Europe

Europe. The very word stirred excitement in the hearts of AVC’s seniors. Soon, a distant dream would become a reality...
Ambitious students and parents stepped through airport doors, ready to breathe the European air. After the group finished choking on the smoke and putting up umbrellas, it boarded the bus, ready to explore Rome. The next three days were filled with experiencing the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, The Spanish Steps, Keats-Shelley Memorial, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, Mamertine Prison, and Circus Maximus. Gelato, street vendors, cobblestone streets, pizza, motorcycles and Ferraris, restaurant owners calling to pedestrians in Italian, and celebrations to mark 150 years since Italy’s reunification contributed to the culture. All too soon, we boarded a train to Paris and readied ourselves for the overnight trip.
When the seniors stopped at the Eiffel Tower, we saw a demonstration with signs protesting “the massacres of the people of Libya.” Our experiences in France included the Arch de Triumph, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the location where Joan of Arc was burned, many cathedrals, Point du Hoc, Omaha Beach, Versailles, Lady Freedom, bakeries, cafés, crepes, escargot, and, of course, shopping in Paris.
Boarding the Eurostar to London began the last leg of our trip. Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Big Ben, the National Gallery, red telephone booths, the Tube, Picadilly Square, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square, chocolate shops, Marks & Spencer, construction for the Olympics in 2012, Westminster Abbey, the Eye, the Imperial War Museum, crossing Abbey Road, the site of the Globe, and protests about sending cuts were among the things we saw or did in England. It seemed unanimous that seeing “Wicked” was a favorite memory as well.
Finally, the seniors boarded a plane for the long journey back to LAX. Although the class loved Europe, we were thankful to come home and rest after an eventful two weeks. It is without question that the memories made on this trip will not only be remembered, but cherished.


By Rebecca Lyles