York County students from Tabb, Grafton and Bruton High Schools are packing their bags, almost airborne on their way to France for the first French student exchange in many years. They will fly from Newport News on Sept. 30 to Barcelona, Spain, where they will be picked up by bus for transport to our sister city, Port-Vendres, and nearby Ceret, the location of the “regional” high school, or lycée. They will tour the Musée d’Art Moderne in Céret, the Musée Dali in Figueras, Spain, the Palais des Rois de Majorque in Perpignan, historic Carcassonne, Collioure and Port-Vendres. They will take classes with their “pen pals” of the past year and stay with host families. On Oct. 5, they will be treated to a special lunch by Port-Vendres d’Abord, before boarding an overnight train to Paris. They return to Yorktown Oct. 8. They have an official diplomatic mission to carry the Quintilla Prize inaugural medal to Antoinette Quintilla. We will be eager for details!

2012 York County Student Exchange Group