HERSCHEL FRENCH TOUR ~ JULY 2007
23 June 2007 D Day!
I can only imagine the excitement, the laughter and the odd tear as the girls said farewell to parents, relations and friends at the airport in Cape Town. I have this very minute received an sms from the teachers to say that everyone is extremely happy and that they're boarding now (18h45). Please may I remind you that I'd love any snippets of info whenever possible for diary entries. Merci et bon voyage a toutes!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
24 June 2007 Safe arrival in Antibes!
I have just received a message from Claudio, who is on the management team at the Centre International d'Antibes. Although the plane had been delayed by an hour, all had arrived safe and sound after a very pleasant trip. He had just placed the last two students with their host families and so all your daughters should be enjoying a relaxing evening in this very beautiful part of the world.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
25 June 2007 Wonderful news!
I have just received a wonderful email from the teachers, which I share in its entirety: "Bonsoir! We survived the flights and the delays...but were so kindly and warmly welcomed by the whole team at the school that we soon forgot it all! The families were extremely nice when they fetched the girls and they felt confident to follow them. 4 girls and ourselves were driven to our "HOMES" in a 'door-to-door' service as those families did not have a car. After we took a well deserved shower, we even met a mother with a group of six of our girls, because she wanted to show them the school and then take them for a walk into Antibes. They were very touched by her kindness and very excited. This morning, the tests went well and as teachers we are ver y proud to hear that their level is, for half of them, B1, which is outstanding. Their first impression of the classes is excellent. Their adjectives were "great", "fun", "exciting". While they had their classes, we organized sim cards for 16 girls and now they can all be contacted! The others have a roaming system.This afternoon, they visited the city and went afterwards to the beach. They impress us by their positive attitude and by trying to communicate in French all the time. Everyone is VERY happy! A très bientôt pour d'autres nouvelles".
Written by: Jenny Peddle
26 June 2007 Excursion to Cannes
Some more positive feedback from the chaperones: "Today went very well once again. This morning, we had a very pleasing conversation with Pierre, one of the two teachers of our girls. We really appreciated seeing that he had planned the lessons well and had chosen the topics of the comprehensions to meet our objectives. Our communication with the school prior to arriving was invaluable. After a good lunch at school, we took the train to Cannes. The weather is nice, warm but not too hot and the walk up to Le Musée de La Castre in Le Cannet was most enjoyable. You will see pictures of our group on the steps of Le Palais des Festivals. The girls loved rue Meynadier and were happy to have two hours to stroll and shop before catching the train back to Antibes all together. Karim is a very nice guide/animateur and we all have an excellent relationship with him". A demain!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
27 June 2007 Lovely weather + St Paul de Vence
Some more news from the teachers: "This morning we took one of our girls to the doctor as she had a fever and a bad cough - I think it was the air conditioning on the planes. Hopefully, the antibiotics will start to work soon and make her feel fine. She spent the rest of the day sleeping while we all went to St Paul de Vence - they all fell in love with its old stone walls and the narrow lanes. The weather is wonderful and we feel really blessed, considering how cold it is in the rest of France. On the way back, our bus driver stopped near the beach for those who wanted to swim and rest in the sun for an hour before dinner time. All the girls really enjoy the freedom of walking home and meeting their friends in Antibes. It is so pleasing to hear them chat and interact in French. A demain ---"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
28 June 2007 Train excursion to Monaco
Thursday's update: "After class in the morning and another delicious lunch, we took the train to Monaco, where we had a lovely time. We climbed up to the Palais, visited the Oceanographic Museum and the Cathedral where Grace Kelly is buried. On the way back to Antibes, the girls experienced French rush hour as we were squashed like sardines in the train --- lots of laughter, as you will see in the girls' pictures! Our guide and guardian angel, Karim, makes us enjoy every minute of our afternoons and he handles the girls in such a caring, big brother way - they really like talking to him. The sky is still blue and the sun continues to shine. Tomorrow the girls have a free afternoon and they have already made plans -- there's so much to see and they are very excited. A demain!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
29 June 2007 Free afternoon in Antibes
I have no specific news to report today and can only presume that everyone thoroughly enjoyed their free afternoon to exploring, sight-seeing and shopping. I depart for France tomorrow with a group of 40 students and I will see your girls in Antibes on Monday! I will not be able to update the site until Sunday evening, but please rest assured that your daughters are in very safe hands and are having a wonderful time. If you need to contact me, I will have my laptop and will check for messages twice a day. In an emergency please phone my husband, Clive, on 082 454 9746. Au revoir!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
30 June 2007 Quelle journee magnifique!
I received a lovely email from the teachers, describing what the group did on Saturday: "We met with our animateur, Karim at school at 10am and departed for St Jean-Cap Ferrat. Our bus driver was the most lovely and warm person, who was determined to make us enjoy our day and the charms of his region. He stopped several times to allow the girls to take pictures from spots he knew were the best ones, with the best view. The visit to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild made us dream of staying here for good. Some girls suggested opening another Herschel school in Cap Ferrat! After admiring all the art collections inside the wonderful pink house, we enjoyed browsing and took many pictures in the nine different gardens. We enjoyed a lovely lunch break at the little beach close to this property, after which we reluctantly had to leave. A few girls were singing so nicely before we got on the bus again that some tourists put a few coins in front of them on the pavement!! You can imagine the laughter we had! We then headed towards Nice and walked along the lanes and narrow streets of the ver y colourful 'vieille ville', before driving back to Antibes. What a wonderful day!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
1 July 2007 Another lovely day on the Cote d'Azur!
More news from the teachers re Sunday: " We had an early start today as we met at the station at 9.00am. The train took us to Juan les Pins where we got on a boat to the Island of St Marguerite. We all looked for Leonardo di Caprio hidden in the corners of the cell of the Masque de Fer (the IronMask)- but had no luck unfortunately! We learnt that a lot of Huguenots had been detained on this island when others had been lucky enough to escape to Holland and thereafter to South Africa. After a 'pique-nique' and a refreshing swim, the boat took us back to Juan les Pins, where some went shopping and others to the beach. Another lovely day on the Cote d'Azur!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
2 July 2007 A happy band of travellers!
Bonjour d'Antibes! I arrived over the weekend with a group of 40 students and this morning I went to the school to meet all the Herschel girls. Everyone seems to have been very happy with their host families and all have benefitted from the course. The teachers at the language school are most impressed with the girls and again reiterated how enthusiastic and advanced they were. It was lovely to chat to the chaperones in person and they reported that the tour has run like clock-work and that the girls have been a delight. It was wonderful to see everyone looking so relaxed and so happy and I have photos to prove it! After lunch they travelled by coach to Grasse, where they visited the perfume factory, Fragonard. They had an interesting guided tour and learnt about the old and new techniques used to capture the flowers' scents. After pleasing their sense of smell, they made their way to one of the oldest sweet factories in the region, set in the breath-taking Gorges du Loup. At the Florian confisserie, they rejoiced in pleasing their taste buds, as they sampled an amazing selection of candies – some even made from flowers! They really enjoyed today's outing!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
3 July 2007 Final day in Antibes
Sadly, today is their last full day in Antibes. The girls had a free morning to browse and pack and then enjoyed their final classes in the afternoon. All are looking forward to Paris, but I know from experience how sad it is to say farewell to such an idyllic part of the world.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
4 July 2007 TGV to Paris
At 7.30am the girls said a sad farewell to Antibes and then enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing trip through spectacular countryside on the high-speed TGV to Paris. Upon arrival they were greeted by their coach driver, who took them directly to their hotel, Campanile Maine Montparnasse. I have stayed here on several occasions and can vouch for its cleanliness, friendliness and lavish breakfasts! After freshening up they all made their way to La Tour Eiffel, where they joined hordes of other tourists waiting to ascend to the third floor. How they longed for the sunshine and calm of the south! The magnificent views were well worth the wait and then they thoroughly enjoyed an evening cruise on the river Seine. Finally they flopped into bed and recharged their batteries for the following day. La vie a Paris - bienvenue!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
5 July 2007 On the go!
I received a phone call from the teachers today saying that there's just no time to sit down and write a formal report -- they're constantly on the go! The day started with a walk down the Champs Elysees, through the Tuileries Gardens, along the left bank and then they spent time in Notre Dame, the beauty of which apparently brought tears to the eyes of many. At 3.30pm they had a scheduled visit to Le Louvre, which they thoroughly enjoyed. To be in Paris with two teachers who know every nook and cranny is a real privilege for your girls and you can rest assured that they are all having a wonderfully enriching experience.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
6 July 2007 Disneyland Paris
I received a phone call from the teachers at 10.00pm to say that the group had just arrived back at the hotel and that everyone had had an "absolute blast" at Disneyland Paris! This is normally an outing which chaperones dread, but even the teachers had thoroughly enjoyed the day!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
7 July 2007 Wonderful day at Versailles
Wonderful news from Paris: "Although three girls did not hear their alarm clock and got ready literally in three minutes, we managed to leave the hotel on time to take the train to Versailles! Upon arrival we walked to the Castle and were warmly welcomed by the nicest guide one could ever meet. We were enthralled by her enthusiasm and her passion for History and for the story of the place. We had VIP treatment and were taken through secret passageways to go from certain rooms to others! All the girls thought that the two hours spent with her went far too fast. After a light but nice lunch, we walked to the Hamlet of the Queen, where Marie-Antoinette acted as a shepherdess. We also visited her small private theatre that reminded us all of one of the scenes of Sofia Coppola's movie. The bus which we managed to catch in the middle of the park and which took us back to the station was most welcome! I don't think the driver realized why we sounded so grateful - his arrival was like a miracle to us! Exhausted but happy and fulfilled, we headed back to Paris where some went to rest and others to shop. What a lovely day!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
8 July 2007 Bon retour!
Wonderful news from Paris: "Although three girls did not hear their alarm clock and got ready literally in three minutes, we managed to leave the hotel on time to take the train to Versailles! Upon arrival we walked to the Castle and were warmly welcomed by the nicest guide one could ever meet. We were enthralled by her enthusiasm and her passion for History and for the story of the place. We had VIP treatment and were taken through secret passageways to go from certain rooms to others! All the girls thought that the two hours spent with her went far too fast. After a light but nice lunch, we walked to the Hamlet of the Queen, where Marie-Antoinette acted as a shepherdess. We also visited her small private theatre that reminded us all of one of the scenes of Sofia Coppola's movie. The bus which we managed to catch in the middle of the park and which took us back to the station was most welcome! I don't think the driver realized why we sounded so grateful - his arrival was like a miracle to us! Exhausted but happy and fulfilled, we headed back to Paris where some went to rest and others to shop. What a lovely day!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle