Danvers, Mass.----Hi, my name is Casey King and I am a rising senior defender on the Wingate University women's soccer team. In May, 20 classmates and I went on a W'International trip to France with Dr. Wayne Tarrant and Dean (Don) Merrill. After a long and stressful 24 hours, we arrived in Paris!

We landed around 11:30 a.m. and headed straight for our hotel to drop our bags…we were ready to explore this beautiful city! The best part of this whole day was first laying eyes on the Eiffel Tower – absolutely breathtaking! It was almost surreal seeing the structure in real life! We took an elevator to the first floor to walk around and take pictures, but I was too excited to get to the top! We then took another elevator to the very tip of the tower – I’m not typically afraid of heights, but the ride up was scary. I felt like we were floating up, since we could see out the walls of the elevator!

After the 864 pictures we took (at the Eiffel Tower), our group took a boat cruise around the Seine River. We saw the Eiffel Tower again, as well as some very well-known statues and buildings. After the tour, we headed back to the hotel and stopped at a small pizzeria for dinner. The owner of the restaurant was very nice and noticed right away that we were Americans with little to no French (knowledge), so he was very helpful when we ordered. He even stuck around to teach us more before we left! After dinner, we decided to take it easy and rest up for our exciting adventures ahead!

The next day, we went to the Notre Dame, a beautifully sculptured and ancient church. Though I am not very religious, this church amazed me! The building itself was absolutely beautiful with tons of detail in the walls and ceiling. One of my favorite parts was the stained glass, because it was so detailed! After only an hour or so, I truly gained respect and knowledge for the religion. We were able to stay long enough to see and listen to a young choir perform. Though they were only about high school age, they were very talented…their voices were beautiful!

After the Notre Dame stop, we went on a bus tour around the city which took a long two-to-three hours. Though the tour was very tiring at times, I really got to see many very famous sculptures and buildings, such as the American Embassy, The Place de la Concorde and L‘Opera de Paris!

The next stop was the Louvre! Without a doubt, the Louvre was one of the largest places I have ever seen – it was never ending! As we walked through the main gate, my eyes widened because it was so big, but there was even more on the other side! There were also many guards with rifles, in case anything was to happen. One of the last things in the Louvre was the pyramid…inside was the reverse pyramid, which was very neat!

After this long day, we walked the streets of Paris and found a small restaurant by the river. I ordered what they call a menu, which is basically a special spaghetti, drink and dessert…all for 10 Euros…which isn’t too bad! Danny (Palmiotto) ordered escargot, which I really wanted to try. When the waitress brought them out, I began to have second thoughts! In the end, I stepped up to the plate and ate a snail soaked in pesto – sounds delicious, right!? Though I may not order a full plate of escargot, I was very happy to have a chance to try them!

The next morning started very early, as we had much to see! Our day began with our hotel breakfast of bread, bread and more bread! We then took the Metro to the Modern Ancient Museum. This building was very unique. It contained many famous artworks! The reliefs were very interesting…the artist carves into a solid instead of building onto it. Fascinating!

The best and most famous works of art at this museum was the Dame a la Licorne (Lady and the Unicorn). This work of art made us all think to determine the meaning and thought behind the artist’s intentions. In the end, we determined each of the five paintings were one of our senses…illustrated between the lady and the unicorn.

The next stop was the Luxembourg Gardens – one of my favorites! Between the statues, ponds (and of course the flowers), this place was beautiful! One statue we saw was the Statue of Liberty…a much smaller version. We also saw some famous statues such as The Kiss and The Thinker. As we were walking by The Thinker, we saw Daniel Craig and Rachel Weitz! We tried to get a picture, but they snuck away.

After the Gardens, we stopped for some Gelato! I got coconut and blackberry…it was delicious! From there, we walked our way back through Paris and found a nice café to stop and eat dinner. I ordered the Croquet Madame, which is basically a ham and cheese sandwich with a poached egg on top of it.
Our next day was spent in Versailles! We began the day with a train ride, but ran into some issues with connecting because there was some kind of fire at one of the stations. Because of (the delay), we had to backtrack and find a new route to Versailles. When we got there, the building was outlined in gold and the entrance was beautiful – everything was so detailed. Walking through each room took forever, but it was really cool to see the rooms and furniture of the noble class!

At 5:30 p.m. the same night, we took the loooooooooooong train ride to our beautiful Chateau des Correaux, owned by Jean and Marie-Edith. The guys stayed nearby, as the girls stayed about 400 meters down the road at the ‘Gite’.

The next morning, we went to visit the Monks! We began the trip with a beautiful ceremony…the monks spoke in four different languages: German, Latin, Russian and French! After the ceremony, we sat down for a lunch of mashed potatoes, bread, boiled eggs and brownies for dessert.

After our experience with the Monks, we headed to the Chateau de Cormatin, a beautiful and historic castle! Before entering, we stopped in the front office where we could see the blueprints of the castle. Outside were beautiful gardens…and even a maze made from the bushes. After crossing the drawbridge, we got a tour inside the castle, which was beautifully designed with multiple secret passageways and unique detailing.

After the tour of the castle, we headed back to the Chateau to make our very own crepes! Following our cooking experience, it was wine-tasting time! Jean and Marie-Edith provided us each with a booklet describing what we should experience when tasting wines. Not only did I enjoy the wine, but I learned much about the wine and now know what to look for in the future when finding the right wine. When the tasting was over, we headed upstairs to a dinner prepared by the wonderful Jean and Marie-Edith. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met!

The next day, we started our journey with a visit to the Clune de Abbay, where we watched an amazing 3-D movie about the structure…when it was built and also all the new construction as well. It was like a virtual tour! Throughout the building, they had TV screens that you could move and the picture on the screen would move with you – another virtual tour! It was neat to see what it looked like when it was first built…to what it looks like today! After the tour, we headed back to the Chateau where Marie-Edith gave us a tour of her gardens and the vineyard! She keeps up with her plants and flowers and takes care of them so well! They have workers that help them take care of the Vineyard as well.

Later, we got to meet Germaine and his wife…they stayed for dinner! After another delicious meal, we were served wine and cheese as Germaine thought of a game to play! He brought out a deck of cards and the game was called Jungle Speed. It was very confusing at first…one could tell he was getting frustrated with us, but after a couple rounds we got it right and the game was much more fun! After an hour or so playing this crazy game, we called it a night. We decided to head back to the Gite to shower and get some rest.

Before long, it was our last day in the beautiful country of France! Our final day began with bakery tour near the Chateau. The owner was a friend of the family and was very kind to give us some insight on his bread-making business! He gave us all a free small sample and showed us how to roll out the dough and bake it! After the bakery, we enjoyed another breakfast of bread and said our good-byes to Jean and Marie-Edith. It was very sad to leave them because they were such nice, warm people. We enjoyed our stay.

When we got back to Paris, we got to see Moulin Rouge very briefly. We visited La Basilique du Sacre-Coeur, which was another beautiful church overlooking the city! From the top, we could see the Eiffel Tower along with the many other skyscrapers of Paris. When we were through, we took a walk through La Place Du Tertre, where we saw loads of street artists painting portraits. As we walked back, we passed many different souvenir shops where we could purchase T-shirts and other goodies for cheap!

Overall, visiting France was an amazing experience! I was able to see new things and make new friends!

WINGATE UNIVERSITY’S W’INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM

Each year, eligible students in their junior year of study are offered an opportunity to spend 10 days abroad with a Wingate faculty member after a semester of study related to the relevant destination. The W’International program, created in 1978, makes a study-abroad experience available to students at little extra expense beyond the semester’s tuition charge.

Since the program’s inception, students have traveled to more than 30 countries in virtually every corner of the globe. Typically, eligible students may choose one of six different destinations. W’International trips either leave after Christmas each year, or after Commencement in May.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a comprehensive university with more than 2,300 students on three campuses in Wingate, Matthews and Hendersonville, N.C. The university offers 32 undergraduate majors, 36 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.

Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past five years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 39 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 48 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.