Last summer, I joined a group of 30 Cal High students on an unforgettable trip across Europe with former Cal teacher Gary Lambert.

This trip, which was the first planned by Lambert, spanned 12 days during June and July and included stops in major cities such as London, Paris, and Rome.

It was the highlight of the summer for most of the students and for Lambert, who had taught at Cal for eight years before retiring in 2014.

“It really is a fun way to stay connected with the school and high school students,” said   Lambert, who is eager for the next European adventure.

Plans are already in the works for the summer of 2016 trip, which  features a longer, more focused itinerary. The trip itself is a sprawling, two-week long journey through Italy, where students will visit all of the major destinations along the way.

The upcoming trip will be structured similarly to last summer’s trip, including some familiar chaperones and the same tour director from last year.

Students won’t just be going to see some sights or to get away from their parents, either. There are some major educational benefits that come along with the scenery and traveling.

“I took away a real sense of how old Europe is compared to the United States, and how much history there was,” said junior Ethan Shaw.

This experience will be particularly rewarding for sophomore students, who will get to see their history textbooks come to life as they recognize buildings and places that they learned about during the school year.

“The name of the trip is from Antiquity to the Renaissance, and that’s the main takeaway,” Lambert said. “You’re walking the streets and you can really feel how the people from the middle ages lived.

“You’re going to walk the streets of Pompeii, see the inside of St. Peter’s Basilica, and see the world’s greatest museum, the Uffizi,” he continued.

Not only will there be a trip next summer, but most likely for many folllowing summers as well. Teachers from schools across the district have been leading these kinds of trips for years. Cal is finally getting with the program.

“I would like for this to become a Cal High tradition, and when I’m too old to continue doing these trips,I hope some other person to come in and step up in my place,” Lambert said. “The administration has supported us phenomenally through all this, and I hope that they remain as supportive of what we’re doing as they have been.”

I had the privilege of joining Lambert, along with some of my friends, on this unforgettable journey through places that we had only seen through the pages of AP European History textbooks.

After a tiring red-eye flight from Seattle, our first stop was London, where we enjoyed sights such as Big Ben, the Tower of London, London Bridge,  the London Eye, and more. We saw famous landmarks such as Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral, complete with an evening theater performance at Piccadilly Circus.

After getting our fair share of English food and culture, we headed south across the English Channel to Normandy, where we saw  numerous D-Day themed museums and sights.

The highlight of the trip was Paris, where we spent multiple days around the city visiting sites such as  Napoleon’s Tomb, Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc De Triomphe.

I couldn’t figure out which was better, Notre Dame or the food from the stalls lining the street in front of the famous cathedral.

Whether the tour lead us through the  Champs-Élysées on a bus or down the River Seine at dusk, the sights and smells of Paris were an experience to remember.

Florence and Rome were the final destinations of the last couple of days, including a full day tour of Vatican City. St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel were the biggest hits from this last section of the tour.

A 16-hour journey from Rome back to the airport in Oakland had the entire tour group,  including the chaperones and group leaders, reflecting on what a tiring but rewarding experience the trip had been.

“The trip was super fun,” said junior Marcela Gonzalez. “You get to become really good friends with the other people along the way.”

Junior Ellen Lyons said, “I wanted to see more of Europe to experience the knowledge I gained in AP Euro. I loved the trip and I think that I have gained a strong understanding of the history I learned.”

Students interested in next summer’s trip can visit the website www.eftours.com and enter in tour number 1699738DS for more information.  They can also talk to AP Euro and U.S. history teacher Scott Hodges, who will be chaperoning next summer’s trip.