Vernissage and Arles

"The Vernissage was one of the most empowering events of the trip. It was an opportunity to view my classmates' artwork, all of which was magnificent. It took place the night before our painting teacher, Ms Julia von Metzsch left for the U.S.; she made a great impact on me. She was a teacher who believed in all of us, which has inspired me to continue my watercolors and constantly improve on my art." -Larissa Heron, from School of the Future

"Our exploration of Arles and its annual photography festival, Les Rencontres Arles, was led by Bill Messer, a renowned international curator. He led us through the tiny winding rues of Van Gogh's former village to visit each exhibition. We truly learned not to learn to judge things by their covers, as an old run-down villa house could be hiding ancient Roman architecture or a collection of fascinating photographs. We stopped at a plethora of galleries including l'Eglise des Trinitaires, that featured a 42-meter long panoramic installation by artist Wang Qingsong titled "The History of Monuments." We also visited the Musee Départemental de l'Arles Antique where artists Robert Capa, David Seymour, and Gerda Taro's exhibition "Mexican Suitcase" displayed negatives from the Spanish Civil War. Our tour ended at a restaurant, La Boheme, hidden on a side street where we met a photographer named Pascal Baetens. His personal collection was displayed throughout the restaurant and he and Bill gave us an art history lecture of each artist featured in his collection. It was really amazing to be able to appreciate other people's opinions of beauty as shown in the photographs at all the different galleries." -by Emma, Hopkins School '13

Horseback-Riding on the Beach

"On Tuesday, July 5, we traveled to the Camargue nature preserve. It is a unique natural environment, an estuary, where the Rhone River meets the Mediterranean Sea, and as such has fresh water fauna and flora on one side, with salt water animals and vegetation on the other. The area is populated by flocks of wild pink flamingos and a special breed of "Camargaise" horses, stocky white spotted horses unique to this area.

After riding horses on the beach and watching wild flamingos and herons fly by, we went into the town of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, a small quaint sea-side village made historic by St. Sara and the three "Marys of the Sea", including Mary Magdelene. According to legend and local history, some 40 years after the crucifixion of Christ, the three Marys escaped from Palestine and landed here with St. Sara - one of the famous Black Madonnas. It is from this tiny quaint village by the sea that Christianity spread throughout Europe. St. Sara la Noire is the patron saint of the Gypsies, and each year a pilgrimmage of gypsies from all over the world gather here to celebrate her." Chandri Barat

note by Nayyirah Sabir, student at Newark Collegiate Academy, Newark, NJ:

"Today we went horseback riding, and it was a remarkable adventure. I rode a horse once before in my life, but it could not compare to this experience in France. The horses were free spirited and all had unique names, such as Lulu and Oakland. The horse I rode was called Ahamise and had dark spots all over. Later we went to the beach and there were many shops to browse through. We then went to a church in Les-Saintes-De-La-Mer and the architecture was extraordinary in that it looked like a Medieval building because it was made hundreds of years ago. No day at the beach is complete without ice cream, which is why my friend and I chose two alternative flavors including Lavender and Nutella. As we expected, both were delicious. We then walked along the beach and found many beautiful seashells which I've never seen in America. The feeling of the cool blue water of the Mediterranean Sea was refreshing after a day in the sun."

A Day In Marseilles

My day in Marseille was amazing. I experienced so much of the French culture in one day. When walking along the boardwalk with all the salesmen from different ethnicities , there where so many people, restaurants, and boats amidst the breath taking view of the sea. I saw so many different things. Walking through the streets of Marseilles was an exciting experience and going into the church, Notre Dame de la Garde was astonishing. The interior detail with gold mosaics, coupled with the church's Neo Byzantine architecture left me in awe. I loved the gift shop as well.

-Nasir F. King

Market in Apt

"This morning we went to the Market in Apt. Without a doubt it was the largest, most colorful, and most extravagant market I've ever seen. There were many booths lining the streets, selling olives, cheeses, bags, jewelry, spices, and more. Audrey educated me about what is good to buy and what is not, and we shared some amazing macaroons.

We could have easily spent a whole day at the market, as there was so much to see. Every corner we turned, there was a new row of booths; it seemed to go on forever! You can tell how popular this market is by the amount of people bustling around. There were many "pardon's" and "escusez-moi's," and the vendors were always talking to one customer or another.

Hopefully we get to go to the market another time soon, to once again witness all the colors, commotion, and creativity." written by Soreya Scilipote

"Yesterday we went to the African dance festival. The festival was fun to watch, and to dance along to all the different kinds of music. The music they performed varied from Lady Gaga, to playing drums and shouting. There was lots of different kinds of dancing too. Some of the dancing was very flowy to go with the softer music, while other dances were choppy and energetic to go with the drums beat.

Different ages were displayed as well. One group had children who couldn't have been more than about ten years old; another group had women who looked like they were much older than ten. The African dance festival showed lots of variety in music and dance, and it was very fun to watch."

written by Avery Givens

"In french class on Thursday, instead of having a normal lesson we cooked what would be the group's lunch. Geoffrey and I skinned and then chopped up the carrots, switching off and on each individual job. After the carrots, Audrey had me cut up the pineapple. In the end it was awesome to see the whole thing come together, and to finally taste the wonderful quiche." written by: DeAndre Dymski

Painting at Le Château

"Behind the crowd with a couple friends, we captured the moment of caved in boulders while steep staircases lead us to the unknown. After finally reaching the top, we stared in awe at a view that could have been all of France. Under the guidance of Julia we learned new techniques and explored charcoal drawing as well as watercolors. We drew Le Chateau, we drew each other, we drew the distance and the future." ~Larissa Heron

Aix-En-Provence

Excursion to Aix-en-Provence for the opening of the opera season, "La Traviata" en plein air with the London Symphony Orchestra.

"On Tuesday, we traveled to the city of Aix in the South of France. When we arrived we divided up into groups and were allowed to wander the city's old and beautiful streets for hours, window shopping in the process, being mesmerized by the high priced French merchandise. Near nine o'clock we gathered together to hear the start of the city's music festival, which began with the London Symphany Orchastra playing excerts from an opera, performed by professional singers. The music took place in the middle of a gorgeous street that was centuries old, creating a music hall with the trees that grew and created a roof by leaning in towards each other. After an hour and a half of listening to the beautiful music, the group agreed that it was certainly one of the most magical things they had ever witnesssed." -Geoffrey Cook