Break I took a trip to France with school friends and teachers. Not only was this a learning experience, it was also one that I will never forget. The trip consisted of one enthusiastic tour guide, three teachers, sixteen students, and incredible moments that I miss everyday.
Our trip started on March 10th, 2017, the last day of school before our long awaited spring break. The morning started off quite hectic, as most school days usually are thanks to the many assessments I had to tackle before running away to France for a week. The only thing I could think about that day was finally being surrounded by a country of french speakers, delicious food, and breathtaking sights. I had waited months for this trip to finally arrive. I was anxious for the days to come, but I also couldn’t wait for the things I would soon experience!
Before this trip, I had never flown without my parents. The whole ordeal was full of emotion, but I was lucky to have friends around me who were undergoing the same thing. As we waited in the terminal before our flight, my friend, Fechi, and I snapped a cliche picture of our passports and tickets; it was surreal.
After an uncomfortable night on the plane, the sun began to rise over the Atlantic Ocean. At this point in our flight, we were arriving over the coast of France. The scene was amazing despite my state of delirium due to the overnighter I accidentally pulled. I almost cried (yes, this is true) because of the many emotions I was feeling: anxiety, excitement, and wonder. That trip was full of firsts, and seeing the sunrise from my window was only the beginning of the many that would follow.
As soon as we landed, we began moving; we hustled off the plane, through the airport, and onto the bus. We quickly began on our way to our first destination, Normandy. On the bus we were introduced to our tour guide, Jean. Jean was one of the many highlights of our trip. He had a deep passion for for French culture and he expressed his emotions in various, hilarious ways. Our first stop was Omaha. Jean explained that this was where soldiers from WWII were buried and that the land was dedicated to the U.S. because of the help that they provided long ago. That first day we stopped at a few bunkers, sites of attack, and a museum at Port Arromanches. I was very surprised by the historic events that happened on the shores of France and I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn them.
The next day we ended up at Mont St. Michel, which is a small island off the coast of France that is inhabited by around 40 people and a working Abbey. The Abbey was the main focal point of our trip, but there we also got to practice our speaking skills and walk around freely. The downside to the island is that you have to walk everywhere. If we had went on a sunny and warm day it would’ve been more enjoyable, but sadly we found ourselves in a mix of fog and rain. The weather did add to the vibe of the town though; it gave it an enchanted and eerie feel. So, we walked up and down the slippery “streets” of Mont St. Michel. We climbed hundreds of stairs to the top, painfully, but the view from the Abbey was totally worth it.
After a tiring visit to Mont St. Michel, we boarded the bus and headed to St. Malo, the location of our second hotel. There are two parts to the small city, a walled-in historic part and a modern section. Our hotel was located in the walled area which was full of cobblestone roads and quaint boutiques. Once we settled into our rooms we went out to explore. We eventually found ourselves on the wall that separated the old city from the new. From the height, we could see out to the ocean and most of the town below. The streets were lined with pedestrians and cars that had to carefully maneuver around the tightly constructed buildings. After our walk, we concluded the day with dinner at a nice restaurant and then rested for the next day at our historic hotel, Hotel de L’Univers.
The next morning we woke up early enough to watch the sunrise as we headed to the bus that would take us to Chartres. Chartres was our last stop before heading to Paris, our final city that we would end up spending our last five nights in. Chartres is home to the Chartres Cathedral, which is usually forgotten about because of the famed Notre-Dame in Paris, but the cathedral in Chartres is ten times better. The church was restored some years ago and now pristine stone walls sparkle and the stained glass windows are quite popular. Jean told us, in great detail, that the windows were the greatest in the world. During our visit there, all we could do was ooo and awe at the masterfully constructed building. After our tour we headed back on the bus and were on our way to Paris!
A few hours later our bus began winding through the busy streets of Paris. For the first time in days, I actually felt like I was back in the U.S.; the crowdedness and quickness of the city made it feel just like New York City. We were all exhausted by that point in the trip so we ended just having dinner at a local restaurant and then went back to our hotel to rest.
March 14th was probably one of the best days of the trip. That day, not only did we walk down the Champs-Élysées, we also climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, took a boat tour of the Seine, and scaled the Eiffel Tower. Seeing these famous sights for the first time in person was surreal. I couldn’t believe I was actually in Paris. The environment around me was so foreign and magnificent. It was very overwhelming, but it was a day I will treasure for many years.
The following day, we headed to the Louvre and Notre-Dame. The Louvre is colossal; it’d take days to see everything. When my group went, the museum was still pretty empty, according to Jean. It was early in the morning when we walked into the walls of the old castle, but the halls were already crowded with tourists, and all we could see see was what felt like miles of artwork. A thick-accented woman guided us us to some of the more famous works of art, eventually showing us to the Mona Lisa. The piece surprised me by being so small, but despite that factor, it was still exciting to see it among other beautiful works of art. We exited the museum after about two hours and headed over to Notre-Dame. On the outside the cathedral was grand and bright, but on the inside it was very dark and old. It didn’t have the same feel as the Chartres cathedral, but besides the disappointing vibe it gave off, it was still a memorable and sublime visit.
For our second to last full day in France, Jean took us to a few more museums, including Musée D’Orsay and Musée Rodin. Musée D’Orsay was once a train station, but is now home to hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and historic pieces of furniture. There, we saw numerous works by Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet. The museum also was the filming location for some scenes in Hugo (2011) and I was able to recognize it by the clock in the main room. This museum was also quite large; we didn’t have a lot of time, but we tried our best to visit visit a variety of exhibits. Next, we made our way over to Musée Rodin, which is actually the home of the late Auguste Rodin, a famous French sculptor. We had lunch in the gardens and then explored his home and grounds. Later that evening, we took the metro to Montmartre. Montmartre is known for the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur which sits on top of one of Paris’s highest point. We climbed the many steps to the top and were rewarded with a lovely view of Paris. After resting our weary legs on the steps of the famed white church that is featured in Amélie (2001) we headed over to Montmartre’s famous square, Place du Tertre, for some souvenir shopping. We ended off the day with dinner at a sophisticated restaurant in the area and a walk through the beautiful district.
Our final day was sadly very rainy, but it reflected what I was feeling. I didn’t want to go home yet; I wasn’t ready to kiss France goodbye. We started off the day with another delicious breakfast at our hotel, André Latin, and then headed out to a famous landmark. The Pathéon, the location for the beginning of the day, is a stone building that houses the tombs of many prominent historical figures, including Marie Curie and Victor Hugo. The building was very cold inside, but the beautiful stone interior was intricate and alluring. After our visit, we headed to Paris’s Luxembourg Gardens. There, we participated in a competitive scavenger hunt and then we finished off the day with some more shopping and dinner.
The next day was very disappointing. We woke up around 4:00 am and then headed to the airport. After hours of waiting, we boarded our plane and took off. As we headed into the clouds I quietly cried. I looked down on the country I had come to love and I wished I had never left. My trip to France was, honestly, a dream come true. I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to go abroad and I know I will treasure the memories that were made forever. Thank you to my parents for funding my vacation, the teachers that accompanied us crazy kids, our wonderful tour guide Jean, and the friends that walked the many streets of France with me!
By Adayliah Ley
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