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This is a famous brisket sandwich from Montreal.

Traditional poutine, Montmorency Falls, beautiful basilicas and real maple syrup are just scratching the surface of what the French students got to enjoy during their Canada trip this past summer.

What better way to experience authentic French culture than by traveling to the two most French-influenced cities outside of France – Québec and Montreal. While these two cities offer different city environments, neither failed to surround the students with French language, food, shops and culture.

Québec definitely captured the European charm, especially in the eyes of senior Gabby Maiorano.

“The city looked just as I imagined it would. It has those cobblestone streets, little cafés, and was just so quaint. It brought back so many memories from my trip to France. Exploring Québec was one of the best moments on the trip. The little town has so much to offer,” said Maiorano.

Within the 3 days spent in Québec, the French students were able to witness and adjust to a new culture by speaking the language and eating the food. Sophomore Hannah Dorr was particularly looking forward to just that.

“I was so excited to try new foods. I thought speaking French and ordering to actual French speakers would be difficult, but it wasn’t so bad. I had to order McDonald’s once though, and I didn’t know the French word for mcnugget [haha],” said Dorr.

The thought of having a language barrier scared senior Danielle Moore also, but after speaking once, she realized she had nothing to worry about.

“Everyone was very nice and patient when I had to speak. They knew I spoke English, so sometimes they would just speak English to me. But when I needed to, communicating in French was not as bad as I was expecting. I over-exaggerated my accent at times, but I really think I improved my French,” said Moore.

Moore was also able to try a variety of French foods.

“I needed to try poutine. Nothing screams Canada more than traditional poutine. It’s fries with gravy and cheese, and I really enjoyed it. My friends and I had different gelato flavors every day, sometimes twice a day. The gelato tasted so fresh and didn’t have an overload of sugar, which was nice,” said Moore.

Besides the food, the students toured many churches, shopped, went to a maple factory and hiked the impressive Montmorency Falls in Québec. The sugar shack, or maple factory, and the Falls were highly loved and remembered on the trip. Students learned how maple syrup was made and was able to try it frozen as well.

And for the falls – imagine a less cliché version of Niagara Falls, which is how senior Mackenzie Marzullo viewed them.

“It was a lot of walking, but it was totally worth it. The Falls were huge and beautiful. I was able to get a lot of cool pictures in front of it. It was a nice way to end our Québec journey and head over to Montreal,” said Marzullo.

With only 2 days left of the Canada trip, the students spent their time in the more modernized city of Montreal, which brought back nostalgic feelings for senior Mackenzie Brose.

“This city reminded me of San Francisco because of the water, or maybe New York. But it was beautiful,” said Brose.

Also feeling the New York vibe, Maiorano reflected on which city she prefered visiting the most.

“Québec was definitely my top city. But, it was still cool seeing a city [Montreal] that looked just like the major ones in the US with the only difference being the street and building names being in French. Along with Québec, Montreal had a lot of landmarks and history to offer,” said Maiorano.

Mont Royal, one of the highest areas of Montreal, provided amazing views of the entire city. They were able to see the Olympic Tower Observatory, the Biodome, the underground mall, and the Notre Dame Basilica, all of which they later toured.

After spending five days in primarily non-English speaking areas, Brose really enjoyed her time in Canada.

“I thought it was very interesting seeing two cultures mix. I think we all adapted very well and had a great time. The tour guide really showed us amazing places and museums,” said Brose.

This Canada trip allowed the students to actively participate in the culture that they learn day by day. The students increased their knowledge of and love for the French culture.