With a fitting surname, Durham French touched upon his most treasured experience during a recent student exchange trip with a coterie of his fellow Mercer Island High School (MIHS) classmates to Thonon-les-Bains, France.

One day on a group excursion, the students climbed a mountain, perched on the alps to soak up the scenery and listened to music. Later, they partook in a fondue dinner with their host families in the Haute Savoie region that lies near the Swiss border.

“I would say it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life,” French said of the 10-day trip, which took place last month and was organized by the Mercer Island Sister City Association.

Thonon-les-Bains and Mercer Island inscribed an official contract in 2000 to institute a partnership as sister cities. Thonon, which sits on Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), is home to about 35,000 residents and the Ripaille Castle, and numerous ski resorts in the French Alps are located a half hour away.

Mercer Island High School students experienced stunning scenery on their 10-day trip to Thonon-les-Bains, France. Here, Lac Léman is pictured from the city. Photo courtesy of Emma Stefan

Emma Stefan said she fully immersed herself in the French culture and people on the trip. From sampling the food and experiencing the city with her host family and sister, speaking French and attending the local high school, she enjoyed her time abroad and is excited to welcome French students to the Seattle area in October.

Another Islander in the 19-student traveling group — which was accompanied by three chaperones — was Maeve Goldman, who noted that the city of Annecy boasted beautiful and interesting architecture and landscapes and she learned that the French people really like munching upon cheese.

Broadening her horizons about how people live in a different country was one of the main takeaways for Sophie Cartwright.

“I think on Mercer Island, we really do live in a bubble, so to be able to see a completely new culture and a completely new way of life was really interesting,” said Cartwright. She added that one of the slang expressions she learned from her host sister was c’est chaud (“that’s hot”), which is often uttered during a difficult situation.

Justin Li said the French people warmly welcomed him into their world and were excited to interact with the Americans. One of their group treks featured a visit to a Swiss chateau with a humorous tour guide, Li said with a smile.

The group packed heaps of activities into the trip, according to Amelie Schmid, who added that two boys in her English class were thrilled that she played soccer and fired multiple questions her way. Schmid, who is Swiss and was already familiar with European and French culture, said she helped her host mom learn English so she can utilize it during her nursing duties.

According to Raquel Libman, Thonon-les-Bains is a city lined with old buildings with stunning architecture. Many of the structures feature plaques with a historical explanation of the spot, she said.

“I enjoyed experiencing another family’s lifestyle,” said Libman, adding that she recommends the trip to other students who want to explore a different culture.