Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the whole world. As a group we saw it a few times on various tours and site visits during the day. It was an amazing landmark during the day and when a small group of us visited it at night, it was even more impressive. Starting at 6pm every night the tower lights up for about five minutes, which makes it quite "sparkly, sparkly." We were able to witness this event several times including once when we were at the top of the tower. The view from the top of the this iron beast was unbelievable. All the buildings in Paris are no taller than six stories, so we were able to gaze at the entire city from the top. The Eiffel Tower is a must-see attraction when traveling in Paris.

-Nick Gagnon

To the left is a picutre of Candace Authier, Jillian Day, and I on top of one of the towers that we climbed at the Warwick Castle in London.

-Julie Kuchyt

To the left is a picture of Professor Ramesh Mohan, Jillian Day, and I (Julie Kuchyt) at the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.

-Julie Kuchyt

The Imperial War Museum was by far my favorite museum in London. One of the best collections of historic military artifacts was in this building. From tanks, to planes to missiles and submarines; one could see in person what helped to win both world wars. The museum also featured a special James Bond exhibit featuring both original and replica memorabilia and gadgets from the 007 series.

Out of all the sites I visited, the Opera house in Paris was one that surprised me the most. I did not anticipate it being so ornate. Prior to my visit, I thought “what’s the big attraction to an Opera house”? Once inside however, I was amazed at the architecture and detail which in my opinion surpassed that of Versailles. Large marble staircases, columns and floors lined the interior of the building as well as countless chandeliers. The exterior was comprised of columns and gold leaf sculptures.

- Kevin LaPierre (Harvard, MA)

Dinner Cruise

The Seine River Dinner Cruise is probably the best dinner I have ever had during the whole trip. It is not because of how delicious the food was, but I saw a beautiful Paris with a different view. After we got stuck in the traffic for almost an hour and being so hungry, I did not expect any nice views but food. But I was really touched by seeing the flash of the Eiffel Tower. The first impression of Paris was from a mini bus tour, which somehow disappointed me. I expected to see a lot about this romantic city, but I did not feel that much of Paris. And later I had some bad experience, which made me want to get out of Paris, but later on I saw another side of Paris, and I started to feel the city and like it. On the boat, I saw the flash of Eiffel Tower for several seconds, which is good enough for me to fall in love with the city.

Dana

Parliament Buildings

Honestly, I think that one of the coolest things we saw was the Parliament Building in London. First of all, we finally got to see the famous Big Ben and Victoria Tower. We always see pictures of this building, but I think it was very cool to finally see the inside, with its ornate architecture and rich history. I thought it was very interesting to see just how similar the structure of the legislative branches of England and the United States are -we both have a two house system with a lower and upper house. Also, each house is split into different sections: one for the government and one for the opposition, much like the Congressional houses are split for democrats and republicans. The many different rituals and traditions that take place during Parliamentary sessions is fascinating, like how the Queen is not allowed to enter the House of Commons and how MPs must always "toe the line" during debates. I also found the fact that each house is represented by a different color: the House of Commons is decked out in green even though no one seems to know why, where as the House of Lords is decked out in red, which represents the royal nature of the House of Lords. I also liked how they tried to preserve some aspects of their history in the building, such as the archway that was built out of the rubble from the destruction caused by the German Blitzkrieg during World War II. All in all, I think that this was one of the major highlights of our trip; one that we will never forget.

Cheers,
Dave Gravel

Notre Dame

Home to the famous fictional character "Quasimodo," Notre Dame was by far one of the prettiest sites I have ever seen. Lauren, Kristen, Steve, and I were amazed at the intricate architecture and detail put into every aspect of this historical landmark.

Once inside we were overwhelmed by the feeling of serene calmness which surrounded us entirely. While we sat on the chairs in front of the gorgeous alter, someone (we're not sure who) began to play the organ both beautifully and eerily. With the organ busting out notes and all of the powerful displays, I think that Notre Dame was by far one of my favorite things I went to while abroad.

-Stephanie Rochefort