London & Paris
March 27 - April 4, 2024
Three Hills School and Trochu Valley School
✈
Day 1
At gate D78 in Calgary!
Day 2
We have arrived in London and are on the bus to Canterbury!
Day 2
Wandering the streets of Canterbury!
Day 2
Canterbury, a cathedral city in southeast England, was a pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages. Canterbury Cathedral, founded 597 A.D., is the headquarters of the Church of England and home to the bishop who has crowned the king/queen for over a thousand years! The town is full of stone buildings, stained glass and cobblestone streets! The kids enjoyed some local food and, of course, some local shopping!
Day 3
Canterbury Cathedral
Day 3
In London we took a quick walking tour that took us through Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square (where we met a very famous bear) and had free time in the Covent Garden area. The streets were packed with locals on their Easter holiday, but we persevered despite the crowds! Supper was a traditional meat pie with gravy, mashed potatoes and peas…how British!
Day 3
London!
Day 4
Today we went to Windsor Castle, built in the 11th Century and is still the royal residence to this day. King Charles was even in the building while we were there! (Although he did not come out to come see us). Many also visited St. George’s Chapel which is on the grounds of the castle and saw where where people like King Henry VIII is buried as well as Queen Elizabeth II, which was a little more ‘real’ for the kids.
Day 4
We then moved to a bus tour (with our amazing guide, John, who also guided us in the castle). We navigated the long weekend traffic and took in sights such as Buckingham Palace, the Queen Victoria Memorial, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the Parliament Buildings, the Tower Bridge, and the London Eye. Dinner was at Wagamama’s which many kids have said has been their favourite meal so far.
Day 4
In case you missed it…
Check out the Three Hills School Facebook page for some reels/videos that sum up our days.
They are a nice addition to this daily blog (and Mrs. Friede is very proud of herself for learning how to do these!). So enjoy the fruits of her technological labour!
Day 5
Today we went to the British Museum. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world! It’s most famous piece is the Rosetta Stone and many kids took the time to find this key to deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Which one is real?!?!
The Rosetta Stone
Day 5
We also went on a ‘Wicked Women of London’ walking tour. We spent 2 hours being immersed in a presentation and heard stories and saw statues of notable women who contributed so much to England’s history
GIRL POWER!.
Millicent Fawcett fought for women’s right to vote
Mary Seacole - a black female nurse during the early wars
Women of WW2 Memorial unveiled by the queen in 2005
Day 5
Our last day with Leigh, our London bus driver!
Day 6
Took the Eurostar from London to Paris. A very early morning but the experience was pretty cool. It’s not too often you travel at 298 km/h!
Day 6
We made our way into the centre of Paris where we experienced so many exciting things on our walking tour!
The Eiffel Tower where many travelled to the first platform, some braved the 1665 steps to the second platform, and a few even took the elevator to the very top!
The Moulin Rouge
- a cabaret famous since 1889
Le Lapin Agile
- in the Montmartre artist area and was a favourite place for struggling artists like Picasso
Day 6
Mrs. Friede was looking forward to this day! She was sooo excited - and I am sure these kids had smiles on their faces too…once they got up all stairs!
Day 6
Sacre Coeur is a magnificent basilica built in 1875 that sits high above Paris in the Montmartre area. It gives people amazing views of Paris when they are outside and takes people’s breath away with its architecture and stained glass when they are inside.
Day 7
Versailles today!
This former royal residence commissioned by Louis XIV in 1661 is jaw dropping in its magnificence and its size! It is so amazing to actually see things you learn about in school up close. It sure does bring history to life.
We were split into two groups with two guides so we could learn much more!
Day 7
Can you guess which one is not part of our group?
Day 7
Day 7
Went on a guided bus tour of Paris today
Arc de Triomphe
Pizza for dinner
Notre Dame
Day 8
Better late than never! A long last couple of days so this blog is coming to you from the Toronto Airport.
Started with a tour of the Fragonard perfume factory
After the tour we made our way to the Louvre! Those iconic pyramids will make it into every travellers photos.
Day 8
Our last group photo. We can’t complain about the location!
Day 8
Some free time found the kids doing all sorts of things! We were all much more comfortable venturing out in our groups!
Day 8
Day 9
It has been a pleasure being your group leaders on this trip!
Europe 2024!