EF tour from Summer 2022, gave West Shore students the opportunity to take a trip to Barcelona, Madrid and Paris.

“One of the most exciting parts about this trip was getting to see the different cultures and way of life of everybody,” junior Olivia Luchetti said.

The EF tour had begun in France on June 2. Travelers saw various attractions and monuments in Paris. The Mona Lisa and the Eiffel Tower were popular sights.

“It was really interesting to be walking around and hearing different languages being spoken,” Luchetti said. “It sounded really pretty, especially in France.”

After walking around in the city, the students stopped for food at restaurants. The meals brought to them were completely paid for before the trip as well.

“We would just show up and they would have it ready for us,” Luchetti said. Her favorite dish was a Spanish seafood delicacy called Paella.

“As a Spanish teacher, I love to share all things Spanish with my students,” head of world languages department Alexandra Stewart said.

Barcelona has a mixture of French and Spanish cultures that Stewart shared with the students.

“This trip was a perfect way to mix both topics,” she said.

During the summers of 2023 and 2024 Stewart plans to travel to more countries with more students. The plan is to visit Rome and Athens this summer and London, Normandy and Paris the following one.

EF participants said they loved the trip and would definitely visit again.

“I love the locations I travel to,” Stewart said. “Why wouldn’t I go back?”

Stewart’s valuable memory from the trip was getting to take her son, seventh grader Keegan, along with her.

“Experiencing it with my friends was something I wouldn’t trade for anything,” Luchetti said.

The trip, ending on June 22, was a memorable experience according to Stewart and Luchetti. However, the downside was the plane flights.

“I had a lot of flying anxiety.” Luchetti said. “There were a lot of delays, especially with weather, so we ended up being on the flight for close to 12 hours.”

By Violet Castillo