EDITOR'S NOTE - Pauline is an European Exchange student in our school for the 2018-2019 school term.   A graduate from Belgium, she has been working to improve her language skills and share the world beyond our small rural community.

ITALY: It’s one my favorite. I’ve been there many times and to different places and I always enjoy it. The weather is usually pretty good, warm and people are very nice. I like to talk in Italian even if I’m kind of bad at it. Arts and history are amazing. It can be in Rome, Florence, Venice, etc. It all has beautiful landscapes and places. Rome is my favorite for her history, the Colosseum and the beautiful Trevi fountain. Venice is my favorite for the “night life”, the restaurants, the atmosphere, and ice cream of course. Italian is one of my favorite food, especially their ice cream. Way better than others!   

  SPAIN: I LOVE Spain. Especially Barcelona. I’ve been there twice, and it’s such a gorgeous city. My senior trip was there, and it was fabulous.  The architecture, the Sagrada Familia, the Guell Park, the buildings, the museums… it’s fabulous. Also, Spain has good food too, mostly “tapas” which is a bunch of different meals and appetizers, in tiny portions. Night life is very nice too, lot of bars and clubs. Also, the beach is great. During the summer, the ocean is warm and the water very clear and the weather is very hot!! The only bad point is the people there. They are not very friendly, because they are kind of sick of tourists. But, it doesn’t really matter when you still have fun, as long as they still respect you. They are not mean, just not very nice and welcoming.   

 FRANCE: France is where I went the most on vacations, mostly when I was younger. France is very big, and I’ve been to so many different places. I know that everybody wants to go to Paris when thinking about France. Paris is amazing, but I’ll not choose that city for summer vacations. More for a city trip. I’ll rather go to the south and that’s where I go mostly. Expect when I go skiing, because the weather is super nice, sunny and warm! And south of France is great for summer vacations, because you have all the beaches, the ocean, and the most beautiful places to visit for me. French people are very nice and fun. I always had a great time in France. It’s always a good country for “family” vacations and camping.     ·   

   MALTA. Malta is a great place to go with friends. The legal age there is 17. Malta is not expensive and it’s a great place to go with your friends! It’s sunny and hot! I’m going there this summer with my best friend. Everybody talk in English there which is easier. Everybody is nice, and friendly and there is always a good atmosphere. It’s an island with gorgeous landscapes and places to visit. You can spend time with your friends on the incredible coves!   ·       

  BELGIUM. The best one for the end. Honestly, I live there, so I always want to go away during the summer, but if you’ve never bent there, you should and during summertime of course. We still have the ocean and beaches! The weather is great at that time usually. Some huge festivals happen during July. Belgium is also known for his festive atmosphere. We’re big partiers!! And, the most important, our food is delicious. Fresh, tasty, and not unhealthy (unless you always go to fast foods). I miss so much Belgian food. People are nice, happy (mostly), and can talk English. The history of our country is beautiful, and very interesting to learn about it and visit historical places. You can easily go to others cities like Bruges, Anvers, or going to the ocean, with the train, the bus, the subway… you don’t have any transportation problem!

    I’ve been to more places in Europe, like Croatia for example, but I was little, so I don’t remember that much. I love Europe in general, but those 5 countries are for me the best ones, especially if you’ve never been to Europe.