ROEDEAN HOMESTAY PROGRAMME – APRIL 2017
SATURDAY 15 APRIL D DAY!
The day everyone has been dreaming of for so long has finally dawned and all are eager to embark on this great ‘aventure en France’! After reassuring chats with mums & dads, Lise and her girls made their way through emigration, where no problems were encountered. Once on the ‘other side’, they were able to enjoy some free time and Amy Segal was the belle of the ball, as she today celebrates her 17th birthday – bon annivesaire chère Amy! Everyone is really looking forward to flying on the magnificent A380, which is a veritable hotel in the sky and they are scheduled to land at Roissy Charles de Gaulle bright & early tomorrow morning. At 09h55 they will connect to Nice, Côte d’Azur, where they will be warmly greeted by Anais, their ‘animatrice’ from Le Centre International d’Antibes. Please rest assured that all arrangements are firmly in place and that the safety & security of your precious children is of paramount importance to all involved. I have no doubt that a wonderful tour awaits your daughters, filled with special memories and abundant blessings - ‘bon voyage’ and I will update the site as soon as I hear from Lise tomorrow.... A reminder that photos will also be loaded on a face book page https://www.facebook.com/Personal-Touch-Schooltours-Roedean-April-2017-141413986393329
SUNDAY 16 APRIL BIENVENUE EN FRANCE!
Lise sent a message to say that the international flight was superb and the crew so enjoyed the group that she and 2 others were invited to sit in the cockpit with the captain! What an absolute treat and Amy was selected, as it was her 17th birthday (some gift!!) and Claire Gafner was lucky enough to accompany them. Apparently the view of the black night filled with stars, with flashes of lightning in the distance, was an unforgettable sight to behold. They arrived bright and early at CDG and made their way to terminal 2F, where they passed through security & passport control, before freshening up prior to their domestic flight. Upon arrival in Nice they were warmly greeted by their animatrice, Anais, who escorted the group to their coach. At Port Vauban in Antibes, the girls were introduced to their host families - all are truly lovely and I have no doubt that your children will be well cared for and feel comfortable with them for the week. The girls then returned ‘home’ with the families for lunch and there was time to freshen up & settle in before their orientation tour of the vieille ville. After the formal tour, all were given free time to explore and everyone has immediately fallen in love with this beautiful part of the world – they are all so keen to embrace the marvellous ‘French experience’ that awaits!
MONDAY 17 APRIL EZE + MONACO + SOIREE BARBECUE!
Easter Monday/Family Day/un jour ferié! With no formal classes today, all were very excited about their outing to the beautiful mediaeval town of Eze and the Principality of Monaco. The weather was magnificent and the scenery along la route du littoral quite spectacular. The girls loved the quaint ‘village perché’ of Eze, and the 360 degree view from the summit justified the effort to get there! They then continued on to the Principality of Monaco, where they enjoyed a ride on ‘le petit train’, a tourist train which weaves through the famous ‘Grand Prix’ streets of Monte Carlo, providing valuable commentary. After photo-shoots at the Palace, the Cathedral and the Princess Grace Exotic Gardens, they had time for some souvenir shopping before returning to Antibes. Tonight they socialized with other international students at ‘la soirée barbecue’, which was organized by the school and, in true South African spirit, they certainly ‘got the party started’! Quelle journée magnifique!
TUESDAY 18 APRIL COURS INTERNATIONAUX & EXCURSION TO CANNES!
This morning Lise met with a very happy group of students at Le Château. The premises are looking wonderful, adorned with cascading flowers and views of the azure blue Mediterranean, with the snow-capped Alps in the distance! There are several other international students at the school this week and the girls enjoyed reconnecting with many of those whom they had met at last night’s social occasion. Lise had sent an indication of the girls’ proficiency prior to arrival and so all were immediately placed in ‘cours internationaux’ , with others of the same ability and the emphasis was placed on improving their communicative skills. At lunchtime everyone enjoyed a delicious multi-course meal in the restaurant, after which they departed by train for Cannes. Upon arrival Anais led the group up to Le Suquet, a landmark which affords a magnificent view over the yacht-lined bay & the Estérel Mountains and thereafter they visited the Palais des Festivals, which is famous for hosting the Cannes Film Festival. During their ‘temps libre’ (free time!) the majority swarmed to the well-known brand stores such as Zara, Morgan, Sephora and Galéries Lafayette, whilst others were delighted to discover the more affordable shops on the Rue Meynadier, which boast an abundance of bargains in all shapes and sizes! At 18h00 a very happy band of travellers returned to Antibes and everyone is looking forward to a good night’s sleep to recharge batteries for all that lies ahead!
WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL LES COURS INTERNATIONAUX + EXCURSION TO SAINT PAUL DE VENCE!
I am today travelling to France with my 2nd Independent Tour of the year and might not be able to update the site or send through any photos before we depart at 18h30. I have no doubt that your girls would have thoroughly enjoyed the day, with the French course this morning, followed by a coach tour to Vence. They were scheduled to visit La Chapelle du Rosarie de Vence, which houses a number of Matisse’s original masterpieces, as well as the Fondation Maeght, before continuing on to the medieval hilltop village of Saint Paul de Vence, which is a haven for painters & sculptors. Please note that I will be out of the country from 19 – 30 April and during this time I do not activate a roaming facility on my SA phone. Iwill continue to communicate with Lise and load information + photos on the website. A reminder that you may still email me on my regular email or contact Michelle on 071 351 1410/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
THURSDAY 20 APRIL LE SENTIER DES DOUANIERS!
This morning all benefitted from their French course and after lunch they enjoyed an ‘excursion with a difference’! Armed with sunscreen, hats, water bottles and good walking shoes, they embarked on a beautiful coastal walk along the Cap d’Antibes. Known as the Sentier des Douaniers, the route was formally used by smugglers and their animatrice, Anais, led the group as an experienced guide. This 5km path weaves through a protected national park, offering magnificent views over the Mediterranean and it is listed as one of the top tourist attractions on the Côte d’Ázur. It was a wonderful day and a welcome change to shopping!LATEST/BREAKING NEWS: The attack on the Champs Elysées has shocked everyone, but please rest assured that Lise and the school teams in both Antibes & Paris will do their utmost to ensure that your precious children are protected throughout the tour.
FRIDAY 21 APRIL – CERTIFICATES AND A FREE AFTERNOON!
Today marked the end of formal lessons at Le Centre International d'Antibes and all were very proud to receive their DELF accredited certificates, which attest to the 12 hours of tuition and an individual comment on each girl’s perforamnce. The educators were full of high praise for the Roedean girls, commenting on their level of participation & their enthusiastic approach to the tasks at hand. They had the afternoon at leisure to explore all the hidden gems of Antibes and some took the opportunity to visit the Musée Picasso. They have had such a special time on the Côte d’Azur and their final day in this idyllic part of the world will be spent in Nice tomorrow, prior to flying off to Paris for the 2nd part of their programme.
SATURDAY 22 APRIL – EXCURSION TO NICE + ONWARD TO PARIS!
I was so excited to welcome the Roedean group this evening and jumped for joy when I saw the ‘Dominique’ coach approaching Accord, Ecole des Langues! The girls were full of stories from their stay in the south and all are eager to embrace this exciting week in Paris. Danielle is the lady in charge of sourcing host families and she too was waiting with me to ensure that all ran smoothly. Once in their designated private taxis, the girls were whisked away by chauffeurs to their familles d’accueil, who were eagerly awaiting their arrival and all will meet with Mme Gordon tomorrow morning for their orientation hop-on-hop-off coach tour. Once all the girls had left, I spent some quality time with Lise and she is very much enjoying the group. Apparently their day in Nice was wonderful and they all particularly enjoyed sampling the specialities of the region at the famous Cours Saléya market. So starts a new chapter in Paris and I am sure that all will benefit enormously from the tailor-made programme.
SUNDAY 23 APRIL FIRST DAY IN PARIS AS A TOURIST!
I have just spoken to Lise and apparently they had a wonderful first day in Paris! She met with the girls in front of Accord at 10h00 and all had such exciting stories of their host families. They then thoroughly enjoyed the hop on-hop off coach tour, before alighting at Montmartre, where they visited the magnificent basilica of Sacré Coeur. After a stroll through the Place du Tertre, where they enjoyed lunch, they made their way to the audacious Georges Pompidou Centre, which is a landmark of contemporary Paris and home to the National Museum of Modern Art. They then made their way to l’Ile de la Cité, where they were indeed privileged to witness the latter part of a Mass at Notre Dame. Finally they crossed to the Quartier Latin on the Left Bank, where the girls really enjoyed browsing in the Shakespeare & Company book shop. It was a wonderful day and all are very excited for the week ahead…(Lise will send photos tomorow!)
MONDAY 24 APRIL COURS FERMES + EIFFEL TOWER + RIVER CRUISE
All arrived happily at the school premises this morning, full of enthusiasm for their week in Paris. The girls have been divided into 2 groups and both will enjoy ‘cours fermes’ with a designated educator assigned to each group. Mrs Gordon has suggested a specific theme and the school has designed the course content accordingly. After lunch they made their way to the Eiffel Tower and from the 2nd floor they appreciated the magnificent views. This was followed by a cruise on the River Seine, which was both relaxing and informative, as they sailed past all the famous landmarks of Paris, whilst listening to the commentary. It was a wonderful day and all are very happy to be living the life of ‘une Parisienne’!
TUESDAY 25 APRIL FRENCH COURSE + MUSEE D’ORSAY + CHAMPS ELYSEES/LES HALLES!
The girls have quickly become seasoned travellers on the metro and all arrived at the school in high spirits this morning. They are thoroughly enjoying their classes and working very hard, as their teacher has great expectations! After lunch they visited the Musée d’Orsay, where they appreciated some of the world’s finest Impressionist paintings using audio-guides. Thereafter they enjoyed some retail therapy, with half the girls choosing the Champs Elysées, and the other half opting for Les Halles. Quelle journée magnifique à Paris!
WEDNESDAY 26 APRIL LESSONS + MUSEE DU LOUVRE!
The girls arrived safely at school this morning and all are making commendable progress. After lunch they had a scheduled visit to the Musée du Louvre and everyone was overwhelmed by the beauty of this former palace. Using the 'whisper system' they followed their guide and her commentary on the magnificent works of art was so valuable. They saw such a variety, including Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory & Venus de Milo and also Napoleon III section, which Lise said was 'more than sumptuous'!
THURSDAY 27 APRIL SCHOOL + NOTRE DAME + LA CONCIERGERIE + LA SAINTE CHAPELLE + LES FOLIES BERGERE!
After another rewarding few hours in the classroom, all headed off to explore l’Ile de la Cité. A representative from Accord provided background information on this historic centre of Paris, prior to visiting Notre Dame, La Conciergerie, a former prison which became infamous as the ‘antechamber to the guillotine’ during the Reign of Terror and La Sainte Chapelle, a royal medieval Gothic chapel, which boasts a huge expanse of exquisite stained glass. Tonight the girls are all dressed up and very excited to see the play Les Choristes at Les Folies Bergère, which was a cabaret music hall in 1800’s during la Belle Epoque. What a wonderful opportunity for them and I look forward to hearing from Lise tomorrow!
FRIDAY 28 APRIL LAST DAY IN PARIS & HOMEWARD BOUND!
Today marks the final day of their tour and everyone has had the most wonderful experience! The girls were taken to school by taxi this morning, where they were allocated a room in which to store their luggage. At 13h00 they completed their course at Accord, Ecole de Langues and all the educators were full of compliments & high praise for everyone in the group … félicitations tout le monde! After saying ‘au revoir’ to new-found friends from other countries, they made their way to Galéries Lafayette, a world renowned department store, with H & M, Printemps, Sephora, Zara and many other ‘gems’ in close proximity! At 17h30 they re-grouped in front of the school premises, where they loaded their many bags & packets onto the coach bound for Roissy Charles de Gaulle. Flight AF990 is scheduled to depart at 23h25 and I am sure there is no need to remind excited parents that they will be landing at ORT around 09h55 tomorrow, Saturday 29 April. The tour has been a resounding success and incredibly valuable on so many levels – all the girls have fully embraced every opportunity and they have been superb ambassadors for South Africa, their school and their families. To act ‘in loco parentis’ is no mean task and Mme Lise Gordon is to be highly praised for taking on this role single-handedly, ensuring that your precious daughters were well cared for, happy and safe at all times. The girls are bound to be exhausted after such a full & intense programme and whilst the many wonderful anecdotes may not immediately be forthcoming, they will I know reveal themselves in the days, months and even years to come. 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 pleasure & a privilege to organize Roedean’s 7th ‘Homestay Programme’ and it only remains for me to wish you all a very happy home-coming - ‘merci beaucoup, bon retour et à la prochaine’!