ROEDEAN FRENCH HOMESTAY PROGRAMME – APRIL/MAY 2013
17 APRIL D DAY!
The day everyone has been looking forward to for so long has eventually dawned and such an exciting itinerary awaits the girls – 4 nights in Paris, followed by a host family experience in Vichy and Antibes – a grand tour indeed! Mrs Gordon confirmed that check-in went smoothly and that all were in such high spirits, full of anticipation and enjoying the duty free shops! Both chaperones are acutely aware that the safety and security of your precious children is of paramount importance and I have no doubt that your daughters are in excellent hands. Bon voyage to the group as they spend the night on the wonderful A380 – a veritable hotel in the sky! A demain…..
18 APRIL SAFE ARRIVAL!
Bonjour et bienvenue a Paris! The chaperones confirmed that everyone enjoyed the flight and that no problems were encountered at immigration. With all suitcases accounted for, they boarded their waiting coach and were transferred to their hotel, where they freshened up and changed clothes, before embarking on their first metro experience. Their first visit was to La Grande Arche de la Defense and then they made their way to l’Arc de Triomphe, after which they were joyously granted some free time for retail therapy on the Champs Elysées! They enjoyed their first baguettes for lunch and then returned to the hotel to settle in, unpack at leisure and relax. In the late afternoon they set off to Montmartre, where they climbed the seemingly endless stairs to the impressive basilica of Sacré Coeur and all were very moved by the angelic singing of the nuns at the 6pm Mass. Thereafter they made their way to the Place du Tertre, where a 3-course dinner had been organized at La Cremaillère, one of the most famous restaurants on the famous square! Some of the girls had their portraits painted and then, in the beautiful pink-grey twilight, they made their way through the narrow back streets, past Amelie’s café, to the Moulin Rouge. What a wonderful first day in Paris and I have no doubt that everyone will enjoy a good night's sleep in very comfortable beds! A reminder that they will be staying for the next 4 nights at Campanile Gare du Nord and the contact details are: Tel: 00 33 1 39 0714 77 Fax:00 33 1 39 07 14 70.
19 APRIL VERSAILLES & SO MUCH MORE!
After a good night’s sleep, all awoke refreshed and ready to take on the day! The morning was dedicated to Versailles and they travelled there by RER, which was a new & valuable experience for the girls. All marvelled at the opulence & beauty of this Palace and the audio-guides certainly enhanced their tour. Thereafter they enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the spectacular gardens, before returning to Paris for their pre-booked Fashion Show at Galéries Lafayette, which they loved! They then had some free time to shop, before travelling to l’Hôtel de Ville, where they witnessed an amazing Haute Couture exhibition. Thereafter they explored the Beaubourg + Les Halles area and all were given some freedom of choice as to where they would like to eat dinner. It was a very full but amazing day once again!
20 APRIL TWO MUSEUMS + LES ILLUMINATIONS!
After an ample breakfast, the girls competently hopped on the metro for their first visit of the day to the Musée du Louvre and all were so impressed by the grandeur of this world famous museum. Their guide was apparently excellent, providing the right amount of information and answering the many questions knowledgeably. Thereafter they enjoyed a stroll through the Jardin des Tuiléries to the Place de la Concorde, noting the promise of spring in the green shoots on the marronniers. With a visit to the impressionist Musée d’Orsay scheduled for 15h15 some serious retail therapy was needed beforehand and a re-visit to the Champs Elysées was just what the doctor ordered!! This evening they have their wonderful coach tour of Paris by night to look forward to – I know that the selected guide is excellent and an amazing experience awaits the group!
21 APRIL LAST FULL DAY IN PARIS!
“Bon anniversaire a Naledi - what lovely weather and what a busy day we had! Our morning commenced with a walk across Ile St Louis and we approached Notre Dame from the back. En route we visited the Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation, a memorial to the French who were deported during World War II, which we found very powerful and moving. We were all in awe of Notre Dame and we were privileged to hear the singing & smell the frankincense of the Sunday Mass. After a quick shopping break at Shakespeare & Co in the Quartier Latin, we bought some food which we enjoyed on the move to the Musée Rodin, where there was a lovely temporary exhibition. We then made our way to the Eiffel Tower where we ascended to the 2nd level for a glorious view over Paris. This was followed by a cruise on the River Seine and a delicious dinner in the restaurant on the Quay”. What a wonderful day they all seem to have had and a perfect 18th birthday for Naledi!
22 APRIL ONWARD TO VICHY!
"The girls were very good about getting early breakfast and putting suitcases into the bagagerie before we set off at 8.15am. We had a good visit to Sciences Po, where we were shown around the campus and given an explanation of possible courses. Then on to the Memorial de la Shoah, where we had a well-informed young guide who gave us some valuable insights into the atrocities of the war. It was a very moving account, especially as we looked at the wall of those who lost their lives and the records of children who were sent to the death camps. A whole room lined with photos of little ones - date of birth followed by date of deportation to the final death camp. Then back to hotel for the coach to Paris Bercy station and we had a lovely train ride of 3 hours, during which time many caught up on some sleep! We arrived to find friendly helpful CAVILAM personnel who introduced the girls to their host families – they were greeted with a typical bise and a double cheek kiss! We waved goodbye to some rather apprehensive girls, but all the families were so warm and we are sure all will be happy - we look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow morning to hear how the first night went!”
23 APRIL ALL HAPPY IN VICHY!
“Today we met the girls before school and all seemed to be very happy with their host family. We saw them again at tea time and they were enjoying their class and their class teacher. The antes are together with Margaux and the matrics are with Stephanie. They are working towards their presentation of a project on Human Rights and they will go into a studio on Friday to film their presentation. All enjoyed lunch at the canteen a la Française with a choice of starter + main + dessert + cheese. They enjoyed some free time before meeting at 2pm for the guided walking tour of Vichy: gardens made by Napoleon III and chalets built to accommodate the wealthy visitors and ministers etc. and the ‘petit train’ was really enjoyable! All fine and happy and looking forward to tomorrow and our trip to Clermont Ferrand.”
24 APRIL LESSONS + TOUR OF CLERMONT FERRAND
“The girls really enjoyed their class this morning and after lunch we had a lovely coach ride to Clermont Ferrand. We were accompanied by our charming and well informed animateur Guillaume, who gave us a wonderful tour of the city with its gothic cathedral (which took 300years to build) and its 8th century Notre Dame du Port. We then had some free time to explore the quaint, narrow streets before enjoying some shopping! Another full day awaits tomorrow and we look forward to the cycle tour of Vichy and the degustation”.
25 APRIL CYCLING ALONG THE BANKS OF THE RIVER ALLIER!
“The girls thoroughly enjoyed their classes this morning and they loved their ‘sortie en vélo’ in the afternoon along the banks of the River Allier, appreciating all the beauty of their idyllic surroundings. The weather is so beautiful at the moment and long may it last! At 17h00 they gathered in the students’ club for ‘une dégustation de produits du terroir’, where all sampled goats’ cheese, fourme D’Ambert, Cantal, St Nectaire and other cheeses of the region - it was so beautifully presented and thoroughly enjoyable. After dinner they all returned to the school to enjoy a film, entitled ‘Lucky Luke’ …” What a strange sounding French film!
26 APRIL FINAL DAY IN CLASS & EXCURSION TO CHATEAU D'AULTERIBE
“Today we, the chaperones, went to participate in part of the classes to witness their French project and we can’t wait for the final ‘film’ to be released! It is raining heavily, but this did not dampen our spirits as we travelled by coach through beautiful countryside to visit the magnificent 14th century château, D’Aulteribe which was given as a bequest to the French Government as the last marquis had no heirs. It boasts an exquisite collection of paintings & furniture and we so enjoyed the visit. The guide spoke French throughout the tour and we were extremely proud of our girls’ interaction! To complete their stay there was a ‘soirée dansante’ in the evening – which was a great success!”
27 APRIL AU REVOIR TO VICHY AND ON TO ANTIBES!
“We have just arrived in Antibes and despite the rainy conditions, all is well! After a fond farewell to host families in Vichy, we hopped on board our coach at 10.15am and we had the wonderful experience of travelling through snow near St Etienne! Our driver, Sylvain, was a 5* chap and he went out of his way to take us right into the heart of the airport to direct us. Upon arrival in Antibes we were introduced to our animateur for the week and in truth, all the girls are smitten with Maxime – there will be no need to encourage them to arrive punctually for outings! We drove along the rainy beach front, passing a wedding procession and once at Le Château, the host parents arrived to collect their ‘children’ for the week. Tonight will be spent adjusting to new family environments and all are so excited about tomorrow’s outing, where a visit to the palace in Monaco has been organized! We all have so much energy for this, our final leg of a truly wonderful tour!”
28 APRIL VISIT TO THE PALACE IN MONACO!
“We were all so excited for our visit to the Principality of Monaco and our visit to the Palace was magical! We had a guided tour and were presented with a portrait of Albert & Charlene on their wedding day - actually signed by our very own princess! Understandably, no photographs were allowed to be taken inside the palace, but there is a beautiful one of the group in the garden. Many thanks indeed to Juliet Cullinan for organizing this visit for us – a real treat indeed! A special viewing spot had been demarcated for our group to see the Changing of the Guard, but the heavens opened and it was sadly cancelled. We picnicked under a little shelter whilst waiting for the petit train to take us on a tour of Monte Carlo and thereafter we visited the Cathedral & the Oceanographic Museum, which was outstanding. We departed at 3pm and drove along a very misty road back to Antibes, where everyone rushed for waffles & hot chocolate to warm up! School starts tomorrow and we will meet the girls at 8.30am”.
29 APRIL COURS FRANCAIS + EXCURSION TO CANNES!
"After a good night’s rest everyone arrived bright-eyed at Le Château this morning, eager to start their course with other international students. After a delicious lunch we all 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, we visited the Palais des Festivals, home to the annual Cannes Film Festival and thereafter the group was delighted to have ‘du temps libre’, which equates to free time to shop! Whilst some decided to window-shop along La Croisette which boasts exclusive boutiques, the majority headed straight for the well-known brand stores such as Zara, Morgan and Galéries Lafayette! They were also delighted to discover even more affordable shops on la Rue Meynadier, with its abundance of bargains in all shapes and sizes!At 6.00pm, armed with an array of parcels, a happy band of travellers hopped on board the train to Juan Les Pins, where we walked to the venue for the soirée barbecue … and then the heavens opened! It was a wonderful, animated evening with plenty of food, much laughter and with Maxime entertaining on the guitar, with our girls singing along!”
30 APRIL A FULL DAY OF FRENCH LESSONS!
This morning the girls eagerly awaited their cours internationaux and after lunch les Sud-Afs participated in an interactive workshop to replace the lessons which will be missed tomorrow on the public holiday. With the emphasis on gesture and intonation, songs & games were used to build confidence and fluency ~ a really rewarding and constructive afternoon! After 6 hours of tuition, the girls were keen to relax and all headed off with speed to the vieille ville for some well-deserved refreshments and retail therapy!
01 MAY ST PAUL DE VENCE & GRASSE
“Un jour ferié en France today and we had such a wonderful day! At St Paul de Vence the girls really enjoyed the guided tour of les remparts and the Chagall grave in the little cemetery. Of course there was the inevitable shopping in little boutiques + more crêpes & ice cream! Our visit to the Fragonard Perfumery was a real hit and we had such fun making our very own perfume with Muguet notes! Then Maxime took us briefly through the vieille ville in Grasse where we visited the Notre Dame du PuyCathedral, which houses 3 original Rubens’ paintings ~quelle journée magnifique!”
02 MAY EXCURSION TO NICE, QUEEN OF THE RIVIERA!
“Everyone arrived happily at the school this morning and it was wonderful to see the animated interaction between all the students as they gathered on the lawn prior to class. After a delicious lunch, we walked to the train station for our afternoon excursion to Nice, the ‘Queen of the Riviera’, which boasts the newly revamped Place Masséna and here Maxime gave everyone a brief history of Nice. He then announced ‘du temps libre’, with the option of either heading off to the wealth of name brand boutiques along the Boulevard Jean Medécin, or following him through the narrow streets of Vieux Nice, sampling traditional dishes like ‘socca’ and noting the strong Italian influence of this fascinating city, which has vacillated for centuries between Italy and France. What an unforgettable afternoon and at 6.30pm, laden with parcels & wonderful memories, we all hopped on board the train back to Antibes. We were anxious to be back in time for our movie ‘L’Ecume des Jours’, with Audrey Tautou, but we made it and what a wonderful experience for all of us!”
03 MAY FINAL FULL DAY IN FRANCE!
The week in Antibes has flown by so very quickly and today marks the end of formal lessons at Le Centre International d'Antibes. The girls were proud recipients of a DELF accredited certificate which attests to the 15 hours of tuition + the level attained + a comment from the teachers and once again the educators have expressed their absolute delight with the South Africans, praising their positive, enthusiastic & serious approach. After lunch with friends, both old and new, everyone was delighted to have a free afternoon to enjoy exploring the fascinating 'vieille ville', which included a visit to the Musée Picasso, with its rich collection of paintings & sculptures. Thereafter a few girls made their way to the beach to brave a swim/paddle in the chilly waters of the Mediterranean Sea, before returning home for their last dinner with their host families. Their final evening in this idyllic part of the world is bound to be special & memorable!”
04 MAY HOMEWARD BOUND!
Their final morning on the Côte d’Azur and the girls will have time to mix with the locals at the ‘marché provençal’ and purchase some last minute souvenirs, before bidding a fond farewell to their host families, who have considered their week with your girls ‘un don du ciel’ ~ a gift from Heaven! After a picnic lunch they will be transferred to the airport in Nice, where they will board flight AF7715 to Paris. Once there, they will remain in transit until their scheduled departure on AF 990 @ 23h20 and there is no need I am sure to remind you that your daughters are scheduled to arrive ORT @ 09h50 tomorrow, Sunday 5 May! The girls unanimously agree that their comprehensive programme has been amazing, but after such a long tour, they are bound to be exhausted and the many wonderful anecdotes may not be immediately forthcoming ~ they will however reveal themselves in the days, weeks & months to come! To act ‘in loco parentis’ for such a long time is no mean task and both Mme Gordon & Mme Scholtz deserve the highest praise for going far beyond the call of duty to ensure that your girls were well cared for, happy and safe. 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 joy and privilege to have been associated once again with the ‘Roedean Homestay Programme’ ~ merci beaucoup, bon retour et à la prochaine! It is now only fitting for Mme Lise Gordon to have the final words: “The Roedean ‘home stay’ tour to France has been a great success on many levels: linguistically, culturally and personally. The girls have shown themselves to be ready to learn and to make the most of every opportunity afforded to them. From the frenetic, relentless pace of Paris where early morning starts segued into long days filled to the brim with museums, memorials, Seine cruises, metro rides, exhibitions and much walking. The second week saw a slightly more leisurely pace in the charming town of Vichy, with morning classes and afternoon excursions. The girls rose to the occasion in class and wrote & spoke about issues relating to human rights. They ate at the canteen, enjoying the 2 hour lunch break which is so normal for the French. The last week in Antibes saw the girls working on skills of adaptability, as they learnt to fit in to the routine demanded of them by family number 2. Maxime, our designated programme coordinator, a native of Cannes and a wonderful young man wiser than his 20 years would suggest, had the girls hanging on to his every word! There are many girls who are feeling really sad to be saying goodbye to Antibes today. For the most part we have been blessed with wonderful weather and the girls did not allow the unseasonal rains which set in on the Côte d'Azur to stop their enjoyment - they fought off colds and minor setbacks, really determined to make the most of their trip! Mrs Scholtz and I are most impressed with the group and very proud to have been with the girls - thank you for your trust in us. An ambitious tour programme has paid off and we are confident that the trip will have allowed your girls to grow and gain viable & valuable life lessons about perseverance and looking for humour in every situation - there has been much laughter and a very happy tour has been had by all!”