Summer Trip Globetrotting in Europe

By Ash Proenza
August 21, 2009

This summer trip could be homework for history class, only much more fun!

I visited Europe this summer, starting with Barcelona, Spain. The reason I went to Barcelona was to visit my mother’s’ family. It was the

first time we met! They were a little shy and so was I. My family was very nice and gave me a tour of the whole city.

Barcelona is one of the oldest cities in all of Europe. I saw several old buildings in the Gothic Quarter. Something did confuse me during my visit. When my cousins spoke to me they would speak in Spanish, which I understand. But when they spoke to each other, they spoke in a language I never heard before. It’s called Catalan and it’s only spoken in a few parts of Europe.

I got a chance to ride on the Metro, which is similar to the subway in New York City. I saw a lot of great sites in Barcelona, but my favorite part of that trip was meeting my cousins from across the Atlantic.

Next on my itinerary was Paris, France. I was in Paris for only one day, but oh what a day!

The first place I saw was the Notre Dame Cathedral. Have you ever heard of Quasimodo? Well Victor Hugo was inspired to write his famous novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, because of that cathedral. When I saw the gargoyles on the roof I thought of the Disney movie about the hunchback. For a spilt second I thought they would start talking just like they do in the movie.

The next stop was the famous Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre, perhaps the most well-known museum in the world. Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa more than 500 years ago!

I climbed the wonderful Eiffel Tower at night while it was all lit up. The line was long, but it was worth the wait. Looking down at Paris from the heights was a grand sight. If you ever go to Paris, remember that the nights are chilly, so bring a coat. I learned that the hard way.

My last destination in Europe was London, England. I rode The Underground (also called The Tube), which is yet another version of New York City’s subway.

London is similar to New York in many ways. For example, in New York we have Times Square. London, has a similar area called Piccadilly Circus. Both have theater districts where all the plays and musicals are staged.

While I was in London, I saw Big Ben, the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament (similar to our capital building where Congress works). It is the world’s most famous and recognizable clock. That was my favorite thing to see because in the Disney movie Peter Pan, Peter flies past Big Ben.

After Ben, I rode the London Eye. The Eye is a spectacular site. It’s the biggest ferris wheel in Europe. I also visited Buckingham Palace, home to Queen Elizabeth, to see the changing of the guards. I didn’t get to see much because there were too many tourists trying to get a glimpse of the Queen’s guards.

We finished are sight seeing with two bridges: the Tower Bridge and London Bridge. Both bridges cross the River Thames, but are very different. The London Bridge is more modern, while the Tower Bridge looks more like old England with a tower on each end.

After all that, the best part of this trip was returning to the hotel for a nice, long nap.

Editor’s Note: PHOTO: Kid Reporter Ash Proenza in front of his favorite sightseeing spot in Europe: the Big Ben clock tower in London. Photo Courtesy Ash Proenza.

We would like to know what you think and how was your summer? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Scholastic News Online