In early April of 2014, 65 members of my junior class departed for a trip of a lifetime. We…read moretraveled to Amsterdam, Brussels, Bruges, and Paris over the course of 12 days. This was not first time traveling outside the country, but it was my first time having a tour guide everyday. It caused for some good and bad days. Ronaldo, who lived in Paris, met us at the airport when we landed. From that point on, he was with us for our entire travels. He also stayed at every hotel with us throughout the trip.
Our first day began immediately, as the minute we got off the flight, heading straight into Amsterdam. We spent the day exploring various parts of the city. Resting for only bit, we ended that night, taking a tour of the Anne Frank House. Ronaldo picked our first dinner; it was one of his favorite places. We ate tomato soup, salad, steak and frites. The food was amazing and we were learning more about the city then we ever thought we could.
Over the next few days we walked the town, tried new foods and experienced life in Europe. We soon headed to Volendam to see an actual cheese farm. Aside from the smell, it was unique to watch and learn how cheese was made. After spending the morning making cheese, we went to De Candelaer to see very beautifully designed plates, bowls and other objects with a special history and importance to the small town of Deift. Ronaldo taught us so much about this unique design and how important it was to the small town. Before leaving Amsterdam we stopped at the hugely popular flower sanctuary. The colors were incredible and the flowers were mesmerizing. After spending a few nights in Amsterdam we traveled to Brussels and stayed at a gorgeous hotel for two nights. We spent the following day in Bruges seeing chapels, touring the city and trying new foods. We were nonstop the entire trip so far!
One of the most memorable days was visiting another Ursuline School in Mecheien. The students were so warm and so excited to meet and talk with us. We were greeted with great desserts and unique teas and coffees. Ronaldo showed us the school and told us about the differences between are two schools. Our last night in Brussels ended with a traditional dinner, hanging out in the town square, eating Godiva chocolates and learning about the squares history.
We ended our trip in Paris visiting the Palace of the Invalide. We toured many museums and of course visited the Eiffel Tower. We saw the Moulin Rouge and tried many traditional foods including escargot. Even though this trip was full of early morning departures and late nights, it was worth every minute because it was a once in a lifetime experience. Without the assistance of Ronaldo helping us to understand the different cities, guiding us where to go and teaching us about what makes each place so special, we would have never gained the knowledge and experience that we did. Even though having a tour guide with you at all times can get a little annoying and exhausting, he made the trip so worthwhile and gave myself and my friends the experience of a lifetime. We shared many laughs and had an amazing time. I highly recommend Ronaldo from EuroAmerican as a travel guide. He was so knowledgeable and taught me a great deal during my journey abroad.I highly suggest traveling with this company, they knew everything and were very knowledgable when having questions about sights or where we were exactly.