INDEPENDENT TOUR TO FRANCE (1) – APRIL 2017
SATURDAY 1 APRIL D DAY!
There was great excitement as we gathered at ORT this afternoon and early check-in certainly worked to our advantage. There are 20 students in total and they come from PHSG, PBHS, St John’s DSG as well as Reddam Atlantic Seaboard and, as usual on these ‘independent’ trips, they all immediately starting bonding with new found friends. After fond farewells (and a few tears!) we braved the long queues at Emigration and I am delighted to confirm that we encountered no problems and that all are safely through to the ‘other side’! Everyone is so very excited at the prospect of the wonderful adventure which awaits them and we will be boarding the luxurious A380 at 18h00. I will update the site as soon as I have connectivity in France tomorrow, but please rest assured that your precious children are in safe hands and all are really happy. A reminder that photos will also be loaded on a face book page https://www.facebook.com/Personal-Touch-Schooltours-April-Independent-2017-1644015818960026/
SUNDAY 2 APRIL NOUS VOILA EN FRANCE!
The flight was smooth and very exciting for everyone, especially our 2 first-time fliers! We arrived at a bright and breezy 05h40 this morning and all were relatively perky, considering that they had only had a few hours sleep! With time in hand, we calmly made our way to terminal 2F where we passed through security & passport control, before freshening up and relaxing with a Starbucks Coffee (always a hit on the tours to France!) Upon arrival in Nice we were delighted to be re-united with our luggage, before meeting our wonderful animateur, Simon, who escorted our group to a waiting coach bound for Antibes. At Port Vauban the students were introduced to the host families and it is always so heart-warming to witness the warm interaction. The families are all truly lovely and I have no doubt that your children will be well cared for and feel comfortable with them for the week. The students returned ‘home’ with them for lunch and there was time to freshen up & settle in before our orientation tour of the vieille ville in Antibes. Whilst the light rain would not have been our choice, it certainly did not dampen spirits in any way and we all felt like we were experiencing Europe in the spring! Once our visit was complete, all were given free time to wander and explore, before making their way home by 18h00. Everyone has immediately fallen in love with this beautiful part of the world and all are so keen to embrace the ‘French experience’ – it is a very special group and you can be very proud of your children. I have no doubt that everyone will sleep extremely well tonight …I know that I will!
MONDAY 3 APRIL SCHOOL + EXCURSION TO MONACO
We woke up to magnificent sunshine this morning and at 08h30 Elena and I met with a very happy group of students at Le Château. The premises are looking wonderful, with views of the azure blue Mediterranean and the snow-capped Alps! There are several other international students at the school and this added to the excitement and ambiance! After completing the oral & written assessment, our group enjoyed ‘cours fermés’ and tomorrow, based on the results, they will be placed in classes to suit their individual level of French, with other international students of similar ability. At lunchtime everyone enjoyed a delicious multi-course meal in the restaurant and after much socializing, we departed for Monaco. Driving along the ‘route du littoral’, all admired the magnificent views along this winding coastal road and upon arrival in Monaco, everyone was struck by the cleanliness and obvious wealth of this small principality. They 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. At Le Palais they saw the flag flying high and everyone hoped to catch a glimpse of our very own Princess Charlène with her twins, but no such luck! After some souvenir shopping, we walked past the Cathedral and then strolled through the Princess Grace Exotic Gardens en route to our coach. We arrived back in Antibes at 19h00 and the students were taken directly to the venue for the ‘soiree barbecue’ (a fancy braai!) where they will socialize with all the other international students who are at the school this week. Les Sud-Afs are renowned for their energy, enthusiasm and social participation, so I am expecting wonderful stories tomorrow morning!
TUESDAY 4 APRIL COURS INTERNATIONAUX & EXCURSION TO CANNES!
When Elena and I arrived at the school this morning, we were greeted with so many stories of last night’s social interaction and apparently les Sud-Afs really got the party started - Jessie has no voice to prove this! At 08h45 all went to their various classes and their teachers reiterated how delighted they were to have another group of South African students - the emphasis will be placed on improving their communicative skills and confidence to speak. After another delicious lunch in the school restaurant, we made our way by train to Cannes and upon arrival Simon led the group up to Le Suquet, a landmark which affords a magnificent view over the yacht-lined bay & the Estérel Mountains. Thereafter we visited the Palais des Festivals, which is famous for hosting the Cannes Film Festival and we tried to identify many of the stars’ hands. The group was then afforded ‘du temps libre’ (free time!) and 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! Jessie, Luc and Keketso however had a very different afternoon, with Jessie declaring himself a Congolese Prince in order to gain access to the exclusive Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Bulgari and his two henchmen posing as his body guards – what a story!! 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 5 APRIL SCHOOL + VISIT TO FRAGONARD & FLORIAN
Lessons were great fun this morning and everyone is so much more confident to communicate in French! They have all made good friends with students from other countries and I am so very proud of our South Africans and their incredible social skills! After another delicious lunch we hopped on board the coach to Grasse, which is dubbed the ‘balcony of Provence’ for its magnificent panoramic views. It is also the home of French perfume and at the Fragonard Parfumerie everyone 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! We then continued on to the Gorges du Loup, where we visited the Florian confisserie & chocolaterie, which are world renowned for their sweets, jams and superb chocolates! Laden with even more packets we returned to Antibes and everyone agreed that it was ‘an awesome afternoon’!
THURSDAY 6 APRIL A WONDERFUL EXCURSION TO NICE!
Everyone has made so many new friends during the course of the week and all have thoroughly enjoyed their classes. At lunchtime our group had to jump the queue in order to get to the station in time to catch the 13h20 train to Nice. Upon arrival we walked down to the spectacular Fontaine du Soleil, on the Place Masséna and here Simon explained some of the history of this beautiful city, which is dubbed the ‘Queen of the Riviera’. Everyone was then keen to find Fenoccios – a famous ice cream parlour - and we followed Simon, weaving through the narrow streets of the quaint vieille ville. There are 107 different flavours, ranging from Nutella; Rocher; Nougat; Noisette; Cactus; Menthe Fraiche; Violette; Coca Cola; Pinacolada; Menthe Chocolat etc and, with such a vast choice it was really hard to make a decision! Much to everyone’s dismay and great joy, Jesse decided to have 16 ‘boules’ (scoops) of different flavoured ice cream and he is now the official record holder – bravo Jesse! After much laughter, some headed to the beach and a few brave ones decided to take a dip in the chilly waters of the Mediterranean! Others preferred to head back to the Boulevard Jean Medecin to browse in the well-known brand boutiques. All gathered in high spirits at 17h30 and we made our way to the station, where we hopped on board the train and returned to Antibes. What a wonderful & memorable day!
FRIDAY 7 APRIL - FINAL DAY ON THE CÔTE D'AZUR
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 15 hours of tuition and the level attained, as well as an individual comment from the teacher. The educators were once again full of high praise for our SA students, commenting on their level of participation & enthusiastic approach to the tasks at hand and, furthermore, they were impressed with the marked improvement in their confidence to communicate. Everyone in the group opted to eat lunch in a recommended pizzeria today and then they had the afternoon at leisure to explore all the hidden gems Antibes has to offer. Tonight we have a special treat planned for the group and we will visit neighbouring Juan les Pins, which is a vibrant seaside resort. As the weather is so lovely, we will start with a walk along the beautiful beachfront, before heading to Pam Pam’s which is a trendy & tasteful 'cocktail bar’ with a superb ambience, boasting a wide variety of non-alcoholic cocktails and ice cream sundaes, all adorned with exotic umbrellas & other decorative paraphernalia! It will be a chance for all to ‘dress up’ and will, no doubt, be a wonderful way to end our special time on the Côte d’Azur! We leave for Paris at midday tomorrow and I will communicate again once safely in our hotel - a demain…
SATURDAY 8 APRIL FAREWELL TO ANTIBES & ONWARD TO PARIS!
We all had such a wonderful evening at Pam Pam’s last night and it was a lovely way to end our time on the Côte d’Azur! Simon has been such a superb addition to our group and he joined us for the latter part of the evening, when he was showered with gifts & adoration! We woke up to yet another glorious morning and we are all so grateful for the blessing of sunshine every day this week. At 10h00 we gathered at the Port, where all said a fond farewell to host families, before hopping on the coach to the airport in Nice…..and this is where the chaos started! Certain flights on Air France had been cancelled due to strike action, so the airport was packed with hundreds of irate travellers and then, to add to the confusion, there was a bomb scare in the luggage hold, which left us all waiting in very, very long queues. But, God is good and, with some masterful manipulation, we managed to jump the queues and make our way to the boarding gates just in the nick of time! Understandably all were rather weary at this stage but, after a relaxing flight, all arrived refreshed at Orly and very excited to be in Paris! Our coach was waiting for us and at 16h00 we arrived at the hotel Campanile Paris La Villette, where we were warmly welcomed by the hotel staff whom I have come to know personally over the years – should you wish to contact your children tonight, the telephone number is + 33 6 34 48 50 95 and you will need to ask for the Envol Espace group. Once at the hotel, we had time to settle in and freshen up, before gathering in the lounge, where I went through many of the safety issues applicable in Paris. Tonight we will all enjoy a delicious 3 course dinner in the hotel restaurant, accompanied by drinks, after which everyone is looking forward to a relaxing evening together, recharging batteries for our packed day tomorrow!
SUNDAY 9 APRIL A WONDERFUL DAY IN PARIS!
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed a good night’s sleep and all were thrilled with the vast choice on offer for breakfast! At 10h00 we set off for our first metro experience as we made our way to Notre Dame and it was very special to witness part of the Mass for Palm Sunday. We are so very blessed to have had such glorious sunshine and we all enjoyed strolling along the banks of the River Seine. We ate lunch near the Georges Pompidou Centre and then ended with a ride on the carousel next to the Hôtel de Ville - great fun indeed to bring out the ‘inner child’! We have returned to the hotel for a quick rest & recharge, before heading off for our long late afternoon/evening programme. At 17h30 we will enjoy a river cruise, followed by a 3-course meal in the restaurants alongside the river. Our guide will meet us there at 20h00 and we will enjoy a coach tour of Paris by night. To complete our amazing day, we will ascend the Eiffel Tower at 22h00 and then return to the hotel by coach around 23h30. Such a happy day - think of us!!
MONDAY 10 APRIL LOUVRE+ CHAMPS ELYSEES + MONTMARTRE
What a wonderful day we had yesterday, only returning to our hotel at 23h45! Fortunately we were able to have a slower start this morning, but by 10h15 we were on the metro again, making our way to the Louvre. Our guide was really informative and introduced the group to some amazing works of art, after which we made our way to the Champs Elysées. Here, in groups of no fewer than 3, they were afforded ‘du temps libre’ and for 2.5 hours everyone had the opportunity to explore this famous boulevard! At 17h00 we made our way to Montmartre, the highest natural point in Paris, where the beautiful basilica of Sacré Coeur dominates the sky-line. At the Place du Tertre many chose to have their portraits painted, after which we enjoyed a delicious dinner in the famous resta urant La Cremaillère. Yet another incredible day in this glorious city!
TUESDAY 11 APRIL OUR LAST DAY!
Today marks the final day of our tour and everyone has had the most wonderful experience! We have done so much in a relatively short space of time and as a group we share so many happy memories. The airport transfer is scheduled to depart from our hotel at 17h00 and this morning we will visit to Galéries Lafayette, a world renowned department store, with H & M, Printemps, Sephora, Zara and many other ‘gems’ in close proximity! We will board our flight AF990 at 23h00 and we are scheduled to arrive at O R Tambo tomorrow, Wednesday 12 April @ 09h55. It has been my great joy and privilege to escort an outstanding group of students to France - all have fully embraced every opportunity and they have been superb ambassadors for South Africa. To act ‘in loco parentis’ is no mean task and I would sincerely like to thank Elena Fratini who has been a superb co-chaperone and we share very fond memories of this tour to France. Merci beaucoup ma chère amie ~ I value your professionalism, ‘personal touch’ and friendship. 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 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’!