ST JOHN'S DSG TOUR TO FRANCE - JUNE/JULY 2012
SATURDAY 30 JUNE GREAT EXCITEMENT AT KING SHAKA INTERNATIONAL!
After months of anticipation, 32 girls, accompanied by parents, siblings & extended family gathered excitedly at King Shaka International airport this afternoon! At 17h30 I spoke to Mrs Vermaak who reported that check in went smoothly and I have no doubt that everyone will have the most wonderful experience. The group is scheduled to arrive in Dubai at 05h25 tomorrow morning, thereafter connecting to Paris, where the the ETA is 13h30. I will update the site as soon as I hear from the chaperones, but in the meantime I wish everyone much happiness and ‘bon voyage’!
SUNDAY 1 JULY SAFE ARRIVAL!
I have just received a text message from Mrs Vermaak: “Bonjour we have all arrived safely at our hotel and checked into our rooms. Our 1stexperience of Paris was wonderful as we enjoyed our first metro experience to Montmartre, where we spent the most awesome few hours. Everyone loved Sacré Coeur - many lit candles and took time to reflect. Dinner on the Place du Tertre was unbelievable and the girls had time to shop ~ 2 even had their portraits painted! We only returned to our hotel at 11pm, so our beds were very welcome!” A reminder that they will be staying at the hotel Campanile Maine Montparnasse for the next 3 nights and the contact details are: Tel: 00 33 1 53 74 60 00 Fax: 00 33 1 40 47 01 49
MONDAY 2 JULY PARIS IS WONDERFUL!
After a good night’s sleep, all made their way to the River Seine this moring where, with the aid of an informative commentary, they were able to relax & identify the many famous landmarks of Paris. The group then traveled by metro to the Place de la Concorde and strolled through the neo-classical Jardin des Tuileries to the Musée du Louvre, where they thoroughly enjoyed a guided tour. Their final visit for the day was to one of the most famous department stores in the world, Galéries Lafayette, where all marveled at this beautiful national monument. The girls were afforded some choice with regard to dinner tonight and I have no doubt that everyone will enjoy a relatively early night!
TUESDAY 3 JULY EVERYONE LOVES PARIS!
What a lovely day and herewith a report from Frith Malherbe: “Bonjour Jen, yet another magical day in this beautiful city! An early start translated into much retail therapy on the Champs Elysé es and the girls were on cloud 9 with all the summer ‘soldes’ (sales!). Our visit to the Arc de Triomphe reminded us of France’s proud history and the girls loved the climb to the top, which was highlighted by a warm reception from ‘un jeune militaire’ ~ there are several photos of this event! We then had a moving visit to Notre Dame, which was followed by a dinner on a pavement café ~ all very français et délicieux!” They still have the night tour of Paris to look forward to and I know that Les Illuminations+ their ascent to the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower will not fail to impress!
WEDNESDAY 4 JULY ONWARD TO CAEN
Au revoir a Paris! This morning all hopped on board their coach and headed to the charming village of Giverney, where they visited the house & gardens of Claude Monet. They then continued on to Caen, where they had a guided tour of the Peace Museum. A reminder that they will be staying at the Hotel Kyriad Caen Memorial and the contact details are: Tel: 00 33 2 31 44 36 36 Fax: 00 33 2 31 95 62 62. 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 D DAY LANDING BEACHES
Greetings from Paris! In the company of their local guide, the day was devoted to a tour of theD Day Landing Beaches and herewith an update from Mrs Vermaak: “We have had the most remarkable day and our guide was so interesting, bringing to life the harsh reality of the first hours of D Day and the American Cemetery was especially moving. We all had lunch in a very quaint seaside village and it was a very memorable day. Our bus driver is very helpful & friendly and we all feel in good hands - onward to Blois tomorrow!”
FRIDAY 6 JULY ONWARD TO BLOIS
With a happy coach driver at the wheel, all headed off to Chartres, where they visited Notre-Dame de Chartres and all were really were amazed at the beauty of this magnificent cathedral. The group then travelled to the small village of Bréhémont for their scheduled bike ride, but with the traffic being so intense at the beginning of the summer holidays, they unfortunately arrived late and their time riding along the beautiful banks of the Loire was seriously compromised ~ what they had though, they thoroughly enjoyed! In the early evening they arrived in Blois, where they settled into 2 neighbouring hotels and a reminder that the contact details are: a) HOTEL ANNE DE BRETAGNE Tel: 00 33 2 54 78 05 38 Fax: 00 33 2 54 74 37 79 and b) HOTEL DE FRANCE ET DE GUISE Tel: 00 33 2 54 78 00 53 Fax: 00 33 2 54 748 29 45.
SATURDAY 7 JULY TWO AMAZING CHATEAUX!
After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, all hopped on board their coach for a relaxing day in the Loire Valley. With audio-guides they visited 2 of the finest Châteaux – the stately Chambord and Chenonceau, which everyone proclaimed to be “très, très joli!” They arrived back at their hotel/s at 4.30pm and enjoyed some free time to explore Blois independently ~ according to the chaperones they are all very sad that their tour of la belle France is drawing to a close......!
SUNDAY 8 JULY GREAT EXCITEMENT UPON ARRIVAL AT NICE, CÔTE D’AZUR!
After a very bright and early breakfast, all set off on their final leg of their amazing tour. I am travelling with a group of students who will be attending a language school in the south of France this week and was SO excited to meet up with the St John’s group at Orly Airport! In total we had 73 Personal Touch passengers on flight AF 6244 to Nice and the captain even made a special mention of us ~ the students all responded to his announcement with loud clapping, which was repeated as we touched down at Nice Cote d’Azur airport! We were greeted by clear skies & bright sunshine andonce allhadretrieved their luggage, they boarded their coach and made their way to Juan les Pins, a veritable paradise in the summer season! They really appreciated having some time to relax and frolic in the warm waters of the Mediterranean, before enjoying dinner in the courtyard of this lovely family-run hotel.
MONDAY 9 JULY A WONDERFUL DAY TO MONACO, GRASSE + NICE!
The girls were really looking forward to today’s excursion and no one returned disappointed! At 9.00am all hopped on board the coach and departed for Monaco, driving along the ‘route du littoral’, where they admired the magnificent views along this winding coastal road. With clear skies and azure blue waters they could not have asked for a more perfect day and the breath-taking views will remain in their memories forever. Upon arrival in Monaco, everyone was struck by the cleanliness and obvious wealth of this small principality and with 1 policeman per every 60 tourists, no one even thinks of littering! All thoroughly enjoyed the ride on ‘le petit train’, which is a great tourist attraction and the informative commentary gives excellent global coverage as it travels through the streets of the F1 race track, passing in front of the world renowned Monte Carlo Casino. Thereafter they visited the Cathedral where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace are buried and at the Palace everyone was hoping to catch a glance of the Princess of Monaco, our very own Charlene Wittstock! The coach driver was absolutely marvellous and offered to include an excursion to Grasse and after a fascinating tour of the Fragonard perfumery, all were delighted to find the on-site boutique ~ judging by the packets, many purchases had been made! The final stop was in Nice, the ‘Queen of the Riviera’, where the girls had the option of either heading off to the many name-brand boutiques along the Boulevard Jean Medécin, exploring the narrow streets of Vieux Nice or soaking up the ambience of the vibrant seafront. What an unforgettable afternoon and at 5.30pm, laden with parcels + wonderful memories, all returned to the hotel where a dinner ‘with a difference’ has been organized ~ a ‘French’ picnic + a fashion show await, highlighting all the ‘tour purchases’!
TUESDAY 10 JULY ANTIBES + SAILING + HOMEWARD BOUND!
This morning all excitedly hopped on board the train bound for Antibes and my daughter, Michelle welcomed the ebullient group at the station upon arrival. She led them past the Place de Gaulle, through the vieille ville and on to the marché provençal where they were granted free time to explore this jewel on the Côte d’Azur. I met up with the group at 13h00 and accompanied them to the Yacht Club in Villeneuve–Loubet where, under the tutorship of professional instructors, everyone enjoyed a unique experience of sailing on a catamaran on the calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery on the French Riviera! They will return to their hotel by coach where they will freshen up before enjoying their final dinner in a restaurant on the seafront in Juan les Pins. By all accounts this has been the most wonderful tour and I am truly delighted to see all returning home with such fond memories of France. I have confirmed their return flight on EK 078 which departs Nice Côte d’Azur at 16h10 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 Thursday 12 July @ 17h10. Whilst everyone is really looking forward to returning to South Africa to see family and friends, all will be left with a sense of sadness at having to say farewell to people they have grown so accustomed to seeing on a daily basis. 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! To act ‘in loco parentis’ is no mean task and I sincerely hope that the love and compassion shown by the 3 chaperones will not have gone unnoticed. Mrs Muriel Vermaak, who spearheaded the tour, Mrs Stoffberg and Mrs Malherbe formed the most formidable team, going far beyond the call of duty to ensure that your girls were well cared for, happy and safe. I admire & applaud their calm perspective, sense of fun and professionalism ~ they have been a pleasure to work with and their dedication, energy and enthusiasm have been inspirational. They have really enjoyed travelling with this group and have been impressed with their impeccable behaviour, basking in reflected glory at all the compliments received along the way! 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 a joy and privilege to be associated with my former school and it remains for me to say ‘merci beaucoup, bon retour et à la prochaine!