Planning for 2011

Barry and I have begun the planning stages of the next trip in 2011.  We are hoping to recruit about 25 students to travel with us.  First priority will be given to Mr. Larsen's current and former students, but others may be welcome, pending space available.  We are looking for students who are honest, dependable, and able to put the needs of the group before their own needs.  While grades are not the only criteria we look at, we do see them as an indicator of what students are like.  Most of all, we want students who are enthusiastic about learning about and experiencing another culture. 

So what's on tap for 2011?

We are thinking that it would be great to see France again.  Plus, Mr. Larsen wants to return to his favorite city in Europe:  Bruges, Belgium.  Right now it looks like the trip will be about 13 days.  It will probably start by flying into Brussels, Belgium, and then traveling to Bruges.  We'd see the historic sights of this perfectly preserved medieval city, as well as the famous WWI battlefields in nearby Flanders.  We also think it would be fun to ride bikes on the canals past windmills to the sea.  Plus, Bruges is one of the best places in the world for beer (for the adults) and chocolate (for everyone)!

From Bruges, we plan to head to Paris, where we'll see art at the Louvre and the Orsay, we'll tour the nearby Normandy coast with its D-Day beaches, and generally have fun in the "City of Lights."  From there, we are thinking of traveling on the high-speed TGV train to the Provence region of southern France to visit ancient Roman ruins,tour medieval hill castles, and enjoy some of the best food in the world.  Oh, yeah, we would also see the "Bullgames", where participants try to take a ribbon off the horns of a bull.  (This is not a bloody bull fight, as these bulls die only from old age.)  We are looking at options for a unique adventure such as hiking, biking, or even floating a river.  Finally, we would head to Nice, France to enjoy the beaches before heading home.

Barry and I are still working on the details and shopping with tour companies for the best price, but we are looking for interested students now.  If you are interested in learning more about the trip, please email Mr. Larsen at larsentravel@yahoo.com, or come by room 825 at Kentwood before or after school, or between classes.  (Don't be tardy!)

****NOTE:  This trip is in no way affiliated with Kentwood High School or the Kent School District.  This is a private tour run by Mr. Thomas Larsen and Mr. Barry Fretwell. 

Welcome To The Blog!

I hope that this blog will be useful for keeping people up to date on what we are doing with the Eurotrips, and also for those of you who traveled with us in the past to post updates on how you are doing and where you've gone since. 

I have left the comments open, so please feel free to comment on any of the posts.  I only ask that you keep it civil by not posting rude, obscene, or insulting comments. 

Thanks for visiting!