During February’s Winter Recess, a handful of WPHS juniors and seniors flew to Europe. Guided by an educational tour company, ACIS, students explored Parisian and British cultures by trying their cuisines, seeing historical landmarks and wandering different neighborhoods.

As soon as they landed in Paris, the group was given some time to walk around, grab lunch and shop before heading to dinner. The next morning, they toured the city by bus, learning about its history along the way. They made a pit stop at Notre Dame and walked over to the world’s most visited museum, the Louvre, to pay a visit to the Mona Lisa. Later that evening, the students took an elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower. While conditions were windy, they still took photos and enjoyed the breathtaking view of the famous city of lights.

After a good night’s rest, the teens were out and about again on a 30-minute train ride to tour the Palace of Versailles. They observed portraits of past inhabitants of the palace in the Hall of Mirrors and roamed the massive gardens. As it was their final day in Paris, they did some last-minute souvenir shopping. Afterwards, they boarded a boat for a ride along the Seine River for one last glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.

When in France, trying escargot must be part of the agenda. Following an exhausting haul up more than 200 stairs in Montmartre, students sat down for dinner and ate snails. Yes, snails. Some found the traditional French appetizer tasty, while others were less impressed. That night, the travelers got their suitcases ready for the next morning’s trip on the Eurostar to their next destination.

When they touched down in London town, the group went sightseeing on a bus to Buckingham Palace, the British Museum and through the British city’s busiest streets. The following morning, they strolled through South Bank, took the tube to Camden Market and sat in Regent’s Park to rest their legs. That night, they were allowed to get dinner wherever they desired and walked down the Strand to see all the marquees of the West End shows. They took some pictures in front of Big Ben before preparing themselves for the final day of their trip.

The group imagined themselves in the Tudor period of British history as they explored the Tower of London, where most nobles of that time were imprisoned and executed. They weren’t far from Borough Market, where they were able to get any food they could think of. Their tour guide, Ben, or ‘Big Ben’ as they liked to call him, took them to a shopping area near where he grew up—Battersea Power Station. Then, they rode a double-decker bus to the world-renowned department store, Harrods. While everything there is a bit pricey, the most affordable shop that a portion of the students were looking for was the original Jellycat store on the fourth floor. They spent their final few pounds on the popular stuffed animals and caught some sleep before their early morning flight home.

Students were able to see firsthand what has been inside their history books all these years while bonding and making memories with their classmates. Senior Kayla Levis recommends this experience to underclassmen when it’s their turn, saying that it “give[s] students global exposure and real-world cultural experiences that cannot be taught in classrooms.” It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should not be missed. Rising juniors and seniors, make sure to sign up for the Spain and Portugal trip in February 2027!

Big shoutout to Big Ben!