Over mid-winter break, six French students and French teacher Sarah Duran traveled to France to get a taste of the culture while touring museums, visiting famous monuments, and devouring the un-American plates of miniscule delicacies.

“Every year we try to change it up, but this year ended up being very similar to the trip we took last year,” Duran said. “One location that was different that I’m glad we visited was Versailles.”

The Palace of Versailles, located in southwest Paris, was once a residence of royalty and now serves as a historic national landmark and an artistic achievement. There, the students formed teams and played a quiz-like game while exploring each room.

Another difference from past years, only six Liberty students attended this year’s trip. The Liberty students were joined in their tour of France by five students from New York.

The group also went to Aix-en-Provence, a city known for its hot springs and art, and Vers-Pont-du-Gard, where they visited the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge.

“I liked southern France overall. The landscape is so nice and the people in the south have a more-relaxed way of life than the busy Parisians,” senior Jade Stair said.

They also toured Nice, a city known for its beaches, and Monaco, a country known for its overall enjoyable climate. With a population of only 30,508, Monaco is the second smallest country in the world.

“It felt pretty surreal knowing that I was thousands of miles from home, but at the same time, it felt strangely refreshing to wake up each morning in another country,” junior Griffin Cherry said.

Although the trip was safe, there were hints of the country’s response to the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack that occurred on January 7 earlier this year.

“France is a very secure country, but you could tell they were moved by [the Charlie Hebdo incident],” Duran said. “There were soldiers at every site we visited.”

Though just a week long, the trip to France proved to be an enriching escapade, a test of the students’ knowledge of the language and a chance for them to explore a bit more of the world.