MARIS STELLA CULTURAL TOUR - JUNE/JULY 2012
Tuesday 26 June 2012 D DAY!
After months of anticipation, D day has finally arrived and there was great excitement as all gathered at King Shaka International airport this afternoon. I have just spoken to Mrs Matheson who reports that check-in went smoothly and once through emigration everyone headed off to the duty free shops! They are scheduled to arrive in Dubai just after 05h00 tomorrow morning, connecting thereafter to Zurich and I will update the site as soon as I have heard from the chaperones. Please rest assured that all arrangements are firmly in place and a wonderfully enriching tour awaits the Maris Stella group ~ if you have any interesting snippets to share from your daughters, I would love to hear from you! In the meantime I wish everyone ‘bon voyage’!
Wednesday 27 June 2012 SAFE ARRIVAL, ALBEIT DELAYED!
I have not heard directly from the chaperones but our Tour Operator in France has checked with the hotel in Lucerne who confirmed that the group arrived late, due to a delayed flight to Zurich. The guide for the walking tour has been contacted and she has rescheduled this for a little later today. I have no doubt that all will be exhausted and that bed will be greatly welcomed tonight! A reminder that the group will be staying at Hotel Drei Koenige for 2 nights and herewith the contact details - Tel: 00 41 4 12 48 04 80 Fax: 00 41 4 12 48 04 90
Thursday 28 June 2012 OFF TO MOUNT TITLIS!
10h00 - I have just received a text message from Mrs Matheson confirming that all are in high spirits after a good night's sleep! The weather is perfect and they are so excited for their excursion to Engelberg today. 20h00 - All had a wonderful day in this alpine wonderland and tonight they will be enjoying an authentic Swiss fondue + show at Musik-Restaurant Stadkeller ~ this is always guaranteed to be great fun!
Friday 29 June 2012 THROUGH LIECHTENSTEIN TO INNSBRUCK
I have received a wonderful message from the chaperones which reads: “We had a magnificent day yesterday – the weather was perfect and the girls absolutely loved their time on Mount Titlis! They all had such a fun evening at the Musik-Restaurant Stadtkeller where they were treated to an authentic Swiss dinner & a folklore show ~ Maddy & Terri blew the horn whilst Tayla did the yodelling! Travelling through the principality of Liechtenstein was amazing and our guide in Vaduz was excellent! At the ‘Landesmuseum’ (the national museum), some of our girls were asked to perform in a video for marketing purposes – now we’re famous!” How comforting to know that your daughters are having such fun and are in good hands. A reminder that for the next 2 nights they will be staying at the ALP Hotel in Innsbruck and their contact details are: Telephone: 00 4 35 12 34 43 33 Fax: 00 4 35 12 34 44 28.
Saturday 30 June INNSBRUCK!
Although I have not heard from the chaperones today, this morning the group was scheduled to enjoy a guided walking tour of Innsbruck followed by a visit to the famous Bell Museum, where bells of all shapes & sizes have been constructed using tradit ional methods for more than 4 centuries. This evening they are enjoying a traditional thigh-slapping Tyrolean folklore show & dinner at the Sandwirt Restaurant and I can’t wait for an update on this!
Sunday 1 July ONWARD TO ITALY!
I have just received an update to say that their day in Innsbruck was amazing! Apparently Mr Grassmeyer is the Consul to South Africa and he personally took the group around the Bell Museum! This morning all hopped on board their coach and headed south to Italy, visiting Lake Garda & Verona en route to the fascinating floating city of Venice. A reminder that the group will be staying at the hotel CA’ DI VALLE for the next 2 nights and the contact details are: Tel: 00 39 0 41 96 80 17 Fax: 00 39 04 15 37 06 14
Monday 2 July A WONDERFUL DAY IN VENICE!
In high spirits all travelled by private vaporetto to the mainland this morning, where they met with their local guide for a walking tour of this magical city. Thereafter they had some free time to explore informally and in the late afternoon the girls experienced a romantic gondola ride along the Grand Canal, before returning by private vaporetto to their hotel, where they were able to relax and build up an appetite for dinner in a local restaurant!
Tuesday 3 July ONWARD TO FLORENCE
After breakfast this morning everyone hopped on board the coach and headed westwards to Florence, the ‘Jewel of the Renaissance’. Apparently it is really hot - an unbelievable 39 degrees - and the air conditioner in the coach was very much appreciated! They will be staying at the hotel Di Lanzi for the next 2 nights and the telephone number is 00 39 0 55 28 80 43. More tomorrow ...
Wednesday 4 July FABULOUS FLORENCE!
The girls are delighted with their centrally situated hotel and this morning they started with a visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia, which houses Michelangelo’s famous statue of David. They then met with their guide for a walking tour of the old city centre, starting at the massive Duomo and ending at the Ponte Vecchio. The afternoon will be spent exploring locally and enjoying some shopping! Please note that I leave for France tonight with my group and from tomorrow I will be using my French sim card + 33 6 34 48 50 95. In an emergency you may contact my colleague Pat Bergh on 084 506 0174. I will also check my emails daily…..
Thursday 5 July ONWARD TO PARIS!
Greetings to you all from Paris! The group had and early start this morning as they headed to Pisa, where they marveled at the famous Leaning Tower before being transferred to the airport for their flight to Paris. It is very exciting that we are all staying in the same hotel ~ the very comfortable Campanile La Villette and a reminder that their contact details are Tel: 00 33 1 44 72 46 46 Fax: 00 33 1 44 72 46 45. I have not yet seen the Maris Stella group as they were enjoying their guided tour of Paris by night + the ascent to the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower, whilst we were enjoying dinner on the Place du Tertre! I look forward to breakfast tomorrow when over 60 Personal Touch students will meet!
Friday 6 July A WONDERFUL DAY IN PARIS!
How wonderful it was to see all the Maris Stella girls + the 2 chaperones at breakfast! They were all in high spirits and delighted to be in Paris, sharing animated stories with me of their tour to date. This morning they enjoyed a relaxing cruise on the River Seine, followed by some retail therapy at Galéries Lafayette and this afternoon they made their way to the oldest district in Paris, Montmartre. The climb up to the Sacré Coeur basilica was worth every grain of effort and thereafter they were able to relax on the Place du Tertre, where many of the girls had their portraits painted. The group dinner was superb and at 10pm a happy band of travellers returned to the hotel, where I happened to be waiting in reception ~ great timing!
Saturday 7 July Bliss on the Champs Elysees!
After another magnificent breakfast, (which translated into lunch!), all set off in high spirits for their morning of shopping/window shopping along the famous Avenue des Champs Elysées! With the unseasonal rain, their plans to enjoy a picnic in the Tuileries Gardens were quashed, but they did enjoy their guided tour of the Musée du Louvre! I chatted to the girls at dinner tonight which was in the hotel and I can assure you that your daughter s are beside themselves with excitement for their day at Disneyland Paris tomorrow!
Sunday 8 July HOMEWARD BOUND!
I saw the chaperones & your daughters at breakfast and can assure you that they were all so excited at the prospect of today’s outing to Disneyland Paris! Tomorrow marks the final day of their amazing tour and after a leisurely breakfast, everyone will clear their room, leave their cases in the ‘bagagerie’ and then enjoy the last few hour in Paris. They intend to see the Hôtel de Ville + the Georges Pompidou Centre + Notre Dame, with perhaps a quiet stroll through the Latin Quarter if time permits. I have confirmed their return flight on EK 076 which departs Roissy Charles de Gaulle at 21h05 tomorrow and I am sure there is no need to remind all excited mums & dads that the EK775 is scheduled to arrive at King Shaka International on Tuesday 10 July @ 17h10. All will undoubtedly be exhausted upon arrival 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! It has been an immensely successful tour and your girls have been privileged to travel with Rosemary Matheson & Frankie Rawlinson who formed a formidable team. They too have equally enjoyed travelling with this group and been impressed with the girls’ impeccable behaviour, confirming that they have been fine ambassadors for both their school and South Africa. As parents you can rest assured that you have afforded your children the most wonderful opportunity and I have no doubt that each and every girl will return not only academically enriched, but enriched as a person, having matured and grown in confidence and the precious memories & firm bonds of friendships will last a lifetime. It has been my joy & privilege to be associated with Maris Stella on their 5th cultural tour to Europe and it remains for me to wish you all a happy home-coming!