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High School Group Takes a Trip of a Lifetime

Author: Bryleigh Erickson BHS Reporter MT43News School Reporter

Bryleigh Erickson

BHS Reporter

The Bulldogs Beyond Club at Broadwater High School has been working hard, preparing for their trip this June. We spent countless hours raising money and volunteering our time and effort to prepare for the trip. 36 students and 6 chaperones embarked on the journey of a lifetime to France, Switzerland, and Germany.

The trip started with a flight to Chicago O’Hare airport on Monday, June 8th. From there, we had an 8-hour flight to Paris airport. Once we arrived, our tour guide, Sandu, picked us up at the arrival gate. He would spend the entire trip showing us around Europe, educating us on the rich history of each country, and getting to know the group.

By the time we were out of the airport, it was around noon. We started touring Paris right away. First, we visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Here we caught the first glimpse of the beautiful architecture of European churches and buildings. After that, we took a walking tour around Paris’s city center. This allowed us to get a feel for the bustle of the busy city. The traffic rules are different in Paris. With how busy it is, the lights change fast and the cars drive even faster. Sandu made sure to teach us how to safely cross the street, as it was so different than in America. Then, we walked to our dinner spot, the Auberge Notre-Dame. Everyone was so starving that we didn’t care what dinner was: we were going to eat it. The dinner was called Beef Bourguignon. It is similar to our beef stew with mushrooms and carrots, served next to scalloped potatoes. For dessert, we had Crème Brulé, which was, of course, delightful. After dinner, we rode the bus to our hotel and settled down after a busy day. Most of the bus rides during the trip were used as more time to sleep. Everyone was so tired from touring, learning, and exploring that by the time we sat down, we were instantly asleep.

The next day was one of the busiest of the trip. We started with a traditional European breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast has meats, cheeses, potatoes, eggs, and lots of croissants and pastries. Everyone enjoyed it, but it was different than traditional American breakfasts. Almost always the meal included bread, meats, cheeses and coffee. Then, the group took a 3-hour bus tour of Paris with a local guide, Elizabeth. We drove by several major monuments, including the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, and the Eiffel Tower, which we got out of the bus to see. Then, we stopped at a local café where Elizabeth recommended everyone try the hot chocolate. It was very rich and less sweet than our hot chocolate.

After the driving tour, we went to the Louvre. It was such an amazing experience. We took 3 hours to look at the many ancient sculptures, paintings, and works of art. We saw the world-famous Mona Lisa painting, the Winged Victory sculpture, and the Coronation of Napolean paintings. Everyone wandered around the museum in small groups so that they could see what they were interested in. We saw and learned about hundreds of art pieces. There were also exhibits that recreated the apartments of Napolean, where you could walk into a room that was preserved like a time capsule into the 1800s. We visited many museums throughout the trip, but the Louvre was by far the one to remember.

After visiting the Louvre, we got free time to separate and explore the city on our own. We explored more churches, bought ice cream and souvenirs, or even took a seat at a café. After a while, everyone met up for a flatbread pizza dinner. The restaurant was one of the favorites of the group because they served us all-we-could-eat flatbread pizza. Everyone filled up on pizzas with garlic, sausage, mushroom, and the group-favorite, barbeque sauce pizza. By this point, everyone was full and tired. But the day was not over because next on the agenda was a Seine River cruise. We boarded a boat and cruised the Seine River. We got to see amazing views of the many beautiful buildings, as well as the Eiffel Tower at night. We could tell why they call Paris the city of lights because once it became dark, the city lit up everywhere. It was amazing to see every building and bridge covered in lights. By the time the cruise was done, everyone was so tired and we couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel and prepare for another busy day.

The next day, June 11th, we travelled to Montmartre, a smaller part of Paris’s 18th-century district. It had steep streets and was full of history. Here, we hiked up to Sacre-Coeur Basilica, a church that overlooks the entire city of Paris. The view from the church was insane! You could really see how big Paris was. We had a lot of free time to explore Montmartre. Everyone did different things, but we loved exploring the historical district, Moulin Rouge, and many hiked up and down the streets to explore the shops. After Montmartre, we loaded on the bus to travel to the Palace of Versailles. This is where the third King Louis ruled in lavish style. We got to explore the gardens, which spanned over 2,000 acres. It was a beautiful garden with multiple ponds, statues of Greek gods, and elegantly shaped bushes and trees. The garden was so huge, it was impossible to see the entire thing. Then, we went into the Palace of Versailles, which was so immense that, once again, it would be impossible to explore every room. We got shown the ballroom, bedrooms, cabinet rooms, and the famous Hall of Mirrors. They were beautiful rooms, and each was decorated so nicely. Every ceiling had an intricate painting that was beautiful to look at, and there was more gold than I’ve ever seen. After exploring the lavish palace, we headed to dinner. On the menu was duck confit with potatoes, which most of us had never tried. The duck was really delicious, but the almond cream Basque cake that we had for dessert stole the show. Then, we travelled back to the hotel as we had to wake up early the next morning.

We loved being in the city, but it was time to get out of the hustle and bustle and into a calmer scene.... Au revoir!

Next week's article will highlight the group's journey in Switzerland.

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PhotoCredit: Bryleigh Erickson, Photographer. Group photo provided.
Image 1 Caption: The group saw the Mona Lisa by artist Leonardo da Vinci. Bryleigh Erickson, Photographer
Image 2 Caption: The streets of Paris are filled with famous architecture, including the Arc de Triomphe. Bryleigh Erickson, Photographer
Image 3 Caption: The group admired another outstanding landmark the Eiffel Tower. Bryleigh Erickson, Photographer
Image 4 Caption: Townsend students and chaperones in front of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Back row from left: Chaperone Jill Flynn, Keaton Booylan, Trace Giomi, Gavin Green, Keaton Cavasos, Barrett MacDonald, Patrick Gossard, Tanner Bird, Caleb Swanson, Jim Tew, Elaine MacDonald, Haedyn Poe, Marek Easter, Emmalin Fischer, Jazel Ragen, Hailey Hildreth, Kyla Meissner, Janet Garcia, Bryleigh Erickson, Brynlee Brown, Arabella McDaniel, Ana Marie Reinke, Harper Wolfgram, Fiona Nelson, Aspen Slyker, Mishayla Lambott, Logan Barkhurst, Kaitlyn Noyes, chaperones Megan Bleile and Andrea Tullos. Next row: Creigton Wright, Ava Tiffany, Jasoon Thomas, Shaylyn Sentinella, chaperone Allie Lampman, Addy White Angel Sentinella, Sarah Morgan, chaperone Sheri Heavrin and Luke Tullos. Photo Provided