INDEPENDENT TOUR TO FRANCE – MARCH/APRIL 2014
WEDNESDAY 26 MARCH - D DAY!
A group of very excited students gathered at the International Departure Hall at ORT, all eager to make new friends and embark on a great adventure together. Check-in went smoothly and I can confirm that we are all safely through security & emigration. We will meet up again at the designated boarding gate at 18h45 and everyone is looking forward to flying on the magnificent A380, a veritable hotel in the sky! We are scheduled to land at Roissy Charles de Gaulle bright & early at 06h00 tomorrow and I will update the site as soon as I find internet connectivity! Please rest assured that Michelle & I will take good care of your precious children and that a wonderful tour awaits…more tomorrow!
THURSDAY 27 MARCH - NOUS SOMMES A PARIS!
We arrived ahead of schedule and everyone was relatively perky this morning, with most having had a few hours sleep! We freshened up and changed at the airport and at 8.30am boarded our coach, by which time most of the Paris rush hour traffic had calmed down! Once at the hotel we left our luggage in the bagagerie and then set off to the Rue de Rivoli and there were screams of delight to be in the centre of this amazing city! We then had photo shoots outside the Louvre, before strolling through the Tuileries Gardens and enjoying crêpes, gaufres et les hot dogs français at La Place de la Concorde. By 1pm all were a bit weary, so we returned to the hotel to rest for a couple of hours…a welcome suggestion! We will be heading to Montmartre later this afternoon and will climb the steps to the beautiful basilica of Sacré Coeur before strolling to the Place du Tertre, where some I’m sure will be tempted to have their portraits painted! Dinner will be at the famous restaurant La Cremaillère where we will enjoy a delicious 3-course meal and entertainment! The group has bonded so well and we are a very happy band of travelers…
FRIDAY 28 MARCH - A FULL DAY IN WONDERFUL PARIS!
Everyone was so grateful for the slow start to the day and after a good breakfast we all met in the foyer to discuss our planned activities. By 10am we were on the metro to spend a delightful morning on the Champs Elysées and at 13h30 we all walked through the passage souterrin to visit the tomb of the Unknown Soldier which lies under the magnificent Arc de Triomphe. Thereafter we travelled to the Hôtel de Ville (Paris’ very impressive town hall) and from here we made our way to the Beaubourg area for a view of the architecturally contentious Georges Pompidou Centre – it’s amazing how quickly the youngsters spot a Starbucks Café! Thereafter we strolled to Notre Dame, where we marveled at the beauty of this magnificent cathedral and we had the added advantage of witnessing a full religious service. After this we walked behind the cathedral and across the bridge to the left bank, which boast thousands of lovers’ locks – all very romantic in this city of love! Everyone adores Paris and the weather has been so kind to us – not a cloud in the sky and a real blessing indeed! We are now all at the hotel where we are relaxing for a while and at 7pm we will meet for dinner – I have suggested an area in the 9ième where there is a wide selection of authentic restaurants…as well as a Hard Rock café!
SATURDAY 29 MARCH - A WONDERFUL LAST DAY IN PARIS!
After another good night’s sleep, we made our way to the Musée du Louvre, where we were introduced to our guide, Natalie, who was a delightful personality! All donned headphones and so appreciated her informative commentary, as she used the latest ‘whisper system’ to communicate. After this they spied yet another Starbucks and having been ‘fortified’ we then headed off to one of the most famous department stores in the world, Galéries Lafayette, where all enjoyed some free time to shop, explore and have lunch. At 14h00 we returned to the hotel to off-load parcels, relax and pack, as we will only be home after midnight tonight! At 16h00 we will make our way to the River Seine, where we will enjoy a cruise + commentary on all the famous landmarks of Paris. This will be followed by a dinner alongside the river and at 20h00 we will meet our guide for our private coach tour of Paris by night. We are all a little anxious to hear that a 1hour ‘black-out’ has been scheduled for Earth Hour, so we’ll just have to see how that impacts on our view – luckily we have a lovely guide who will make the most of all that Paris has to offer! At 22h00 we are scheduled to ascend to the 2nd floor of the Riffel Tower for a spectacular view of this iconic city, by which time the lights will most definitely be back on! Whilst all have absolutely loved their stay in Paris, ever yone is really looking forward to the next leg and their experience with host families in Antibes. Our coach transfer will depart for Orly airport at 09h30 tomorrow morning and my next entry will be from Antibes, on the magnificent Côte d’Azur…!
SUNDAY 30 MARCH - ONWARD TO THE FRENCH RIVIERA
At 09h00 we were all ready in the hotel foyer and at 09h30 our coach transferred us to Orly airport for our flight to Nice. Here we were greeted with clear skies, sunshine, sparkling blue seas and Stan, our gorgeous animateur from Le Centre International d’Antibes! After initial introductions and banter, we made our way to the school, Le Château, where we enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch on the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps. We then departed for an orientation walking tour of the vieille ville and everyone immediately fell in love with this quaint town. At 17h30 we returned to Le Chateau, where all were introduced to their familles d’accueil and whilst I feel certain that everyone will be very happy, everyone in the group has my telephone number and are aware that they may call me at any time of day or night if they do have any concerns. I look forward to chatting to all tomorrow as we meet at 08h30 at the school …..
MONDAY 31 MARCH - LES COURS + VISIT TO MONACO!
Joyeux anniversaire ã Malisela ~ 16 today and how lucky to be spending it on the glorious Côte d’Azure! At 08h30 everyone arrived bright-eyed at Le Château, all chatting excitedly about their various host families before gathering for their first lesson with Mireille. The focus was on oral communication & role play interaction, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed! After a delicious lunch, we all sang happy birthday around a superb gâteau and Malisela then opened his presents from the group …great joy & excitement! Before we boarded our coach to Monaco, Les Sud-Afs were introduced to the Italian contingent at the school and there was much laughter and congenial interaction! We departed at 13h30 and drove along the ‘route du littoral’, where we admired the magnificent views along this winding coastal road. With clear skies and azure blue waters we could not have asked for a more perfect day and the breath-taking views will remain in our memories forever. Upon arrival in Monaco, 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! 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 Stan led us to the Cathedral where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace are laid to rest and at the Palace, all were delighted to see the flag flying high, indicating that the royal family was in residence! There was talk of singing Shosholoza to entice la princesse Charlène (née Wittstock) to come down for a chat, but we decided this was probably a little ‘common’ for Monégasque standards! We then had free time to enjoy some Grand Prix souvenir shopping, before strolling through the beautiful exotic gardens of Princess Grace - what a very special day and on that no one will forget …. especially Malisela!
TUESDAY 1 APRIL - EXCURSION TO CANNES!
Everyone arrived at school this morning in high spirits, once again looking forward to improving their spoken French and mingling with the other international students. After a delicious lunch, we made our way to the train station for our afternoon excursion to Cannes. Our first visit was to Le Suquet, a landmark which affords a magnificent view over the yacht-lined bay & the Estérel Mountains and on our return to the beachfront, we visited the Palais des Festivals, which is famous for the Cannes Film Festival in May. The group was then afforded ‘du temps libre’, which meant free time to explore the various shopping options! After a quick glance at the super-exclusive boutiques along La Croisette, they all swarmed to the well-known brand stores such as Zara, Morgan and Galéries Lafayette! They were also delighted to discover the even more affordable shops on the Rue Meynadier, which boast an abundance of bargains in all shapes and sizes!At 17h00, armed with an array of parcels, a happy band of travelers jumped back on the train to enjoy another evening in beautiful Antibes.
WEDNESDAY 2 APRIL - FRAGONARD PERFUMERY & FLORIAN CONFISSERIE
Lessons were great fun this morning and everyone is so much more confident to communicate in French! After lunch all enjoyed relaxing on the lawn, chatting to students from Italy, Austria and England, before boarding our coach 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 we 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 we visited the Florian confisserie, which is world renowned for its sweets, chocolates & jams. Laden with even more packets, we hopped on our bus which we were sharing with students from a private girls’ school in the north of London and our journey home was so memorable! Stan our beloved animateur played a music game with us and the entire bus rocked all the way back to Antibes! It was truly incredible and everyone returned in such high spirits - it was agreed that the singing talents we discovered on the coach should be entered into next year's 'Idols' competition!
THURSDAY 3 APRIL - NICE EXCURSION TO NICE!!
This was the first really chilly morning we’ve had in France and no one was in shorts today! 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 lunch all made their way to the train station for the afternoon excursion to Nice, the ‘Queen of the Riviera’, which boasts the newly revamped Place Masséna and from here Stan lead us through the vieille ville, pointing out the strong Italian influence. The tour culminated at Fenoccios, the famous ice-cream parlour, renowned for offering 107 different flavours! The group was then afforded 'du temps libre' and everyone immediately back-tracked to the Boulevard Jean Medecin for their final opportunity to shop in the well-known brand boutiques. It was a lovely afternoon and at 17h30, laden with parcels, we all hopped on board the train and returned to Antibes and I know that everyone is looking forward to a relaxing evening before their last full day in France tomorrow!
FRIDAY 4 APRIL - OUR LAST FULL DAY ON THE CÔTE D'AZURE
The week in Antibes has flown by so very quickly and today marked the end of their formal French tuition. All were proud recipients of a DELF accredited certificate and their teacher, Mireille, was full of praise for the SA students, commenting on their positive & enthusiastic approach, as well as the marked improvement in their confidence to communicate. At lunchtime we discussed the options for their free afternoon in Antibes, as well as the plans for our special evening treat to Juan les Pins, which is a vibrant sea-side resort lying adjacent to Antibes. I have organized transport there & back and at 21h00 we will gather at Le Crystal, which is a tasteful 'cocktail bar’ with a superb ambience, boasting a wide variety of non-alcoholic cocktails and ice cream sundaes, all adorned with umbrellas & other decorative paraphernalia! Our beloved Stan will join us and I have no doubt that it will be great fun and a fitting ending to our amazing week in Antibes. I will confirm all arrangements with regard to our departure in my diary entry tomorrow morning ….bonne soirée et ã demain!
SATURDAY 5 APRIL - AU REVOIR A LA BELLE FRANCE!
Today is the most perfect day, with not a cloud in the sky, making us even more reluctant to leave this idyllic part of the world! We have done so much in a relatively short space of time and as a group we share so many happy memories. With our flight to Paris only scheduled to depart Nice at 16h15, all have time to enjoy a relaxing morning before saying a fond farewell to their host parents, who have gone out of their way to welcome the South African students. After lunch we will be transferred by coach to Nice Côte d’Azur airport, where Stan will no doubt be showered with presents & hugs – he really has been an amazing animateur, adding a special dynamic to our week in Antibes! Once in Paris we will make our way to terminal 2E where our flight, AF 990, is scheduled to depart Paris @ 23h20, arriving at ORT in Johannesburg @ 09h40 on Sunday 6 April. It has once again been my great joy and privilege to escort an outstanding group of students to France ~ they have fully embraced every opportunity and all have been superb ambassadors for South Africa. To act ‘in loco parentis’ is no mean task and I would sincerely like to thank my co-chaperone, my daughter Michelle. She has quite simply been amazing and a fine role-model for your children, earning their greatest respect. It has personally been a delight for me to share special memories on this tour with Michelle, as she will be taking a few years break to start a family – her little boy is expected in August this year … a real blessing indeed!Everyone will return with mixed emotions and whilst they are obviously tired and looking forward to seeing family & friends back home, 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. It has been yet another successful & happy 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 wish you all a happy home-coming ~ ‘merci beaucoup, bon retour et a la prochaine’!