Unforgettable Paris – A Four Day Visit
“What a Wonderful Experience.” Our students wanted to stay longer!!! ….. Twenty-four students from the Art and French Departments from Christ the King had a brilliant time and, as great globetrotters in the making, made the most of each moment.
An excellent trip! I wish I had been able to record the moment our students discovered the Eiffel Tower by night. This iconic symbol of Paris shone like a bright star and the awe and wonder on the students’ faces was priceless! The Arc de Triomphe and a stroll down the Champs Elysée were the backdrop to our students who posed like superstars, in this majestic Avenue of the City of Light. As they raised their cameras, our students became amateur ‘influencers’, happy to share the moment with their friends back home.
Of course, Paris would not be Paris without its political scene and students witnessed vociferous protestors defending their retirement age rights, adding a touch of social realism, during their tour of the Trocadero. Meanwhile, one of our students, unperturbed by the demonstrations, enjoyed roller skating …… “La belle vie!” Whether visiting the Louvre, the Rodin Museum of the famous “Thinker”, or Museum of Modern Art and Museum d’Orsay, all were a feast for the eyes and senses. Our journey led us, as well, to reflect on the timeless paintings, artists and their lives. Often, the students rested, silent, thoughtful or bewildered before these sometimes evocative or provocative images and messages from the past. This was a most inspiring, beautiful and amazing journey through time not forgetting the delicious French gastronomy – escargot or cuisse de grenouille? But, whether you consider the Centre Pompidou as an architectural masterpiece or the Ugliest Museum in the World, is still up for debate. Our students’ opinions were divided on that question – to the dismay of the Art teachers present! From the view within the Centre, however, the panoramic spectacle from the 5th Floor left all of us unanimously, enchanted.
One student who attended the trip said;
“I very much enjoyed my time in Paris and the experience was unforgettable. I was able to immerse myself in French culture, seeing iconic landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower and learning about how they represented different points in French history. We also went to a lot of museums where we were able to look at the different aspects of the art culture there. Going to the Louvre was my favourite part of the trip. I got to see a variety of famous artwork from all around the world including “Liberty Leading the People” by Delacroix. We also visited the Museum of Modern Art where I learnt about the work of Christian Boltanski. There is an exhibit of his work with old telephone books with the idea of bringing everyone in the world into one place which I thought was very creative.”
