QAIS International Trip to Paris
On April 17th, 2015, QAIS students in Grades 9 and 10 took off for a school trip to Paris!
On Saturday we the beaches at Normandy, with the bunkers and craters left by Allied bombs before the liberation of Europe.
On Sunday morning, we watched an hour-long introduction to Paris called The Paris Story. Then we toured the extravagant Garnier Opera House, the Gothic masterpiece of Notre Dame, and the archaeological crypts. In the evening we went up to the very top floor of the Eiffel Tower, and watched as the day slipped away into evening and the city lit up before our eyes.
On Monday, we visited the Louvre museum (home of the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory, and thousands of other world-famous works of art). Afterward, we went to Montmartre where we saw Sacre Coeur church and rode the petit train, and took an evening boat ride on the Seine River.
Tuesday began with a long commute to Versailles. In the afternoon we saw the Concierge, the former prison where Marie Antoinette was held. It was more fun getting in than the actual building. The students wanted to shop for themselves and for their families, so they led their travel groups to the Galleries Lafayette, a large shopping mall. On our way to the Latin Quarter, we walked past Notre Dame as the sun was setting.
On Wednesday, the students chose to go to one of the following three museums: the D’Orsay Museum (impressionistic art), the Museum of Music, or the Museum of the History of the Middle Ages. After lunch, we all went to a museum about the sewers of Paris, and then a to a museum where we learned about chocolate and tasted some different types. We walked down the Champs-Elysees to the Arc De Triomphe, climbed the stairs to the top, and saw a fantastic view of Paris and its tree-lined streets. We had dinner on the Champs Elysees and then went to the Pompidou Art Center.
Going to Disneyland Paris was a full day deal (Thursday). Four students had been to a Disneyland park at some part of the world, but for most it was a new experience.
Our last day in Paris was a treat. We began the day with breakfast at a bakery across the street from our hotel. We visited the museum, which featured works by Cezanne, Renoir, and Monet. Monet actually designed two galleries himself and painted large murals for the walls about 100 years ago. Later we visited the Rodin Museum, and again, we were blown away, even though most of that museum was closed for renovations!
Paris was a fabulous international trip. I thank the students for being so thoughtful to each other. I thank Jacquie and Emilie for being 24-hour chaperones with me. April in Paris will be wonderful memories for all of us.
