Once again Dr. Olivia Marancy, Mr. Sal, and Ms. Weiss take a group of eager French students all over France on their annual trip. It happens on the 14th of November all the way until the 24th. This trip takes the students all over France, hitting many major attractions, and showing both the historical and modern elements of the country. Participants of the trip enjoy seeing locations such as: Saint Malo, Mont Saint Michel, Cancale, Normandy, Carbourg, Etretat, Paris, and Versailles. They stay at hotels like Hotel Chateaubriand, Mercure Cabourg, Hotel Parklane Paris, all of which have high ratings and great locations.
But what actually happens on the trip? Well, to start, they arrive at 5pm to depart from Miami International Airport to Nice. The second day is spent traveling and exploring Saint-Malo, ending with a Welcome dinner at La Licorne. Following that, they enjoy a tour of the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, and a walking tour of St. Malo, before ending the evening with Dinner at Ostaleri Bistrot. The next day they explore Normandy and visit the Memorial de Caen. On the 18th, students explore Etretat with their tour manager. Honfleur is an enchanting place that has inspired many Impressionist painters. Then there’s dinner at Cafe De La Digue. They then depart for Paris where, as encouraged by Dr. Marancy, they take the metro every day and quickly learn how to get around safely. Attendees visit the Sacre Coeur Bascilica, one of the most iconic monuments in Paris. They have dinner at Dinner at Le Sam Sam, accompanied by a night tour of Paris with their guide. On the 20th they visit the Cathedral de Notre-Dame, one of the most well known churches in the world with free time for lunch, and then explore the beautiful Musee d’Orsday, ending the night with a tour on a cruise of the River Seine. The next day, they visit the Palace of Versailles, the center of political power in France. The last two days, they visit the Louvre Museum. The Louvre is one of the most visited, oldest, largest and most famous art galleries in the world, visiting the Musee de l’Orangerie, and the Invalides to see Napoleon’s Tomb. On the 24th, students return home after a fulfilling experience. Dr. Marancy notes that “I heard that one moment that students really really loved was the evenings at our hotel in Normandy in Cabourg where they played the “flechettes” /darts together in the hotel lounge,” and “I think that what students enjoyed the most was creating new friendships. A lot of students did not know each other before the trip, and they are now good friends. The trip was also a great balance of beautiful natural sites like Etretat in Normandy and Brittany mixed with historical sites like the D-Day beaches (Mr. Sal donated newspapers he had from WW2 to the Memorial of Caen in Normandy).”
Overall, this trip is a great experience to see many different aspects of the same country, and different French cultures. Students learn so much about the area and students that take French get amazing opportunities to improve their speaking skills by being put into real time conversations with native speakers. They practice their French in every situation, from talking with locals, to ordering food, and finding their way around the country. Dr. Marancy summarizes the trip perfectly, leaving us with, “Mostly, I would say, it was a trip of discoveries and first times for many. Students had to feel the real cold, not the Florida cold. For some of them, it was the first time. It even snowed briefly one day, I absolutely loved our group. I did not know most of the students beforehand as they came mostly from the art department. Now when we see each other we immediately give each other a hug or talk.” This trip is a wonderful opportunity to get out, see the world, and make connections with peers.
