By Dom Guzzardi & Tyler Spitz
Today, we started our day by having breakfast in the hotel. Then, we proceeded to walk to the lecture. Today’s topic was the technology of the Olympics. The group was very excited about this, as the Olympics are coming soon. We learned a lot of interesting facts, like how there are 54 competition venues. We also learned how the Paralympics gives more medals away than the regular Olympics, as they have multiple Paralympic winners of medals in the category based on disability. This was very interesting since the Olympics have more events. The lecture then went on to explain how they have to provide for athletes and the people coming for the Olympics. They need to provide over 600k meals while also having a restaurant open 24/7. This lecture was very interesting to see a lot of the things that went behind the scenes of the Olympics.
After the lecture, we took the train to PSG stadium. The group started by going to the team shop across the street. People are getting things like jerseys, scarves, and a bunch of other PSG and Jordan gear. This team shop was especially cool since PSG is the only team sponsored by Jordan. After we went into the stadium for the tour, it was the nicest stadium we have been to in a lot of parts. It felt like we were in a hotel, not a soccer stadium. It feels like it could fit more than the max capacity of 47,929. We were able to see the locker rooms, pitch side, and suit-level views, with star player Kylian Mbappes’s locker being a fan favorite. Once we finished, we were able to take some shots at a goal on the side before going inside to see some of the trophies they have won in their rich history. We got to do this very exciting thing, and I am glad we got to experience it.
Following the tour at Parc de Princes, the home of PSG, a group of students, including Tyler, Chris, Kevin, Owen, David, Reid, and Dom, made our way to a wine-tasting experience that we booked a few days in advance. However, immediately before arriving, the group decided to grab lunch and split up, going to two different locations. Owen and Chris went to a place similar to the one we had next door, and the best way to describe the place the rest of us went to was as a bistro, deli, or cafe. The group varied in their orders, but some constants across the table included French Onion Soup and paninis, and everyone got crepes for dessert. Despite a slight incident with a broken plate, the lunch was incredibly enjoyable as the newly formed friends from the trip shared some memorable moments and tons of laughter.
The tour was at Les Caves du Louvre, an underground ancient and historical cave in Paris, where we were provided with three total glasses of wine throughout the experience while also being provided with a brief history and overview of the origins of the specific wines we were tasting in that moment. Our journey throughout the experience included getting provided with an explanation and description of how wines are fermented over their lifespan, the understanding, methodology, and importance of why and how to properly smell and taste wine in its purest form, and valuing the steps and procedures that go into how the bottles, labels, and cork are all specifically designed to each bottle and unique style of wine.
After concluding our tasting, the group split up again as Chris, Tyler, and Dom decided to venture back towards the hotel to have a mid-day nap, catch up on some schoolwork for additional summer classes, and take some time to reset for the day. Following the naps, we all freshened up. We made our way across the street to the Le Chateau Landon restaurant and enjoyed a nice dinner with whoever wanted to join us, including Sam, Emillie, Tyler, Chris, Reid, Owen, Jorge, David, Kevin, and Dom. After that, the group, girls, and guys, decided on their plans for the night and enjoyed a Saturday and second to last night in Paris, France.