We headed towards Paris but made a very worthwhile stop at Rouen. Our destination there was the intricately detailed Notre-Dame cathedral. We marveled at the incredible Gothic architecture. We found the inside to be coldly ornate and expansive. We were impressed by the narrow, cobblestone streets as we made our way to the site where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake as a heretic in 1941. Opportunities for lunch were varied and plentiful and we witnessed some demonstrations in the street about low pension funding.
After lunch, we hopped on the bus and headed to Paris where we said "adieu" to our bus driver, Bachir. He grew attached to our group throughout the trip and said that he will miss us.
On our trip to the Eiffel Tower, we discovered that "the monster does live in the metro," as some may recall from grade 9 French. We clutched our purses and cameras, we held each others' hands, we looked left and right, forwards and backwards. We counted consistently. One student said that the experience "got you on your toes and got your adrenaline pumping." And then...we discovered that we were really pros at the metro and found ourselves at the Eiffel Tower. Ascending to the summit was an "uplifting" experience. Though it was rainy and windy, one student said that there were "some good bonding moments while we were all soaked." Upon our descent, we ran for cover as we saw "a wall of rain" approaching the tower.
We made our way through various subway stops to dinner at "Grains Nobles et Plus" in the Sorbonne neighbourhood. We were treated to a tasty meal of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pulled pork, and finished with a dessert described by the students as "mango mush" and "an attempted crème bruleé" with a zest of lemon topped with strawberries. Unfortunately, our tour guide left his backpack at the Eiffel Tower, so we had to fend for ourselves in making our way back to the hotel. One student commented that "we missed Bachir because of our experiences [misadventures] on the subway." Another student was heard to say that "the subway was an adventure and that's okay because adventures make everything interesting."
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