Summer 2000
“I grew as a person through this short month” –Student from Whittier in Nice 2000. What’s the best way to sum up Whittier Nice 2000? Let’s start at the beginning: After leaving LAX on a hot, late-spring afternoon, we arrived in Paris for 4 days full of the sights and sounds of the French capital. Though we could write pages just about Paris, we will give just a sampling: we visited the jardins du Luxembourg, la Sorbonne, le Quartier Latin, l’Ile de la Cité (Notre Dame, la Sainte-Chapelle), le Marais, Montmartre, Versailles…. This also included evenings and one afternoon off to explore, shop or just hang out in a café and watch people. |
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After 4 fabulous days in the city of lights, we took the plane to Nice. French families greeted students at the airport and took them home to get settled in and ready for school the next day. Indeed, we were all quickly plunged into the daily life of this historic town as we made our way to our school on the morning of June 3rd. The sounds of traffic and activity mixed with sights of historic buildings and delicious smells of the patisseries and boulangeries.
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Classes took place in a French lycée (high-school) only a stone’s throw from the vieux port (the “old” port active since 600 B.C.). For the next three weeks we had classes from 9 until 12 in the morning. One class (French 100) was for beginners learning the essentials for getting around France. In it, students learned the basics so that they could communicate with their families, go to restaurants, train stations, museums and other places and not only survive, but thrive and meet people in a different country. The other class (French 200/300) introduced students to present-day French by reading different newspapers every day, listening to radio programs and current music thus learning about political, social and intellectual life in France while honing reading, listening, speaking and writing skills.
Of course, there was more to life in Nice than just classes. Every afternoon and weekend students were free to explore the downtown, its historic districts, museums and shops, as well as the beach and nearby towns only a short bus or train ride away. As a group we also went to a medieval village, Eze, perched a thousand feet above the Mediterranean. Here we visited the parfumeries and explored ancient streets. On another excursion, we headed to Monaco, famous for its beauty, charm and royal family. At the end of the trip, we gathered for a meal of traditional food—socca, pistou, pissaladière and more—to reminisce about the good times we had.
This is only a sampling of all the events; we encourage you to contact the French faculty about our next Whittier in Nice Summer Program. A bientôt!Text by Dr. Andy Wallis. Pictures by Dr. Marie-Magdeleine Chirol. |
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“In a nutshell: four of the most incredible weeks of my life. [….] I learned more than I ever could have imagined, met so many new people, and had enough fun to last a lifetime!” Student from Whittier in Nice 2000. |
