Versailles & Paris

It was another day full of iconic sights in Paris.  Read all about it!

Megan W.:

Much to my dismay I woke up VERY early (mainly because my roommate likes to take her sweet time in the morning) and headed to breakfast which consisted of croissants, ham, cheese... Ect. Even though I woke up early and was tired, I was in Paris and I mean how bad can it really be. After breakfast we went on a bus tour and toured the city which was really cool because we got to see some famous monuments and learn a bit more about the French culture. It was very relaxing and well, being overly tired teenagers and all, a few of us fell asleep on the bus (I may or May not be included). After the tour we went to Versailles!!! I WAS SO EXCITED FOR THIS. And honestly did it live up to my expectations???? YES. We got lunch first and then split up in to groups which I then proceeded to the Versailles gardens. It was so beautiful I can't even sum up how amazing the view was. Versailles was fabulous, as expected. The rooms were painted top to bottom, even in including the ceiling, and it was absolutely amazing. Maybe when I'm older I could buy a house that would literally fit in just a single one of those rooms. We went to the Eiffel Tower later on (after shopping :):):)) and it was quite a workout to hike to the top, I know Mr.Block was huffing, but we made it. The view of Paris from high up was beautiful. When we got down I got some ice cream and others got crepes (the food from Paris just overall rocks) and I have to say it was a perfect end to the busy day. Finally, we were navigated by Mr.Block to get back to the hotel and I was surprised that we made it before sun rise but I guess my expectations were kind of low. The day was amazing. IM SO HAPPY HERE:) 

Ellie A.:

We woke up abruptly to get ready for the day full of sightseeing. One of my bucket list item's was checked of today. We went to Versailles which was magical, the gardens were extraordinary and ornate, even though everything about Versailles was truly beautiful. While cruising through the gardens I decided to indulge myself with macaroons which let me tell you it was an experience. I felt like a French aristocrat who was thrown into the 21st century and let me tell you that is something everyone should experience. Later on during the day we went to the Effiel tower  it was packed! It was beautiful even though I'm afraid of heights.  But I powered through and got to see another view of this beautiful city of light, which I can honestly say is one of the best places in the world and mean it.

Hannah A.:

Today we all enjoyed a very relaxing yet very enjoyable bus tour around Paris. After the bus tour, we made our way to Versailles. It was very beautiful and ostentatious. It was a spot I want to go back to at some point in my life. I feel as if I didn't have enough time in the gardens. After we toured Versailles and the garden, we took the bus back to Paris for dinner. Shortly after dinner, we went to the Seine River and took a cruise. The views were unreal. We all then had the option of going up to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. I have a huge fear heights so making it to the first floor was a huge accomplishment for me. Transportation on the way home was an adventure following Block. Following him, I managed to nearly get stuck on a train the rest of the group was not going on, but it's okay I forgive him, I made it back just fine. 

Chris F.:

Today we got on a bus tour around Paris for three hours and saw all what there is to see.  The guide that we had was very good and was a native Parisian who told us quirks and a brief history of all of the landmarks. We also went to Versailles and the gardens which was spectacular because it was large and very grandiose. Then we went to the galleries which was a five story mall full of shops that ranged from all price ranges.  Finally we went to the Seine river cruise which was great because we got to see all of the important land marks on the river and it was very fun.  Something interesting that happened to me was during the metro ride back to the hotel and one of the train cars had two sides to open so when it was our time to stop another group of American tourists got off and in the confusion I was on the wrong side of the platform and was cut off from the rest of the group all by myself but the bright side was that I was on the right side of the metro the whole time making it a very good way to end the day.

Arrival in Paris

It was an early start getting from London to Paris, but it was worth it!  Here are some reflections on a jam-packed Parisian day:

Ruhee S.:

Bonjour! Aujourd'hui est le premiere jour dans au Paris! We started the day up a little earlier than normal. (OK, a lot earlier than usual. My roommate and I were up at 3:30 AM to be exact.) We arrived at King's Cross and generally most kids might be tired at this hour, but a few kids along with Mr.Hannigan and Emelia visited Platform 9 and 3/4!!! I'm a huge Harry Potter fan by the way. We arrived in London and went to a cafe for a quick lunch, then headed around the Latin Quarter. Soon enough we reached the glorious Notre Dame and it was extremely breathtaking. After this we chose to split into two groups, one going to the Arc de Triomphe and the other going to a French Revolution museum. I chose the Arc lead by Ms.Gerber and Ms.Barret, and we ended up just walking around the entire area which was incredible! Dinner was at a local bistro and then our Louvre treasure hunt began. Although I was quite opposed to the treasure hunt because I think people should just look around rather than scramble in our already limited time, I found it to be quite fun. After an exhausting walk back to the hotel, I know I'll sleep soundlessly tonight.

Scott G.:

Today we woke up super early to catch the Eurostar. We spent 2 and a half hours on the train. It was very exciting going through the Chunnel on the Eurostar. When we arrived we got right onto the streets of Paris. We spent some free time getting lunch and looking at the cool things on the streets. My group went to Shakespeare and company which is a very interesting book store. After lunch we got to go into Norte Dame. We had a choice of what  to do after Norte Dame and I chose to go to the prison in which Mary Antoinette and Louis the 16th. After that we did A LOT of walking and made our way to the Louvre. We did a fun scavenger hunt in the Louvre and saw some amazing art. We finally got onto the metro and then walked a mile to our hotel. We had a very exciting and exhausting day. We all will be going to sleep early tonight!

Daniel A.:

Today we had to wake up EXTRA, EXTRA early so we could catch the train for the Chunnel. After the 2 hour long high speed train ride, all of us got off to unload our luggage on a bus headed to the hotel. Then we went on the underground metro and had lunch and visited Notre Dame. We ended the long day with the biggest scavenger hunt I've ever done in my life, which was in the louvre museum (biggest museum in the world). Me and my friends trudged along tiredly as we tried to find artworks in the huge building. But every time we found a painting, we had a blast trying to mimic what was happening in the painting (View Young's phone for comedy gold). Finally we get on the subway and travel to our hotel, once we got off, it felt like we were in Steven King's book "The Long Walk" (kudos to those who read it), and walked like zombies toward our final destination for the day.

Young L.:

Today, as our Eurostar coach passed through the English countryside and into France, my memorized list of all stations on the District Line of the London Underground became useless, as we were beginning a new journey into a new nation. Becontree, Blackfriars and Glaucester Road became La Défense, Louis Blanc, and Stalingrad (crazy names, huh?), and we (the students) became disoriented once more. But we feared not! For we had hands to follow (AKA our esteemed guides and chaperones), maps, and our wit. And it turns out that's just about enough.

We got off the Eurostar at about 10:20, Parisian time, and took the metro into the Latin Quarter where I had a crêpe (cooked by a terribly kind man who kindly reminded me to repay food with cash when I stupidly walked away from his stand with his food sans payment) and a Croque-Madame (short story: French waiters are somewhat brazen and intimidating, but at least they give you food). We then walked to the illustrious Notre Dame Cathedral, where we discovered the genius that is the architecture behind flying buttresses and the technology to support domes as huge as Notre Dame. Also: We visited the Jardin de Luxembourg and watched mini sailing ships named after nations fight in a pond. It was very entertaining.

And finally, after a dinner of beef and fries/chips (who knows at this point?) we found ourselves in the Louvre, chasing down a grocery list of museum items to win a scavenger hunt. A peer of mine has compared it to a Stephen King book where adolescents walk until only one is alive. I am not so disposed to be so bleak, but I do see his point. We were split into groups, and my particular group walked in a circle three times to find an engravement of Assyrian hunting lions, which we never ended up finding. Our feet fell like jelly by the time we walked to see the Mona Lisa several miles (and floors) later. It turns out that Mr. Hannigan is correct in stating that The Madonna of the Rocks is, indeed, the superior Leonardo Da Vinci work. But that is merely an opinion, or so I am told.

I have been told that we walked ~10 miles today, and it seems believable. But at the same time, it doesn't quite seem like we could have walked that much in one day. It seems we have truly accomplished a lot… In any case, it is time for another day of even more. Good night!

Second Day In London

It was another great day in London with perfect weather and some great tours of historical sites.  Here are some group photos and reflections on the day:

Amber H.:

Today was yet another really exciting and jam packed day. In the morning, we woke up and ate a good breakfast, and then we headed straight for a 3 hour sightseeing tour of the city of London. We went all around the city, and stopped at many beautiful buildings and cathedrals. The tour guide explained all of the history of the sites in depth and I really thought that the history she explained was extremely interesting. Our final stop of the tour was Buckingham Palace, where we also saw the changing of the guard. I thought it was really cool to see where the queen lives and how breathtaking the architecture was. Later, we stopped at the Tower of London for lunch and got tickets to go on a guided tour. The tour guide was really entertaining and the whole group really enjoyed it. After the tour, I went to see the Crown Jewels (also at the Tower of London), which was basically all the jewels that were used during coronation. Finally, after a long day of traveling, we finally had dim sum for dinner (which was delicious) and had some free time in Piccadilly Circus to shop for souvenirs. Overall, I thought our second day in London was both tiring and exciting, and I can't wait to see what France and Italy bring us next.

Josh S.:

Yesterday I went to the Churchill War Rooms which was pretty fun and had great visualizations. Today we walked around Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, and went around Piccadilly Circus and the scenery was pretty cool. Definitely having a fun time so far!  

Max W.:

Hydration is key. Today was a fabulous day in London. Me being the political nerd I am had a interesting talk with out guide about Scottish independence and the Greek debt crisis. But I will assume that is not your cup of tea. What I will continue to talk about is all the stuff we saw. We started off bright and early at 09:00 am to head to central London. Traffic is abysmal however, they charge £11 just to enter city limits so you get a lot of taxis and everything else looks like a millionaires car. We then arrived at the normal tourist stops, London bridge, which I mad mistakes yesterday on. Then we went out to St. Paul's cathedral which, might I add, looks a lot like congress, just less Ted Cruzy. We then went to Westminster and on to Buckingham Palace where the queen was away, not sure why, looks like a nice place to reside. We then went to the Tower of London where my head remains intact and I learned two major things about Britain . 1) they like executing people. 2) they really, really, dislike the French. Then we went on to Piccadilly Circus where I was disappointed by the lack of clowns and lions, but I did get my newspaper. Then we took the tube to the hotel and now I sit in the lobby. Sorry mom if I'm not returning texts, we are busy. I will try to make contact later. Onward to Paris. Time to learn a little French .

Josh B.:

Today was our second and last full day in London. As it was yesterday, our schedule was jam packed from when we woke up. As soon as we finished breakfast, we headed out to the coach bus to go on a tour. On the tour, we learned about some of the incredible history of England's architecture and culture. For example, many of the buildings have been given nicknames based on what they look like. These include such fine names as the pickle, the bullet, the walkie talkie, etc. We stopped off at St. Paul's Cathedral, and were able to see some of the memorial celebration of the Battle of Waterloo because today was its anniversary. We then walked to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard (yes, their hats are that poofy in person). After the Palace, we took the tube to get lunch. I had fish and chips, which was very good. Then we went to the Tower of London, where we went on a guided tour and saw where many famous people were imprisoned and executed. We also saw where some English royalty lived (and died). The crown jewel of the tower though, was the crown jewels. We saw crowns, scepters, and many shiny things. After the tower, we got back on the tube and went to Piccadilly Circus. We walked to dinner at a Chinese restaurant, which was again, very good. We spent our final moments out in England back at Piccadilly Circus souvenir shopping. Another amazing day in Europe, and a great last day in England.

Arrival in London, Part 2

We are back up and running with wifi!  Here are some additional reflections on our first day in London:

Ana P.:

As much as I would love to make this first blog post amazing and full of wit I have been awake for about 30 hours and cannot manage much. However I would like to say thank you so much. To all of our parents who gave us the gift of adventure of travel and of fun. Without your help through this hard year academically we would never have been able to be in a hotel in London complaining about jet lag. I have never been so happy to complain about jet lag in my life. Anyway, our adventure took off from JFK airport in New York and landed 6 sleepless hours later in London. Since that step onto foreign soil we have not stopped to breathe in the fish and chip scented air, running around becoming the cultured people our dear parents pay for us to be. Thank you to our lovely chaperones who have the bravery and audacity to be taking us on this adventure. Even when we complain and groan at the walking, we love every second of it. We can tell this trip is already much too short. 

Elena N.:

Today was our very first day in the wonderful continent of Europe. We arrived in Heathrow weary but excited, ready to take on London. First off, we rode back to our hotel, accompanied by our lovely guide for the next 9 days, Emilia. She told us the history of England while we peeked our first glances out the window of our bus at the legendary city. We then checked into our hotel and immediately rode the Metra to a corner of the city, where we ate lunch and explored a little on our own. From there, we walked over to Trafalgar Square, and then split into two groups; some went to the Churchill War Rooms and some went to Westminster Abbey. I went to the Abbey, and it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. It had insanely tall ceilings, intricate stained glass and gold plated altars devoted to those, mostly of royal status, who had been buried there. From there, we went on a boat cruise of the River Thames, which showcased some of London's most standout architecture. Finally, all exhausted and incredibly jet-lagged, we took the. Metra to our hotel. I can't wait to explore more of London tomorrow!

Signing off, 

-Eleina 

Katherine D.:

Today was a great start to our Europe Summer trip!  We had a relaxing flight over from JFK in New York and arrived in London around 8:15 am.  We dove right in to fun activities such as experiencing local shops at Victoria Gardens.  

Some of us went to Westminster Abbey, while others went to Churchhill of War Rooms.  I went to Westminster Abbey and I was in awe of how beautiful the church was.  Every tiny detail in that church is beautifully crafted.  It's intricate details and beautiful stained glass really makes Westminster Abbey unlike any other church.  The church provided an audio tour that spoke of the famous people who were buried at the Church, such as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, William Shakespeare, and Queen Elizabeth.  We then saw Big Ben and that was really interesting.  It is a tall and beautiful structure that really stands apart from any other building in London.  After seeing Big Ben, we ate at a really good Bistro place in Soho.  After that we went on a river cruise on the Thames River.  It was a very relaxing ride.  I had learned about the Thames River this past school year, so I thought it was cool that I got to actually be on the river I had learned about.  After the relaxing ride, we trekked back to The Tube in order to get back to our hotel.  Riding the tube during rush hour was a very interesting experience for all of us, but in the end it was very worth it because it allowed us to see all of these amazing sites!

Arrival in London

We had a great first day in London!  We fought the jet lag to enjoy beautiful weather and sites.  We are having some technical issues with email over the hotel wifi, so some guest blog posts should hopefully be up tomorrow morning.  But, here is one reflection from Annie and some pictures from the day.

Annie K.:

When I initially imagined the flight to England, I pictured an overcrowded two row plane with three seats on each side, and five seats in the middle. Those were the only types of planes I've flown when going to Europe, and I didn't expect anything else. A majority of the kids on the trip (including me) were placed in the back of a smaller plane (only two seats at the windows and three seats in the middle) but we were nearly by ourselves! It was such a nice flight for me. Lots of students traded seats freely and enjoyed sprawling out on more than one seats. Despite the positive flying arrangement we were in, we hardly got any sleep. Starting off the day tired was undesirable of course, but not unbearable. We made the most of it by visiting the Victoria Gardens during our free time, shopping around, eating, and splitting up into two groups to visit the Churchill War Rooms and Westminster Abbey. I went to Westminster Abbey, and although I can appreciate how historically remarkable and breathtaking it was, I can admit that it was creepy at times. There seemed to be hundreds of coffins placed under the tiles of the floor. The sheer amount of coffins holding significant figures of the past made not stepping on them unavoidable. I did enjoy seeing the dozens of marble figures placed upon tombs, along with the wall friezes. Visiting Westminster Abbey was the most memorable part of today, and I can't wait for tomorrow. If you're reading this Mama, I miss you and Leah and  Daddy! 

Welcome!

Welcome to the SHS AP Euro & Art History Summer Travel blog.  Throughout our travels, guest bloggers from our student travel group will be posting narratives of our daily activities and adventures abroad.  Of course, we'll include pictures to make everyone at home even more jealous.

Check back daily to follow us as we head from London, to Paris, to Provence, and finally, to Florence.  We'll try to update as frequently as possible, or whenever we have some good wifi (or "weefee" as they say in France).  Invite your friends and family to follow along, too!

While we don't want to put too much private information out there on the internet, you'll see the chaperones' SHS extensions & emails posted on the left, in case you need to contact us (phone calls for emergencies only, please!).

Of course, you can comment on the blog posts as another way to communicate with your son/daughter, friend, or family member, or the whole group.

Bon Voyage!