Armed with umbrellas (most of which didn’t survive), we embarked on a walking tour through the city, splashing through puddles while our brilliant tour guides regaled us with fascinating stories of Parisian history. After a well-deserved food stop and a quick reshuffle of our itinerary, we visited the recently renovated Notre-Dame Cathedral. By some stroke of luck, we managed to go inside, marveling at its stunning restoration. We wrapped up the first day by dining at traditional French restaurants, where we put our best (and sometimes questionable) French skills to the test.
Day two brought a complete weather transformation—gone were the rain and clouds, replaced by bright sunshine and blue skies. We took the metro to Montmartre and climbed the steep hill to Sacré-Cœur. After what felt like an eternity of stairs, we reached the top, completely out of breath but rewarded with a spectacular panoramic view of Paris. Wandering through Montmartre’s charming streets, we admired the local artists before making our way to the Latin Quarter for a delicious lunch. Next up was the world-famous Louvre, where we snapped pictures with priceless masterpieces—including, of course, the essential selfie with the Mona Lisa. Getting lost inside was practically inevitable, but at least we weren’t alone in our confusion. To top off an already packed day, we visited the Arc de Triomphe, where a special ceremony was taking place (we're pretty sure it was in our honour).
We ended our final full day with yet another delicious meal, followed by sheer exhaustion upon returning to the hostel. There was a minor issue involving our room windows and a less-than-thrilled hostel employee, but let’s just say we lived to tell the tale.
On the final morning, we reluctantly packed our bags and bid farewell to the hostel after a breakfast that was, let’s say, underwhelming. But before heading to the airport, we had one last treat—a scenic boat trip down the Seine. The city looked even more beautiful from the water, and we finally got that iconic view of the Eiffel Tower, along with the stunning Pont Alexandre III bridge.
A final stop at the Champs-Élysées for lunch brought our trip to a perfect close.
A huge thank you to our incredible teachers for organizing this unforgettable experience—and an even bigger thank you to Ms. Dos Santos, Mr. Fennel, Dr. Ryan, and Ms. Caspi for putting up with us for three days. Paris, you were amazing (even with the rain), and we’ll definitely be back!
Gali Bachar, 5th year
