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Bulldogs and Beyond Tour Europe in Trip of a Lifetime

Author: Bryleigh Erickson BHS School Reporter MT43News School Reporter

Bryleigh Erickson

BHS School Reporter

Editor's note: High School students and their chaperones with Bulldogs and Beyond Club explored Europe for several days in June. This is the second in a series of articles by BHS senior Bryleigh Erickcon.

On the fifth day of the trip, we travelled by train to Zurich, Switzerland. We boarded the train from Paris early in the morning and arrived in Switzerland in the afternoon. Most of the group had never been on a passenger train before, and everyone was surprised by how comfortable and fast the trains were. Once the group made it to Zurich, they had the remainder of the day to explore the city. At 6 pm, the group gathered and we travelled to the hotel to eat dinner. The small hotel sat on the top of a mountain outside of the city. It was in a smaller neighborhood, and it was by far the group’s favorite hotel.

The next day, we travelled to Lucerne to explore the city and get to experience Switzerland. The group visited the beautiful Lion Monument, and our guide Sandu explained the history and importance of the monument. The group had free time to roam the city before meeting for a boat cruise on Lake Lucerne. During the hour’s ride the group saw the beautiful lake and surrounding mountains. The boat dropped us off at the base of Mt. Rigi, part of the Swiss Alps. We then took a train to the top of the mountain to a café, picture spot, and, of course, amazing view of Lake Lucerne and all of the surrounding cities. Everyone was in awe of the view from the top of the mountain, and all the beautiful mountains around. After exploring the top of the mountain, the group caught a train back down the mountain. Here, a bus took us back to the hotel for an early night. We ate dinner at the hotel again, and then had some free time. Some groups settled down in the hotel, but a few of us went to explore a nearby waterfall. It was quite a hike, but once we arrived the waterfall, it was so beautiful. By then, everyone was tired from a long day and ready to head to Germany the next day.

If you were to ask most every student in the group which country was their favorite, they would say Switzerland. Every student loved the scenery of Switzerland with the mountains, lakes and hills that reminded them of home. It was also a nice change from the busy city of Paris, as Switzerland was calmer and less crowded. The group enjoyed having so much free time to explore the cities and experience the culture of the country first-hand.

Switzerland was an interesting country because it was a mix of a lot of other countries. There are three official languages in Switzerland: German, French and Italian. They also had rich culture dating back to trading. There were paintings on every square that showed what had been traded there, and some stores were the same even today.

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PhotoCredit: Bryleigh Erickson except group photo. That photo provided.
Image 1 Caption: The group in front of the Lion Monument. Back row left: Gavin Greene, Keaton Cavasos, Tanner Bird, Barrett MacDonald, Patrick Gossard, Trace Giomi, Jazel Ragen, Jim Tew, chaperone Megan Bleile, Keaton Boylan, Hailey Hildreth, Logan Barkhurst, Kaitlyn Noyes, Bryleigh Erickson, Aspen Slyker, Harper Wolfgram, Chloe Flynn, Arabella McDaniel, Kyla Meissner, Mishayla Lambott, chaperone Jason Thomas, Caleb Swanson and Merik Easter. Middle Row from left: Chaperones Jill Flynn and Allie Lampman; Addy White, Ana Marie Reinke, Fiona Nelson, Ava Tiffany, Janet Garcia, Kenzie Knaub, Brynlee Brown and chaperone Sheri Heavrin. Front Row from left: Creighton Wright, chaperone Andrea Tullos, Emmalin Fischer, Shalyn Sentinella, Angel Sentinella, Haedyn Poe, Sarah Morgan, Luke Tullos and Elaine MacDonald. Photo Provided *Pg3*
Image 2 Caption: The Lion Monument was carved as a symbol and memorial of the Swiss soldiers who died during the French Revolution. Lukas Ahorn carved the 33- foot mourning lion in 1820. Photo Credit: Bryleigh Erickson *Pg3*
Image 3 Caption: A view of Lake Lucerne from the top of Mt. Rigi, one of the many mountains in the Swiss Alps. Photo Credit: Bryleigh Erickson *Pg3*