VISIT CANADA is pleased to share the following first-person account of the AWC Middle School’s French trip to Montréal and Québec City, written by Mike Wandel, a member of the eighth grade class, and reprinted below with the kind permission of the Daily Times Chronicle
AWC Middle School Students pausing for a group photo on the Promenade des Gouverneurs
By MIKE WANDEL – For many middle school students, everyday life is a mix of education, fun and – because it’s school – a little bit of boredom. But on September 30 this year, 46 eighth grade students and six of their teachers departed AWC Middle School on a trip that would become the highlight of almost all the students’ entire middle school experience. Trust me, it was educational, but in no way involved any boredom.
Montréal, Canada was the destination and it was definitely worth the bus drive. The purpose was to put us in an area where French is commonly used, and to teach us about the history of Canada. Some would say it’s crazy; I say it’s awesome. What happened, where did it happen, and who was crazy enough to take 46 kids to Canada? Since I was a student who took the trip, I’ll tell you.
On the first day, you could feel the excitement. After an hour waiting and reviewing the rules, we finally boarded the bus and hit the road. When we arrived in Montréal, we picked up Lucy (our guide) and proceeded to our hotel, located right on the St. Lawrence River, with a great view of the entire city. Then we went to Place Jacques Cartier, a series of streets and roads with many shops and historical buildings. Then we walked to the Vieux Port Restaurant for a delicious dinner.
We enjoyed a scenic drive to see Montréal by night, which was superb, and then went to l’Amphitheatre de Glace, a giant indoor ice rink – and it was opened just for us! We returned to the hotel at about 9:30 and after calling our friends in the other rooms, we hit the hay. I don’t think anyone had any trouble sleeping; who wouldn't be tired after such a fun and exhilarating day?
We started the next day with a bang at “Eggspectation” for breakfast. The food was unbelievable - potatoes, melons,
After breakfast we walked to Nôtre Dame Basilica, (picture below) which was unbelievable. The stained glass windows depict the history of Montréal and Lucy told us all about it. Our next destination was the Maison Saint Gabriel – a 300 year old house that was the home for the women who came to “New France,” and also the first school in Canada. Then, after a great view of Montréal from the top of Mount Royal, we traveled to an underground five story mall for lunch and shopping.
Notre Dame Basilica, Montreal
Next was a trip to the 1976 Parc Olympique. We took the funiculaire (cable car) to the top of the 556 ft. tower to get a panoramic view of the wonderful city. Then we went next door to the Biodôme, and walked through five different ecosystems, looking at numerous animals.
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