Short Time, Long Distance

21 April

It was an early rise on a reasonably warm Sunday morning for us all after 5 consecutive late nights including the never-ending plane ride.  Leaving at 7:45 in the morning wasn’t ideal but had to be done with a breakfast that was slow too eat and bags under the eyes of all 23 of us including teachers. After we had all gathered in the lobby with the luggage filled to the brim with the many souvenirs, clothes, toys or presents we set of for the metro ride to the train station.

We went on the metro once again but knowing to only return to Paris as a pit stop for the flight home. Paris was amazing and we all wished that we could have another day. The metro was quiet and spacious unlike the many other times we traveled in the morning. But with just as much stress hoping that we would all get off and not miss our stop at Bercy to transfer to the next metro line. We had a short 3 stop ride to the train station where there was much anticipation as we were about to embark on our 2 week tour of France. Starting with Avignon via the TGV one of the fastest trains in the world.

The train didn’t feel like it was going very fast but when you looked out the window maybe once per second a black line would flash in front of you, the power lines that basically summed up how fast we where actually traveling. After a short one hour and 50 minutes, we arrived in the Avignon train station where we met a large problem of that there were 23 of us trying to get our bags and get of at the same door at the same time, it resulted in Ella having to hold the door open forcing the train to stop so that Will Buffam could get off instead of traveling all the way to Marseille.

After that adventure we started a new with dropping our bags in the YMCA rooms and walked down to the town of Avignon. For some we thought as soon as we saw Avignon “What would fall down in an earthquake” the instant reply “Everything”. Avignon was the home to “Le Palais des Papes” and “Le Pont Bénézet” these were key features to this old city.

Le Palais des Papes

Le Pont Bénézet

When we returned home we had a 3-course meal served to us at the table, then after dinner the red beret was a landslide to Will Buffham  for almost getting sent to Marseille. 

By George H