Wednesday 6/10

Today was an early start as we headed off to the train station. We had a quick bite to eat before boarding the train. It was a fast two hours since mostly everyone slept. Once we got to Normandy we rented cars and drove to a Memorial Museum. There we watched a half hour movie. It showed both the Allied forces getting ready for D-Day and the Germans. It made our experience at Omaha Beach even better. Then we went to the Normandy American Cemetery where 10,625 American soldiers who sacrificed there lives are buried. There was a small museum with facts and short movies on some specific people. It was very moving and an emotional experience for everyone. Finally we walked down to the beach, it's so hard to think that a lot of these men were not much older than us, only 18 and 19. After we left we stopped at McDonald's before going back to the train station to head back to Paris. For dinner we are at a French restaurant where a lot of us got "Escargot" or snails and crepes for dessert. After a long day it was nice to go back to the hotel and get some rest. Overall, the day was a strong 9 out of 10.

Tuesday 6/9

Today was the second day in Paris, and it was a busy one. We started off early in the morning going to the Musée D'Orsay, which is famous for its impressionism. A few standout artists were Picasso, Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh. After the museum we ate Troy's saucisson for lunch, accompanied with bread and caramels. Next was the bus tour. The bus tour was great because it showed us around the city like no other way could. Some of the stops were the Opera, where the famous musical Phantom of the Opera was born, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Élysées, and the Eiffel Tower. Everyone knows what the Eiffel Tower is, but not everyone has been to the top. We got an unbelievable view of the city from the Eiffel Tower that no other place could offer. After sprinting down the stairs, walking to the river, watching a few pickpocketers get arrested, we made it to the pizza place for dinner. The pizza was amazing and the dessert was even better. -Griffin

Last Weekend

Over the weekend my exchange family took me to Northern Italy, just outside of Torino. On Friday, when we first arrived we went to the Torino Car Museum. It housed an amazing collection of European and American cars. After the museum we went to their house in a village near Torino. It was incredible, the house dates back to the 16th century and has frescos on the walls. For dinner Friday night we drove to the nearby town of Acquatherma for pizza. The town gets its named from the hot water that comes down from a volcano. Saturday we took a day trip to Genova. It is an extraordinary city with beautiful sculptures and buildings throughout the whole city. We visited the palace of the last king of Italy which included numerous sculptures, frescoes, and paintings. After the palace we took a tour of a submarine, which was an eyeopening experience to just how cramped the living conditions are on board. For dinner we visited a famous pizzeria called Excaliber which was fully booked for the night by 8:00. The pizza was by far the best I had ever tried and dessert was a true Italian tiramisu. On Sunday we began our journey back to Lyon as we went through the beautiful cities of Nice, Monoco, and Eze. -Matt

Friday 6/5

Today we met at school at 8:30 which we typically do and we all caught up on what did the night before. Then we walked to the subway where took a ride up to a square on top of the hill where there was a great view of the city. We went to a chocolate store where we had a class on how they make the different types of chocolate. The guy let us try all different ones and they were delicious. We then went back to the school to have lunch. After lunch we went to a museum about roses. We learned all about how different types of roses were bred. After school Troy, Jack, Dylan, and I, with our host sisters, went to Juliet's house because she has a pool. It was nice to see all of them outside of school where got to swim eat some pizza and have some good laughs. -Luke

 

 

Thursday 6/4

We started off the day going to a car museum, where there were a ton of awesome old cars, bikes, and motorcycles. We were able to see both Hitler's Mercedes and the Popemobile. We then ate lunch in a field outside of the museum. Following lunch we had some downtime and we were able to pass around a rugby ball for an hour or so. We then took a bus to the Saône river, where we got to try l'aviron (rowing). We had a short row consisting of a couple of laps up-and-down our area of the river. After the row we all jumped into the river and had short cannonball/ bellyflop competitions. -Andrew

Wednesday 6/3

Another half day today with our exchange students! This morning we visited a middle school and were able to speak English and answer questions from the students there. Questions ranged from "What do you like about France" to "What's your favorite team on FIFA" to "Can you come again tomorrow". At recess, we were the celebrities on campus. As soon as one of the students came up to you, a couple more would join, then a few more, then many more until you were surrounded! After saying goodbye and returning to Lycée Saint-Marc, we left with our host families for lunch. Some of us walked all around the town to find something to eat while others went just around the corner for lunch. The afternoon kept us occupied with, among other things, swimming, using peddleboats on the lake in Le Parc de la Tête d'Or (Park of the Golden Head), and shopping. If only every school day ended at noon.. -Jack

Tuesday 6/2

This morning we traveled to the Fourvière Basilica, a very old building whose construction began in 1872. On our tour we learned that the reason for its creation was from the mayor of Lyon promising to build a large church for Mary if Lyon was spared during the Franco-Prussian War. The original shrine to Mary next to the towering basilica is much older, dating back to the Middle Ages. Traditionally, a gold coin, now a medal, was presented every September 8th to honor Mary. This tradition began during the time of the Black Plague, 1643, when the aldermen promised to honor Mary every year in this way. 
     In the afternoon I went to the elementary school down the road with Austin, Troy, and Andrew. It was surprisingly fun spending time with the younger kids, despite none of us fully understanding them. Jack and Griffin went in the morning, so they didn't go to the Basilica, but they said their experience at the school was as fun as ours. I was in class with Austin, where we listened to them recite poetry and rehearse a dance. In our classroom, the kids were about 9 or 10, but they recited French poetry from memory well individually and said two stories in English as a class. -Dylan

Monday 6/1

It was a regular Monday for everyone getting up early and heading off to school. At school we talked about some differences between America and France, such as our toilets are in the bathroom while their's are not. Then we hung out and played some pretty intense games of ping pong. After, we headed off to Fourviere for a picnic lunch. It was nice to just relax and talk with friends after a very busy week and weekend. We got to see some amazing views of all of Lyon. The weather was great, not too hot or rainy. Then we went  Zip Lining and through a really hard rope course. There were three levels; blue was easy, red was kinda hard, and black was impossible. I did both red and black. On the black at the end was a really long and difficult zip line with nowhere to grab onto at the end. Let's just say Austin might have gotten stuck in the middle, and a few of us on the other end, including me. Overall it was a really great day. Some quick showers after, but felt great after the hot and sweaty ropes course. - Troy