This past summer, students from New Ulm High School (and one from Cathedral) went to go explore three, or technically four, countries in Europe. The group included students that are now juniors, seniors, and some of last years seniors. It was a ten day trip that was packed full of history from many different time periods. We went to London, Paris, Florence, and Rome. We hit up some of the major tourist attractions in each city. Some of these sites included the London Eye, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Tour Montparnasse (to see the Eiffel Tower), Notre Dame, Palace of Versailles, the Duomo, the Vatican, the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and the Spanish Steps.

While it was a vacation, our brains were put to work as well. I choked on our first day in London and said I didn’t know who led the German army in World War II. I knew that Hitler was their leader, but I think the thick British accent of our local guide threw me off. One of the big themes that popped up over the course of the trip was the expanse and power of the Romans from two thousand years ago. There are roads that lead to Rome in London because “all roads lead to Rome,” walls built by Romans in countries besides Italy, and the Roman Forum which shows the building style of the Romans and where they lived. We also had quick little crash courses in languages. We received a little half sheet of common words in French and Italian, so we could try to speak the languages of the local people, which was much harder than it seems.

One of the highlights of the trip was the food. Different types of cuisine in every country. From fish and chips in London, to ham and cheese filled crepes in Paris, and noodles and pizza in Italy, there was no shortage for things to eat. There were also chances for students to try more exotic cuisine that wasn’t offered at supper. During lunch, we always had some time to go and grab something, which is where some of the best food was found. Some tried some lamb, others ate more home-like foods, like McDonald’s (the hamburgers have thicker buns, and the fries aren’t as salty). There were also many sweets consumed, primarily gelato in Italy. On just about every block, it seemed, there was a gelato shop, and it was really good.

On our trip, we had a guide throughout the whole trip, as well as local guides in each city. I was able to contact our guide, Nicky Dvorak who stated she has been working with EF Tours (the company that we went on the trip through) for 10 years, and has been in the travel industry for over 20 years. She also stated that the best part of her job is “sharing travel and life changing experiences with people, seeing beautiful places, and every day is completely different to the next.”

There has been four trips so far, the fifth will be this next trip in 2018. I talked with Mr. Bute, who has been the leader of these trips, besides the first one where he and Mrs. Gordon organized the trip. He said there are still spots available for the 2018 trip, and that if anyone is interested, go and see him. Students from other schools are allowed to go as well.  I asked if there are any other tours he would like to take students to, and he said he would really like to go on an East Asian trip to see China and Japan.

Emma Maudal, a sophomore who is going on the 2018 trip, said she is most looking forward to seeing St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as other parts of the Vatican. While she hasn’t really started preparing for the trip quite yet, she’s very excited to experience new cultures and all of the history.

When traveling abroad, there are many different concerns that are brought to light that wouldn’t be of worry for a simple road trip to a place like Chicago. First off is getting a passport, and making sure it doesn’t expire, and that it isn’t lost on the trip. There were also concerns of safety, mostly because we were half way across the world, and in an entirely new place. As Mr. Bute said, “There’s good people and bad people everywhere.” As far as flights go, flying is actually the safest form of transportation. There isn’t anything that in Europe that is more dangerous than what is here in the United States.

I talked with Anna Uehling, who is a senior here at NUHS, and went on the trip last summer. Her advice to the students going on the next trip is to wear comfy shoes. There is a lot of walking involved on the trip, and your feet can start hurting even if you are wearing good shoes. Fashion should not be the main thing you are concerned about with your outfit, even though Paris is the fashion capitol of the world.

Overall, the Europe trip is “a trip of a lifetime,” as Mr. Bute put it. You get to see and experience new cultures, and be immersed into history from thousands of years ago with a big huge group of friends.

Students wait to depart from Minneapolis to London by playing “Slappy.”

In front of Buckingham Palace, the entire group of students pose.

Kayla Brandes, Colin Leuthold, and Meleah Reinhart get nice and close on the Tube in London.

Sam Dobie takes one of his many group selfies by the Tower of London.

A group of students in front of Parliament in London.

Students take a rest outside of Tour Montparnasse after looking at the Eiffel Tower.

Students pose at the Palace of Versailles.

The students pose in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Madison Suess, Rose Dobie, and Meleah Reinhart enjoy McDonald’s at the Louvre.

Students smell samples of French perfume at the Fragonard Museum.

#Parisweloveyou

Students outside of the Louvre in Paris.

The group gets some breakfast at a cafe in Milan in between train trips.

The group listens to a local guide in Florence through Whisper radio devices.

The group enjoyed supper in Florence in a fancy palace.

The  group poses for a photo at the Roman Forum.

Our amazing tour guide, Nicky, gives us her last run through of the trip before arriving at the airport in Italy.

The “Thirsty Thirteen.”

“Staci’s Girls.”

“Bute’s Group.”

The “Dirty Dozen.”

Thanks to Mr. Bute for all of the pictures!