Abingdonian 2017

13 www.abingdon.org.uk Michaelmas Term French Trip to Strasbourg Our Christmas Holiday kicked off with a rewarding yet freezing trip to an ancient, small yet special town in France: Strasbourg. The trip only lasted for four days, but during this short time we not only improved our French speaking skills but also enjoyed the magnificent Christmas market and the eye-catching views around the town. We headed off to Strasbourg by coach on a dark, cold morning and drove the whole distance, which took 14 hours. On the second day we had a tour around a small, antique town. We walked around the market and even managed to get some free pastries! After lunch, we strolled to the Musée Alsacien, where we learned about the daily lives in pre-industrial and early industrial Alsace. It was truly fascinating to see the delicate models around the museum, as well as the wonderful decorations inside. Despite the unwelcoming museum staff, we were still excited to be visiting such an absorbing and fascinating place. We had a lovely dinner, followed by a quiz, which was great fun. Everyone was put into groups of four, and I think it’s fair to say that we had a good time. On the third day, we went to the Zoological Museum near the hostel, where we got a chance to look at some real scaled animals. Afterwards we got some free time to walk around the Christmas market and we tried traditional French drinks and food, followed by a quick walk inside the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg. The moment I walked into the church, I could already feel its majesty and holiness. During the boat trip on the River Ill we got to see a wonderful sunset while enjoying the view around the island in the middle of Strasbourg. In the evening we got to stage our own talent show which was really good fun. Everyone was extremely shy to perform in front of their peers, but in the end some people were brave enough to come out and act. First off, Dominic Clark gave a singing solo, then followed by me and Joe Nicholas where we did a duet together. The night was very enjoyable and everyone did a marvellous job! We had a great time and I would like to say thank you to the teachers who went with us as well as the bus driver who coped with taking us all the way there and back! Andreas Lo, 3AJM