During the last week of term 3, myself and 21 other year 10 and 11 students that are studying French had the opportunity to participate in a linguistic exchange organised by Madame Chu. We were accompanied by the wonderful Mr Rouse, Madame chu and Ms Kirkham, who took a lot of care in making the trip memorable for us. Our general itinerary saw us spend 2 weeks in Nice with a host family, attending school with our exchange sibling and exploring the south of France, and then catching a train to Paris to spend a week exploring the capital city of France.
The trip was an immersive experience that combined learning about modern life in France with the rich historical and cultural aspect of the country.
In Nice, we were paired up with a host family, and we were able to attend school with our host sibling. I was extremely lucky, and I was paired with the French version of myself, my sister Clementine. There were so many differences between school in Australia and school in France. The most shocking by far being the 10 hour school days. For most students, school starts at 8am, with their last class finishing at 6pm. There was a 1 hour break for lunch, which was a meal served by the school. My exchange sister does 10 subjects at school, including 4 languages. There were no drink fountains at school, and they do not use computers during class. My favourite part of the school system was having half days on Wednesday, where most students finish before 1pm (even though the amount of time they went to school is equivalent to one full-length school day in Australia). When we weren’t attending French school, we spent time exploring the South of France. Our adventures took us to Monaco, Eze, Cannes and other places in the South of France. We spent time exploring the city-centre of Nice, which is extremely different to the city-centre of Perth. On the weekend, we were able to participate in activities with our host family. I was able to spend time exploring Nice with my host family, eating traditional dishes from Nice, learning about the history of Nice and eating lots of ice-cream. On Saturday, we were able to drive 30 minutes and cross the border into Italy! We went to markets in San Remo, discovered the old city centre, and stayed and ate lunch before travelling home. The next day we were able to hike in the most beautiful mountainside I have ever seen. There were cows roaming the landscape, and no shortage of waterfalls and incredible views. Clementine and I were even adopted by a butterfly during our hike! I had the best time with my host family, and we were able to do so much during the two weeks I was in Nice. With my sister we went shopping, to the beach, and I even joined by family at their weekly choir and dance lessons!!!
I had an incredible time with my host family, and I am so grateful for everything that they have done for me. I am so lucky that I was placed with the kindest host family that there is! However, all good things must come to an end, and after two weeks we said a heart breaking goodbye as I boarded a train to Paris.
After a 6 hour train ride, we left our baggage at our hotel, and headed straight to the Eiffel tower.
After watching the beautiful sunset, we walked to a famous part of Paris where we could view the Eiffel tower as it began to sparkle. It was an action packed first day in Paris, and the days that followed were similarly set out. Waking up early and getting back late, we made the most of our days, and did not miss a single monument. We saw the Arc de Triomph, Champs-Elysee, the obelisk, the catacombs, Chateau de Versailles, the louvre, the musee d’orsay and more. We ate at restaurants and in parks, and created unforgettable memories. One of my favourite memories from the trip was exploring Paris through a river cruise of the Seine. Everything felt so peaceful, and it was so interesting to see all of the locals relaxing or dancing by the river as a normal part of their day. We had metro cards that we were able to use to navigate the underground metro system, which was extremely efficient, and made our trip a whole lot easier. Small groups took turns leading us to and from our destination, and it was a great way to prove our independence and test our knowledge of the Parisian public transport system. My favourite place that we ate dinner at was at a restaurant where we had endless fondue, and another Parisian restaurant where we had the chance to try escargot!!! Another place that I liked was Bercy Village, where we ate burgers and then were able to get milkshakes from five guys afterwards.
Overall, the trip was a magnificent experience, and I am so grateful to everyone who enabled me to go on this trip including my mum, my host family, Madame Chu, Mr Rouse and Ms Kirkham, and the other students that I travelled with. It was an incredible experience, and one that I will not forget quickly!
