ART TOUR TO ITALY & FRANCE – JULY 2017
SUNDAY 2 JULY D DAY!
The day everyone has been dreaming of for so long has finally dawned and all are eager to embark on this great adventure to Italy & France! There was great excitement this afternoon as 34 girls, accompanied by an array of family members, gathered at OR Tamb, where the 4 chaperones guided them through the check-in procedure. After fond farewells, they made their way through Emigration, where no problems were encountered and, once safely on the ‘other side’, they were able to enjoy some free time before gathering at the departure gate. They are scheduled to depart at 19h00 and will fly via Frankfurt to Rome, where they will meet their guide at 12h30 tomorrow. Please rest assured that all arrangements are firmly in place and that the safety & security of your precious daughters is of paramount importance. I have no doubt that a wonderful tour awaits, filled with special memories and abundant blessings - ‘buon viaggio/bon voyage’ and I will update the site as soon as I hear from the chaperones tomorrow! A reminder that photos will also be loaded on a face book page https://www.facebook.com/Personal-Touch-Schooltours-PHSG-ART-TOUR-2017-485586471780779/
MONDAY 3 JULY SAFE ARRIVAL IN ROMA!
All are safely in Rome and delighted to be there! Upon arrival they were warmly greeted by their Tour Guide, Tommasco, who accompanied them by coach to the 4* Columbus Hotel. The chaperones specifically chose this hotel and in their text message, they reported that: “the hotel is superb and the location is ... wow!” After freshening up, they walked to the Piazza di Spagna with its famous Spanish Steps and then on to the Trevi Fountain, where it is traditional to throw a coin in to ensure a safe return to the ‘Eternal City’!They then continued on to the Piazza Colonna & Piazza Montecitorio, before enjoying a tour of the Pantheon, which was erected by Emperor Hadrian during 2 AD and boasts the biggest dome in the world. All are now safely back at the hotel, after enjoying dinner in a local restaurant and there is no doubt that everyone is looking forward to a good night’s sleep!
TUESDAY 4 JULY VATICAN, COLOSSEUM & ROMAN FORUM
Everyone just loves the hotel, which was a former monastery and overlooks St Peter’s Basilica! After breakfast they made their way to the Vatican City, where they enjoyed a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, which house one of the most impressive collections of art in the world, including the magnificent ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. They then walked through the beautiful gardens to Saint Peter’s Square where they visited the basilica of Saint Peter - Asanda said that she wanted a garden like that and Dayna wanted to get married in this Basilica! They then had time to relax and "eating their first Italian gelato brought much joy & relief from the heat, even though it melted and spilled over cups and cones, making it a sticky yet rewarding experience!" They then headed to the mighty Colosseum and the Roman Forum, which is the biggest archaeological area in the world. Tommasco, their guide, is so knowledgeable about his country and boasts a sting of degrees in Art History … needless to say, he is a wonderful asset to the group! Dinner tonight will be served in a local restaurant and also promises to be great fun! PS I am leaving for France this evening and my SA mobile number will not be activated. You may still email me if need be, or you can contact my daughter Michelle on 071 351 1410 in an emergency.
WEDNESDAY 5 JULY A WONDERFUL LAST DAY IN ROME!
This morning the group enjoyed a walking tour through the quaint small streets of the Borgo Pio district, where they visited the Galleria Borghese, which houses an outstanding collection of paintings and sculptures. Thereafter they walked to the Ponte Mazzini on Lungotevre, where they marvelled at the Kentridge Murals, known as “Triumphs and Laments”. They then strolled along the 550-metre frieze which flanks the River Tiber and and the girls enjoyed taking photos of the beautiful drawings.After a pizza lunch, they visited the Basilica of Saint John’s Lateran, designed by Borromini in the 17th century and, in the late afternoon they all enjoyed the ambience of a typical trastevere - a traditional open air fresh food market, where they were overwhelmed by the array of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood, spices, herbs and cheeses. Dinner tonight was served in an authentic trattoria with live music and apparently the girls coaxed the guitarist to play their favourite song requests - ranging from shosholoza - loslappie - Volaire. Their guide then also showed off his considerable talent on the guitar and everyone loved their last evening in Rome!”
THURSDAY 6 JULY ONWARD TO NAPLES!
Arrivederci Roma! They have covered so much in such a relatively short space of time and although sad to leave wonderful Rome, they are all looking forward to the next leg of their adventure. After breakfast they hopped on board their coach and travelled southwards to Naples, and they will be staying in the Tiempo Hotel for the next 3 nights. After having settled in to their rooms, they enjoyed a guided tour of the Catacombs which date back to 2 AD as well as the National Archeological Museum, which is considered one of the most comprehensive in the world. Dinner tonight will be served in the hotel restaurant and I will update the website once I have heard from the chaperones…. PS: A lovely entry from the chaperones, received late in the evening! “The entire group got up bright and early this morning for their last breakfast in Roma. We packed our suitcases onto our coach to travel to Napoli for a three hour bus ride... the entire group took this opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep, power naps were enjoyed by all. Our first stop was the Catacombs of Naples with a guided tour through the underground burial site. The girls asked about the size of the tombs which they found very small. They were also relieved not to find corpses in these Catacombs. We then had a lovely group lunch at an authentic Napoli restaurant organized by Tomasco, our tour guide and this was a great idea as it got the group out of the heat of the day – today was the hottest day we've had this far! At the National Archeological Museum, the girls were amazed by the artworks made out of tiny mosaics and that such a large body of work came straight out of Pompeii. The girls were fascinated by the lifestyle that was led by the people from Pompeii and the advanced development of the well preserved artifacts. At the end of the day they all welcomed some free time to shop and took full advantage of the summer sales!”
FRIDAY 7 JULY EXCURSION TO POMPEII AND SORRENTO!
After a lovely breakfast the group travelled by coach to Pompeii and I look forward to receiving the detailed update from the chaperones… At lunchtime they travelled to Sorrento, which is a coastal town perched on cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples and boasts sweeping views. Museo Correale, an 18th century villa with beautiful gardens, comprising palm trees, citrus groves and floral nurseries. PS...a lovely update from the chaperones:“We started the day off with our first breakfast in Napoli and yes, it was cake again, in true Italian tradition! Then off onto the coach for our trip to Mount Vesuvius. Everyone in the group climbed all the way up to the top nice and it was early (by 9.30), before the heat of the European summer was at its worse. The positive atmosphere of the group created wonderful determination to get to the top and this was a pleasure to see from the girls. We took the treacherous winding road back down to the city of Pompeii which was expertly maneuvered by our bus driver….those in the front of the bus experienced a passionate Italian exchange between two drivers on the narrow road going in opposite directions!! We got to Pompeii and had some lunch at a quaint restaurant where the girls had some authentic Italian pasta and salads. We then entered the ordained gates to explore the massive excavated city which is Pompeii with its rich history. Many of the girls were fascinated by the size, the way it was preserved, the city planning that was so advanced and how you tell the difference between a shop front and a home front (it's all in the groove!). We then drove to Sorrento along the Amafli coastline and saw serene views of the beach and the bay where people were swimming and enjoying the sunshine. The girls got some shopping time (much to their joy) and enjoyed the many treasures of citrus that the town had to offer and they especially enjoyed the lemon ice cream & biscuits which were offered to them to taste. It was a lovely day spent exploring the south of Napoli and enjoyed by all!”
SATURDAY 8 JULY EXCURSION TO THE ISLE OF CAPRI!
All were very excited about today’s excursion and after breakfast they met with their local guide and travelled by hydrofoil to the Isle of Capri for a full day to relax and enjoy this gem! This evening there will be a farewell dinner in a local restaurant with a delicious pizza menu and their final evening in Italy is guaranteed to be memorable! I eagerly await the chaperone update to hear all the finer details….! PS the chaperone update: “Today we all had a holiday within a holiday before gearing up for the Paris leg of the tour. The day was spent on the Isle of Capri and we got to the island via a hydrofoil, which was surprisingly smooth. As we glided through the clear blue waters we were introduced to the Amafli coastline, from where we had a fantastic sighting of Mount Vesuvius and the picturesque homes of Capri. We took a boat ride around the island to show us the size - some girls especially enjoyed having their hair blown back while standing at the front of the boat, while others enjoyed the comfort of the cabin inside. The most memorable part of the boat ride was the ‘kissing arch’ (notoriously you will have good luck should you kiss a friend or lover while going through the arch)! Tomasso our tour guide said it would be sad to say farewell to the girls tomorrow morning as they have 'liquified his heart'! The group adored their time at the beach, swimming in the crystal clear blue waters and having a mini 'fashion shoot' on the rocks to capture their summer day and the beautiful scenery! This was such a lovely relaxing day and the group got to have some free time to relax, cool off and spend some quality time with each other”!
SUNDAY 9 JULY FAREWELL TO ITALY AND ONWARD TO FRANCE!
Arrivederci Italia! Today they all bade a fond farewell to Italy & to their beloved Tour Director, Tommaso - he is amazingly knowledgeable and everyone is so much richer for having been in his company. At Capodichino Airport in Naples they boarded their flight to Paris and upon arrival they were transferred by coach to their hotel Campanile Paris La Villette, which is a personal favourite of my groups. Here the girls had time to settle in before enjoying an early dinner in the hotel restaurant and at 20h45 their coach & guide arrived and they all set off for a spectacular tour of Paris by night, marveling at Les Illuminations. They will ascend the sparkling Eiffel Tower at 23h00 and enjoy a breath-taking view over this enchanting ‘City of Lights’, before returning by coach to their hotel. Quelle soirée magnifique! PS - the chaperone update: “Our last breakfast in Napoli today and saying farewell to our tour guide was very hard. They have come to love and respect Tomasso and wrote farewell messages in a book that was a gift to him. Although sad to leave Italy, their hearts were full of exhilaration for Paris and boarding the plane made it all the more real! Upon arrival we were transferred by coach to our hotel, where we had some time to settle in and enjoy dinner before our city by night tour. Unfortunately it started bucketing down with rain and this made it somewhat difficult to see all the sights clearly, but the red lights of the famous Moulin Rouge shone brightly and brought about the most excitement from the bus. The rain did not dampen our spirits and the view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower was amazing – well named ‘the city of lights’! This experience was enjoyed by all and even though we came down slightly more damp than going up, it was something no one will ever forget!”
MONDAY 10 JULY ORANGERIE, NOTRE DAME, LA SAINTE CHAPELLE + MONTMARTRE
This morning started with a stroll through the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries, where they admired the incredible open-air sculptures, before enjoying a guided visit to the Orangerie. They all really appreciated this small, intimate gallery which showcases impressionist paintings, including Claude Monet's Nymphéas – the Water Lilies. Thereafter they made their way to l’Ile de la Cité, where they visited the magnificent cathedral of Notre Dame followed by La Sainte Chapelle, where the girls were in awe of the huge expanse of exquisite stained glass. In the latter part of the afternoon they travelled to the oldest district in Paris, Montmartre, which was made famous in the late 19th century as an artists’ haunt and here they visited the Sacré Coeur Basilica, a huge white church which dominates the Parisian skyline. After a tour of the Espace Dali, which highlights Salvador Dalí’s sculptures & engravings, they enjoyed the ambience on the Place du Tertre, which is renowned for its local artists and no doubt some would have been tempted to have their portraits painted! In high spirits they enjoyed a 3 course meal at La Cremaillere, one of the oldest restaurants on the Square and the evening was great fun!
TUESDAY 11 JULY VERSAILLES + MUSEE D’ORSAY + CHAMPS ELYSEES!
At 07h30 this morning the group hopped on board their coach and travelled to Versailles, which was the nerve centre of France for more than 100 years. They started with a tour of the spectacular gardens and the musical water fountains were delightful. At the magnificent Palace, they proceeded at their own pace with the use of ear phones which provided valuable information. At 15h00 the coach dropped the group off at the Musée d’Orsay,which houses the world’s finest collection of Impressionist paintings and here all were in awe of the masterpieces by Delacroix, Manet, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin & Lautrec, amongst many others. Thereafter they had time to enjoy some retail therapy, as they explored the many gems along the world’s most famous & elegant boulevard, the Avenue des Champs Elysées. Dinner tonight was served at the hotel restaurant and all were looking forward to a relaxing evening and a relatively early night. PS: The chaperone update: “Today started off less wet, which held the promise of a lovely day for sightseeing. We got onto the bus straight after breakfast and travelled to Versailles, where we first strolled through the gardens which gave a glimpse into the leisurely lifestyle of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. Danielle, Lucia and Levona were fortunate enough to see the musical fountain display – le son et lumiere – and the girls enjoyed exploring all the different elements of the gardens, commenting on the topiary techniques used on the different trees. We then headed to the Palace itself and the girls enjoyed the freedom of having their own audio guide to use during the visit. They were all in awe of the opulence of the Royal life styles, with beautiful paintings and decorative wallpaper in excess and many girls said that they understood why the French revolution happened. We had a relaxing lunch break before heading back to Paris, where we visited the Musée D'Orsay, a former train station which houses remarkable Impressionist artworks. After this the girls were given some free time to walk along the Champs Elysées and this of course was a highlight! A lovely day was had by all!”
WEDNESDAY 12 JULY EXCURSION TO GIVERNY & THE MUSEE DU LOUVRE
After breakfast this morning the grouped hopped on the coach and travelled to Giverny, travelling through the beautiful countryside of Normandy. Upon arrival they wandered through the elaborate gardens which Claude Monet loved and where he produced his famed water lily series. Here he worked from 1883 until his death in 1926 and the group visited both the Fondation Claude Monet and the Musée des Impressionnismes. They returned to Paris after lunch and had time to relax and pack, before having dinner in the hotel on-site restaurant. At 20h00 they met with their 2 guides at the Musée du Louvre, where they enjoyed a wonderful tour, appreciating some magnificent & important works of art. It is hard to believe that tonight is their last night on tour and what a wonderful tour it has been! PS: The chaperone update: “Bon anniversaire to Asanda! Today we all enjoyed a bus trip to Giverny, where the painter, Claude Monet created a beautiful garden with ponds and Japanese style bridges, all appearing in many of his paintings. The girls loved this outing and soaked up the calm and peaceful atmosphere. We returned to our hotel after lunch, where they all enjoyed an afternoon of exploring more shops before doing some packing. After an early supper we jumped onto the metro to the Louvre, where the girls viewed the paintings many have studied at school. Time passed so quickly, but we were fortunate enough to lay our eyes on some great works of art, including the timelessly beautiful Mona Lisa with her intriguing smile. We ended off our last evening on tour with some karaoke songs in the hotel lounge to celebrate Asanda's birthday…what fun it was!”
THURSDAY 13 JULY HOMEWARD BOUND!
Today marks the final day of their tour and everyone has had the most wonderful experience, with so many fond memories of Italy & France! At 13h15 they will load their many bags & packets onto the coach bound for Roissy Charles de Gaulle, arriving there by 15h00. All flights are confirmed and they will fly from Paris to Frankfurt at 18h20, where they will remain in transit and connect to LH 572 bound for Johannesburg at 22h05. I am sure there is no need to remind excited parents that the group will be landing at ORT around 08h30 tomorrow, Friday 14 July and I can only imagine all the excitement at the airport! To act ‘in loco parentis’ is no mean task and the ultimate success of any tour depends largely on the chaperones. Mrs Jacqui Greenberg, Ms Samantha Eaton, Ms Elizna van Niekerk and Mrs Val Hohls deserve the highest praise and immense gratitude for ensuring that your precious daughters were well cared for, happy and safe at all times. They managed to find the perfect balance between firm discipline along with an enormous sense of fun ~ their knowledge, dedication, energy and enthusiasm have been inspirational and your children have certainly been very privileged to have travelled with them! The girls’ behaviour has been impeccable and they have been superb ambassadors for Pretoria High School for Girls and for South Africa – bravo! The superb memories and firm bonds of friendships which have been made will last a lifetime. The girls are all obviously looking forward to seeing family and friends back home and sharing all their memories and as parents, you can rest firm in the knowledge that you have afforded your children the most wonderful opportunity. They are bound to be exhausted and the many wonderful anecdotes may not immediately be forthcoming, but they are sure to reveal themselves in the days, months and even years to come! It has once again been my privilege & pleasure to have orchestrated my 7th Art Tour for Pretoria High School for Girls and it remains for me to say grazie/merci and arrivederci/au revoir!!