Nous arrivons

22 March 2010

The American students and French students arrived at St. Etienne's, the high school that the French students attend, for a breakfast before school. Croissants and hot chocolate were served as a typical French breakfast, and they were delicious! Then the students separated; the French to go to class, and the Americans to visit a nearby church, named the Chapelle de St. Etienne!

Our tour guide explained to us that the church was built in the twelfth century, in a style known as Romanesque. We also learned a lot about the Romanesque style of architecture, and about the custom of patron saints; the Patron Saint of this particular church, Sainte Attale, left behind a relic for the church, which was a symbol of religion. In this case, the relic was one of Sainte Attale's hands!

After visiting the chapel, we were treated to a special performance by a gym class of St. Etienne's 12-year-olds; they performed the Cotton Eyed Joe for us! It is nice to be reminded of our heritage when we are so far from home.

After the performance, we had a little downtime, which we used to change our American dollars into Euros, as well as split into groups and visit the shops and cafés in the area. The Strasbourg natives were very nice and patient as we formed sentences in order to ask for food or directions.

After a while, we headed back to St. Etienne's to meet up with our correspondents for lunch. While a few ate in the cafeteria, many students went out into Strasbourg for lunch to eat baguettes with cheese, or pasta in to-go boxes.

After lunch, some American boys and French boys challenged one another to a game of basketball, which was very entertaining! While the French students went back to class, the Americans headed to a park called "l'Orangerie" where we spent time playing on the playground and sitting in the sun, since the weather was exceptionally nice - much warmer than home!

Next, we headed over to the "Conseil de l'Europe", or European Council, for a tour. There are 47 European countries in the Council, and we learned about how they democratically regulate Europe. Our tour guide also instructed us never to confuse the European Council with the EU (European Union); the two are very different. After our tour, we returned to the school to meet back up with our French student (correspondent) and go home.

One thing that fascinated the American students about the school was the bell that rings between classes; it is not actually a bell at all, but a song! After leaving, many students spent the afternoon getting ice cream with their correspondent, or in the park.

Traveling home was also exciting. Taking a car is actually less common than taking a bus or tram to one's destination. The public transportation system in France is excellent, and it is very easy to make your way around the city. All in all, we enjoyed a fabulous first day in Strasbourg!