Today is the day!!!

 Today is...or wait was it yesterday??  

First off, Happy Birthdays to Abby on departure day( I did my best to embarrass her) and today to Logan who had a birthday song at supper this evening. 

    To be honest it is approaching midnight and I am not even sure what day it is, which brings back fond memories of years past when the days would completely run together at the beginning of the tour.  All in all we had a great couple of flights and a great start to our tour!  Picture it...Paris in the spring time - 24C and we are wandering around one of the most famous and fabulous cities in the world. 

    There were times during Covid when I wondered whether or not we’d ever get to do this again.  I must say the Olympic cleanup is still in effect, as the city is immaculate just as I heard it was pre-Olympics.  The kids have not yet sent many pictures to me, although we walked at a snail's pace at times as Snap and TikTok were in full effect as they made sure everyone knew where they were.  My plan is to get them to send many more pics to me so I can use them and also get them to give a first impression of the city of lights and love(love was found by Clara as she says she is never coming home) not a boy, but the city itself.  The biggest smile I have ever seen and I love that!!! 

    Please stay tuned for more tomorrow as the kids get involved and give me their opinions and thoughts on the city as well as their highlights and pictures.  Get some sleep everyone and will post an update tomorrow.  To recap, Seine River Tour, Eiffel tower, Louvre etc.  As you can see way too much to write about because I have seen it before,...stay tuned for real first impressions.

From Clara Arsenault/Grade 11 “When we first arrived at Paris my first thoughts were that it felt just like a movie. The fast moving city is beautifully different compared to what we’re used to in PEI, and the architectural details of each building makes even a simple walk down the street interesting and surreal. 

My favorite part of our first day was our Seine river cruise, which served as an amazing way to view some of the most significant monuments in all of Paris. I love how each structure has its story reflected in its details, making the city a place where history and modern life coexist perfectly. I’m lowkey moving here in the future.🔥🔥🔥”

Ian Sharpe/Grade 12

"After my first day on the long-awaited Vimy 2025 trip, I can tell you the hype Paris receives is for a good reason. After we landed at Charles de Gaulle that morning, we dropped our belongings off at our hotel and headed to the city. We would walk the streets that looked straight out of a movie set as we made our way towards the first big event of the day — a river cruise on the Seine.

We would marvel at the beautiful architecture surrounding us: the marble sculptures everywhere the eye could see, the golden accents across the city. It made me realize that there wasn’t a single similarity to what we had at home in terms of the buildings that we saw, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but it only emphasizes the importance of trips like this.

Students seldom have the chance to travel alongside experienced travelers who can provide a sense of security for them, and if one is able to, they should seize that opportunity. I can confidently say today we learnt things today that can’t be taught in a classroom. To see what we saw and to have the impact that I’m certain we all felt as a group was unbelievable.

    After this, we would grab supper and eat Flams, which is like a thin pizza with a white sauce that’s typically topped with a protein and onions. They were quite delicious and a hit among my fellow students. After that, we would walk the city some more and develop an even greater appreciation for what we were taking in. After the first day of walking around, taking in our surroundings and experiencing a new culture, but I can confidently say that this was a day I’ll never forget. "

Thank you to Ian and Clara for helping me out....its always nice to get a new perspective, a fresh set of eyes, certainly two pairs that are a lot younger than mine!! Apologies for the lateness, but I think this is a schedule I can somewhat keep although it is 12:11 on May 1st as we just got back from dealing with some luggage issues at CDG. I have a few things to write about today and what they saw and experienced, but I need to upload their 90000000000 pictures they sent me!!

Good night all!! The kids are great!!!

dc