Our first school trip with Jason brought us to the beautiful town of Beaune in the Burgundy wine-making region of France. It was here that he and I tried authentic French escargot for the first time and were forever changed! As our esteemed French teacher, Jason was an invaluable addition to the group. He could effortlessly communicate in situations where the rest of us would be relegated to foolishly waving our arms or overemphasizing our syllables (as if that could hasten understanding across the language barrier). Jason in France is Jason in his element.
This is Jason's trip!
Walking around Amsterdam transports you back in time to the Dutch Golden Age as the city looks much the same as it did in the 1600s. Stroll along canals lined with trees and the iconic townhouses topped with pretty gables. Stop into a cozy café, peruse some great art, enjoy some street-corner jazz or immerse yourself in the rich Dutch history.
WWII history lovers will want to begin at Anne Frank House where Anne and her family hid from the Nazis. Their hiding place is preserved as it was during that time and is truly a moving experience to take in firsthand. The national museum, Rijksmuseum is dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located close to the Van Gogh Museum so the art lovers will find a convenient alternative depending on interest. The Dutch Resistance Museum and Jewish Historical Museum are other WWII historical sites to take in or, if you’re looking for something a little lighter, check out the fun Houseboat Museum! Finally, the Amsterdam Museum is world renowned for its engaging exhibits of Amsterdam’s history.
If you’re still hungry for more art after the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum, check out the Moco Museum to see works by Andy Warhol and Banksy as well as Stedlijk Museum with its vast selection of modern and contemporary art. If you love photography, check out FOAM which is located in a renovated canal house. You may also want to visit another house – Rembrandthuis, which has been recreated to look like it did in 1639 when Rembrandt purchased it.
The City of Light has been immersing visitors in culture for centuries. Paris is a world capital of art, literature, food, and fashion – all the fine things of life of planet Earth. Throw some sports in there and you have a city experience for everyone! With its grand boulevards, sumptuous crêpes, trendy boutiques and world-class museums and galleries, you’ll never want to leave.
Art aficionados as well as history buffs will need the best part of a day to explore the Louvre because there is much more to see than just the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo! If you’re still in the mood to see more, you can take the 12 minute walk to the Orsay Museum which holds the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world. Venture to the Latin Quarter to see the Panthéon and then take the 12 min stroll to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame to marvel at its splendor.
Go back in time as you explore the Catacombs of Paris which contains over six million human skeletons, some of whom were victims during the French Revolution. Visit another burial place at Les Invalides, built in the seventeenth century but King Louis XIV and the site of Napoleon’s Tomb. While visiting Notre Dame, go underground to the Crypte Archeologique of Paris which has architectural remains dating back to the 3rd century BC and, of course, a stroll beneath the Arc de Triomphe is a must. Place de la Concorde is another site to visit so you can reflect on what it must have been like for King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution – yikes! And finally, if you’re in the mood for a day trip, check out King Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles and all its grand opulence!
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