West High students and guests traveled to Germany, France, and Spain with Ms. Jennifer Cobb for a memorable European vacation this past summer. Most West High students had never been out of the country before, so they definitely had to adjust to many different European customs. Sleeping on the plane ride there was strongly suggested, but most did not manage to get much sleep at all as the flight was during the day. Because of the six hour time change, West students arrived in the morning, European time. Back home, it was around 2 a.m, so going straight off the plane and exploring was a challenge to say the least.
To begin, it felt as if we were transported into another world when we arrived in Germany. The airport was indoor and outdoor, and that was where we met our tour director from EF Tours, Santi. Europe had many unique attributes that differed from the U.S, such as most of everyone biked where they went no matter the location, ice was rare to find, bottle caps were attached to all the bottles to prevent more littering, and we often had to pay to use the bathroom. There were so many beautiful palaces and castles in Germany along with old and strong pieces of architecture. We got to ride a train that went up to Heidelberg castle and its famous wine barrel. The view and area itself was gorgeous. The castle looked untouched and there was a nice place around it to walk around or relax in the park area. The smaller cities seemed to be the most beautiful, aesthetically and as a place of community. The more populated areas were more chaotic and smelly. The larger cities also called for us to be very cautious of pick pocketers. This was a big subject Santi talked about, and he did a great job of keeping us on the right track while also having a lot of fun.
Moreover, Paris was one of the cities many of us were looking forward to because of its popularity and reputation. Walking through Paris was a stunning reality check, and it mirrored exactly what a big city would be like. People were constantly moving, many performed and provided entertainment on the streets, and it even reeked of urine at times. Two very magical moments in France were visiting the Versailles and Eiffel Tower. Versailles has a truly incredible garden that looks as if it stretches out forever. It is the epitome of French royalty. As we were about to experience more of this palace, a fire broke out and caused everyone to have to evacuate. It did not seem like much of a big deal from where we were, but it was an experience that will be hard to forget. Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person was crazy, but seeing it sparkle at night was surreal. Even with how crowded it was, many of us still got an amazing view of the tour. It was a long journey to travel back to the hotel on the metro train. France was freezing most of the time, so the temperature was very low at that time of night. We ended up getting back to the hotel at around 2 a.m. and having to wake up at 4 a.m. only two hours later. Provence on the other hand had more of a small town touch to it. There was so much color and charm with beautiful flowers everywhere. We even got to experience the Pont du Gard which is a bridge that crosses an ethereal river in Avignon on the way to Provence. Even though the water was freezing, many of us had a lot of fun in the river.
Arriving in Barcelona, there was definitely more of an aquatic feel. We visited Maremagnum which is a mall on the water and has a similar store layout as our malls in the U.S. We also had the option to swim or just visit the Mediterranean Sea. The beach was extremely crowded, and because of how busy it was, most of us didn’t stay very long. It was an unforgettable experience, and some of us had to rush all the way from the beach to a restaurant Santi had arranged for us to eat dinner at. It was around a 20 minute walk, and we had to navigate through protests and traffic. We ended up arriving at the wrong restaurant with the same name as the one we needed to be at. When we finally got to the right restaurant, we were exhausted and ready to eat. The food was extra delicious that night. One of the excursions we were able to sign up for was the flamenco evening. This was a very special night as we got to feel the pulse of Spain. This evening featured a type of dancing that mainly involves stomping on the stage to express feelings. There was an amazing guitarist, singers, and the dancers all on one stage that wasn’t very big. The dancers had the concrete parts of their performance memorized, but everything in between was based on how they were feeling in the moment. This was enthralling because of how much fire and passion the performers provided us with everything they did. They all had so much chemistry between each other that radiated the stage and left us on the edge of our seats. We were able to see just how much they enjoyed what they did. Every step they took had energy and power. Toledo was the last place in Spain we visited before heading to the airport, and here was where we were able to take a real, steel sword back home with us. There were cheaper items and more expensive items for sale, along with beautiful jewelry, decorations, and other sword-like souvenirs. After this, we departed for home with a long and wonderful story to tell our loved ones.
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