France & London 2017, Day 9

At Buckingham Palace with our local guide Mark

Winston speaking with Mark outside Royal Albert Hall

At St. Paul’s Cathedral

This blog post is coming to you live from London. Today is our last day on our tour, and tomorrow we will head home. Today could not have been a more beautiful one, especially since it rains in London much of the time. We started our morning on a guided tour, which gave us a view of places such as Royal Albert Hall, St. James Park, and the beautiful Buckingham Palace. Following this, we had an opportunity to wander through the Tower of London and view its many exhibits, including a view of the Crown Jewels. After this, we had free time, during which I visited several shops, and walked around near Westminster Abbey. I don’t think that I speak only for myself when I say that this trip has been an amazing experience that I will always remember, and our final day in London has been a beautiful closing to an incredible tour.

-Jensen Lewis, ’19

France & London 2017, Day 8

At Piccadilly Circus

On the Tube and making sure to “mind the gap”

Having lunch in the St. Pancras train station

Posing with Monia in Trafalgar Square

Winston and Alan on the Tube

The Eiffel Tower crew on the London Eye

This morning our group got at very early start. We left our hotel in Paris at 6:00am to go to the Gare du Nord, where we took the Eurostar train to London. The train ride was very pleasant and comfortable, and we were able to get some rest before the next part of our day. After arriving in London, we did a 45 minute walking tour of central London. We walked to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and Covent Garden, getting to see some street entertainment along the way. After the walking tour, we all got some free time. Ms. Douglass took my group to Oxford Street to do some shopping and look around. We all bought some great London souvenirs! Then, we took the Tube again and visited the London Eye. The view from the Eye was amazing, and we enjoyed posing for pictures in front of the Thames, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. Afterwards, we returned to Piccadilly Circus to meet our tour guide, Monia, and go to dinner. We had a delicious meal that consisted of chicken pot pie and mash (mashed potatoes) with gravy. I’m looking forward to seeing the Tower of London tomorrow!

-Paiden Reed, ’20

France & London 2017, Day 6

Juno Beach in Normandy

The American Cemetary at Omaha Beach in Normandy

Our day touring the Normandy coast of France today was a solemn and reflective one for our group. We went to the D-Day Museum in Caen, in addition to touring Juno Beach, Omaha Beach, and Pointe du Hoc, where the combined allied forces landed on D-Day to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi rule. We went to the American Cemetary to pay our respects to the American soldiers who gave their lives during WWII. By chance, we saw a group of military cadets from Annapolis and West Point carry out a ceremony to honor the Americans at the cemetery. What we witnessed at those memorials brought us a greater idea of what it means to be American.

-Omar Yunus, ’18

How could we send these young men to a war that we knew some of them would not come back from? That is the question that has been rumbling around in my head all day long while visiting Normandy, France, the site of the Allied invasion of Europe. The American Cemetary overlooking Omaha Beach where thousands of American men who died on that fateful Day in June of 1944 lay at rest was surprisingly beautiful and a monumental tribute. By the end of the day I came to learn the answer to my original question. These men sacrificed their lives to thwart the spread of tyranny and oppression that goes against everything that America stands for. These men were fighting for a peaceful tomorrow, and for that we should be forever grateful.

-Winston Margaritis, ’18

France & London 2017, Day 5

Leaving Mont Saint Michel

At the top of Mont Saint Michel

View from the top of the Saint-Malo walls in Brittany

In Saint-Malo

Delicious selection of pastries at a boulangerie

On Tuesday, we visited Mont-Saint-Michel, a popular attraction in the French region of Normandy. First, we left our hotel in the city of Tours and drove for about 3 hours. When we arrived at Mont-Saint-Michel, we took a bus to the island. There were a ton of stairs to get up to the monastery, but it was worth it. The view of the seabed that surrounds Mont-Saint-Michel was beautiful. Some of us got lost trying to leave the monastery, but we eventually made it out. We got lunch in the town surrounding the monastery, which was very good. Also, I saw a cat aka un chat.

-Aaron Shanaman, ’20

This afternoon we arrived at St. Malo, a city in Brittany. Everyone was given the opportunity to go with our guide, Monia, to tour the walls of the city, or wander around and visit the stores. I decided to wander around with Jensen, Mr. Lewis, Mrs. Erlandson, and Tom (a Canadian from another group). We strolled through around the narrow streets and passed by bakeries with heavenly smells. Mrs. Erlandson, Jensen, and I could not resist such smells and ended up buying macarons and chocolate. After popping in and out of these cute little shops (and possibly buying things that I didn’t really need), it was time for dinner! Dinner was delicious. We had moules frites (mussels and fries) that were amazing! After dinner, we had vanilla bean gelato. The gelato was divine…I wish we could have had seconds! Overall, I really enjoyed St. Malo, and the chocolate that came with it.

-Kathryn Anderson, ’19