2024 Fordham Preparatory France Cultural Journey
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Blog 4
We left the hotel at ten and started walking toward the Oprah house. At around 11 we made our way to the area around the Louvre. We had 50 minutes to ourselves to shop or get something to eat. We had reservations at the Louvre for 1:30 so we walked to the museum. We had three and a half hours to explore and look at the art. Three hours was not enough time, It probably would have took a month to see everything. I walked around trying to find the Mona Lisa and it was really cool. Though I thought it’d be bigger because it had an entire wall dedicated to it. I had also seen some other nice paintings and sculptures there. When it was time to leave me and another kid got lost because of how big the museum is. It took us a solid twenty minutes to get back to the meeting area. By the time we left it was raining really hard so we rushed back to the hotel and got changed into our nice clothes. We headed to a church at the top of the big hill for mass and it was super packed. We waited in line to get in and when we got in the place was almost full. There were only a couple of seats left and we got them. The mass was around an hour long and it was in French so most of us could not hear a thing that the priests were saying. After we left and saw one of the most amazing and beautiful views that I have ever seen. Then we walked around that area for a little bit until we went to the restaurant for dinner.
– Sebastian
We leave the hotel promptly at 10am with our sights set on the Louvre, one of the most reputable art galleries worldwide. We walk for a while and take a picture with some adorable golden bunnies in front of a church. The chaperones then gave us a short break to explore before we continued our trek. We arrive at the Louvre, have a short lunch comprised of sandwiches and soda, and then go our separate ways as we explore the art gallery.
I knew I had to make my way to the Mona Lisa first. I navigated through the sea of people and the labyrinth with only my map and my 3DS XL guide for directions. I finally arrived at the Mona Lisa, and although it was crowded, managed to take a picture of it. I’ll admit, the painting was slightly underwhelming and I expected the portrait to be bigger; however, being able to say I saw the Mona Lisa in person is an everlasting memory. I wander through the museum for a while longer, fascinated by art depicting biblical scenes and a portrait of King Louis XIV. Eventually, I make my way back to the meeting spot and the group begins to leave.
As we make our way up the stairs to leave, I notice the rain pouring down onto the concrete. ‘Oh, come on, man’, I mutter to myself as I grab my umbrella. We begin to quickly navigate through the storm when we hear a loud thunder. BAM! Some of us start to panic at that moment and we run while trying to follow our tour guide. I attempt to keep our group together by lifting my umbrella in the air so people could see it. We arrive at the train station, but it appears that some of us are missing. We wait in expectation and fear, but thankfully we manage to regroup. Eventually, we manage to navigate the storm and make it back to the hotel.
After that whole debacle, I was definitely hesitate to go to Easter mass now. However, the storm did subside, and so I put on my church clothes and made my way to the lobby. After we make a long trek (during which I talked with my friends about Napoleon and Super Smash Bros.), we arrive at the church. I was fascinated and intrigued by the number of people gathered in celebration of Christ. The difference in language made it difficult to concentrate and I’ll admit that I nearly fell asleep at the beginning. However, I am thankful to have experienced Easter mass in France. The music was exquisite and the singing hypnotic. I walked out of that church feeling a little closer to God.
The group made its way to the restaurant and we sat at the tables. The service from the waitress was apt and she made sure our needs were met. However, the food service left something to be desired. I got my unsatisfactory French onion soup long after everybody else and it took an hour and a half for everyone to get their entrees. It was about 10:30 and I was exhausted. Others went to get ice cream but I opted to go with the others to the hotel. I got to my room and promptly went to sleep, thankful for the sweet release of slumber.
– Kaine
Blog 3
On the third day, we arose early to venture to Versailles, to see the magnificent palace located there. We walked through its many rooms and hallways and its beautiful gardens. We had lunch and travelled back to the Eiffel Tower. Some of us took the elevator, but for those who took the stairs it was surreal seeing the gradual increase in altitude as we walked up step by step. We enjoyed our views on the 2nd floor of the tower and then headed to dinner. Some of us had Italian and the others had French food. We headed back to the hotel and on our way we saw the Eiffel Tower sparkling at 10 pm, concluding our third day of sightseeing.
– Gaspare
Today we traveled to Versailles. We took the metro. In Versailles, I saw many paintings and sculptures of King Louis 14 and other famous French people. We later saw the garden which was the biggest I had ever seen. After visiting Versailles, we were heading to the Eiffel Tower, after almost getting scammed we made it to the line for the stairs which leads to the 2nd floor of the tower. I was informed that there were going to be some people who will try to pickpocket or scam tourists, i didnt expect that it will happen to me. Fortunately, our program leader was able to see that i was about to get scammed so she stopped it. That was a learning experience for me. As soon as I got to the 2nd floor, I realized that I had forgotten my fanny pack that contained my money and passport. I found it in security. Then for the dinner, we made our way to an Italian restaurant. We had to split into two groups to eat in different restaurants since we stayed in Eiffel tower longer than we anticipated. I ate spaghetti with clams in a white wine sauce. It was pretty good. After finishing, we saw the beautiful Eiffel Tower’s lights and took the metro back to our hotel.
– Valentino
Yesterday we woke up early and visited the Palace of Versailles. We saw the palace itself, as well as the gardens around and the Grand Trianon. There were some amazing views. I really enjoyed the red room in the palace, the views from the garden, and the tapestry in the Trianon. Then we had lunch, the macaroons were very good. In the afternoon into the early evening, we saw the Eiffel Tower. The views were amazing, a truly magnificent experience like nothing else, especially the stairs all the way to the top. Dinner was very good and I tried duck for the first time. It tasted great. I’m very grateful for an amazing day with amazing chaperones.
– Lucas Bragaglia
Blog 2
The Musée D’Orsay is now easily one of my favorite museums purely based on architecture. I loved the open view of the sculptures with the sectioned-off art galleries hidden away to the sides. The Tuileries Garden was very funny. I’ve never seen a public trampoline section in a park before; it’s a solid idea. There were also a ton of crows which I thought were ravens. Either way, it was cool to see urban birds that aren’t pigeons. Also, the metro is AWESOME. It is so quiet, efficient, and clean. The Arc de Triomphe was super cool, even with the billion stairs that turned my legs to jelly, but they were worth it for the view.
-Konstantin
Around 9:15 we took the train and when we got off we, walked and saw the president’s office and other embassy’s. Then we went and saw the Egyptian statue and headed for Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Garden where it was a beautiful site. After that we went to a museum where it had all types of art, the famous one being the Starry Night by Van Gogh. When I was at the site of the picture, there were a lot of people there surrounding it and taking pictures. Then we went to get lunch and were given free time to shop for things that we wanted before we went into the Arc De Triomphe which was constructed during the Napeolonic Era but finished in the 1830s. The sight when you got to the top of the building was amazing and you could see all of the city with the Eiffel Tower being the most noticeable thing. Then we went to get dinner at the restaurant which was right next to the hotel and then called it a day.
– Sean D.
Blog 1
Today was the first day in France although it was extremely exhausting after a long flight it was still amazing to see Paris and get to know the city a little bit
– Colin
Today we landed at around 6 am and we arrived to our hotel the Citadines Montmartre Paris. We left our bags and we were off to discover the riches of the beautiful city of Paris. We first went to the Pantheon where we explored the tombs of the most famous French intellectuals and scientists such as Marie Curie and Voltaire. We then discovered the beautiful marble statues commemorating the French hero’s of all times. We then had lunch at two delicious spots. After lunch we discovered the Latin quarter, an area of Paris filled with students and intellectuals. We then ended our day with a visit to a very controversial site, The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris. After we admired the marvelous building from the outside we sat down for dinner. We found ourselves at the UN Zébre à Montmarte. Here we all enjoyed a delicious meal and wonderful conversations.
– Georgios
We've arrived!
More pictures and updates to come.