We’re back to the blog after a brief hiatus. It’s time to check back in on our COBA students and their adventures!
COBA in France: June 11th by Reese Herring and Zack Horton
Today was probably the busiest day we’ve had thus far on our trip. At 4:30am this morning the coach picked us up at our houses in Oxford and took us to the Gatwick airport in London where we took a 45 minute flight across the English Chanel to Paris, France.
When we arrived in Paris we got on a coach and traveled about an hour and a half outside the city to a town called Amiens.
We immediately drove to Amiens, a few hours outside the city, and visited a tech company called Appleton who is owned by Emerson Electric.
After lunch they gave us a short presentation over the heat and extreme weather resistant electrical products that they provide for those customers. Following the presentation we took a tour of their factory where they were manufacturing all of their products.
After we left their factory, we rode the coach into town and toured the Notre Dame cathedral of Amiens, which is twice the size of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, to put it in perspective. The cathedral was built in the 13th century.
At about 6 o’clock we left Amiens and took a 3 hour coach ride to Paris. When we arrived in Paris we checked into the MIJE Hostel, ate dinner and walked around Paris for about an hour. It was a big day packed full of activities and driving all over France!
COBA in Paris: June 12th by Ellen Johnson
June 12 I was the historian of the day! We had the opportunity to explore the city of Paris on our own before a bike tour. We rode about 8 miles and were able to see awesome historical sights. In the morning we got up and went to a French bakery for breakfast, walked to the Louvre and ended at the Eiffel Tower.
It was so much fun getting to see different landmarks that I have heard about since I was little but had never visited. It was crazy trying to communicate with the people of Paris via hand signals and the broken French that our group knows. It was also hard to differentiate between cultures because they looked like us but it was weird to think that they could not understand us at all. On the bike tour, we were able to see more of the city where we hadn’t walked and learned a little history about everything we saw.
COBA in Paris: June 13th by Chelsea Johnson
Saturday, June 13th, we had free time to explore the wonderful city of Paris! I woke up and decided I wanted crepes for breakfast. I then proceeded to city Ladúree to get a whole box of macaroons.
Then we took a cab to the catacombs, but the line was wrapped all around the corner of the block so we were unable to view them. Instead, we decided to have pizza with chili oil (my new favorite pizza accessory).
Next, we headed back to the hostel and then took a 4 hour bus ride to Normandy. Once in Normandy, we ate at a cute little seafood restaurant right next to the dock and then hiked up the mountain to explore, enjoy the beauty of the city, and watched the sunset. The end!
COBA in France: June 14th by Chris Kirklin
Today was our last day in France.
We began the morning with a nice breakfast at our hotel followed by a bus ride to Mont St. Michel. Mont St. Michel is an island commune, which was built before the year one thousand.
Over the centuries since it was originally built, there have been many additions to make Mont St. Michel what it is today. Twice a month, the tide engulfs the area around it, making Mont St. Michel one of the most beautiful places in all of France. Unfortunately today, the tides did not reach the castle but from the pictures and postcards we saw, it looked to be a beautiful sight.
The style and architecture was exquisite and I think it reminded everyone of Hogwarts.
After the tour we set off to Dinard Airport to catch our flight back to London and finished off the day with a bus ride back to Canterbury Road!