Global Education
List of 10 news stories.
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Tuesday March 12
On Tuesday, we enjoyed lunch at a Parisian restaurant and french ‘glace’ as a desert afterwards. We toured the streets of Paris throughout the day, regularly using the subway. As we toured, Madame was subtly hinting at a ‘surprise’. It transpired that the surprise was a night at a local karaoke bar. We enjoyed the night together with music and our “perfect” voices. We concluded our day with a trip to the Notre Dame and a beautiful view of Paris. -
Sunday, March 10
Today was a good day. We slept in and had cereal for breakfast, as usual. Her aunts, uncles, and cousins came over. We played French-English Pictionary and went to the skate park. Afterwards, we came back home and played Just Dance. The kids were so cute and we baked chocolate cookies together. Dinner was a little sad because we all realized that it was my last meal with the Rousseau family and the week had passed so fast. I’ll miss Louise and her family, but Paris was waiting for me! —Edwina -
Saturday, March 9
This morning I slept in while my host Juliette finished some of her homework. Then Juliette, her mom, her brother and I all sat down for lunch. Afterwards her little brother had to go tour a middle school so we all went there and spent a lot of the day there walking around and talking to some of Juliette’s old teachers. Since the school was close to the downtown, Juliette and I went to meet up with one of her friends who was also a host for someone from Groton. We all walked around downtown for a while and then went back home. Later on Juliette’s dad dropped us off at her friend’s house where we ate pizza and played games.—Maya -
March 8—Châteaux de Chenonceau & Villandry
Today was different: rather than going to class, the french students came with us to the Chenonceau and Villandry castles. We left the school at around 8:15 AM, and arrived at Chenonceau at around 10 AM. Immediately, we were mesmerized by the fact that the castle was on water — a simple detail which made our experience even more special. Unlike the other castles we had visited, Chenonceau is often described as “the ladies’ chateau” or “Château des Dames” as throughout its history, it is they who have most influenced its design and its destiny.
We all thought it was funny and a bit ironic that we visited one of the few castles with such strong women presence on International Women’s Day. One room that captivated us was the room of lady Louise of Lorraine. Her room was black and sombre compared to the other ladies’ room. The reason is because her husband, Henry III, was assassinated and one of his dying wish was that she stay in the castle and pray for him. And so she did, and to honor him, she wore white and redesigned her room with symbol of death objects to illustrate her pain. After visiting the rooms of the castle, we were all super hungry so we all had lunch at the designated picnic area. After lunch, we got back on the bus, and headed to the castle of Villandry. This castle was also different because it felt much more recent than the other ones. It was enormous and the gardens had impeccable designs. Following that, some of us stopped by the store, where we purchased some souvenirs. Then, we headed to the bus once again, and left for the school. Once we arrived at the school, we separated, and we each went with our correspondents. We’re all super excited for the weekend, and a bit sad to leave on Monday. -
Nantes, March 7
Read MoreToday the group and I took a train to Nantes, where we roamed the streets admiring the different monuments. First, we visited a slave memorial by the river. There were lights embedded on the concrete sidewalk, with the names of different slave ships written on them. We then walked downstairs to the main memorial cite, where we found a map with dates of when the slave trade and slavery were abolished in different countries. There was also a hallway with quotes from leaders, artists, slaves, and political documents about freedom and equality. Seeing the memorial was a powerful experience. -
March 6
After a morning of classes, our correspondents came with us to visit the Angers Chateau. A beautiful and magnificent castle in the city of Angers. The chateau served as a fortress and a noble abode for the royal family for an extended period of time, and what is remained of it is now a tourist attraction and display for the elegant buildings and the ancient centuries-old Apocalypse Tapestry.Read More -
Tuesday March 5—Amboise & Clos Lucé
On March 5th, we did not have class in Saint Martin High School. Instead, we went on a two-hour road trip to Amboise, where Leonardo Da Vinci died. We arrived at the small town around 10:30am, having driven through a pleasant country of greenery very different from the monotonous grey at Groton. From there we took a walk toward the center of town, enjoying fresh air and traditional European houses lit up by rays of sunlight. Just as we were walking down a narrow rue, the road broadened and a huge castle was sitting on our right.Read More -
Angers, March 4
It’s our first day in France! Angers is so beautiful and so different from a bustling American city. In the morning, as Albane, my host, drove with her parents and me going to school, we passed by so many beautiful houses, their bricks worn and mossy with age. The small, winding brick roads were nearly empty, except for a few students and cars trying to get by. We stopped in the middle of a plaza, surrounded with small shops and cafés, to walk down the remaining road to her high school, or, in French, son lycée.Read More -
Angers, March 3
Families at the Angers Saint-Laud train station to greet us. We were all excited to meet, families and students. Students left with their host families. -
Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport
We had our first meal at a tea room bakery at Roissy where the students experienced their first macarons.
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