France 2025

 I started the day with doing some activities with my host dad. We played tennis, ping pong, and foosball (they call it "bambi foot"). I lost on all of them.  After we had lunch, where the dad made French fries. They were very good, and I can now say I have had actual French fries. Most meals include a second small course of cheese, yogurt, or apple sauce. I had the apple sauce, as I had the other ones on previous days.  We then went to the pool in the apartment complex, which was relaxing and fun. After the pool my host family took me on a scenic bike ride on the bike paths of Lyon. The path went alongside the river and the whole ride was very beautiful. The paths were very well maintained and very wide, allowing for many bikers and walkers. We passed wharfs, where there was various activities happening such as restaurants on boats, dancing, or preparing for the upcoming electronic music festival.  I saw a few universities/colleges, which had very historical or goth...

I woke up at 9:00 feeling great. For breakfast, we had croissants that were awarded best of France. Once we had finished eating, we watched tennis and loaded the bikes in the car. We had decided to go to the lac d’Annecy to bike.  Unfortunately, there were many accidents, so the trip took longer than expected. We used this time to watch more tennis and admire the scenery. The hills slowly turned into snow capped mountains.  I unloaded my bike and we set off to bike around the lake. It was a beautiful day, and the countryside was stunning. We saw tall mountains and cows grazing in open fields.  After having biked for a while we stopped to have a picnic. I was so hungry I ate half of a baguette with ham and cheese.  We kept biking and eventually there was a hill. It was huge, and took a lot of effort to climb. Once I was up, there was a wonderful view. It was mostly downhill from there.  We went home and played volleyball in the pool. For dinner, we had quenelles ...

On May 28th, the BC High exchange students visited the Museum of Illusions, close to the downtown area of Lyon. The museum was a very cool experience for us, and it was very interesting to see all the different illusions. Afterwards, we grabbed a quick snack and went to check out the Grand Hôtel-Dieu, a former hospital renovated into a hotel and restaurants. After walking around there, we ate lunch and went to the laser tag games. We Americans competed against all of the French students and it was a very competitive and fun game.

First, the group grabbed croissants from an authentic French bakery. They were delicious! Any Boston treats would not compare. We then all took a bus to the first stop of the day, a medieval village. The scenery of the French countryside was gorgeous. The name of the French medieval village was called Pérouges. We first saw a beautiful church there with high ceilings, completely made out of stone. This was the entrance to the village and we knew we were expecting beautiful houses. The following pictures show the stone houses, stone roads, beautiful weather, and vibrant plants and wildlife within the village. After the beautiful visit, we went to see some caves after another bus ride. These caves were high, expansive, and had tight winding pathways in between. The tour guide provided us with extensive knowledge on the founding and creation of the caves/site.

Good Morning, Parents, I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day. On May 26 we started out with our first visit to Saint Marc. We got a tour of their beautiful chapel and school building. We ate school lunch and then we left for the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière. This church was spectacular and perfectly constructed. On the guided tour we got amazing access to towers, cool backrooms, the bell room, and breathtaking views. Then we went into old Lyon where Madame bought us ice cream and we had free time to do as we please. Personally, I went with Seamus, Dean, and Hugh to try French Tacos as well as French snacks. We then walked back to school and went home with our exchange buddies. I went to rock climbing and got to know some of Valentin’s friends. We then ate dinner around 9 with his family and headed to bed a little early in preparation for our visit to a medieval village and underground caves. 

I honestly didn’t think much when I first got on the plane from Amsterdam to Lyon. All I cared about was sleep, sleep, and sleep. I kept looking out of the window in the plane, dreaming about having a nice bed to lie down on instead of this snug leather seat that’s also making my neck hurt. The nice view does negate the pain a little, however.  As I arrive, I am greeted by Khalil’s mom and Khalil. We exchanged some words before driving off. I didn’t talk much given that I was completely exhausted. I wish we could go straight home, but Khalil’s mom insisted we go out to eat before heading home. I eventually agreed. I enjoyed the views of Lyon and found it to be way more tropical than Boston, yet there is no sea. Modern yet also traditional, for when you feel this place is too modern, especially looking at their metro, the old cathedrals and century-old castles downtown neutralize it. The train looks like it’s made by Tesla, with how it’s almost all glass and see-through.  Bac...

On May 24th, we landed in Lyon, where we were greeted by all of our host students and families at Lyon’s airport. Luckily, it wasn’t too long of a drive to my host's family's house, only around 40 minutes as the airport is somewhat far out. When we arrived, they showed me around the house and where I would be staying. Thankfully, I had some time to unpack and have something to eat, as we had been traveling for a while. After lunch, I met up with another BCH student and their host to visit the Musée Lumière, which was really interesting as I had never known Lyon was home to so much history in film-making. After the museum, we went over to Place Bellecour, one of the main spots where many people go to hang out and also a large shopping area. Not too far away is Vieux Lyon, the old town of Lyon, which, in my opinion, is one of the better parts of the city. It is filled with various shops, restaurants, and local stores. After walking around Bellecour for a bit, we headed over there...