Hornets Buzz Through Paris and London on School Trip
In Paris, students got to visit the Eiffel Tower as well as Notre Dame cathedral. Photo: Ethan Lager
By EMILY LAVI
Bienvenue en France, étudiants de Midwood! On Feb 21, 6 a.m. French time, a group of approximately 30 Hornets landed in Paris, ready to take on the week full of adventure ahead of them.
The February Break trip to Europe, organized by Mr. Lawrence Kolotkin, transported the students and six chaperones through France and England. The students visited Paris for two days, followed by a four hour bus ride to Normandy for another two days. Next, they took a ferry to London, completing their trip with a two day stay there as well.
The trip was organized by EF tours and cost each student around $3,500, which covered the flights, hotels, transportation, breakfast, and dinner for each student.
Upon landing, the adventure began almost immediately. Students met their tour guide, who remained by the groups’ side through the entire stay in Paris. “We had an amazing tour guide,” said junior Ethan Lager. “His name was Sem. He was a down-to-earth Amsterdam native. He was very knowledgeable on European history and you could tell from his enthusiasm that he cared about the group. He really made the trip what it was.”
After settling into their hotel rooms, the students quickly dove into touring the city. They visited Notre Dame cathedral, went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and even got to watch it twinkle in the night. The students received free time to venture out during their lunch break to further explore Paris on their own. Lager described the city’s “gorgeous vibe and environment.”
“We saw so many local artists,” said senior Emily Kolotkin. “We walked at least ten miles a day.”
From Paris, the students took a coach bus four hours to Normandy, the site where American soldiers stormed the beaches on D-Day during World War II. Students visited the D-Day museum, a cemetery where American soldiers were buried, and saw memorials by Omaha Beach. Kolotkin described the day as “very heavy,” but also said the students “learned a lot.”
“Honestly it was very difficult to see these memorials because of how close it was to me and my family,” said Lager, who comes from a Jewish household. “My father has always instilled pride in me and taught me to never hide my identity,” he said. “Seeing the sheer number of Jews killed was tough. Most of the group cried, even the ones with no Jewish ties at all.”
Once the students completed their visit to Normandy, they took off on a ferry to London. After customs, they met their new tour guide.
“He was very funny; he reminded me of a male Marry Poppins,” said Kolotkin. “You could tell by his personality that he loved his job, which made the experience even more enjoyable than it already was.”
The students visited Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Queen Elizabeth tower, and paid a visit to a church service at Westminster Abbey.
“I learned a lot in that one day,” said Kolotkin. “We learned about how the British monarchy works. It was a lot of info to take in during an hour and a half!”
On Friday, February 24, it was time for the adventure to come to an end. However, aside from the plentiful amount of history and knowledge the students took in over the trip, they acquired a couple of other valuable lessons, as well as deeper bonds.
Lager said, “I went into the trip worried because I didn't know a single person there and I wondered, how will I have fun? However, I was too quick to assume and ended up having an amazing time. I made some really good friends that I don't think I'll ever forget.”
“Throughout the week, me and my friends stuck together like glue,” said Kolotkin. “I got to get close with people I never thought I'd be close with. It was an unforgettable experience.”