On Thursday, March 23, a meeting for the 2018 trip to France will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Bethel Park High School library. This meeting will be the last opportunity for students to sign up for a spot on the trip, as there are only five spaces left.

Although the trip is not school-sponsored, it is led and chaperoned by Bethel Park teachers Mrs. McCoy, Mrs. Smith, and Mrs. Kondrot.

Senior Alexandria Zallo, a veteran of the trip, took the time to answer a few questions about her experience on the trip.

Q. What was your tour guide like?

A. We all really liked him! He was full of information and just genuinely a good guy! He even took us to his home town for a fun festival!

Q. What kind of activities did you do?

A. We did a lot of sightseeing… There’s a lot of history to France and it was cool to experience it! We saw a lot of castles and museums.

Q. What was your most memorable experience?

A. My most memorable experience was in a town called St. Malo. It’s a beautiful beach town with endless things to do!

Q. How was the food?

A. The food in France was great! From breakfast to dinner we were never really disappointed in what we ate. The ice cream in France is AMAZING… There were some days that we had ice cream 2 or 3 times a day!

Q. What were the people like?

A. Contrary to popular belief, the people of France were extremely kind and welcoming; I think hospitality is the last thing anyone has to worry about!

Q. Would you recommend other students to take the trip?

A. I would 100% recommended this trip to other students. I had an absolutely amazing time and I wouldn’t trade it in for anything. France is beautiful and this is a great experience to explore it! I made great new friends and became closer to my teachers. Not to mention, I got to practice French!

Another student who went on the trip, Kyleigh Flood, also explained what was it like to speak French in an actual francophone country: “In my opinion, speaking the language was easier than I imagined. The French are very understanding of people that aren’t native speakers. I learned that when you are speaking to native French people, they speak really fast and it can be intimidating to understand them, but all you have to do is listen for words you know and try to figure it out from there.”

Mrs. McCoy described the usual itinerary as being filled with activities such as “strolling the Champs Elysee, climbing the Eiffel Tower, and exploring the gardens that inspired Monet.”

Previous trips’ costs have included the flights, breakfast and dinner, hotels, and some attractions.

For any questions about the trip, contact one of the chaperones (Mrs. McCoy, Mrs. Smith, or Mrs. Kondrot) through e-mail or during school, and don’t forget to attend the last meeting to enroll on Thursday, March 23.