HOERSKOOL WATERKLOOF TOUR TO FRANCE – OCTOBER 2014
SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER D DAY!
After months of anticipation, all gathered excitedly at OR Tambo International airport this afternoon! Check-in went smoothly and I have no doubt that everyone in the group will have the most wonderful experience in France. They are scheduled to arrive in Dubai at 05h15 tomorrow morning, thereafter connecting to Nice and upon arrival they will be warmly greeted by Stan, their dedicated (and gorgeous!) ‘animateur’ from Le Centre Inter national d’Antibes! He will accompany them by coach to the school premises in Antibes, where they will leave their luggage, take their picnic lunch and embark on an orientation tour of the ‘vieille ville’. Hopefully the weather will be warm enough for the children to swim in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea and all will be overwhelmed by the most spectacular scenery on the French Riviera! At 18h30 they will return to Le Château, where they will be introduced to their ‘familles d’accueil’, who will welcome them into their homes for the following 4 nights. All the families have been used by my groups on numerous occasions, with enormous success, but if you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Lotriet on + 27 82 899 7814. I will be accompanying a group to Reunion from 4 – 12 October and during this time my daughter, Michelle, will monitor this website and she may be contacted with any concerns on 071 351 1410 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I wish everyone bon voyage et bon séjour!
SUNDAY 5 OCTOBER ARRIVAL IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE!
Bienvenue en France! Everyone arrived in good spirits after a long journey, eager to start their adventure in this idyllic part of the world! The group was greeted by Stan who then accompanied them to the school to drop off their bags before heading out for a wonderfully relaxing orientation tour of the vieille ville in Antibes! In the late afternoon, all returned to Le Chateau to wait for their host families – there is always a ‘buzz of excitement’ as each group is collected and all the stories of ‘what they ate’ and ‘what they spoke about’ will be shared tomorrow, I’m sure! A good night’s sleep will be welcomed by all this evening before starting school tomorrow and discovering Cannes!
MONDAY 6 OCTOBER FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL & CANNES
After a good night’s rest everyone arrived bright-eyed at Le Château this morning, all chatting excitedly about their various host families! Everyone enjoyed the lessons this morning which were hands-on and interactive, highlighting the communicative approach. After a delicious lunch the group, together with Stan, 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. Stan is a fantastic animateur and is always such fun as he stops en route to tell stories of various landmarks and sights. All then returned to the beachfront where they visited the Palais des Festivals, home to the annual Cannes Film Festival, and after several photos on the red carpet stairs, the group was delighted to have ‘du temps libre’, which equates to some free time to shop! Some dared to quickly walk past the exclusive boutiques along La Croisette, before swarming to the well-known brand stores such as Zara, Morgan and Galéries Lafayette! They were also thrilled to discover the even more affordable shops on la Rue Meynadier, where they certainly maximized on their shopping time, returning to the meeting place armed with an array of parcels! At 6.00pm, a happy band of travellers hopped on board the train back to Antibes to enjoy a relaxing evening with their host families!
TUESDAY 7 OCTOBER FRAGONARD & FLORIAN
Everyone arrived at school this morning in high spirits, once again looking forward to improving their spoken French. The lessons took on a different format as the students were divided into groups and given the task of interviewing the local Antiboise on various topics such as fashion, sport, food etc. They really enjoyed this and their findings will be used to initiate much conversation and discussion tomorrow. After another delicious lunch the group hopped on board a coach to Grasse. Dubbed the ‘balcony of Provence’ for its spectacular panoramic views, it is also the home of French perfume and upon arrival at the Fragonard Parfumerie the group enjoyed a fascinating & most informative tour. There is a magnificent on-site boutique which is always a great hit! 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…from personal experience, it’s an awesome visit! I have just spoken to Mrs Lotriet and they are all having such a wonderful time and making amazing memories!
WEDNESDAY 8 OCTOBER NICE
I received a lovely update from one of the boys, Damien, last night, expressing how happy the group is and what a wonderful time everyone is having! They were fascinated seeing the Pyramids of Giza as they flew from Dubai to Nice - what an experience! They are loving their friendly host families and the opportunity to speak French...even if it's to ask for directions on the way to school! At school they have made friends with Swiss, Belgium, Italian & Russian students who are apparently in awe of their Afrikaans! I will update more this evening when I have heard about today's activities - with Nice on the itinerary it's bound to be an awesome day!
The Antibes leg of the journey has flown by so very quickly and the children have really benefited from and enjoyed the interactive lessons at school. The educators are always so impressed by our South African students, praising their positive, enthusiastic and serious approach. After lunch the group made their way to the train station for an 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 Stan through the narrow streets of Vieux Nice, noting the strong Italian influence of this fascinating city and then choosing an ice cream at the famous Fenocchios which boasts a selection of 103 different flavours, ranging from avocado - sundried tomatoes - basil – nutella ….even to mojito & beer! Dinner tonight should be special as the group will gather in the main square of Antibes at Le Duplex restaurantto enjoy their final evening in this magical and luxurious part of the world. To avoid any last-minute rush, everyone has been encouraged to pack this evening - tomorrow they will have a shorter session at school, before a picnic lunch where they will bid farewell to their host families and Stan before heading up to Paris for their next exciting adventure!
THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER ONWARD TO PARIS!
I received the following sms from Mme Emma Lotriet late last night: 'The dinner was superb - happiness all round!' What a splendid final evening the group shared together and although it is always sad to leave somewhere so beautiful, there is a lot more to look forward to in Paris! After a shorter morning at school, everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch as they said goodbye to their new international friends and Stan. He is always so loved by the children, but thanks to technology such as facebook, parting is certainly made easier! The group was then transferred to Nice Cote d'Azure, where they boarded their flight to Paris - the views flying in and out of Nice are always spectacular! Upon arrival, they met with their driver Miguel, who transported them to their hotel, ideally situated in the Quartier Latin. I have not yet received any updated information from the chaperones, but they are scheduled to enjoy a group dinner in their area this evening, before getting a good night's rest to 'recharge their batteries' for busy Paris!
FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER ANOTHER WONDERFUL DAY IN PARIS!
I received a lovely sms from the group who are in awe of Paris and I quote: "Paris is SO beautiful, it's almost like heaven on earth! Notre Dame is just so fine and perfect in every little detail!" After breakfast this morning the group enjoyed their first metro experience as they traveled to the Musee du Louvre. All were truly spellbound by the magnificent works of art which they saw, including the Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, the Wreck of Medusa and the famous (yet very small!) Mona Lisa, to name but a few. They then had the opportunity to explore the arty and relaxed Beaubourg area before making their way to Montmatre, the highest natural point in Paris. Here they visited the beautiful basilica of Sacré Coeur, before strolling to the Place du Tertre, which was buzzing with activity. Everyone then had some free time to wander through the quaint streets, nooks and crannies - I have yet to hear if any of the children had their portraits painted...we will have to wait and see! The group ended the day with a dinner in one of the most famous restaurants on the square, La Cremaillere where the 3 course meal + drinks, service and ambiance were superb! A demain...
SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER CHAMPS ELYSEES & EIFFEL TOWER
Everyone was so grateful for a slightly slower start to the day and after breakfast all hopped on the metro, very excited at the thought of spending a few hours on the Champs Elysées! Judging by the number of packets in hand, I hope everyone packed lightly to accommodate all the items purchased! After a relaxing lunch in the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries, the group made their way along the river to the Eiffel Tower where they ascended to the 2nd level for a magnificent view over Paris - always such a highlight and a moment they will never forget! Thereafter they boarded their boat for a cruise along the Seine - the commentary is so interesting and not having to walk to see the sights is always a perk too! Everyone then enjoyed a 3 course dinner at a restaurant alongside the river and at 20h00 they met their guide for a private coach tour of Paris by night - what a fantastic end to another wonderful day!
SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER DISNEYLAND PARIS!
After breakfast all excitedly hopped on board the RER and made their way to Disneyland Paris - a dream come true for many! The day was full of amazing rides such as Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and the Indiana Jones themed roller coaster, Ben and Jerry's ice cream and almost everybody in Mickey Mouse shaped ears! The sights were incredible and one of the highlights of the day was meeting all the Disney characters - Winnie the Pooh, Donald Duck, Cinderella, Shrek and Jack Sparrow to name a few...it was truly wonderful experience and a perfect final full day in France. I'm sure everyone will sleep well tonight after all that excitement and adrenalin!
MONDAY 13 OCTOBER HOMEWARD BOUND!
Everyone had such a wonderful final evening in Paris last night, with some even sampling snails for dinner! It is always sad when a tour comes to an end, but it has been a resounding success and a dream come true for your children -everyone will return with such fond memories of all the beautiful places they have been fortunate enough to visit and the cultural immersion they have experienced. They are bound to be exhausted and the many wonderful anecdotes may not be immediately forthcoming, but they will reveal themselves in the days, weeks & months to come! I can confirm that all flights remain as per schedule and I am sure there is no need to remind excited mums & dads to expect their children at ORT at 16h25 tomorrow, Tuesday 14 October. To act ‘in loco parentis’ is no mean task and sincere thanks must go to Mme Emma Lotriet for taking such good care of your precious children. As parents you can rest assured that you have afforded them the most amazing 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 and the memories & firm bonds of friendships will last a lifetime. It remains for me to say ‘merci beaucoup, bon retour et a la prochaine!’