Our trip to Madrid and Paris was an extraordinary learning experience. We were able to see so many different places, people, and things, and our students were exemplary in their behavior and we were proud of how they were able to use their developing language skills. Below is an outline of what we did each day, with a few photos just below. Enjoy! (You can also visit our tour diary here to see more information and additional photos!)
Day 1: We arrived in Madrid, meeting our Tour Director in Barajas Airport. We saw the Opera House Station and sat out in the plaza before seeing Arenal Street and taking pictures in Plaza Mayor. Then we walked to Puerta del Sol, which is the center of the city. We took part in a teasure hunt and learned about the history of the plaza and its monuments.
Day 2: A great European breakfast was followed by the Prado Museum where we all found a favorite painting or painter to write about. Afterwards we bought bocadillos (big sandwiches on fresh bread) for our picnic in Retiro Park. After lunch we rode the metro to the Opera Station and walked to the Royal Palace, where we had a guided tour. Our guide then took us on a tour of Madrid, seeing the Ventas Bullring, the Santiago Bernabeu football stadium, and the Plaza de Espana. Our tour ended near Espazo Enxebre, where we had dinner and a flamenco show. During the show we learned some of the dances!
Day 3: On another beautiful and sunny day, we drove to Segovia with Paloma (our local guide) who told us about the history and geography of Spain. After taking photos of the countryside we interviewed some locals in Plaza Mayor. Back in Madrid we had time for a little shopping at the market in the Plaza de Espana, then we walked to the very busy Callao Square. We had a buffet dinner at FrescCo, where several of our former teachers and a fellow student met us for dinner!
Day 4: We started day four with a visit to the world-renowned Reina Sofia Art Museum, where painters like Picasso and Dali had their works on diplay. For lunch we visited the International School in Madrid, joining in activities with their students. At the end of the day we flew to Paris and spent the night in the City of Lights!
Day 5: Bonjour from Paris! We could see the Eiffel Tower from our hotel, and the city is beautiful! Our day began with a stroll by the Opera Garnier, a tour of the Fragonard Perfumerie, sampling of some fine chocolates at Fauchon, and then we crossed the Pont Neuf for sandwiches near Notre Dame. That night we ate at Bistro 30.
Day 6: One of our busiest days began with breakfast at our hotel, before we made our way to the coach for a three-hour panoramic tour of the city. Our guide showed us all over town and we had a walk in the Luxembourg Gardens. The tour finished at noon near Montmarte, and we walked the long staircase to the Sacre Coeur Church before having lunch in the main square. Next it was off to Notre Dame, where we walked in and around the cathedral. We talked about Gothic architecture, then headed down to the river bank to sit and work on our packets. Mr. Fongillo put on a bit of a piano concert for us at the famous Shakespeare and Company book shop. After seeing the Gilbert book shops we went to dinner – salty crepes for the main course, sweet ones for dessert!
Day 7: Today we made our way to the Lafayette Galleries, later having lunch in their buffet restaurant. In the afternoon we went to the Louvre Museum, where we saw some of our favorite works of art like the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory. When we left, we made our way up the Champs Elysees before having dinner at Flam’s. That evening we took a boat cruise on the Seine, watching the lights come on in the city. The cruise ended at the base of the Eiffel Tower as it was sparkling!
Day 8: The last day of our tour was one final great day. We left early for Montmartre one last time, enjoying a nice morning in the plaza and looking out over Paris.
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