3: London, Eurostar, and Paris Day One

On our fourth day of the trip, we had to get up early to be sure to make it past security for the Eurostar to Paris. Our guide wasn’t sure that we would need the extra time, but he thought it would be better to be early rather than late. At St. Pancras Station students had time to get some breakfast and to cross the street to King’s Cross Station to find Harry Potter’s Platform 9¾ to Hogwart’s. The journey to Paris was quick and uneventful, and the time in the Chunnel was less than 19 minutes.

These three wanted to see Hogwart's for themselves at Kings Cross Station, but Mme Cronk said, "No."

After we arrived in Paris, our new bus driver took us to Monmartre to see Sacre Coeur with its hilltop view overlooking the rest of the city. On the walk up to the top we walked past the Moulin Rouge and a boulangerie where several of our students tried some real French baguettes and quiche Lorraine. We left Monmartre to drive towards the center of town arriving at L’Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. Students had a little time to walk around, take pictures, marvel at French driving, and walk along the city’s most famous street before leaving for dinner at Flem’s. For dinner, the meal was an Alsatian food like a thin flatbread pizza.

Baguettes? Oui! We came to France for ze baguettes!

The last stop of the day was the Louvre Museum where students had about 1½ hours to see as much as they could. Most students went right to works by DaVinci and Michelangelo, as well as Winged Victory and the Venus de milo. After driving past the Eiffel Tower, students got to the hotel about 10:00 pm.