Highlights of the French Immersion Trip to France

During the first week of spring break, Sentinel’s Grade 10 to 12 French Immersion students embarked on a journey to the birthplace of their language, France. With iconic landmarks such as the majestic Eiffel Tower and the sparkling Côte d’Azur (or French Riviera in English), France is consistently the most visited country each year. After experiencing it myself, I now understand why that is; France is truly a most sophisticated and charming place, and I would kill to go back any day. In this article, I will highlight some of my favorite memories of this breathtaking 6-day trip (while also crying internally from post-vacation depression)!

Paris

I’m sure we’ve all seen Paris in the media in some form or another: Emily in Paris, Ratatouille, Paris Fashion Week— the list goes on. Well, let me tell you, Paris is famous for a reason. Not only is it an absolutely legendary city, it is also chic and relaxed at the same time. Below are some of the highlights of our incredible (yet nonstop) two days in Paris!

Day 1: Panoramic City Tour

Our first day was filled with a great deal of excitement, though it was exhausting. Exploring the centre of Paris and touring all of its iconic landmarks in the span of a few hours was, as one would expect, no small feat— especially since we arrived at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at 8AM that morning. I was pretty much crashing out by the end of the day. Nonetheless, our first day was absolutely exquisite, and here are the things I loved the most!

Galeries Lafayette

A dazzling high-end department store in the heart of the city, Galeries Lafayette is no ordinary shopping experience. Its high domed ceiling and intricate architectural designs were, to say the least, astonishing. It really made me question the shopping malls here in Vancouver, which are underwhelming (sorry, Vancouver!) compared to the Galeries Lafayette. It is truly a must see in Paris, even if you’re not going to buy anything (although the Jellycat Patîsserie Experience is here!).

Le tour Eiffel

You guys didn’t think I would write an article about France and not mention its most iconic landmark, right? Fun fact about the Eiffel Tower: many Parisians opposed the installation of the tower when it was first being built. Today, it is the most visited monument in the world, and I wouldn’t be able to imagine Paris without the Eiffel Tower! 

L’arc de triomphe

Another extremely important monument in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe serves to commemorate those who fought in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Like the Eiffel Tower, it is a very famous French landmark; however, seeing it in person felt surreal. 

Notre Dame Cathedral

The Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1163 and 1245, is one of the oldest Gothic cathedrals in the world. Interestingly enough, it was largely forgotten, even used as a storage space, before Victor Hugo published his novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in 1831. Ever since, Notre Dame has been an extremely prominent tourist attraction.

There were certainly many more fascinating things we saw on the first day, which include Emily in Paris’s apartment in the Latin Quarter, Place de la Concorde where Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were guillotined, and the Flame of Liberty where Princess Diana of Wales was involved in a tragic car accident in 1997. Unfortunately, I cannot go into full detail about everything, as that would make this article the longest to ever be seen!

Day 2: Seine River Cruise, Musée de Louvre, Montmartre, and Champs-Elysées

Seine River Cruise

If you ever plan on visiting Paris, the Seine River Cruise is an absolute must-do. The one-hour tour is a convenient yet amazing way to explore the city, during which stunning views of the river banks and centre islands are experienced. What stood out to me the most was the city’s architectural scheme; everything was so intricately designed and ornate, with a very romantic feel. It was during this boatride that I fell in love with Paris (sounds cheesy, but it’s true!). 

Musée du Louvre

Napoleon’s Apartments in the Louvre

The Louvre Museum is a non-negotiable of Paris. The Louvre, once a French royal palace, is not only one of the most famous museums in the world, but also contains some of the most renowned pieces of art such as the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory, and the Venus de Milo. During our short 1.5 hours in the museum, I was captivated by every single work of art. Absolutely everything in the giant museum was riveting, and I would genuinely spend my whole life there if I could.

Montmartre

Café in Montmartre

Located in the northern area of the city, Montmartre is a hill known for its village-like feel with its cobblestone streets and artistic charm. Right outside the metro station is the Le mur des je t’aime, where the words “I love you” are written all over a wall in 311 languages and dialects from around the world . On the summit of the hill lies the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, another prominent tourist attraction of Paris. The Place du Tertre, which is just outside the Sacré-Coeur, is where local street artists gather and paint portraits of those who come to them. Just on the edge of the plaza is Carette, where I had the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. Overall, Montmartre was a most charming neighborhood with a very local and artsy vibe.

Shopping on Champs-Elysées

Louis Vuitton Hotel

World-famous commercial avenue leading up to the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysées is known for its chic luxury shops and cafés, inspiring the renowned song, “Les Champs-Elysées”. The teachers made us sing it on the bus, and I am now forever traumatized!

Paris was truly an incredible experience. If you love big cities but also want to experience a “small town” feel at the same time, Paris is the place for you. There is a reason behind the fact that Paris is touristy—  it truly is the most elegant yet iconic place in the world. I am looking forward to coming back and exploring the city even more!

Provence

Our two-day excursion in the southeastern region of Provence was filled with a rustic charm and characterized by typical French countryside. We explored a total of 4 small towns and also visited the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct built in the 1st century AD.

Day 3: Avignon and The Pont du Gard

Avignon 

Palais des Papes

Upon arriving in Avignon after a 2-hour train ride on the TGV, I was amazed by its historical significance and fairytale appeal. The Centre of the Catholic world in the 14th century, the popes lived within the medieval ramparts of the city. Its legacy is exhibited through the majestic Palais des Papes, where the popes resided for a period of nearly 70 years. 

Pont du Gard

Built in the 1st century AD (which is crazy— it’s been standing for 2000 years!), the three-layered ancient Roman Pont du Gard served to bring water to a nearby town, Nîmes. Provence was actually the first region of the French Gaul to be conquered by the Roman Empire, hence the significant Roman influence on the bridge. Seeing it in real life was truly astonishing, as you would not expect something so majestic and sublime to have been constructed two millennia ago.

Day 4: Nîmes, Arles, Les Baux-de-Provence

Nîmes

Les Arènes de Nîmes

Once a city under the conquest of the ancient Romans, Nîmes is renowned for its arena, much like the Colosseum in Rome. It’s mind-blowing to even think about the fact that this was a real place where real gladiators fought thousands of years ago. 

Arles 

Another prominent Roman city with its own arena (much like Nîmes), Arles was where Vincent van Gogh lived for a number of years. Not only did the scenery of the city inspire many of Van Gogh’s paintings, such as the Starry Night Over the Rhône, Café Terrace at Night, and Hospital in Arles, but it was also the city where he infamously cut his ear off and was hospitalized before admitting himself to a mental asylum. Above is a photo of the real Café Terrace, which inspired his painting Café Terrace at Night!

Les Baux-de-Provence

Now this was truly the small rural village feel I have been talking about in this article. Les Baux is situated atop a rocky outcrop, with the ruins of a medieval castle crowned at the summit. It is great for souvenir shopping; due to its small town nature, many of the shops were local and artisan-based.

La Côte d’Azur

Day 5: Aix-en-Provence and Nice

Aix-en-Provence

We were lucky to have gone to Aix-en-Provence on the day of the Saturday market. This is where you should put your bargaining skills to use, as you can definitely use it to your advantage to negotiate for a lower price!

Nice, Côte d’Azur

Our first experience along the French Riviera was absolutely gorgeous. Sprawling the pebbly coastline of the Mediterranean, Nice was sensational with its view of the sparkling sea and colourful Italian-influenced architecture. If you ever plan on booking a trip to France, you absolutely must visit Nice— it may have been my favourite part of the whole trip!

A profound memory of mine was dinner that day. The owners of the restaurant blasted ABBA songs through the speaker on the highest volume possible. It quickly evolved into a dance party. I was singing my heart out with no care in the world. It was the most fun I’ve had in a very long time, and it will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Day 6: Monaco and Èze

Monaco

Views of the ocean from Monaco City

The next day, we embarked on a day trip to Monaco, which is interesting because it isn’t actually in France. Monaco is its own country, renowned for its luxurious casino in Monte Carlo, Formula 1 race track, and extreme opulence (lots of rich and famous people live here, what did you expect?). I estimate to have seen around 10 luxury cars in the span of only 3 hours and also was flabbergasted by the towering yachts casually parked in the harbour. As a group, we also witnessed the changing of the guard ceremony for Prince Albert II’s Palace Guards (in the picture below), which happens every day at 11:55 AM.

Fragonard Perfume Factory in Èze 

Our last stop of the whole 6-day trip was at the Fragonard Perfume Factory in Èze. If you love perfume (and hair and skincare products), a trip to Èze is perfect for you. Here, at the warehouse and laboratory, you can get their iconic products, including perfume, face cream, and argan oil, for a much cheaper price than at a regular retail store. If given the chance, I would’ve stayed in there for a whole day trying to figure out which perfume I wanted the most!

As I write this article, I am becoming more and more miserable (post-vacation depression is real, guys!). I am forever grateful for this trip as I not only had a splendid time but also learned many things about French culture, history, and language. Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to all the teachers and chaperones who made this journey possible!