While other students were reporting to summer jobs or going to swim meets, nine Northgate students went off on a 10-day adventure that included climbing the Eiffel Tower, jumping into the beautiful Mediterranean of the Barcelona coast and roaming the halls of the Royal Palace of Madrid.
Thr group traveled to Paris, Barcelona and Madrid with Spanish teacher Jill Casillas leading as well as English teacher Karen Jenkins and parent chaperones. They traveled with EF Tours, an educational touring company that provided buses and tour guides.
“I chose to go on this trip because it has always been a goal of mine to travel as much as I can and to see as much of the world as possible,” said junior Liliana Orlowski, one of the travelers. “I also think it is so important to go out and explore the world and gain new experiences, especially with friends!”
The trip started bright and early at San Francisco International airport a little after midnight and with passports in hands and dreams ready. Most of the students did not know one another so it was interesting to see relationships develop along the way. They started by flying from San Francisco to New York, and then to Paris, France. Once they got onto the plane, excitement filled the air.
Landing in Paris was amazing for the students but they were also very tired. Instead of going to a hotel right away, they took to the streets immediately on the morning of July 9 and had fun exploring Paris including the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the student section Latin Quarter.
The next day, they ventured to the Eiffel Tower, taking photos and admiring it from afar with a nighttime visit planned for later. A visit to the Arc de Triomphe and a stop to take pictures and enjoy French coffee at a little cafe followed, and they concluded their sightseeing for the day with an afternoon tour of the Palace of Versailles with beautiful architecture, paintings, and artifacts. After a hotel check-in, some students ventured out by Metro with chaperones to climb the Eiffel Tower and watch the light show.
The next day, the travelers enjoyed a personal tour of a soap and parfumerie, then delighted in exploring the incredible paintings in the Louvre. One of the most amazing paintings they saw was the Mona Lisa. The afternoon and evening ended in Montmartre, at hilltop Sacre Coeur, the Sacred Heart Basilica. Dinner ended with a treat as many students tried escargot, or snails, for the first time which is a classic French delicacy and most liked the dish.
Excitement filled the air as their next destination was Barcelona, Spain. After an all-day high, they arrived at their hotel and slept comfortably. Waking up near the coast, they walked around La Rambla, a famous boulevard with shops and food. The students were able to pick a restaurant of their choice and most chose to try Spain’s most iconic dish, paella. After devouring their scrumptious lunch of rice and seafood, they followed a tour guide through the Park Güell and later walked into the breathtaking Sagrada Família.
On their second day in Barcelona, they took a beautiful bike ride through the city and later, jumped into the beautiful Mediterranean. Dinner and a flamenco show was next as they brushed the sand off. Pasta was yummy and watching the flamenco dancers was awesome. Flamenco is a form of dance that is sort of like tap dance with gorgeous flowy dresses for the women. Afterwards, some students decided to explore the beach near their hotel and ran around the sand.
The next and final stop was Madrid, with a walk around Puerta del Sol, the royal Plaza Mayor, and a chance to roam Madrid’s shops and try new foods such as Spanish churros con chocolate.
On their final day of their adventure, the students went to the Royal Palace of Madrid which was beautiful. Finally, they went to the small city of Toledo. In this city in Spain, they went to the Catedral Primada de Toledo, an incredible Cathedral with beautiful carvings and decorations.
This trip was an incredible learning experience for the students and teachers, filled with culture, traditions, cuisine, friendships, and so much more. Here is what other students had to say:
Gloria Christian (Class of 2028)
“I chose to go on this trip because I’ve never been to France or Spain before and I thought it would be a great opportunity. My most valuable memory from this trip was going to the Mediterranean sea with new people and seeing the cathedral Segrada Familia, in Barcelona. My biggest takeaway from this trip or what I learned was to try new things and to meet new people because it will take you far.”
Liliana Orlowski (Class of 2027)
“I chose to go on this trip because it has always been a goal of mine to travel as much as I can and to see as much of the world as possible. I also think it is so important to go out and explore the world and gain new experiences especially with friends! One of the most valuable memories I have from the trip is everyone all of a sudden clicking and making so many new friends and having so much fun together despite the fact that we wouldn’t have hung out with each other without going on this trip. My biggest takeaway from going on this trip was probably realizing how important it is to go out and take advantage of experiences like this. They really are life changing and I learned so much about culture and history. This was definitely one of the best trips I’ve been on and I would love to see more!”
Ian Baskerville (Class of 2027)
“I chose to go on this trip because I have always wanted to go somewhere outside of the country and this was a really great way to do this. I also thought I wanted to go because I could go by myself without my family. My most valuable or best memory from the trip was going to the beach at night in Barcelona. We went two days in a row and it was super fun. I learned that I should just go for things that I want. Even a couple days before the trip I was hesitant about going but looking back I’m so glad I did decide to go because it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I was really nervous about going around the world without my family but I think going by myself made it even more special.”
Mrs. Jill Casillas (Spanish teacher)
“I decided to include France on this “Spain” trip because Mrs. Jenkins, the other teacher chaperone has taught French here at Northgate in the past and originally we wanted to include both cultures or expose our students to more. What is your most valuable experience or memory from the trip? It was an epic experience to tour through the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris since its destruction of the fire a few years ago and its recent restoration and opening to the public. EF tours provide a very educational tour and I learned so much in each spot we traveled to. Something I never knew much about though was the history and formation of Parque Gruell in Barcelona. It was fun for me to put all of the little pieces of knowledge I had together by visiting it and taking the tour.”
