University Liggett France 2026
June 15, 2026
We started our day off by traveling from Detroit and Paris on an overnight flight. Despite coming off the plane feeling exhausted our excitement kept us going. After checking into our hostel (which thankfully was ready on time) we jumped on the metro to our first destination. To our surprise the metro was fairly empty. We went to l’as du falafel for lunch and played games in the plaza. We spent some time shopping around before jumping back onto the metro going to the sacred heart cathedral. Here is where we faced our hardest challenge yet the 142 stairs up to the above ground. Our triumph was only met by the surprise of countless more steps up to the cathedral. We spent some time enjoying the view of the city and shopping around. We write from you from a traditional French cuisine restaurant where some of us are trying escargot. We are absolutely exhausted after our first day and can’t wait to get a good night’s rest!!
By Keely, Malik, Jazmin, PJ
June 16, 2026
Our day started with breakfast at the hostel and a visit to a local farmer’s market where we were able to buy fruit and other fresh foods. As a group, we took the metro to the Arc de Triomphe, a monument that was commissioned by Napoleon to celebrate France’s military successes. Our group went to get coffee at Café George V, a restaurant near the arc. The lattes were especially good. We took pictures around the arc and some of us went shopping. For lunch, we went to Brasserie des champs where we had mozzarella sticks, cordon bleu, and Crème brûlée. Then we went to Thomas Jefferson Square and played trivia and games. Next, we headed to the Eiffel Tower. We stopped for ice cream on the way. When we got to the tower, we took many pictures. Most of us climbed to the second floor and then went to the very top by elevator. The views of the city were incredible and it was an unforgettable experience. Some of us bought souvenirs in the gift shop. We went to Tribeca for dinner where we ate prosciutto and cantaloupe, chicken and potatoes, and tiramisu. Finally, we returned to the Eiffel Tower for a sparkling light show at night. We returned to the hostel to prepare for the next day.
By Elliot, John, Ben
June 17, 2026
Our day started with breakfast at the hostel where we had croissants, yogurt, cheese, salami, and coffee. After breakfast, we took the metro to the Louvre Museum where we saw many sculptures, paintings, antiques, and the famous Mona Lisa (aka La Joconde). After exploring the museum, we had some free time to shop for souvenirs and walk around the Jardin. One of our favorite moments of the day was when Charlie and I (Nathan) bought a giant stuffed Remy from Ratatouille at a souvenir shop. For lunch, we went to Terasse de Pomone where we had a croque monsieur and a chicken avocado sandwich. Next, we headed to the Catacombs where we saw countless bones and skulls, which was both interesting and a little eerie. After that, we visited Notre Dame and were able to go inside the cathedral. We were even lucky enough to witness a mass taking place while we were there. Throughout the day, we traveled by metro and walked around the city to each destination. For dinner, we went to Maison Bretonne where we had savory crepes with eggs, cheese, and a third ingredient of our choice, including options such as bacon, ham, mushrooms, onions, leeks, or chicken. For dessert, we enjoyed sweet crepes with toppings like sugar and butter, sugar and salted caramel, dark chocolate, Nutella, banana, or honey. Overall, our favorite part of the day was buying the giant stuffed Remy because it was unexpected and really funny. Paris has been amazing, and tomorrow we head off to Avignon!
By Nathan, Henry, and Charlie
June 18, 2026
We started the day packing up our stuff, preparing for the departure ahead: we were leaving Paris and on the way to Avignon! We said goodbye to our friends at the hostel and boarded the bus. We took a ten minute ride to the Gare de Lyon and picked up sandwiches at a cafe in the station to bring on the train. The train ride was about 3 hours, and we left the fast train to get on another bus to our new hotel. After unpacking our things at the Hotel Regina, we left to make a pit stop for ice cream, since it was pretty hot out that day. We ate our ice cream and walked over to the Palais des Papes. We took an audio guided tour of the palace from the 1300s. We then went to a boulangerie close by and ate ham and cheese sandwiches outside. After that, we went to the Pont d’Avignon, took a group picture, and had some time to explore. We then had more free time to look around Avignon. We stopped at a lavender themed store, and then returned to the hotel. It gave us time to recharge before dinner. We had dinner at “Le Vintage”, who served items like duck, fowl, and ravioli. We also had desserts like brownies, tiramisu, and cheesecake. Finally, we ended the day with a debrief about our home stays and our plan for tomorrow.
-Lauren, Jasmine, Maryah
June 19, 2026
We started our day with breakfast at the Hotel Regina where we ate an assortment of pastries and fruit. Then we all took a short walk to the local market in Avignon and bought ingredients for our picnic later. We were split into groups, and purchased bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables, drinks, and desserts that represent French culture. We bought duck, tarte au pomme, regional cheeses, 8 baguettes, and so many different flavors of locally made juice. We then boarded the bus and drove to Pont du Gard. After an informative museum walk through and saw a short film about the construction of the bridge we all headed out into a park where we ate our lunch in picnic style. Then to everyone’s excitement we headed to the river just past the Pont du Gard for a swim. A few of us jumped to the rescue when 2 French students’ kayak flipped. We were able to flip it and empty the water to get them on their way safely. Afterwards we set out on a 3 hour bus trip to Carcassonne (with a short gas station stop with beautiful oleander flowers) to head to meet our host families. As we drove we could see the farms and hills as they formed a beautiful countryside. We had a potluck for dinner, played some games, and then left to spend the rest of the night with our host families.
By Catie, Sophia, and Ellie
June 20, 2026
This was our First morning with our host family’s there was a variety of food for breakfast like kiwi, bread and butter, pain au chocolaté (chocolate croissant), and more. After breakfast with our family’s they each drove us to meet up with the group. We then took a bus Pouzols where we did community service. For our community service we met a man named Bernard who created paths through parts of southern France to connect city’s. We helped him clear fallen trees from pathways by sawing, cutting, and breaking the trees apart. After community service we enjoyed some juice from Bernard (merci) then we took a bus to Carcassonne to visit the ANCIENT city. After shopping for a bit we took a tour of the castle and church in Carcassonne where were learned the history of the monuments and city itself. Some things we learned about are how the castle was protected at the time with old defense mechanisms, and different parts of the church such as the nave and transept. After a bit more shopping time in the city we were picked up by our host family around 5:30 to spend time with them for the evening. Having a whole evening with the family’s allowed us to experience new and different foods, experiences, and places such as dancing with locals in town, walking threw a garden in the French countryside, or spending time with new animals(one family had horses). Being with our family’s also allowed us to really put our French to use with the various language barriers well also learning more from our family’s.
By Paige, Zoi, and Blaire
June 21, 2026
We woke up this morning at our home stays and ate breakfast before we got on the bus to take a ride to the Grotte de Limousis. We received a tour from a man who worked at the Grotte for 35 years. We saw stalagmites (which rise from the floor) and stalactites (which come from the ceiling), both of which are formed by minerals found within water dripping from caves. We were able to see an underground river and a light show within the Grotte. We took a quick stop in the gift shop to look at assorted rock gifts before an activity and lunch, which we ate outside. Then it was back on the bus to meet up with our host families. We spent the rest of the day with them. Some of us went swimming in pools or lakes, and some went on walks. Later in the day some of the host families and us students met up at a bowling alley where we cheered each other on (or partook in playful trash talk). We spent the rest of the night at our home stays enjoying home cooked meals and our final hours with their company or heading to the musical festival to experience French music and culture. We spent a lot of time today practicing our French with our hosts and learning new words and expressions.
By Emmeline & Amelia
June 22, 2026
Today was our last day with our host families, and our last full day in France. We departed from our homes at 8 am, knowing this experience may be a last. On the bus ride we were all reminiscing upon the great times we had, the French we learned, the bonds we made, and the knowledge we gained. After the departure we went to a middle school, there, we learned many things about French culture. We were greeted with open arms from counselors and students. When arriving we had a 20 minute recess break where we had the middle school kids come up to us and speak English and French. Afterwards, We were split into 4 groups, each partaking in different French classes with the kids. Two of the groups participated in a French class while the others learned English and history/geography. Afterwards we were able to spend quality time with the French kids at lunch, some of the food included ice cream, melon, yogurt, kuskus, and meatballs. After the great lunch, we spent more time outside with all of the middle schoolers, here, we were able to get a real sense of belonging in their school. Many people raced each other, participated in arm wrestles, and talked more French than we thought we ever could. After our incredible and fun time at the French middle school, we had an hour bus ride to Toulouse. When we arrived, we went to our hotel rooms to leave our luggage and came back to explore more of the beautiful city. The weather was 104 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) and our plans of having a walking tour changed to watching a Toy Story 5 movie or going shopping in nearby stores. After the movie, we had a little more time to go shopping and getting to know more about Toulouse. At 7:15, we met for dinner and went to the Bol Bu restaurant and tried different types of salty and sweet crepes! Back at the hotel, we did a few more activities reflecting on our trip and experiences we enjoyed.
By Yurii & Landon
