by Chloe Chandler Kelly
On the 25th of September we met in the airport very early!
We ended up being on the plane for around 9am and this is when we all started to get excited to be going to France.
The first day:
From the airport we got straight on our coach for a long trip to get food. We stopped at Mc Donalds for a while and then it was back on the road.
We visited the Pont Du Gard, and it was incredibly beautiful, one thing I love about France is the monuments and its scenery.
It was interesting to also find out that the bridge was used to carry water to the city of Nimes over the Gard River. It’s so interesting and crazy to know that such wonderful things had such big purposes! After being at the Pont Du Gard for some time we got back on the bus to go to our hotel for the first time that day. The hotel was so lovely, it really felt as if we were on holiday. After a long day we went to sleep early for an early start the next day!
The second day:
This was our first day at the school and I was in the professional school where we did woodwork, stonework and ironwork. It was so fun and different to what we were used to back home! We also met Sarajane’s mam who was also a great touch on the trip, she was so kind and helpful.
After school we went to Jardin De la Fontaine which was a huge park where we were able to walk around and chill in the sun because the weather was incredible! Later, we went back to the school for dinner where we got to talk with friends, we had met that day. We headed back to the hotel, relaxed, and slept!
The third day:
In the morning we got to go on a scavenger hunt with some of the students from the school and we were able to see all the markets and shops kids our age in France were used to!
Then we made our way to Grotte De La Salamandre which in my opinion was the most beautiful cave I’ve ever seen! We had a funny tour guide who made it even better, he pointed out different faces and shapes that were made in the cave and we even got to watch a light show highlighting all the major creations! Everyone stood in awe of its beauty.
Then we headed back to the hotel and invited some of our friends we’d met that day over to hang out, and of course after that we went to bed!
The fourth day:
We went on our final trip to the school where I was in the academic school, I liked being able to participate in the English class! We went for lunch in the school canteen, said goodbye to our friends and got back on the bus to Avignon where we went on a museum tour and shopped. Avignon is one of the top places we went mainly because I love to shop. The shops are better than Ireland which makes me very jealous.
Then we went back to the hotel for our final night in France. Some of our friends came into our room and we played games and got to know each other better as it was a mix between 4th and 5th years, so it was nice making new friends! And as always, we went to sleep!
The final day:
Summer and I ended up waking up at the time we were supposed to meet in the reception at… sorry Mr. Gunning. Great way to start the trip back home! We finally got on the bus and drove to get breakfast and lunch for later on that day. Then we drove to visit a castle that had a lot of shops inside of it for great souvenirs. We got back on the bus for our final bus journey and arrived at the airport, checked in, weighed our bags, went through security and we were en route back to Dublin, sadly.
Overall, I enjoyed this trip tremendously because I got to improve my French, make new friends and become closer with my new year group. Not to mention all the places we visited are places I will never forget!
I’m glad I was picked for this trip, and I would do it again if I had the chance, I am forever grateful for this opportunity!