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.
France Seminar 2015
Lyon
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
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
Sunday, June 7, 2015
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, June 4, 2015
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, June 2, 2015
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
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