ROEDEAN FRENCH HOMESTAY PROGRAMME – APRIL/MAY 2015
FRIDAY 17 APRIL - D DAY!
After months & months of anticipation, D day has finally dawned and all gathered punctually at the International Departure Hall at OR Tambo this afternoon. I have been in contact with Mrs Gordon who reports that check-in went smoothly, with no problems encountered at emigration and everyone is very excited to be flying on the magnificent A380 to Paris, from where they will connect to Nice, Côte d’Azur. Please rest assured that all arrangements are firmly in place and that the safety & security of your precious children is of paramount importance to the chaperones. I have no doubt that a wonderful tour awaits your daughters, filled with special memories and abundant blessings - ‘bon voyage’ and I will update the site as soon as I have heard from the chaperones tomorrow....
SATURDAY 18 APRIL - SAFE ARRIVAL!
07h00 I have received a text message from Lise to say that they arrived safely in Paris and all were in awe of the beautiful pink sunrise! The girls are so looking forward to continuing on to the French Riviera... 18h00 Lise has written to say that they had a wonderful flight to Nice, where all were warmly welcomed by Alexandre, their dedicated animateur from Le Centre International d’Antibes. They all hopped on board the coach to Le Château, where they were able to change, relax & enjoyed delicious baguettes, before walking into Antibes for a wonderful orientation tour of the fascinating vieille ville. At 17h45 they returned to the school, where the host families arrived to collect their ‘children’ for the week and all departed in high spirits, full of excitement and anticipation....
SUNDAY 19 APRIL VILLA EPHRUSSI DE ROTHSCHILD & MONACO
At 09h30 everyone hopped on board the coach, excited at all the day had in store. The views along the routedu littoral were incredible and the girls thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, which is one of the most charming villas on the Côte d’Azur, boasting 7 magnificent themed gardens. Thereafter they continued on to Monaco, where they ate their picnic lunch in the Princess Grace exotic gardens, overlooking the magnificent azure blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. After a glimpse of the Palace & the Cathedral, they had some time for ‘souvenir shopping’, before their final visit to the world renowned Musée Océanographique, which was very impressive indeed! All returned having had the most glorious day!
MONDAY 20 APRIL COURS DE FRANCAIS AND EXCURSION TO CANNES!
After a good night’s rest everyone arrived bright-eyed at Le Château this morning, all chatting excitedly about their various host families! They all enjoyed their lessons, interacting with all the other international students on site. After a delicious lunch the group hopped on board the train to Cannes and the first visit was to Le Suquet, a landmark which affords a magnificent view over the yacht-lined bay & the Estérel Mountains. On return to the beachfront, they visited the Palais des Festivals, home to the annual Cannes Film Festival and thereafter the girls were delighted to have ‘du temps libre’, which equates to some free time to shop! Some dared to quickly walk past the exclusive boutiques along La Croisette, before swarming to the well-known brand stores such as Zara, Morgan and Galéries Lafayette! They were also delighted to discover the even more affordable shops on la Rue Meynadier, which boast an abundance of bargains in all shapes and sizes!In the early evening, armed with an array of parcels, a happy band of travellers hopped on board the train to Juan Les Pins, where they walked to the venue for the soirée barbecue ~ what a wonderful, animated evening it was, with plenty of food, much laughter and incredible social interaction!
TUESDAY 21 APRIL EXCURSION TO GRASSE & FRAGONARD PERFUMERY
The girls are really enjoying the classes and after another substantial lunch in the school restaurant, they hopped on board their coach to Grasse, known as the Balcony of Provence for its glorious views. Here they enjoyed a guided visit of the Fragonard perfumery and then they were given the opportunity to create their very own scent, which was apparently great fun! After making some purchases in the on-site boutique, they had time for a stroll through the vieille ville and were delighted to see 2 original Rubens’ paintings in the quaint chapel. There was no time to then visit the Florian Confisserie, but arrangements are being made to include this in the visit to Nice on Saturday.
WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL A TRIANGLE OF ACTIVITIES AND A GLORIOUS DESSERT!
With the sun shining brightly once again, the girls enjoyed another morning of stimulating lessons and after lunch, they all made their way to Nice for a ‘triangle of activities’. With such a large group, logistically they had to be divided into 3 so that they would really benefit from a hands-on experience during the cooking course. Whilst one group rolled up their sleeves and donned aprons, the 2nd group visited the Musée Matisse and the 3rd group visited a large chain supermarket Monoprix, where they had the valuable experience of pricing ingredients to make tarte tatin, salade niçoise and poulet à l'estragon. The cooking course, under the watchful eye of master chef Aude BERTAUX, was such a success and the girls made a beautiful dessert with fresh berries, mascarpone & cream on a triangle of puff pastry. This was accompanied by an almond & mint sweet pesto style sauce and it was only fitting for such a wonderful dessert to have such a glamorous name - “feuilleté six fruits et crémrux mascarpone vanille, sauce menthe”!
THURSDAY 23 APRIL EXCURSION TO SAINT PAUL DE VENCE
After class today the group travelled by coach to Vence, where all very much appreciated the original masterpieces in the Matisse Chapel - La Chapelle du Rosarie de Vence. They then continued on to the Fondation Maeght, which was established in 1964 by Marguerite & Aimé Maeght and boasts one of the most important collections of modern & contemporary art in all its forms. Thereafter they visited the medieval hilltop village of Saint Paul de Vence, a haven for painters & sculptors and after a short game of pétanque under the beautiful flowering platanes, they returned in high spirits to Antibes.
FRIDAY 24 APRIL FINAL DAY IN CLASS AND A RELAXING AFTEROOON IN ANTIBES
Today marked the end of their formal French tuition at Le Centre Interational d’Antibes and the girls were proud recipients of a DELF accredited certificate, which specified the number of hours attended and indicated their progress. Once again the educators at the school were full of praise for all the SA students, commenting on their positive & enthusiastic approach, as well as the marked improvement in their confidence to communicate. After enjoying lunch with new-found friends, they made their way into Antibes, all looking forward to a relaxing afternoon of mingling with the locals at the marché provençal , exploring the fascinating streets of the vieille ville, walking along the ancient city walls and perhaps even visiting the Picasso Museum .... not forgetting some last minute souvenir shopping!
SATURDAY 25 APRIL A GLORIOUS ENDING TO THEIR STAY ON THE COTE D'AZUR!
At 09h30 they hopped on board the train to Nice and there was great excitement about today’s excursion to the ‘Queen of the Riviera’! From the Place Masséna they made their way to Le Marché Cours Saléya in Vieux Nice, which is one of the largest and most well-known open markets in France and here they were introduced to all the colours, textures, scents, flavours and spécialitiés du région. Juxtaposed to the old town is a vibrant & modern city, with a newly revamped square & tramway system and the girls thoroughly enjoyed exploring all on offer along the Avenue Jean Médecin!After a picnic on the pebbled beachfront, they hopped on board ‘le petit train’, a tourist train which provides wonderful commentary as it weaves up to La Colline du Château, from where they had an incredible bird’s eye view over the old city and the Promenade des Anglais, lined with its legendary beaches & palm trees. Thereafter they visited the Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain (MAMAC), a museum dedicated to modern & contemporary art and here the girls discovered Yves Klein, Nicky de St Phalle and Jim Dine amongst others. It was a wonderful day and a fine end to their stay on the magnificent Côte d’Azur. Tonight they will pack and prepare for an early departure to Paris tomorrow morning ...and so begins PART 2!
SUNDAY 26 APRIL ARRIVAL IN PARIS ...PART 2!
This morning all said a fond farewell to their host families as they gathered to board their coach to Nice, Côte d’Azur. They arrived at Accord Ecole de Langues in Paris at 13h30 and here the girls were greeted by their new ‘familles d’accueil’, who warmly welcomed them into their homes for the next 6 nights. They had a short time to unpack & freshen up, before re-grouping for their visit to Montmartre, the oldest district in Paris and at the Sacré Coeur Basilica, they were privy to a ‘sung mass’, which was really very special. After sampling some delicious ‘crêpes au chocolat’, they headed back ‘home’, all really excited for the week that lies ahead…! For information, Mrs Gordon & Mrs Williams are staying at a hotel near the school - Hotel d'Espagne and their contact number is + 33 1 55 33 50 90.
MONDAY 27 APRIL LESSONS + CRUISE ON THE SEINE + EIFFFEL TOWER…
The entrance to the school premises was the scene of much excited chatter this morning, as everyone gathered to discuss their various host families and speculate on what lay ahead in the classroom! The girls have been divided into 2 groups and both will enjoy ‘cours fermes’ with a designated educator for each group, working on a specific theme. Mrs Gordon is in direct contact with Emilie, the Director of Studies at Accord and both are delighted with the course content & level of commitment from the girls. After lunch they made their way to the Eiffel Tower, where they were presented with tickets ... to walk up to the 2nd floor!! CLEARLY this was not what was requested & paid for and I have been in touch with top Management at the school, who has arranged for them to re-visit the Tower tomorrow afternoon and ascend to the 2nd floor ... with the lifts! The day ended with a wonderful, relaxing & informative cruise on the River Seine and the girls loved the different sights of the bridges, buildings, young couples in love on the quai etc! Apparently the girls are really loving the food & the conversations and all are so very happy to be in Paris!
TUESDAY 28 MAY JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIRE A SUNGANO!
Mrs Gordon reports that the girls are learning a great deal from their cours fermes and are being made to work very hard, as the teacher has high expectations! After class they made their way (once again) to the Eiffel Tower, where they fast-tracked the queues and everyone was delighted to see the beautiful views over Paris. On the way up in the lift, all sang Happy Birthday to Sungano – in English, French ... and Afrikaans! Thereafter they visited the Mémorial de la Shoah and all were deeply moved by this museum. They then made their way to the magnificent cathedral of Notre Dame, after which they all enjoyed strolling through the fascinating district of the Quartier Latin, before returning home to their families for dinner.
WEDNESDAY 29 APRIL GUIDED VISIT TO LOUVRE + A SHOW!
They have all become such ‘pros’ on the metro and the girls are benefitting enormously from their French course. After a stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries, they enjoyed a guided tour of the Musée du Louvre, where they all appreciated the magnificent works of art, including Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory & Venus de Milo. Apparently their guide was excellent, with an attractive personality and she shared her amazing knowledge freely with the group. In the evening, Mrs Gordon organized tickets for a musical show at Le Lucernaire theatre in the 6th arondissement and this was a great success!
THURSDAY 30 APRIL PRAISE FROM THE SCHOOL + MUSEE D’ORSAY + CHAMPS ELYSEES!
This morning they completed their course at Accord, Ecole de Langues and Emilie Perrin, Director of Studies was full of compliments & praise for the Roedean girls… bravo les jeunes filles! After saying ‘au revoir’ to new-found friends from other countries, they made their way to the Musée d’Orsay, which houses some of the world’s finest collections of Impressionist paintings. Thereafter they all thoroughly enjoyed some time shopping along the world’s most famous & elegant boulevard, L’Avenue des Champs Elysées…a just reward for a week of hard work!
FRIDAY 1 MAY OUTING TO THE LOIRE VALLEY
Un jour ferié en France and an outing to the Loire Valley has been organized. Weather is the one thing we cannot control and sadly it was very overcast & rainy today, but this did not dampen their spirits nor their excitement. They all had a lovely visit to Chambord, the finest & largest château of the region and thoroughly enjoyed the informative commentary of the audio-guides. After browsing through the stalls at a huge fair in the castle gardens, they ventured off to cycle & explore...in spite of the rain! Upon return they enjoyed hot showers and tonight will be their last evening in Paris.
SATURDAY 2 MAY HOMEWARD BOUND!
The girls will have a free morning to gather together their thoughts & purchases, before revisiting some of their favourite sights. They will meet in front of the Accord at 16h00, where all will say a fond farewell to their Parisian host families, before boarding their coach for the transfer to Roissy Charles de Gaulle. At 23h30 they will board flight AF990 bound for Afrique du Sud and I am sure there is no need to remind all excited parents that your beloved children are scheduled to land at OR Tambo @ 10h00 tomorrow, Sunday 3 May. Everyone unanimously agrees that the tour has been a resounding success and such a valuable experience on so many levels, with the girls having made the most of every opportunity afforded to them. They are all bound to be exhausted after such a full & intense programme and whilst the many wonderful anecdotes may not immediately be forthcoming, they will I know reveal themselves in the days, months and even years to come! To act ‘in loco parentis’ for this length of time is no mean task and both Mme Lise Gordon & Mrs Alison Williams have admirably ensured that your precious daughters were well cared for, happy and safe at all times. As parents, you have certainly afforded your children the most wonderful opportunity and I have no doubt that each and every child will return not only academically enriched, but enriched as a person, having matured and grown in confidence. It has been a real privilege to have been associated once again with Roedean School and a true joy to have organized their 6th ‘Homestay Programme’ ~ merci beaucoup, bon retour et à la prochaine!