Day 4 - Reims

After a wonderful continental breakfast this morning we had first-hand experience of  the French  cuisine. This consisted of baguettes, pancakes, brioche, cheese etc. Unfortunately, Janine was departing home back to Germany so we all said our farewells wishing her well. Afterwards, we headed West through the wonderful countryside to the famous champagne capital of the world, Reims! Whilst keeping ourselves occupied with numerous films on the coach, we arrived at Reims with an allocation of 2 hours to explore this admirable city. The wonderful architecture and historic buildings captured our fascinations which included an 800 year old 12^th century cathedral and an impressive art gallery. 

What did we learn about France? Well, France was not exactly just a nation of French people, but natives of Europe.  There was no doubt that migration was evident in France. This supports the fact that one of the EU core principles with regards to the free movement of labour was satisfied. Overall, France displayed a mosaic of people from a combination of European nations.

There was also a wide array of food to select from. What could we possibly choose? Today’s speciality on our taste buds was crepes! Why? It was an opportunity. We exploited the fact that we were in France, so we had to have a real French crepe and admire the specialisation before returning to the UK. We enjoyed the traditional French pancakes with whatever we fancied ranging from sugar to cheese.

As highlighted by the EU parliamentary officials that we met at the reception at Parliament yesterday, EU integration is fully operationalised through the French example. With regards to what the MEPS stated, despite the monthly commute to Strasbourg, the importance of France in Europe is acknowledged. This brief experience made us realise the meaning of the EU French culture. It supported the EU’s strong message – Unity and diversity. We noticed that diversity was not just people, but with food, culture and much more. Overall, despite the close proximity of France and the UK, cultures and traditions were entirely different to the UK. This was truly a French experience!

Finally, with the CES being a cross-departmental and multi-disciplinary centre, we had the opportunity to constantly interact with students of different nations and departments. This trip has certainly enabled us to share experiences, exchange expertise and enhance our learning further.        

Natalie Lee, Kristy Yeung, Matt Hutchinson, Will Carmmac