For the first week of vacation I was on a bus travelling across France and into Spain. My host family drove me to Lyon Sunday night. I stayed in a hotel with most of the other exchange students in my district who were going on the trip. We all hung out until about 11:00 or 11:30 and then went to sleep. The next morning we all woke up at an ungodly hour and got on the bus at 5:30 am. We drove to the airport/train station and picked up the rest of the students. Everyone was either from my district or the district in Lyon.
We spent the first day driving up to Paris. Continuously riding in a bus with very few breaks is not very fun at first. Eventually everyone found their groups and talked (after sleeping for a few hours). Once we got to Paris, a tour guide got on the bus and talked to us about Paris as we drove around. After the tour we got to walk along the Champs Elysees and see the Arc de Triomphe. Afterwards, we went to the hotel and ate dinner. After dinner, no one was tired, so the chaperones took us out to a bar (no, we did not drink alcohol) so that we wouldn't disrupt the rest of the hotel.
The next day, we visited the Eiffel Tower and the Palace at Versailles (pictures soon, I promise). At the Eiffel Towers, we took the stairs to the top, which was super super fun (PS that was sarcastic). We all took pictures on each level of the tower and some of us went to the very top, including me. On the third level, a group of us met some Italians and spoke to them in a couple broken languages. After the Eiffel Tower, we went to the Palace at Versailles. In the beginning they gave us portable audio guides, but no one really used them. Everyone took pictures and talked.
We later got on the bus again and drove to Limoges. We stayed in Limoges for the night and then went to Chateau de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley. We walked around and took pictures of course. We then began the descent to Barcelona, Spain. It was a looooong bus ride, but when we finally arrived, it was well worth the wait.
The first day in Spain, we had another guided tour that was very similar to the one we had in Paris. Sadly, these tours are a little pointless since most of the exchange students weren't listening. The guide took us to a beautiful church and then a fruit market in the center of Barcelona. She then left and everyone had free time to go shopping in Barcelona. I walked around with one of my American friends and we went to STARBUCKS. I really miss that coffee sometimes. I got some in Lyon for the Fete des Lumieres, but it's such a change. You really start to appreciate how ubiquitous they are in the Seattle area after being so limited.
The second day in Barcelona, we went to the Sagrada Familia and the Picasso museum. The Sagrada Familia is a stunning, unfinished cathedral that is in the middle of being restored. They are supposed to finish the restoration in 2028. Even though it was in the middle of construction, it was still stunning. The architecture is really different from any building I've ever seen. The Picasso museum was interesting, but we had a guide. I prefer to tour museums at my own pace so that I can focus on what interests me. Despite the guide's priorities, it was still really interesting.
The last day in Spain, we went to the Dali museum. We once again had a guide with priorities, but the art was still really fascinating. Sometimes I wonder how this stuff manages to become famous. I will never understand it. Or art for that matter. After the tour and lunch, we got in the bus and went back to France. We stopped in Montpellier for dinner and dropped off our two chaperones. It was a tearful goodbye, but somehow everyone managed to get back on the bus and return to Lyon.
It was really difficult to leave everyone at the end, but we have Paris in two and a half weeks. In Paris, all the Rotary exchange students in France will meet up at a conference for 3 days. Knowing that we don't have too long to wait for that helped a little.
I have one week left of vacation and then it will be time to return to school. I'm looking forward to seeing my French friends again, but not to waking up at 6 every day. Hopefully it won't be too difficult to transition to.
I promise I'll post pictures as soon as I can!!
Amelia
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