Over the lake and through castle ruins, on CEA CAPA excursions we go! Studying abroad has been a blast. From exploring my city to learning a language, I feel like I have gained a great wealth of unique experiences and skills. In addition to my studies and other daily duties, my favorite aspect of this study abroad semester has been venturing out of my daily routine—or, as the French would say, “routine quotidienne”—on CEA CAPA-sponsored excursions! In the midst of my schoolwork and time spent with friends each month, I get to experience fascinating locations near Grenoble with my stellar CEA CAPA staff and fellow students! 

On our way home from a weekend excursion with CEA CAPA, we made a pit stop in the most beautiful village in France, as ranked by the Ministry of Culture. 

On a CEA CAPA excursion to the nearby city of Lyon, we experienced the neo-Gothic/neo-Byzantine architecture of the 19th-century Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière. 

From small villages to historical landmarks, stunning caves, and picturesque scenes, the CEA CAPA excursions I attended this semester were each a wonderful treat! My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend extra time together away from school with the added benefits of learning more about France and having all of our meals taken care of!  

My friends and I visiting Musée-Château d’Annecy overlooking the beautiful old town of Annecy, France. 

Our stellar tour guide telling us that even though all of the canals in Annecy flow into the Thiou River, they each have a different name (like street names)! 

We truly cooked up some great memories, traipsing around castle ruins in Beauvoir-en-Royans, wandering along the canals in Annecy, and exploring the pristine waters of the Choranche caves. 

Exploring the stunning Grotte de Choranche with CEA CAPA in the Vercors Regional National Park. 

Peeking through the medieval castle ruins of the Carmes Convent on the first leg of our CEA CAPA excursion in the French countryside. 

After spending two and a half months getting to know the other CEA CAPA students and hanging out with Brie and Justine, our CEA CAPA staff in Grenoble, we took a longer overnight excursion to Lausanne, Switzerland. By that point in the semester, the group of CEA CAPA students studying in Grenoble had become my friends, making the trip a wildly fun adventure.  

Crossing Lake Geneva on our way to Lausanne, Switzerland. 

We cruised along Lake Geneva’s ice-cold waters, indulged in some velvety gelato, toured the Olympic Museum, and wandered about the old cobblestone streets. The excursions CEA CAPA sponsored gave me unique experiences, fascinating bits of knowledge, and wonderful new friendships. 

Sophie on the banks of Lake Geneva, waiting to board the boat back to France! 

Without the CEA CAPA excursions, I would not have had the opportunity to learn or see as much as I did. Our knowledgeable tour guide, who accompanied our CEA CAPA group on most trips throughout the semester, walked us through unique paths in nearly every town or city we visited.  

Checking out the Fontaine des Eléphants with CEA CAPA in Chambéry, France. 

We traveled through Roybon, France, with CEA CAPA and got to see one of French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s original Lady Liberty statues. 

Ducking through old passageways or historic buildings, our adventures led us to some fascinating sites. From finding Jean Jaques Rousseau’s apartment building to coming across one of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s original Lady Liberty statues, I would never have known to look for such historical gems on my own.