INDEPENDENT TOUR TO FRANCE – JULY 2014
WEDNESDAY 2 JULY D DAY!
The day everyone has been looking forward to for so very long has finally dawned and a large group of students from various schools are all eager to make new friends as they embark on a great adventure en France! For the Cape Town contingent, the journey started this morning and by 14h30 the majority were present at our designated meeting point at O R Tambo. There was lots of chatter and a great deal of emotion, but check-in went smoothly and I can now confirm that all 46 students + 4 chaperones + moi are safely through security & emigration. They will have some time to enjoy the duty free shops and we have arranged to meet at 17h30 at the Lufthansa boarding gate. Everyone is really looking forward to flying on the magnificent A380, which is a veritable hotel in the sky and we are scheduled to land at Frankfurt just before 06h00 tomorrow morning. We will then connect to Paris, with our arrival at Roissy Charles de Gaulle scheduled at 10h45. I will update the site as soon as I find some internet connectivity, but please rest assured that the 4 chaperones & I are acutely aware that the safety and security of your precious children is of paramount importance and we will do all in our power to ensure that they have a wonderfully enriching tour. A demain…
THURSDAY 3 JULY SAFE ARRIVAL AND WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY IN PARIS!
We all had a most enjoyable flight on the Lufthansa A380 and we were so impressed by the on-board service as well as the impeccable take-off and landing by captain! Upon arrival we in Frankfurt, we had some time to wander through their duty free area before our flight to Paris. Here we hopped on our coach (after taking a while to find it!) and our rather disgruntled driver dropped us off at our hotel around midday. Some of our rooms were ready so we were all able to freshen up to a greater or lesser degree before we had our first metro experience to Montmartre and the evening was quite simply delightful! We made our way through the busy shopping street which boasts Paris memorabilia and then we climbed the steps to the beautiful basilica of Sacré Coeur, before strolling to the Place du Tertre, where a few had their portraits painted! A 3-course dinner was served outside at the famous resta urant La Cremaillere and is was truly a memorable occasion. It’s amazing to think that many of these 48 students have only known each other for just over 24 hours and all have bonded so well, with a deep sense of comraderie – so heartwarming for the chaperones and I to see! I am off to bed now and can’t wait for a good night’s sleep! I hope the students also feel the need for sleep, although I do sense a second wind from some, as they have just met up with my St Charles College group who are on tour from Pietermaritzburg…!!
FRIDAY 4 JULY CHAMPS ELYESEES + CRUISE + EIFFEL TOWER!
Everyone was so grateful for a slower start to the day and at 10h30 we all hopped on the metro, very excited at the thought of spending a few hours on the famous Champs Elysées! At 14h00 we walked through the passage souterrin to visit the tomb of the Unknown Soldier which lies under the magnificent Arc de Triomphe, before returning to the hotel to off-load parcels and relax. At 16h00 we made our way to the River Seine, where all thoroughly enjoyed a cruise + commentary on all the famous landmarks of Paris. This was followed by a delicious 3 course dinner alongside the river and at 20h00 we met with our guide for our night tour ~ Les Illuminations! At 22h00 the Eiffel Tower lit up in all its sparkling glory and at 22h30 our group ascended to the 2nd floor for a magical view of this iconic city - what an incredible experience & a veritable life memory!
SATURDAY 5 JULY WHAT A FULL DAY - LOUVRE, TUILERIES, CONCORDE, NOTRE DAME, GALERIES LAFAYETTE!
We had an early start to the day and by 08h30 we were on our way to the Louvre, where all marvelled at the size and stature of this former palace. Our large group was divided into 2 and in the company of a specialist guide, everyone was introduced to so many wonderful works of art, including of course, the Mona Lisa! We then spent some time shopping for souvenirs and taking photos by the inverted pyramid (Starbuck’s coffee in hand!), before strolling through the Tuileries Gardens towards La Place de la Concorde. Thereafter we travelled to the Hôtel de Ville (Paris’ very impressive town hall) and then on to Notre Dame, where all were impressed by the beauty of this magnificent cathedral. We then walked behind the cathedral and across the bridge to the left bank, which boasts thousands of lovers’ locks – all very romantic in this city of love! Our final visit of the day was to Galéries Lafayette, but it seemed like everyone in Paris had the same idea …what crowds indeed and neighbouring H & M certainly won the day! We are now all back safely at the hotel and we have given them a choice of suitable restaurants for dinner - many have opted to eat in and relax after a really, really full day! Tomorrow sees the 2nd part of our tour as we journey to the south of France and everyone is very excited…!
SUNDAY 6 JULY ONWARD TO THE COTE D'AZUR!
This morning our coach arrived at 09h00 and after having loaded 52 cases + all the extra bits of shopping from Paris, we had one very over-loaded coach! It is hard to believe what we have done in such a short space of time and although exhausted, everyone has loved Paris! We travelled to Orly airport, where an ‘angel’ dressed in a nifty Air France uniform was waiting for us and she provided our large group with a dedicated check-in area … most unusual for the French to be so accommodating and very much appreciated! Our flight was pleasant and as we flew into Nice, all were delighted to see the sunshine & yachts bobbing on azure blue waters. Here we were warmly greeted by representatives from Le Centre International d'Antibes, who accompanied us back to the campus and there was great excitement, as everyone quickly changed into beach wear, grabbed a picnic lunch and boarded the waiting transfer bus. They then enjoyed a walking orientation tour through the quaint streets of the 'vieille ville' and, with not a cloud in the sky, the views from the ancient city ramparts were quite simply magnificent. There was then time to relax on the beach and some enjoyed their first swim in the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery on the French Riviera! Upon return to campus, everyone settled in to their rooms and enjoyed dinner in the restaurant, before being introduced to all the other international students - 26 different nationalities are represented this week, with a total of 250 students on campus! Everyone is very excited for the week ahead in this idyllic part of the world...
MONDAY 7 JULY TEST - INTERNATIONAL CLASSES - MONACAO - SOIREE BARBECUE!
Meeting new friends last night was great fun, with all enjoying the ice-breaker activities and social interaction! After breakfast this morning they gathered in trepidation to do 'le test', where they were assessed on their written & oral ability. Thereafter they were placed in multinational classes - some have asked to be moved up or down a notch and this the chaperones & I will orchestrate tomorrow in order to ensure that the students are 100% comfortable and benefit to the maximum from the course. After lunch we all hopped on board our coach bound for the Principality of Monaco and upon arrival 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! With such a large group we were very grateful to have a ‘reserved booking’ on the tourist train, le petit train and everyone really enjoyed the informative commentary as we travelled through the streets of the F1 race track, passing in front of the Monte Carlo Casino and the surrounding luxurious hotels. It was a very special afternoon and all returned in high spirits to the campus, where a soirée barbecue and an evening of fun awaited!
TUESDAY 8 JULY EXCURSION TO CANNES!
Having effected a few modifications for various individuals, everyone was happy with their level of placement and all really enjoyed the lessons this morning. After a delicious lunch we hopped on board the train to Cannes and the first visit was to Le Suquet, a landmark in Vieux Cannes 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! Some preferred to shop and headed for the well-known brand stores such as Zara, Morgan and Galéries Lafayette, as well as delighting in the more affordable shops on la Rue Meynadier, with its abundance of bargains in all shapes and sizes! Others preferred to head straight towards the beach and enjoy a swim in the azure blue waters – a really good idea on such a sweltering day! At 6.00pm, a happy band of travellers returned to Antibes by train and the majority decided to stay on campus tonight to relax rather than go to Juan les Pins ... with the added attraction of watching the semi-finals, Germany vs Brazil!
WEDNESDAY 9 JULY PARFUMERIE & CONFISSERIE!
Lessons were great fun this morning and everyone is so much more confident to communicate in French! After another delicious lunch, all hopped on board our large coach as we made our way to Grasse. Dubbed the ‘balcony of Provence’ for its magnificent panoramic views, it is also the home of French perfume and upon arrival at the Fragonard Parfumerie all enjoyed a fascinating & most informative tour. The on-site boutique was a great hit and judging by the packets & strong scent in the coach thereafter, many purchases had been made! The tour then continued on to the Gorges du Loup, where they visited the Florian confisserie, which is world renowned for its sweets, chocolates & jams. Laden with even more packets, all returned to campus, where there was an impromptu ‘international soccer match’, featuring great talent! The support for team Afrique du Sud was enormous and the final score was a nail-biting 7-6 (how the Brazilians would have liked the score to be that close!!) A live band was hired for the evening and entertained the crowd, encouraging all to dance and sing along – what a wonderful atmosphere and great fun!
THURSDAY 10 JULY SUN, SEA, SAND & SAILING!
Once again we awoke to beautiful sunshine & clear blue skies on the Côte d’Azur! Everyone arrived at school in high spirits, once again looking forward to improving their spoken French and mingling with the other international students. After lunch all excitedly boarded the coach to the Yacht Club in Antibes, where we were divided into groups and given the opportunity to sail on a catamaran or on a kayak ... a few chose to do both! This was such a wonderful experience and all were stunned by the incredible beauty of the calm azure blue waters, with snow-capped mountains as a backdrop and the vieille ville in close proximity! After the sailing we had arranged for 3 transfer buses, thereby affording the students the choice of returning to campus immediately after sailing, enjoying more beach-time or shopping in Antibes ~ what a very special afternoon in this idyllic part of the world! After dinner there was the traditional soirée cabaret and our students once again out-performed all the others, with some great dancing & singing!
FRIDAY 11 JULY EXCURSION TO NICE!
Our week in Antibes has flown by so very quickly and today marked the end of the formal lessons with Le Centre International d'Antibes. All the students were proud recipients of a DELF accredited certificate which was presented individually at a formal ceremony held in the amphitheatre. This certificate attests to the 15 hours of tuition + the level attained + a comment from the teachers and Claire, who is responsible for the pedagogy on campus, publicly praised the positive, enthusiastic and serious approach of the South African students. Bravo les sud-afs! After lunch we made our way to the train station for our afternoon excursion to Nice, the ‘Queen of the Riviera’ and at the newly revamped Place Masséna all were afforded ‘du temps libre’, with many immediately heading off to the name brand boutiques along the Boulevard Jean Medécin! Others however chose to follow our 2 animateurs, Axel & Estelle through the narrow streets of Vieux Nice, noting the strong Italian influence of this fascinating city and then choosing ice creams at the famous Fenocchio’s, which boasts a selection of 107 different flavours, ranging from avocado - sundried tomatoes - basil – nutella ….even to mojito & beer! The majority then made their way to the beach and at 18h30 we returned in high spirits to Antibes, where a bus was waiting to take everyone back to campus. After dinner tonight there will be an excursion to Juan Les Pins, which is a vibrant sea-side resort and their final evening on the Côte d’Azur is bound to be memorable!
SATURDAY 12 JULY HOME WARD BOUND!
Today marks the final day of our tour and after breakfast everyone gathered in the quad to say a fond farewell to Axel & Estelle, who have been our animateur/animatrice for the past week. They have been wonderfully attentive and bonded so well with our group ~ merci mille fois, for adding a special dynamic to our stay at Campus Horticole! At 11h00 we will be transferred to Nice Côte d’Azur airport for our 14h45 flight to Frankfurt and here we will remain in transit until we board LH 572 bound for Afrique du Sud! The flight is scheduled to arrive at OR Tambo tomorrow, Sunday 13 July @ 08h40 and many, including me, will still then need to connect to Cape Town. It has once again been my great joy to escort an outstanding group of South African students to France and all have fully embraced every opportunity. The ultimate success of any tour depends largely on the chaperones and I sincerely appreciate the invaluable assistance of the 4 designated chaperones: Elzhan Bloem, Jeanné de Kock & Christine Greenwood from PHSG , as well as Hedwig Coetzee from PBHS. All have contributed enormously on so many levels and they have earned my greatest respect – merci beaucoup mes amies, for flying the Personal Touch banner so high! Everyone will return with mixed emotions and whilst they are all obviously looking forward to seeing family and friends back home, many 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. It has been a very successful tour and as parents you can rest assured that you have afforded your children the most wonderful opportunity. 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 and the precious memories & firm bonds of friendships will last a lifetime. It remains for me to say ‘merci beaucoup, bon retour et a la prochaine’!