by Saoirse Gallagher
Just before midterm break, 46 transition year students and their teachers swapped classrooms for croissants and set off on an unforgettable four-day trip to Paris. From early-morning excitement to late-night adventures, the experience was one we will certainly never forget.
Our journey began in the early hours of Tuesday, February 12, as sleepy but enthusiastic students gathered outside Coláiste Ailigh, competing for the best seat on the bus. While some tried to catch up on sleep, others chatted excitedly about carefully planned outfits and the activities ahead. Music played just loud enough to keep everyone awake — ensuring we might regret it the next morning.
At the airport, teachers carefully checked passports and boarding passes, exchanging watchful glances to make sure everything was in order. With suitcases weighed and tagged, there were a few tense moments at the scales — especially for those of us whose luggage was close to the 10kg limit. Mine weighed 9.8kg, which made ‘essential’ souvenir shopping later in the week a slightly risky decision. Let’s just say I was already mentally preparing to wear three hoodies on the flight home.
Once seated on the plane, there seemed to be a silent agreement: it was time to sleep. Knowing we wouldn’t arrive at our hotel until after 8pm that evening, everyone tried to rest and save energy for the busy days ahead even the most energetic among us admitted defeat and closed our eyes.
And that was only the beginning of four busy days filled with sightseeing, laughter, and enough steps to last us until next year.
When we finally reached Paris in one piece, we cheered as the plane landed. That excitement quickly turned into panic, however, when we realised that a boy in my year — who also happens to be my cousin — had left his passport on the plane. The teachers rushed into action, and although it caused quite a scare, it was almost inevitable that something like that would happen on a trip of this size. Thankfully, the situation was sorted, and we were soon back to enjoying our journey.
We boarded a bus for a sightseeing tour around the city, stopping at remarkable landmarks to take photos.
We posed proudly in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower and the magnificent Arc de Triomphe before visiting our final stop of the day, the breathtaking Musée d’Orsay.
The students in my art class were completely in awe of the paintings and sculptures inside the Musée d’Orsay. We had heard about many of the artworks for years from our art teacher, but no description could truly prepare us for seeing them in person. My favourites were Luncheon on the Grass by Claude Monet, Girls at the Piano by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and of course, Self-Portrait by Vincent van Gogh. Seeing such famous masterpieces up close was an unforgettable experience. After a long day of travelling, sightseeing and laughter the students were glad to see their hotel rooms. I was fortunate to be put in a room with my best friends Niamh Aimee and Moira. We had to give up our phones at ten and lights were put out by half past, but we allowed some whispering.
FIREWORKS
Over the next few days, we continued exploring the city. We visited the stunning Notre-Dame Cathedral and admired the views from Sacré-Cœur. We wandered along the famous Champs-Élysées, stopping at countless aesthetically pleasing cafés where we enjoyed delicious coffees and fresh, buttery croissants.
On our second night, we ate at an interesting restaurant that served us one savoury and one sweet crêpe each. Some students were so impressed that they even dared to ask for seconds. If you were to ask anyone in my year what the best day of the trip was, the answer would most certainly be Valentine’s Day at Disneyland Paris. Everyone was buzzing with excitement, so waking up for breakfast at eight o’clock was surprisingly easy. We had an extra hour to get ready and roommates and I had made sure to use that hour wisely and tidy up our chaotic room and suitcases. We made our way out to the bus and seeing as it was freezing cold, my friends and I matched our barrettes and scarves making sure that we would be cosy while waiting in lines for our rides that we had already picked out!
When we got to Disneyland shock spread across many people’s faces as they admired the beauty of the theme park bringing back all those cherished childhood memories. It wasn’t long before pictures beside Cinderella’s castle were taken, even posing with a mascot of Goofy.
We stayed quite late in Disneyland to see the fireworks, which was my favourite part. It brought back such heartwarming memories. Sadly we had to leave the firework show just a few minutes early so that we could get to the shuttle bus quickly and in one piece but little did we know it just so happens that it wasn’t only my year that had that idea and we got bombarded with many tourists! Some of us didn’t get back to the hotel until 1.30am.
We were sad to see the trip come to an end but we are eternally grateful, especially to our teachers and parents for having had the opportunity to bond with our classmates in a wonderful city for four extraordinary days.
The Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Photo: Fionn Gallagher
