Our final day of the tour before flying home was spent making the most of Paris. We began with a tour of the Fragonard Musee de Parfum. Yes, a perfume museum. While the students weren’t sure what to expect, it was pretty nifty covering the history of parfumery, the methods used to obtain the essential oils used, and an opportunity to smell a range of different finished perfumes.
After a few hours to explore the Opera neighborhood for lunch and shopping at the Galleries Lafayette, we headed to the Louvre, arguably the most famous museum in Paris. The students had four hours to explore the museum and surrounding gardens. Students took selfies with the Mona Lisa, and the viewed other iconic masterpieces: the Venus de Milo, the Dying Slave, the Coronation of Napoleon, and more. While only a tiny slice of the 16 km length of galleries were enjoyed, the students saw so much!
Leaving the Louvre on foot, we then headed to Chez Claude for a dinner of chicken cordon blue and a decadent chocolate torte. Our final evening in Europe was capped off with a river tour on the Seine. The weather cooperated, and we were able to sit on the open roof of the boat as we traveled up and down the Seine.The guide on the boat provided a thorough history (in both French and English) of the bridges and buildings viewed from the river.
It is hard to believe that our time in Europe is coming to a close; it has been a truly amazing experience. It will be difficult to say goodbye to Remi, an amazing tour director.
See you at home in Ohio!