One of the reasons that people took French at York High was to go to France. The legal drinking age was lower and since it was open to juniors and seniors we were all of age. Granted it was wine but I would imagine that many a York High student had their first legal drink on a trip like this. So, some Kevin trivia. My first legal drink was from a bottle of wine in Tours, France.
France 2000
First time in a country that did not speak English. Three years of French in high school and I didn’t think I really knew any. Arrived in Paris and saw some of the sights. Unfortunately my camera did not load the film properly and I didn’t realize it until it was too late. Gone are pics of the Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concord, the Louvre, Champs Elysses, Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame. Ooops.
Left Paris and went to Versailles. It was good to be the king…
Visited Chambord Castle, Chenonceau Castle and the Chartres Cathedral.
On to Claude Monet’s garden. Also stopped briefly at Fougeres Castle.
Now for something interesting in Normandy. First to Mont St. Michel and then onto the landing beaches. Saw Point du Hoc, the American Cemetery and Arromanches. I was reading D-Day from Stephen Ambrose at the time for history class. Worked out well. Saving Private Ryan had just been released and I found a paragraph in the book about the Niland brothers which sounded an awful lot like the plotline. Turns out that was indeed what the movie was based on.
Back into Paris. Ms. Flinchbaugh knew that my camera didn’t load and that I had lost a lot of pictures. I got some on the bus ride back into Paris but didn’t get them all. She actually let me go out that night and ride La Metro to get what I didn’t get. Got everything except for Notre Dame. It was dark by the time I got there and the pictures did not come out. I still can’t believe she let me do that with no chaperon and only a street map.