Wheeling our luggage into Dublin, tired and jet-lagged, our souvenirs weren’t the only things we brought back with us from France. A week of sightseeing, socialising, and soaking up all we could of the culture and customs of the country gave us more than just some sunburn and an album’s worth of photos — it left us with newfound knowledge, experience, and even some improved French skills.

 

Starting our trip in Paris, we instantly began ticking off our jam-packed to-do list: visiting the Sacré-Cœur Cathedral, strolling through the cobblestone streets of the city, admiring the beautiful architecture of Paris via a boat trip on the Seine, and trying our best to catch up on sleep during the bus journeys in between. We roamed through the fantastical walkways of Disneyland Paris, screamed on the rides, and did some shopping in our spare time. Before travelling to Quimper on the TGV, our group explored the palatial rooms of the Louvre, admired its wall décor, segwayed around Paris, and, of course visited La Tour Eiffel.

 

We attended school in Gourin for the week after arriving in Quimper on Sunday evening, putting our French skills into practice while the students there took the opportunity to try out their English. After school on the first evening in Brittany, we visited the beach, swam in the sea and did some shopping around the coastal town of Concarneau. Another evening we completed an 11 km walk from Collège Châteaubriand to the town of Guiscriff. There, we spent the evening sharing Irish culture through tin whistle music, singing, poetry recitations, and dancing at a town-twinning event.

 

Our final night was spent in Nantes, where we enjoyed sunny weather and plenty of shopping. That night in France was made memorable by balcony views from our hotel rooms, overlooking the bustling city and the trains flowing through the station beside us.

 

From the two pointed towers of the gothic Quimper Cathedral to the spooky and adrenaline-rushing Tower of Terror, the French trip was full of variety, excitement, discovery, and adventure. Merci beaucoup to Ms McDermott, Ms Lyons, Ms Griffin, Ms O’Roarke, Ms Gemma Collins and Bernard Mahe for all their patience and help throughout the trip. C'était un très bon voyage!