LMU’s New Europe Program went on their first long excursion to Belgium and France. From September 19 to the 24th the students had an educational/enjoyable excursion to the wonderful cities of Brussels, Bruges, and Paris. They met early Monday morning in front of the AIB where the bus to take them was. Their suitcases were packed, the bus was ready to go, and the excitement for the trip was inevitable.
During the long drive the student’s watched movies to kill time. Amelie and Moulin Rouge were the films featured on this trip. After a four hour drive they finally arrived at Brussels, Belgium.
They met at the European Union Parliament where they enjoyed a presentation and a tour of the building. Once the tour was finished the students went with Nils on a walking tour of the city. They got to see many beautiful sites. And after a long day of walking, hunger kicked in, and they enjoyed Belgian fries. The students then boarded the bus, and were off to the city of Bruges.After a two hour drive the students arrived to their hotel in Bruges “the Venice of the North”. There they checked into their lovely rooms on a boat, and then were off to a group dinner.
The following day the students had a guided bike tour through Bruges. The wonderful scenery was out of a movie. The country side was serene and enjoyable. The tour guides were wonderful, and showed the students the beauty of Bruges.
After another four hour drive the students arrived to the beautiful city of Paris. There they met up with their tour guide for the next five days, Julien. Paris was an exciting city filled with many sites to see, and many places to be, but also very tiring for the students. The next couple of days were filled with amazing tours.
They had a guided bike tour of Paris; From the Eiffel tower to the Ente de Triomphe; it was an amazing bike tour riding around in the streets of Paris. The Ile de la cite, Quartier Latin, the Notre Dame, Louvre Museum, Musee d’Orsay, walking tour to the Montmarte, Moulin Rouge, and many sites of the featured film watched on the bus Amelie were visited. They had an educational visit to the OECD “better policies for better lives.”
An unforgettable day was going to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night. It was memorable seeing the Eiffel tower in touching distance, and then being on it. The lights, the view, and being there was just beautiful. The day was done with a Paris city bus tour at night where the students were able to see the whole city at night.
In the farewell dinner some students were adventurous and had an authentic French dinner. It was perfect because everyone was enjoying themselves eating the last dinner in Paris together. On the last day the students visited Versailles and had a picnic in the gardens of Versailles. The excursion was truly amazing and no doubt a success. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and it is something that is going to be unforgettable for the students.
