France Video on Vimeo

It's finally here! The commemorative Ball High Spring Break 2017 Can't Stop this Feeling video mash-up has arrived.  Hat's off to Fallon Smith for her hard work in refining and editing the raw footage. Merci to Christophe and Magali for a terrific tour. Hope everyone enjoys the memories...

Watch this video on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/212826463


If that doesn't convince you to join us in Japan for 2018 nothing will! Share the good news about next year's trip by directing people to: www.eftours.com/1985930TR

Thank you and have a TORiffic week!

Parting Shots France

Twelve days, seven hotels, six busses (!), and two flights later we are all safely back in Galveston. All but one bag made the return trip home, but Sarah had her last piece of luggage delivered yesterday. Everyone was concerned about the events at Orly Saturday morning--Amanda's group departed the airport at 7:30 and they shut down from 8:30 to 1 PM for an investigation into the shooting of someone who attacked a guard. Fortunately, we were already in London when the news broke.


A lot of travelers took great pictures on the trip. Below is a link to my pictures--most importantly the group pictures which not a lot of students may have. We have submitted the best to the yearbook, but feel free (students) to send Ms. Rekoff a select few if you want them added to our page.


We will post the video as soon as it is edited and will send out information about registration for next year's trip in April.  Until then, enjoy the photos!

Visit the site at: https://springbreaktravelhs.shutterfly.com/
Enter this site password: europe2017

 

 

France Final Day

"I have been to France."
"I have been to Paris!"
"I've been to the French Riviera."
"I went to Normandy once..."
"I have been to Provence."
"I have been to Avignon."
"I've been to the Loire Valley and Chenonceau."

Any one of these statements would be impressive in and of itself. A conversation starter-a point of connection with someone-a counter to perceived stereotypes, maybe. Our travelers now claim all of the above. It's a lot to take in. We are all grateful for the trip, for our guides Magali and Christophe, and for the unprecedented sunny weather we enjoyed this past week. We hope this is a spark, the ignition of a flame inside these young people to travel, to explore, and to meet new people.

(Spoiler Alert!) For Spring Break 2018, the new people they meet will be from JAPAN!! 🇯🇵

France Day 11

Pont-du-Hoc: 225 Rangers scaled the cliffs to take out German guns trained upon both Utah and Omaha Beaches on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Troops had to scale the cliffs using grappling hooks and ladders fired from the boats they were landing in. Due to poor weather and a mistake in navigation, they arrived after sunrise and the element of surprise was lost. Only 90 men were still fighting after 2 days. Deep pits remain where a naval bombardment provided cover. This was our first stop of the morning.
Vierville-village of our guide and west end of Omaha Beach-the draw they advanced upon in Saving Private Ryan is one of only two points of entry to Omaha Beach today. Students walked out onto the sands and then approached the hills, reflecting upon the same view G.I. Joes had when they came ashore.
Our third stop was the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-mer where over 10,000 fallen Americans are interred. Several of us were brought to tears as individual stories of our national heroes were told at the memorial museum also on the grounds. Beside one of the tombstones to an unknown soldier we planted an American flag and had a moment of silence.

Lunch will be in Bayeux and dinner in Paris. Students will see the Cathedral of Notre Dame one final time. They will breathe in the air of France and spend their last euros. It will end abruptly, and although they miss home, there will be a tinge of sadness to leave behind so rich an experience. Weeks and months from now memories will resurface...France will always be a part of our collective conscience.

France Day 10

Christophe showed the documentary 'Sacrifice' this morning to set the tone for entering Normandy. Our first stop was at the Caen Memorial and museum. It's difficult to describe what mood this type of experience elicits from students. It is highly educational. It is also somber, serious, and surreal. Did this really happen? Were the atrocities really that widespread? They were particularly struck by the sacrifices made by so many young people. There were several student groups touring the museum at the same time, an international mix of learners and guides all watching, reading, and hopefully learning.

Many technical marvels enabled the D-Day invasion, including the floating bridges designed by the British to offload heavy artillery, additional troops, and supplies after an initial beachhead was established. It was foggy, but we stopped at Arromanches to view the remains of the temporary structure which a storm eventually destroyed.

We have now retired to our hotel in Grandcamp-Maisy. There is another EF group here--they are hard to miss in their pink EF bus! No elevators hasn't dampened the students' enthusiasm...it is easy to tell they are excited that home is only two days away. Some of them are homesick, others "pet"sick, and others are already asking how much it costs if your bag is over the weight limit on the return flight! In an ironic twist of fate, our final hotel may find more shampoo in the bathrooms after we leave rather than less. 😀

France Day 9

The weather has continued to show us favor. Students had a local guide show them the architecture and history of Paris this morning on a bus tour. Both groups had terrific guides who were almost as 'punny' as myself. Next, we spent a couple of hours touring the Louvre, the largest and arguably most significant museum in the world. Everyone saw the Mona Lisa (La Jaconde to the French), Greek statue of victory, and the Venus de Milo. (And did you know that in addition to democracy, the Greeks also invented the 'selfie'? See 1st century statue below...)

Afterwards, the group split: some wanted to go shopping and others took a guided walking tour to Notre Dame Cathedral. We reconnected at dinner before taking the metro to Montmartre. Here students bought souvenirs, photographed the Sacre Couer, and enthralled themselves with the sight of Paris at night. They listened to live musicians perform in the cafes while artists sketched caricatures. It was the quintessential way to end our time in Paris.

France Day 8

Chartres Cathedral, one of the most breathtaking in the world, has been largely untouched by pollution or war due to its location far outside industrial centers. Pilgrims visit to see remains of the Virgin Mary's scarf. The green rooftop is made of lead.

After Chartres we drove to the golden gates of Versailles and donned Whisper headsets for a guided tour. The former palace was crowded with tourists from around the globe eager to see the splendor and decadence that has inspired so many architects worldwide. Washington, D.C., for instance, was designed by a man born in Versailles. It's opulence and grandeur are still remarkable.

We weren't finished. Students cheered to see the Eiffel Tower rising in the distance and were thrilled when we dropped them off at the base. Students paid 5€ to climb 670 steps to the 2nd-level observation deck and took selfies galore. The weather was perfect and the light of the setting sun accentuated the city below. Our only hiccup was not realizing that the stairway down closed at a certain time and long ques developed for the single elevator in operation. It took more than an hour to get everyone down.

Tomorrow we will see more of Paris, ride the metro, and give students time to shop for souvenirs. Only three full days left to soak in France! (The candy pictured below is France's version of Sour Patch kids.)