During the 2023 Easter break, 18 De La Salle students, accompanied by four teachers and eight parents, visited France and Spain.

The group traveled to Paris, France, and then went to both Barcelona and Madrid in Spain. 

The April 5 - 14 trip was conducted by the international travel agency, EF tours; De La Salle faculty and students have traveled with that company for the past several decades. 

The 2023 trip was the first DLS trip to Europe since 2016. 

“I think foreign travel really opens up students' eyes to the beauty that is out there and gives them the chance to explore a culture different than their own,” said faculty member Wilson Juncaj who organized the trip. “And of course, students have opportunities to use the language they have learned in the classroom in a real-life environment.” 

“I was able to use what I have learned in class and speak to cashiers and waiters,” said Junior Andrew England, a junior enrolled in Spanish III, about his first trip to Europe. “It made me feel accomplished!” 

Andrew cited the church La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which has been under construction since 1882, as one of the trip’s highlights. 

“This trip opened me up to be willing to go to new places,” he added. 

Junior Mikos Plumaj has previously traveled to Croatia and Albania, the birthplace of his grandparents. Also a student in Spanish III, Mikos said, “I utilized my Spanish better than I expected. I was able to say hello and talk to clerks in stores and at the hotels.” 

Juncaj said that the students definitely enjoyed the trip, citing the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Art Museum, and Versailles in Paris as highlights.

“Students really liked going to the soccer stadium in Barcelona, and the chance to stand on the same field as FC Barcelona,” Juncaj said. 

Also accompanying the students were foreign language teachers Adriana Vidican, Lindsey Tula, and Kata Griffith.