European art adventure

European+art+adventure

Catie Locher, A&E Writer

The Art Club said ‘bonjour’ to Europe this past summer.

On July 7, the Xavier High School art club packed their bags and headed to Europe on their summer trip. There were ten students and four chaperones who decided to take this adventure. The trip included stops to London, Paris, and Madrid. The students and chaperones left early on the morning of July 7, and headed to their first stop, London, England, where they met up with a large group they would be traveling with.

The group consisted of students from Madison, Indianapolis, and Baltimore. While in London, the group visited many popular tourist spots, including the National British Museum, Rosetta Stone, London Eye, and Tower of London.

“London is such a lively city. It was everything I imagined and more,” senior Lydia Brown said. “The double decker busses and red telephone booths are incredibly real, folks!”

The second stop was Paris, France. Here they visited some of the most famous sights in Paris. The group saw the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and Versailles. One night, they had dinner in a bistro in Montmartre, the highest hill in Paris. This hill offers a perfect view of the world renowned Sacre Coeur Basilica.

“My favorite part of Paris was seeing the Palace of Versailles,” senior Angela Hunt said. “We got to ride bicycles through the beautiful garden. It was such an amazing experience!”

The third and final stop of the trip was to Madrid, Spain, where they participated in many cultural activities. The group shopped near the Plaza Del Sol and toured well known art museums such as the Prado and the Reina Sofia. While in Spain, they took a day trip to the historic city of Toledo, learning much about its cultural history.

“The people in Spain were the most culturally diverse,” junior Allie Morrow said. “After two days, my spanish improved and I learned so much more about the Spanish culture.”

The Xavier students and chaperones returned to Cedar Rapids on July 15.