‘City of lights’ highlight of NACI students’ trip to France
- Details
- Published on Monday, April 20, 2015
By Nora Heschuk
Submitted
On March 25, 21 NACI students, three teachers and three parent chaperones headed to France for a 9-day EF Education First trip encompassing Paris, the Loire Valley and Normandy.
After flying from Winnipeg to Toronto, the group was treated to a bus tour, giving the group glimpses of some of the highlights of Toronto. That evening, at 9:35 p.m., the group boarded their flight for Paris, arriving at 9:50 Thursday morning. Their tour director met them at the airport and the group began their marathon of sightseeing.
After checking into their hotel, the group had their first experience on the Paris metro system. It didn’t take them long to see that this was, in fact, the quickest and easiest way to navigate the city of over two million people. Their sightseeing of Paris included the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Seine River, l’Arc de Triomphe, les Invalides, les Champs-Élysées, l’Opéra, le Louvre, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. One of the highlights of Paris was taking a boat tour on the Seine River at night so they could see all of the monuments lit up.
After two days in Paris, the group was off to the French countryside. They climbed to the bell tower of the Chartres Cathedral for a spectacular view of the city and the sound of the bells ringing at the top of the hour. They also enjoyed visiting a quaint French market where they purchased fresh fruits, cheese and baked goods.
In the Loire Valley, the students and chaperones visited castles dating back to the 1500s. They visited the castles of Chambord, Amboise, Chenonceau, Azay-le-Rideau. They were also able to visit Leonardo da Vinci’s residence in Amboise and see his gardens and inventions. The final day of the Normandy portion of the French tour was spent visiting the Juno Beach memorial which focused on the Canadian soldiers who gave their lives in the D-day landings at the end of World War II. They also visited the Canadian cemetery at Beny-Sur-Mer and the Caen Memorial.
The final day in France of the tour was spent in Paris. The majority of the group visited the Louvre while some visited the Catacombs. The group also had some “free time” for visiting their favorite sites and navigating the Paris metro. The group also spent some time in the area by the Sacré Cœur Cathedral at the top of Monmartre, over-looking the city of Paris. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful trip!
