8 AUGUST D DAY!
A group of very excited students gathered at the International Departure Hall at OR Tambo, all eager to make new friends and embark on a great adventure together. Check-in went smoothly and we are all now safely through emigration & security. We will meet up again at the designated boarding gate at 18h00, when we will have our first glimpse of the magnificent A380 - a veritable hotel in the sky! Please rest assured that I, along with the chaperones, Caroline Malauzat & Sonica Bruwer (French teachers from St Mary’s DSG Pretoria & Southdowns College respectively) will take good care of your precious children and a wonderful tour awaits them. I will update tomorrow from the hotel, once I have internet connectivity.....
9 AUGUST BIENVENUE A PARIS!
10h00: Just a quick message to say that we are all safe and sound in Paris, albeit rather weary after our long flight! Everyone is well and I will update later. 15h30: Our rooms were not ready upon arrival, so with a quick hand wash & change of clothes we all headed off for our first metro experience to the Champs Elysées. Everyone was so excited to see the Arc de Triomphe in all its glory and the Obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, marking the historic centre of the French Revolution. Most were tempted to their first nutella crêpe whilst others decided to sample their first baguette en France – both were delicious and enjoyed in the Jardin des Tuileries! We returned to our hotel at lunchtime and had some precious time to settle in before meeting once again for our visit to Montmartre ~ more later…… 22h00: Goodness, I cannot believe we are still standing let alone in such good humour! The outing to Montmartre was really enjoyable, starting with some wonderful souvenir shopping en route to the beautiful basilica of Sacré Coeur and ending with portraits + a delicious pre-paid 3 course dinner at La Cremaillère, one of the most famous restaurants on the Place du Tertre! Everyone has bonded so well and there is such a good feeling of camaraderie ~ this you will witness in the many photos taken at dinner! All are now happily in their rooms and will undoubtedly enjoy a good night's sleep after an amazing 1st day in Paris! A reminder that we are staying at the Campanile Maine Montparnasse hotel for the next 3 nights: Tel: 00 33 1 53 74 60 00 Fax: 00 33 1 40 47 01 49 and my mobile number in France is 00 33 63 44 85 095.
10 AUGUST EVERYONE LOVES PARIS!
We all felt so refreshed after a good night’s sleep and our breakfast was scheduled for 09h00 ~ some however needed a little more coaxing to wake up!! We then travelled by metro to l’Hôtel de Ville (Paris’ very impressive town hall) from where we were able to see the architecturally contentious Georges Pompidou Centre & Notre Dame and all were afforded some free time to explore both independently. At 13h00 we regrouped and made our way to the Musée du Louvre, where all donned headphones and appreciated the guide’s informative commentary as she used the latest ‘whisper system’ to communicate ~ it was such a wonderful experience! Thereafter we took photographs of the exterior and strolled past the magnificent Carrousel .... and then we spied La Grand Roue de Paris + the fun fair….. and what fun we had!! At 18h30 a very happy band of travellers made their way back to the hotel, where they were informed of the various dinner options, ranging from restaurants in the vicinity to takeaways in the comfortable hotel TV lounge! All are aware that they have to sign in on the list at reception by 22h30 and I have no doubt that they will honour this. We have had the most amazing day and everyone is totally in love with Paris!
11 AUGUST A WONDERFUL LAST DAY IN PARIS!
We were all able to have a relaxing start to the day and after another very substantial breakfast we made our way on the metro, like seasoned pros, to the Champs Elysées! Everyone clearly made the most of these 3 hours as when we met at 13h30 there was much joy + an abundance of H & M packets! We then visited the tomb of the Unknown Soldier which lies under the Arc de Triomphe and all were in awe of this amazing monument. At 14h30 we regrouped and made our way to the Eiffel Tower, where I never tire of the shrieks of joy as the children see this famous landmark in all its majesty for the first time! It is so very hot in Paris and the fountains en route to the river became public swimming pools, much to the delight of some of our party! After a relaxing picnic on the lawns we made our way to the ‘Bateaux Parisiens’, where all thoroughly enjoyed a leisurely cruise on the River Seine, with a really informative commentary. We have just returned to the hotel and have 2 hours to relax, bath, eat dinner and pack before we board our coach at 20h30 for the guided night tour ~ ‘Les Illuminations’ ! At 22h00 the Eiffel Tower will light up in all its sparkling glory and at 22h30 our group will ascend to the 2nd floor for a magical view of Paris ~ what an incredible experience and a veritable life memory this will be! We have done so much in a relatively short space of time and everyone absolutely loves this magical city! Tomorrow we depart for the south of France and all are looking forward to the next leg and the experience at Campus Horticole! More news tomorrow, once I have found some internet connectivity……
12 AUGUST PARIS TO ANTIBES - QUELLE JOURNEE!
Joyeux anniversaire ã Everisto Chabalanda ~ and what an incredible 18th birthday he had! It started with a pre-birthday sing-song under the sparkling Eiffel Tower last night and continued with another less-rowdy one in the dining room this morning! At 09h00 we were in the coach and all looking forward to the 2nd leg of our adventure on the French Riviera. We really had such a good time in Paris and at this point I would like to say what a wonderful group of students we have ~ all have not only become good friends, but are more like family! Upon arrival at Orly Airport we generated our own tickets & luggage tags and once we had dropped off our bags we made our way through to the departure hall, where practically the entire group gathered around one very large table for a fierce game of cards – such fun! At midday we boarded our flight to Nice and when I informed the flight crew of Everisto’s special day, I never expected what they came up with …. Midway through the flight he was asked to please join the captain in the cockpit, where he donned headphones and experienced the entire journey up front as we landed in Nice! I have never seen a beam so wide – he was quite overwhelmed by this! Once we had our luggage, we were greeted by members of Le Centre International d’Antibes, who whisked us off to Campus Horticole and here we met with our animatrice for the week, dear Olivia, with whom I have worked on several occasions – she is simply stunning! We all enjoyed a relaxing picnic lunch in the shade of the trees and then yes, more singing as 2 authentic ‘gateaux’ appeared with candles for Everisto! He was completely overcome by all the love & friendship shown to him and so very grateful to all concerned. We were then taken to the rooms, where all changed and then headed off to Antibes for an afternoon of sun, sea and sand, swimming in a beautiful litt le cove adjacent to the vieille ville. On our way back to the bus, we spied a ‘merry-go-round’, which seemed to bring out the child in everyone as they all found some horse, car, scooter or carriage to their liking – what fun! At 18h30 all returned to campus to shower, unpack, eat dinner and then enjoy a get-together with all the other international students on campus ~ what an incredibly happy day!
13 AUGUST CLASS + EXCURSION TO CANNES!
We woke up to a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky and after a substantial breakfast the students made their way to class, where they were assessed on their oral & written competence. After the break they were placed in specific classes to suit their level of ability and they will remain with their dedicated teacher for the week, focusing on enhancing their communicative skills. Everyone was looking forward to the afternoon excursion and at 14h00 we boarded the train to Cannes, where our first visit was to Le Suquet, a landmark which affords a magnificent view over the yacht-lined bay & the Estérel Mountains. At the Palais des Festivals, home to the annual Cannes Film Festival, all felt like veritable stars as they posed for photos on the famous tapis rouge! Everyone was then afforded some ‘temps libre’ (which equates to ‘free time’!) and they all dashed off to enjoy some shopping along either Rue d’Antibes or along Rue Meynadier, with its more affordable merchandise! At 18h00, laden with parcels & in high spirits, a happy band of travellers hopped on board the train to Antibes, where a bus was waiting to transfer everyone back to campus. A soirée barbeque is planned for tonight and an evening of fun, laughter and animation awaits ~ no doubt there will be great social interaction and many new friends will be made!
14 AUGUST JUAN LES PINS ~ A REWARD FOR HARD WORK!
Joyeux anniversaire ã Emilie-Rose Oldnall and what an idyllic part of the world to celebrate a 17th birthday! With tomorrow being a public holiday, lessons were scheduled for both the morning and afternoon today – a long day, but the reward at the end is a wonderful evening excursion to the vibrant summer resort of Juan les Pins! This is such a popular outing as at this time of the year the beachfront is strewn with colourful stalls, people are dining on the beach and there is always great activity. I have arranged for a slightly later return for the older members of our group as we celebrate Emilie’s birthday at Le Crystal, which is a tasteful 'cocktail lounge’ with big screen TV’s, music and dancing. The ambience is always superb and all the cocktails (non-alcoholic of course!) & ice cream sundaes are adorned with umbrellas + other decorative paraphernalia! Sonica and I will be present throughout and I have no doubt that this will be great fun and a fitting celebration for our birthday girl!
15 AUGUST EZE + MONACO + NICE ~ QUELLE JOURNEE MAGNIFIQUE!
Un jour ferié en France, so with no lessons today all boarded the coach with great glee and we travelled along the spectacular route du littoral, through the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, lined with its legendary beaches & palm trees through to Eze, a beautiful ‘village perché’. Here we visited the Fragonard Perfumery and our guide took us on such an interesting tour which culminated in a visit to their on-site boutique, where many purchases were made! (To note, this visit replaced the scheduled outing to Grasse on Friday, so we can enjoy a free afternoon in Antibes – it proved to be a very popular decision!) All smelling a bit sweeter, we boarded our coach once again and made our way to the Principality of Monaco, where everyone was struck by the cleanliness and obvious wealth of this small principality ~ with 1 policeman per every 60 tourists, no one even thinks of littering! We ate our packed picnic lunch in the Princess Grace Gardens before hopping on board ‘le petit train’, a tourist train which offers informative commentary & gives excellent global coverage as it weaves through the streets of the F1 race track, passing in front of the world renowned Monte Carlo Casino. After some souvenir shopping we returned to Nice, where we had 3 hours to either visit the name brand shops on Boulevard Jean Medecin, stroll through the quaint streets of Vieux Nice or swim in the azure blue waters of the Mediterranean! Needless to say, all found something to their liking and a very happy band of travellers gathered at 18h00 for the return trip to Antibes. Quelle journée magnifique sur la Côte d’Azur!
16 AUGUST SUN, SAND, SEA & SAILING!
Once again we woke up to beautiful sunshine with clear blue skies on the Côte d’Azur and after much fun in the classroom + a delicious lunch, all boarded the coach for an afternoon of sun, sand, sea and SAILING! This is always such a highlight and I never tire of observing the sheer delight of the children as they enjoy the amazing experience of sailing with friends on a catamaran on the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by some of the most incredible scenery on the French Riviera! The conditions were ideal and everyone thoroughly enjoyed this amazing experience ~ it was a real highlight for many! At 4.30pm the group returned to campus with time to relax, freshen up and eat dinner before tonight’s schedule entertainment ‘Le Cabaret’, where historically Les Sud-Afs always produce the finest acts and bring down the house, whilst I bask in reflected glory ~ NO pressure at all!!
17 AUGUST A WONDERFUL LAST AFTERNOON!
The week in Antibes has flown by so very quickly and today marked the end of formal French tuition, with all being proud recipients of a DELF accredited certificate which attests to the level attained + a comment from their teachers. Once again, all the educators without exception expressed their delight with our South African students, praising their positive & enthusiastic approach to the lessons. Since we included the visit to the Fragonard Perfumery on our Wednesday outing, we were able to have a free afternoon in beautiful Antibes, which was appreciated by everyone! Armed with umbrellas, beach balls and sunscreen some followed Olivia to the beach, whilst others preferred to wander through the narrow streets of the vieille ville, enjoying the ambiance and purchasing some last minutes souvenirs. At 18h00 a very happy group gathered at the Place de Gaulle, where after fun & games in the fountains, all hopped on board the bus for their return to campus. Much to everyone’s delight, a second evening to Juan les Pins has been arranged for tonight, but before that, all need to do some packing AND some serious WEIGHING in preparation for tomorrow’s departure!!
18 AUGUST HOMEWARD BOUND!
We have done so much in such a short space of time and this morning all were able to leisurely bring cases downstairs and then relax by the pool, saying farewell to new-found friends on campus. The tour has been filled with such happy & valuable memories and the firm bonds of friendships which have been formed will last a lifetime. At lunchtime we will enjoy our picnic lunch and say a fond farewell to our dear Olivia who has been our animatrice for the week. She has been wonderfully attentive to the group, adding a very special dynamic to our week on Campus Horticole. We have pooled all the presents and she is in for a real treat, which is so well deserved! At 13h15 we will be transferred to Nice Côte d’Azur airport for our 16h15 flight to Paris and once at Roissy Charles de Gaulle we will remain in transit, where all will undoubtedly enjoy the duty free shops! Flight AF 990 is scheduled to depart at 23h20 tonight and to arrive at OR Tambo tomorrow morning, Sunday 19 August @ 09h50 where many will have further connections. It has been a real delight to escort this outstanding group and I would sincerely like to compliment each and every one on their impeccable behaviour and sense of adventure. It has been a varied group in terms of age and interests and ALL have become like brothers & sisters ~ they have been a real pleasure and it has been truly heart-warming for me. Whilst everyone is obviously looking forward to enjoying the comforts of home, seeing family + friends, everyone will be left with a sense of sadness at having to say farewell to the special people they have grown so accustomed to seeing on a daily basis. They will undoubtedly be tired and whilst the many tales of the tour may not be immediately forthcoming, they will certainly continue to reveal themselves in the days, months and years to come! It has been a joy and privilege to be associated with St Mary’s DSG, St Alban’s College, St Andrew’s College, Kingswood College St John’s College & Southdown’s College and it remains for me to wish you all a very happy home-coming ~ ‘merci beaucoup, bon retour et à la prochaine!
POST SCRIPT!!
Goodness, when I wrote this final entry I had no idea of what actually lay in store for us! Herewith our final tale – a lesson indeed in life’s curved balls and how to come through still smiling!
Saturday 18 August:
We arrived at Nice Cote d’Azur, all feeling really sad to say farewell to this beautiful part of the world. We checked in and all received 2 boarding passes, 1 to Paris & the other to Johannesburg and only then did we see that our flight would be departing Paris the following morning instead of that evening. Questions of how to inform parents with no internet connectivity, wondering where we were going to sleep and what the next few hours would hold … all with a smile!! Upon arrival in Paris, we made our way to the Air France desk and jumped the long queues to procure a hotel + meal vouchers ~ a very big thank you to Mme Caroline Malauzat for her invaluable assistance & support with this! We then headed off to the Ibis hotel and once in my room I was able to make contact with most parents, prioritizing those who needed assistance with onward connections...
Sunday 19 August:
An early rise & dash for our scheduled 08h30 departure, but we landed up only departing closer to 10h00 – sigh, BUT there was a Starbucks which helped!! The day flight was actually pleasant and gave everyone the time to relax. Upon arrival, good news in that no cases had been lost en route and at 20h30 the local children were excitedly greeted by family and friends. After fond farewells I set off with my group of 8 to see what we could do re their connecting flights. Our Kenyans were able to get on a midnight flight back home (phew!) and the 5 remaining students came with me to the very comfortable Southern Sun hotel for the night. Whilst they ate a delicious dinner I was able to secure flights for their return to Zimbabwe and Botswana – GREAT excitement!
Monday 20 August
All the students departed at varying times this morning and my last 2 Zim girls left at 12h20 – which then just left me to return to Cape Town! I must admit to shedding a few tears of relief after I had waved them off and am so happy that everyone is now safe and sound at home. Thank you to the many parents who were so supportive throughout this scenario - your precious children were wonderful to be with and we all learnt a great deal about coming through challenging situations with great faith. In French we say: ‘Tout est bien qui finit bien ~ Dieu merci!’