Between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean: France, Spain, and the Pyrenees: Wesley Nealy

This past summer, I went on a trip of a lifetime to live in France with a family, not only to better my speaking skills, but also to experience a culture completely different from our own. France was everything I expected and more. Whether it was walking around the Quartier Latin, visiting the tourist sites, or relaxing, enjoying the world pass me by at cafe, Paris was a bustling city. Luckily, my experience was not restricted to only Paris. You would not believe the Basque region in Southwest France was in the same country as Paris. Small and quaint, the Basque region is everything Paris is not. Full of friendly and amiable people, one would be immediately welcomed and included into the Basque society. My trip also stretched out of France into the Pyrenees mountains and Spain. After about three weeks of leisure, my group and I had to do some physical activity in the Pyrenees. Even though the treks were arduous, the views I saw from the tops of the mountains were breathtaking. Then to conclude our trip, we headed to Barcelona to experience the club nightlife. Full of energy and vibrant young people, Barcelona is completely different from Paris, a more laid back, relaxed city. France, Spain, and the Pyrenees, three completely different cultures, the best experience of my life.

Paris-First Four Days
Ahh Paris, the greatest city on the planet. I arrived in Paris after a nice six and a half hour, overnight, cramped plane ride with no T.V. It did not matter though, it was my first time abroad and what a way to start it off in France. We began the day with a scavenger hunt. It was a great way to explore the city on our own terms. The famous words of our leader, "Get lost." It was good advice, because the best views I saw was when I accidentally stumbled upon these views like this picture of the Eiffel Tower while I was crossing the key lock bridge.







 

This photo to the right is a picture of my favorite monument in the world because Napoleon Bonaparte built it. I was in the middle of the street when I took this because the crosswalk was double-sided.

This picture to the left is a picture of my favorite spot in Paris-Jardin de Luxembourg. On the day my group decided the plan, we visited this leisure spot and ate lunch. Perfect weather and beautiful scenery makes a perfect day. My only regret is I did not stay there longer.

This picture to the right is of the massive church Montmartre. Legend has it that a man named Denis walked up a road with his head in his hand to this spot where they built this church in memory of this event, and the road leading up to the church is now called Rue Saint Denis. Montmartre means "martyr's mountain."












Homestay-17 Days



This is a picture of the Fronton. This was located in my homestay in the region of Guethary near St. Jean de Luz and Biarritz. This was the hang out spot for young people like my host brother Edouard, 15, and his friends. Events such as concerts, Chistera or Pelote, or a farmer's market every Sunday where the whole village comes out to buy fresh wine, cheese, vegetables, and fruits occurred.

This is a picture of a harbor area in St. Jean de Luz. The Basque region is characterized by the houses with the wooden frames on the outside in colors such as red, green, and blue.













This a picture of the church my family and I went to on Sunday's in their community of Guethary. There is a boat hanging from the ceiling because this region is big on fishing. The women sat on the ground floor and the men on the balconies, but times have changed and not many follow those antique rules.










This is the group of friends I hung out with during the duration of the homestay. These are the friends of my host brother Edouard. From left to right Sammy, Edouard, me, Clemont, Paul, Goutier, and Vergile.

This picture below is on top of the highest mountain in St. Jean called La Rhune. It was a relaxing climb until the almost completely vertical end. As you can tell from the picture, I could see all of St. Jean de Luz and Biarritz along with the big Atlantic Ocean.

Spain and the Pyrenees-8 Days

This picture to the right is a mountain I climbed in the Valley D'Oo. I climbed as high as 8,000ft. The mountain flattened out into this area surrounded by a huge pond/lake area with many little waterfalls with the huge one right behind my group. 
Names from left to right: Aiden, me, Jack, Harry.








This picture to the left is of the town Coilloure on the French Mediterranean. The beach farther out is a private beach and the structure standing out separating the two is a bell tower.











This picture to the right is one of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. We finished our trip with four days in Barcelona site seeing and went to a club one night.















Special Thanks

I would like to thank the Wilson family without whom none of this would be possible. This trip is the best experience for a young language student. Immersing oneself in a completely different language and culture really gives the confidence and experience to speak the language more fluently.