The French Department has just returned from a fantastic trip to Paris where the boys got an insight into the history, culture and language of France. They had a guided tour of the Louvre where they were able to see some of the world’s most famous paintings such as Géricault’s Raft of the Medusa, Delacroix’s Liberty leading the people and, of course, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, this was followed by a trip to the Château de Versailles and a tour of the apartments of the Sun King. On the second day, there was a climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower with magnificent views all over Paris and a boat trip in the sunshine on the river Seine with a picnic lunch. Afterwards, there was shopping on the Champs-Elysées, evening mass in l’Église de la Madeleine, finishing on the last day with a guided tour of the Stade de France and lunch in Montmartre before our departure.

Paris was buzzing with life, with scooters weaving through the traffic, crazy driving, especially around the Arc de Triomphe, breath-taking architecture and state of the art technology, and the boys got to see and appreciate the life and complexities of a large, cosmopolitan city and use their French in an everyday setting. It was a wonderful trip and we can’t wait to return!