Students make great memories in France and Italy

This summer, Big Spring students went on an exciting trip to France and Italy where they visited Venice, Rome, Florence, Paris, and The French Riviera.

Each place had its very own set of attractions and monuments. Some of the places were constructed thousands of years ago. They got to ride boat taxis, which are boats that will carry many people around from place to place.

They visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and had the privilege to watch it light up, too.

“We got to see the Eiffel Tower from underneath, we got to see the Eiffel Tower from the Louvre, on the garden, and we got to see the Eiffel Tower from the Seine as we floated across the river.” Said Angela Schneider,

During their trip in Rome, they ended up running into Dr. Oz at the Pantheon. Dr. Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon and professor at Columbia University, author, and television personality on the Dr. Oz Show.

They also got to see our current Pope, Pope Francis, giving mass on their tour of St. Peter’s Square. Giving mass is a public celebration of the Eucharist, a the Christian sacrament in which Christ’s Last Supper is commemorated by the consecration of bread and wine.

New foods were introduced to the students, like escargot. Escargot are served snails. They tried new chocolates and pastas as well. They also got to try many foods they have already eaten, but prepared differently because of the many unique tastes and quite a few cultures.

Zoe Marinacci, Big Spring student who attended the trip and was one of the students who visited Cote d’Azur in the French Riviera, said, “They had this amazing farmer’s market set out! It was like, a mile of tents! And they had the best olives!”

The trip was a great teaching tool for students as well because they  learned about the other cultures, and what people believe in certain locations. They heard lots of memorable stories from many tour guides, too.

During their trip, they were on the move quite often with a schedule to fit in lots of place to explore. They stayed at different hotels almost every day, and visited a bunch of different restaurants and shops.

“My favorite purchases were in Florence!” said Marinacci.

The students were very satisfied with how their adventure went.

“I would definitely do it again! No question.” Samuel Keen, who is a former Big Spring student and current CASA attender who also went on the trip, said.

There was a lot of different cultures to learn about and many things that were bought and cherished on this trip.

Keen said, “Going on a trip like this is definitely life changing and very worth doing, regardless of the cost.”