PHS Europe Trips!

Bonjour et Au Revoir! I'm feeling MUCH better today, so lots more photos and comments. :) We are sad to say goodbye to France today, but very excited for the adventure awaiting us in Spain.  We started off with yet another delicious petit déjeuner at our hotel and left on the bus.  Our first stop was in Carcassonne, a town which still exists within fortresses built in medieval times; some were older than the Romans in France! The bus ride to Barcelona was fantastic, and surprisingly quick!  Nadia, our fantastic French tour guide passed off the mic for everyone to share a story or something funny that has happened to them on the trip thus far.  She even gave the opportunity for someone to sing if they wanted (no one accepted)! And FINALLY...  ESPAÑA!  To get from our hotel to the restaurant, we got to the take the tram.  SO clean and simple and perfect for getting to the city.   We knew for our dinner we'd be having Tapas t...

I am sorry for my absence in posting since Nice.  I had issues with the WiFi the last day in Nice and then started to feel very ill.  I ended up going to the local hospital last night and was got a hold of some antibiodics this morning.  I'm already feeling better! The 2nd day in Nice was just as nice.  :) We started the day off with a trip to Èze and then to Monaco.  In Èze, we visited the perfurmery of Fragonard.  We learned how the perfume was made and tried our hand at being "noses" to recognize certain cents.  This stop also helped many to find some nice souvenirs to bring home! We then made the drive to Monaco.  It was incredibly beautiful!  We saw the changing of the guard, visited the cathedral to see the memorials for Prince Albert and the late Grace Kelly.  The scenery was breathtaking and the atmosphere inviting. Did you know that June 21st marks La Fête de la Musique  in France?  We enjoye...

Il fait CHAUD!  High in Provence? 92 degrees! We had another busy day today but thoroughly enjoyed our last full day in France.  We started our day at les Baux de Provence.  It is an adorable little town that has been around since the Middle Ages!  We enjoyed picturesque views, winding cobblestone roads, and some great shopping!  It was a wonderful morning high atop the "baby mountains" of les Alpes. We then took a trip to Avignon, known for its great impact upon history.  Avignon is beautiful, lively town with many things to do.  First we parked next to the famous Pont d'Avignon, and then visited the Palais des Papes?  Did you know that at a time when the Vatican and neighboring Rome were so unsafe for the Pope, he set up a temporary papal palace in Avignon?  We visited the old palaces which was home to the pope for over 70 years.  We then enjoyed some shopping and many had gelato to help cool us down. We ended the sa...

Oh boy, Nice was ready for us today!  We had a very long trek to get from Chicago to Frankfurt, and finally to Nice but it was so worth it.  France is experiencing a "canicule" right now, or  heatwave  so the south of France has been extra warm.  The sun was shining ALL day! We paid a visit to the Marché aux Fleurs to see some cool trinkets and have some lunch.  We then made the hike up to the Colline du Château which lends itself to a BEAUTIFUL view of the entirety of Nice.  Finally, we enjoyed the beach.  Did you know that the beaches in Nice are not sand, but instead pebbles or flat rocks?  The water was gorgeous.

We are officially on our way! Thank you to all of the parents and family members for your support in making this happen! We look forward to sharing our adventures with you!

Bonjour & Hola from the PHS France & Spain Trip! Follow our adventures as we travel through the south of France and Spain over the next couple of weeks.  We will be posting images and updates with awesome things we see and fun pictures. Thanks for joining us on this trip of a lifetime!  We are leaving tomorrow!! Yay! Sincerely, Mme Mitchell & Sra Watts