Wilmington Friends School France 2025
June 13, 2025
We landed in France at 10am and our leader Patrick greeted us after we made it through customs. We boarded our mini-bus and drove into Paris. Our first stop would have been the Catacombs, but there were planned strikes happening for better wages for museum workers. Patrick and Katie adjusted to the issue and planned a full afternoon. We had lunch at L’As du Falafel, then we did orientation in the park. After that, we visited the Notre Dame of Paris and went out for some shopping near our hostel. Finally, we went to the Paris Mosque and had dinner, and went to bed.
By Gavin
June 14, 2025
After waking up early Ben and I went on a walk while Cooper and Jack went on a run along the Seine. Before going on the walk/run, me(Victor), Cooper, Justin, Ben, and Jack played card games and gambled euros (we didn’t actually gamble euros I’m just saying that for effect). At around 6:45 we all went down to the lobby and ate breakfast. When we got back we started the walk to the metro. We walked for a while to get to the Eiffel Tower and went to the 2nd floor, it was high up. After going down the Eiffel Tower we went to lunch at Jardin de Tuileries. It was very tasty and my table mates and I had a good conversation (I have no idea what it was about). After lunch we went to the louvre and saw art, the Mona Lisa, and had cultural interactions (I went and talked to an Italian girl). After around 2 or 3 hours we went to dinner but I fell asleep so I have no clue what happened but I remember eating. It was really good. We went shopping in Montmartre and listened to live music on the steps of the sacré cœur. We went to the hotel and had to move our beds from the hot upstairs and I fell asleep right away.
By Victor
June 15, 2025
Today I woke up at 7:15. I had a decent nights sleep! For breakfast I went with Leyla, Landis, Azani, Izzy, and Katie to a cafe for pastries. I tried ordering in French, which went alright for someone who has no idea what they’re doing, and I got a really good apple pie like pastry. After breakfast we took the metro to the Arch de Triumph, some Spanish tourists didn’t hold on and fell into me, and on our walk from the metro station we passed some street musicians playing the saxophone and the piano. We were able to climb the arch which I thought was really cool, I especially liked the view from the top and getting to hear the piano from the street. It was very relaxing.
After that we went for lunch at the Galleries Lafayette, although I was hoping to eat at another French cafe. After lunch I went shopping along the Champs Elysees with my friends Leyla, Landis, Azani, and Izzy. I was able to get one of the few things I wanted to get at Paris, macarons, and I spent way too long trying to figure out why the waist measurements for pants were different than in America, it was in metric and I can’t convert anything! Then we walked over to the Musee d’Orsay and took our time walking through the various exhibits and marveling at works from masters such as Van Gogh, Monet, and Manet. I was also able to buy a gift for my sister there. After that we walked down to a park, it was a lot of walking, and got some ice cream, it was good ice cream. Then we walked some more to dinner, which was crepes, and they were very good!
After dinner we went back to the hostel and took a short break before heading to a river tour of Paris. On the way there I spent time looking at the river vendors and looking at all of the nice stuff. On the river tour I sat with my friends and enjoyed the chance to sit down and look at Paris along the Seine. We were able to see the Eiffel Tower light up, although sadly we couldn’t watch it sparkle which is a shame because it’s a nice picture. After the cruise we walked along the river back to the hostel and enjoyed a good nights sleep.
By Mason
June 16, 2025
We woke at 7 to hop on the train
Today was windy and hot, and thankfully no rain
The ride was a little bumpy but mostly chill
Some seats were taken, oh what a thrill
Passing by the lavender fields of purple and green
We looked through the glass although it wasn’t too clean
Arriving in Avignon, the wind blew our hair
Bellies full of baguette sandwiches and chocolate eclairs
Another bus ride then a 10 minute stroll
All worth it for air conditioning that we can control
At the Pont d’Avignon where most of the bridge fell
We saw the fleuve, city walls, cross, and wells
Victor spilled the money, too much energy to contain
The tin man was a little upset, if only he had a brain
Ice cream with so many flavors who can pick just one
Licked every drop until we were all done
Scavenger hunt to find flags, sing songs, in search of a fountain
All not nearly as hard as finding the special napkin
The game ended as Team Place Pie pirates prevailed
Everyone got fun prizes and no teams failed
Vintage French dinner just around the block
Entrees and deserts, and of course the mad libs rocked
We acted out how to be good guests
Azani and Izzy’s skit was better than all the rest
To sleep we went in our new beds
All pillows connected to heads
We dreamt of our host families we would soon meet
And all the ratatouille that we are going to eat
By Azani, La poète
June 17, 2025
First we went to the Papal palace where we saw the antipopes. But don’t worry they didn’t support Satan they just didn’t like Rome. We walked around there for a little while and saw tons of beautiful views of the water and the mountains. From there we went on a nice Bus ride where Leyla (the coolest and most French and honestly just the absolute GOAT) played some sick tunes. We then walked around Chateau de Baux where we climbed lots of stairs that made me very tired, Landis and Mason kept falling all over the place which was lowkey minus aura. We got lunch all together which was kind of rough for me because I didn’t enjoy it at all, but my friends gave me their fries which were very good. Then we went to the quarry of lights. It was very pretty and cold inside which was quite soothing. The Monet paintings were very pretty and the music paired well with them. We got some ice cream which was very refreshing. After that we walked to the top of the chateau and saw all the views of mountains, water, and greenery. We took lots of pictures and I climbed a horse. After that Landis, Mason, and I walked down and did some shopping where Mason bought a pair of very plain shorts. Then I bought a huge water bottle and everyone asked me where I got it. We then got back on the bus and drove to dinner. We all worked together to make ratatouille which some people liked and others did not, I can attest that everyone did enjoy the chocolate covered strawberries for sure. We then got on the bus and drove home, where everyone got McDonald’s together. The day seemed to be going perfectly until I opened my Mcdoanlds bag and saw a disgusting Purple shake, and then I was plunged into a pit of despair. I gathered up the pieces of my soul and then wrote the rest of this blog. Overall valid ah day, wished my McDonald’s would’ve been better but in the wise words of Izzy “ is it really a Mcdoanlds trip if they don’t mess up the order?”
By Leyla
June 18, 2025
A one act, four scene play depicting the events of June 18th
Starring:
Landis
Leyla
Azani
Mason
Izzy
- a special guest
Scene one, indoor market in Avignon
LANDIS: Wow, this indoor market is very cool
MASON: Yeah, we’re here to buy groceries for our picnic at the Pont du Gard.
LANDIS: Ugh. I wish you didn’t volunteer us two to pick out meats. They all look gross to me.
AZANI: I’m excited, me and Izzy are getting fruits and we’re gonna pick all the best ones
IZZY: My favorite is apples
LEYLA: Mumbi and I are getting bread. Yum!! I hope the other groups pick normal foods
Scene two, Pont du Gard
LEYLA: What a delightfully long bus ride without our phones
MASON: At least we got to make music requests
LEYLA: Yeah, but it wasn’t as good as the music I played for myself on our other bus rides
IZZY: The picnic is all ready
LANDIS: Good, I’m hungry. And so so hot.
(a drip of sweat falls from each of their faces)
AZANI: After we eat, we can cool down in the river below the beautiful Roman aqueduct
MASON: I have a bad feeling that I am going to lose to my little brother in a swimming race down there
Scene three, by the river
LEYLA: Haha. Look. Mason just lost a swimming race to his little brother
LANDIS: I didn’t even try. I know i’d embarrass myself
MASON: Come on, guys, you should come in too.
IZZY AND AZANI: We’re alright!
Scene 4, Carcassonne
LEYLA: Wow. That second bus ride without our phones was equally long and delightful! 😐
LANDIS: But hey. Now we’re here in Carcassonne and ready to meet our host families.
IZZY: I just had a vision from the future. They are all very kind and super awesome
AZANI: Thank you host families!
THE SPECIAL GUEST NAMED PATRICK: Invites everybody to ice cream
Fin
By Landis
June 19, 2025
Today was a very eventful day. This morning we started off our days with breakfast with our host families. We then met up at a french middle school at around 8am (with varying times) to begin our authentic french “college” journeys. We began with a tour of the school, which included several interesting aspects that both are similar to and are different to our high school experiences in the United States. Following a refreshing cup of orange juice, we quickly learned that french middle schoolers surprisingly enough look up to americans – as they were very interested with our presence there. As we were attending classes, everyone faced various experiences, from falling asleep during a lesson to making new friends. We then headed up to the cantine for lunch, where pasta and salad, along with ice cream and an optional container of vanilla yogurt was on the menu. After a long day of working hard in our classes (and working even harder to shoot the children with water guns), we all ventured outside for a different form of dodgeball where there was only one ball and those who were out were allowed to attack. It was definitely very competitive, despite the schoolchildren being as small as they were. We then exchanged our goodbyes with the french children and ventured to the Carcassone city square, where we had our daily ice creams and were given our free time to shop. We were also given the opportunity to sit down at the cafe as well to chill. Everyone chose the chill option. To end our journeys, we were picked up by our host families for downtime and dinner, followed by bedtime after our very eventful day.
By Mumbi
June 20, 2025
I woke up at 7 today, no thanks to Ben’s alarm, which sounds like a music box and has never actually woken me up. But, considering we had another half an hour before we had to go to the rendezvous spot, we decided to wait around in our room. Somehow, we wasted like 20 minutes and had to rush breakfast (which was granola and very good). We drove to the middle school, which was different from last time for some reason. We got on the bus to go to this small seaside town called Collioure, and I accidentally pressed the ‘Please Stop’ button while I was sleeping and played card games. Once we got to Collioure, I had to go to the bathroom and encountered just a hole in the ground when I entered the stall, which was an experience, and then we all got like a mini tour of the town, and we saw this cool castle that was free for 18 and under but then we needed an adult so I didn’t go. Honestly after this it’s kinda hazy so you’re just gonna have to bear with me. I think that Victor, Ben, and and Justin went to buy a ball, which was kinda like a soccer ball and was fun.
When we actually got to the beach, it was really rocky and hot so we had to run into the water, which was also rocky but not hot so it was nice. The rocks had a bunch of algae on them so they were pretty slippery, and there were also a ton of fish around that got really close but no one caught them. I think we were messing around a bit and then went to this big raft. We jumped off the raft a ton as Patrick patrolled around us. Eventually, everyone else came around the raft and we were all treading water and I learned that I couldn’t tread water well.
Then we went back for lunch, where I had a sandwich, some chips, and applesauce. There were also some giant seagulls around trying to steal our food. During lunch we also played with the soccer ball on the beach and we lost it a lot. After lunch was over, we continued to play with the soccer ball but now in water, and we saw a freakin ton of people on the raft. As we were heading over, there was this British kid named Nicholas who we met and he was cool, and he went to the same school as all of them. After a bit they all left but then a family got on so we decided to not go on the raft, but when they left after a bit we went over. We were kinda messing around and stuff, and then more people came over, and I’m gonna be honest this is where it gets really hazy. After like an hour we headed back to the beach, and went to go get ice cream, which tasted really good like usual.
Then we got on the bus, which was pretty uneventful? I think? Anyways because me and Ben’s host parents couldn’t come pick us up, nor could Victor and Nathaniel’s, we all rode in Katie’s car. When we got to Victor and Nathaniel’s house they had three dogs that were cool. Once Ben and I got to our house, we were going to go to watch a rugby game later, so we tried to figure out what the colors were of team we were rooting for, Toulouse. I’m pretty sure it was red and black, but neither of us actually had red clothes so I guess we’re not true Toulouse fans. We were going to Jack and Justin’s home stay, and they were out in the back playing ping-pong. I won a duos match with Justin against Ben and the son of their host family, and then I beat Ben pretty handily in a singles match, but then I lost to Jack which we’re not going to talk about. When we went inside they had like four types of pizzas that all tasted really good. Toulouse beat their semifinal opponent Bayonne, and rugby is pretty different from American football. They do this thing where like 10 players on each team link arms and try to push the other team away, and whenever someone jumps up high he has a teammate behind and in front of him to hold him up while he’s jumping. Afterwards we headed back home and I’m pretty sure that that was everything that happened that day.
By Cooper
June 21, 2025
We kicked off the day with a lazy sleep-in until 9 AM—which was such a nice change of pace after having a few late nights. After getting ready, we headed to the farmers market and found this amazing Moroccan bread that was unbelievable. It was soft, warm, and perfect. We also grabbed some fresh produce, then sat at a café in the town center to chill in the shade and drink water. After a while, we walked over to a spot just outside the castle for a picnic with Gavin and Emma’s host family, where we dug into the food we’d picked up, I had too much food to say the least. The turkey was surprisingly juicy unlike every Thanksgiving dinner my family has had – low key it was the best turkey I’ve ever had.
The afternoon was pretty laid-back, with a bit of FIFA competition thrown in. I ended up beating Justin easily with a second division French team when he was Bayern Munich, which was a light win. Then, we went to the Carcassonne music festival with Leyla, Mumbi, Gavin, Emma, and the host families, (and Cooper and Ben before their parents chickened out) which was a lot of fun. We wandered through the crowds, taking in the music and the atmosphere, but our attempt to get a table at a café later didn’t go as planned as there was no chance we were getting a table among the madness. All in all, a good mix of food, fun, and just the right amount of adventure.
By Jack
June 22, 2025
We woke up bright and early, after our intriguing nights celebrating the Fête de la Musique (World Music Day) with our families. At first our plan was to do service work cleaning up an historical French path way, but as the weather app predicted an extreme heat wave Katie and Patrick quickly pivoted to go to a lake about 30 miles outside of Carcassonne. There we found out a very interesting fact, weather apps can be in fact very wrong. As we arrived to the lake we found it covered with mist making the clouded sky and the water blend to one grayish color. Shivering with our short sleeves and bathing suits, after a quick weather check we discovered the lakes amusements – like the little pirate ship where we swung trying to avoid the iciness of the water. As the day progressed at the lake some people decided to run/pretend to run around the lake, played trivia, ate our lunch made by our host families, celebrated Mumbi’s 15th birthday with balloons and cake, and played mini golf at the shack across the street. Unfortunately I lost by 9 but it was an extremely unforgiving game as one person got well over 200 at just 16 holes.
After an hour drive back to Carcassonne we went into the old fortress, where little shops, candy stores, and a busy caricaturist who made hilarious representations of some of us. As we toured the old castle we got to see the ancient statues and intriguing history that led to what Carcassonne is now. As we winded down for the day, Victor enthusiastically tried to take Patrick to the caricaturist, but much to Victor’s dismay and Patrick’s relief the caricaturist had closed for the day. Though Patrick was very kind and bought us ice cream, which helped continue our daily ice cream streak since the beginning of the trip. With bags full of momentous, expensive candy, and a water gun we finished our day together and separated to our host families. Where me and Gavin ate our final delicious dinner olive pasta and Cordon Bleu, gave our parting gifts, and went to play many French games – where he got completely obliterated by me 💪.
By Emma
