Travel the World: France

 written by 20204 Kim Eunhwan, 20306 Kim Yena & 20326 Hwang Yerin

The 18th generation of French majors went on a trip from May 3 to 10. During this international exchange, buying and eating food were the easy ways for French majors to get to know more about French culture.

In Paris

After Sawlians arrived at Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport, they had their first meal in France, which consisted of escargot and steak. Escargot means “snail” in French.

French major Park Somin said, “It tastes like rose pasta.”

After touring the Orangerie Museum, students visited Jardin des Tuileries for a freestyle lunch. Students could roam around on their own and buy what they wanted for lunch.

In the afternoon, students visited the Palace of Versailles and the Musée d’Orsay. Both of them are some of the most famous places in France. For dinner, students had bossam and met with French students.

In Tours

Sawlians wandered the streets of Tours and ate freely. Students were able to speak with locals and experience daily life in France. For Sawlians, it was one of the most valuable experiences of this trip. Then, Sawlians visited a Korean school and met French students. Together, they talked and walked around Tours.

Lee Haerim said that her French friend’s kind explanations, the beautiful scenery of the village and the star showers made her feel like she was in a scene from a movie.

Josephine, a French student, was glad to meet Sawlians during the trip. “You were so shiny and sweet. It made me love humanity more. Even though the language barrier was hard, we made it together, I thought it was beautiful.”

On the fourth day, Sawlians visited Chenonceau Castle and Chambord Castle. Both of them were great places to appreciate French Renaissance architecture.

In Mont-Saint-Michel

On the fifth day, Sawliwas visited Mont Saint-Michel Abbey, which is located in Mont Saint-Michel. Mont Saint-Michel is an island off the coast of Normandy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then they visited the port city, Honfleur. They saw unfamiliar building features of Honfleur, which were dense and longish.

After exploring Honfleur, they went to the cliffs of Étretat, which is famous for its elephant rocks.

In Paris

Sawlians reached the top of the Eiffel Tower by elevator. The view of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower is symmetrical, showing that Paris is a planned city. After that, they had a French course meal for lunch. It was a valuable time for them to experience the French food culture.

Sawlians then visited the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe and the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, the subject of the famous song, “Aux Champs-Elysées.”

The last stop of the day was an open-air cruise on the Bateaux Mouches. Sawlians could see the views of Paris along the Seine River.

Early in the morning on the last day in France, Sawlians visited the 19th arrondissement. There are 20 arrondissements that make up Paris. Students climbed Montmartre Hill, which has many photo spots, such as the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre and a merry-go-round. Even though Sawlians weren’t able to go inside the cathedral, they enjoyed sitting in front of it and busking with a panoramic view of Paris.

French Major Kwon Danyoung

One of the memories I will never forget is seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle in the wind with my friends in the dark night. It was a very romantic and fun experience!

We boarded the cruise in the evening before sunset, so we were able to see the city of Paris until the sun went down, and it was a wonderful view. Sawlians were able to listen to audio descriptions of the different buildings as they passed by. These descriptions were more informative while actually seeing them.

The School Life and Events department of the PRESS will report on the 2024 second-grade exchange program in a four-part series.