Paris Free Day

Our final day in Paris was a free one.  Many of us used most of the morning to catch up on sleep; however, we were up and ready to go for an afternoon of exploring the city.

All of us were out and about for a bulk of the afternoon.  Some of us went to The Louvre, where we were able to see historic paintings like the Mona Lisa.  Others traveled to the top and took a tour of Notre Dame.  One student was even able to meet some family members for a day trip to Versailles.

In the evening, we all met up for our final group dinner.  We made sure it was a dinner we would never forget. Our tour guide informed us that the restaurant we ate at was one of the best in Paris. After finishing dessert, we all agreed with her.

 Main course at our final group dinner.

And dessert.

The night mostly consisted of packing and preparing for the flight back to the states.

Europe has been absolutely amazing.  We have all bonded as a program during it, and we have also learned an extraordinary amount about business relations in Europe as well as the cultures of the countries we visited.  It’s been a great trip, but we are ready to take a break and be home for a while.  Some of us will be able to do just that, while others start internships and jobs as soon as they return to America.

We’ll see you when we return to the Indy Airport!

Paris: Days One and Two

To get to Paris, we took the Eurostar, which led us underneath the English Channel (which was quite the experience) and to the mainland of Europe.

We traveled through some countryside of France until we arrived in the city.  The train ride was a little uncomfortable considering we were all dressed in business casual; we went directly from the train station to our first company visit in Paris.

For the first visit, we went to the headquarters of Michelin Tires.  I assume that most are familiar with this company, although many may not be aware of the fact that it is a French company and not an American one.  At Michelin, we were introduced to the company and their mission to keep their product as top of the line as possible.

After the visit, we returned to the hotel, and chilled for most of the evening.  All of us (minus Dr. Davis) went to a café for dinner, where we were introduced to French cuisine for the first time.

The next morning consisted of another company visit.  This time, we took the bus to Thales, which a defense and aerospace company.  At Thales, we met the most energetic company host of the trip and were complimented with refreshments.

At Thales, we discussed the importance of ethics and how they relate to international business.  Thales’ commitment to ethical behavior in dealing with other governments and businesses abroad was the main focus of the discussion.

After the visit, we ventured into a small marketplace, where we stopped at local shops and cafes for lunch.  We then returned to the bus for our official tour of the city.  At the conclusion of the tour, we were able to see the Eifel Tower; many of us were also able to travel to the top of the tower to get an amazing view of the city.
After the tour, we were all on our own for dinner and entertainment for the night.  Many took this time to tour some more of the city (Paris is absolutely beautiful at night).

So far, Paris has been an amazing city.  Although many of us are beginning to feel a little homesick and tired, we are certainly going through our final city with much excitement.