CAMPUS HORTICOLE ~ JULY 2008
29 June 2008 D Day
Well we're all through passport control and our exciting adventure has begun! Everyone is in high spirits and eagerly awaiting the new experience which awaits them! More tomorrow upon our arrival....
Written by: Jenny Peddle
30 June 2008 Safe arrival!
Bienvenue en France - we've arrived safe and sound! I will write an update later this evening.... (9.30pm) Subsequent to my brief initial entry to assure you that we had all arrived safely, I can now sit down and write a detailed report! Out flight from Jhb was as pleasant as any long-haul flight can be and most managed to get a few hours sleep. Madrid airport is amazing in terms of its structure, service & efficiency and we were shuttled on a pristine clean and lightning-fast train from international arrivals to domestic departures. We all somewhat dubiously pondered whether our 'Gautrain' would ever resemble this! We then boarded our smaller plane and enjoyed the flight to Nice, where ¾ of our group were reunited with their luggage... yes, 5 cases did not appear! We had to complete all the necessary documentation and have been assured that the cases will arrive tomorrow. Marianne and I are monitoring the situation closely, but in the meantime everyone has been very generous with lending items of clothing. We arrived at Campus Horticole at 1.00pm and we went straight to the restaurant for lunch, which was a delicious spread. Celine, our ' dedicated' animatrice is lovely and she showed everyone to their rooms where they were able to relax for a short while before ' le test'! None of the students seemed particularly pleased with their performance, but we will see the results tomorrow. We then had an hour to relax and unpack before we boarded our coach to Antibes. Everyone instantly fell in love with this jewel on the French Riviera as we wandered through the vieille ville towards the yacht-lined port. We then spent an hour on the beach and everyone was so relaxed! After dinner tonight the entertainment team has organized an inter-active, ice-breaker show which promises to be great fun. So, from a VERY weary chaperone, who is SO looking forward to a shower, please rest assured that your children are all happy (even those without cases!) and all send love back home!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
1 July 2008 Sailing on the Med!
Everyone had such a lovely sleep and all awoke completely refreshed! After breakfast they made their way to class and Marianne and I chatted to everyone after the mid-morning break. All except two seemed very content with their placements and we will speak to the supervisor re the two who feel they need to be moved. After another delicious lunch we all boarded our coach and made our way to the beach, where everyone thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon of sailing on a catamaran! (We were due to do this on Thursday, but were asked by the yachting club to change to today – so our excursion to Cannes is now on Thursday!) The afternoon was idyllic and it is hard to imagine a more beautiful sight than the colourful boats bobbing up and down on the calm, azure blue waters of the Mediterranean, with the Alps and the vieille ville of Antibes as a backdrop! This evening all thoroughly enjoyed a barbeque and a disco 'al fresco' and we were all amazed at the effort which had gone in to the evening! The WONDERFUL news is that all 5 bags have been found --- so we are all celebrating tonight!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
2 July 2008 Shopping in Antibes + Juan Les Pins
After breakfast, everyone happily made their way to class and all came out enthusiastically sharing stories of what had been done in the lessons and who they had in their class. With over 200 students on campus, a wide variety of nationalities is represented and it is such a huge cultural learning curve. After lunch, we all made our way into Antibes to do some shopping and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon in this charming little town. We then had some time to catch our breath before dinner and at 8.30pm we joined the mass exodus to Juan les Pins. In summer this little town adjacent to Antibes comes to life and becomes a wonderful attraction for tourists and people have romantic dinners on the beach under the moonlight with the waves lapping at their feet, whilst others simply enjoy strolling past the colourful stalls on the brightly lit beachfront. Everyone loved the outing and all returned to campus in a very jovial mood!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
3 July 2008 Excursion to Cannes
After a morning of stimulating and fun lessons, followed by another splendid lunch, everyone excitedly boarded the train to Cannes! The journey took a quarter of an hour and the experience was wonderful. We first made our way to the 'Palais des Festivals' where we had a photo-shoot on the red carpet and then everyone tried to identify as many hand-prints of film stars as possible. Thereafter, the group walked up to the ancient neighbourhood of Le Suquet, from where there is a splendid view of the Esterel Mountains and the Bay of Cannes. Upon their return to the beachfront, they were given some free time and all eagerly dashed off to enjoy some shopping. Everyone punctually reappeared at 5.15pm and all were clutching packets which contained a wide variety of purchases, ranging from shoes – blouses – dresses – dictionaries – books – posters and all sorts! The 'cabaret' planned for tonight sounds like great fun and although the format remains a secret, I have inside knowledge that the animateurs/animatrices have a fantastic show in store for all the students! A reminder that my contact French mobile number is + 33 6 18 43 14 00.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
4 July 2008 Sunshine and shopping in Antibes
After class today, ever yone had lunch and a short time to relax before boarding the coach to Antibes. It was such a beautiful day and many opted to go to the beach for the afternoon, whilst others preferred to browse around the shops ... some did both! Marianne and I spent our afternoon in the most unenviable of situations ... in a Laundromat, doing the washing for those who required it! I made it clear that this definitely went beyond the call of duty and asked for all payments to be made in kind!! We have such a wonderful weekend ahead – Nice + Monaco + AquaSplash, so I asked for all to relax on Campus tonight and to have an early night.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
5 July 2008 Nice and Monaco --- almost!
On our itinerary for today was Nice and Monaco and all were so excited! We boarded our coach at 10.30am and everyone commented how lucky we were to have such a brand new coach (relevance later!) On our approach into Nice, we drove along the Promenade des Anglais and then all alighted at La Place Masena. Nice has had such a revamp and is undeniably one of the most beautiful towns on the Riviera. Many decided to head straight for the designer shops on the Rue Jean Medecin, whilst others explored the narrow streets of the 'vieille ville' looking for good bargains. We all gathered at the fountain at 1.00pm and saw that some had even managed to have a swim! I then left the group in the safe hands of Marianne and Celine (our animatrice) and after waving goodbye and wishing all 'bon voyage a Monaco' I made my way back to Antibes to welcome the Herschel group. .... and that's where our 'planned' day ended! At Villefranche, our 'state of the art' coach just ' died' and refused to go any further! The Coach company sent a replacement, but it meant a wait of nearly an hour. Amy Joubert, with her characteristic positive attitude and lovely smile summed it up by saying: " If we had to break down anywhere, this is the best possible place – just look at this stunning view!" So there should be many pictures from this incident! By the time the new coach arrived, it seemed pointless to continue for such a short time to Monaco, so we adopted Plan B and all happily returned to Nice for some more shopping, sunbathing and swimming.... a very popular compromise! We will be visiting Monaco on Wednesday, since this is a designated 'free' day. The group returned to Campus around 6.00pm and then after dinner all dressed up a little and off we went for another short evening outing to 'vibey' Juan les Pins. Marianne and I are so very impressed with the children in our group and all honour meeting times punctually and they appreciate our concern. The Herschel girls also enjoyed a few hours in Juan les Pins and many recognized their friends from our group. A happy and very fulfilled group returned to Campus at 11.00pm and all were excited for their day at AquaSplash tomorrow!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
6 July 2008 AquaSplash
The group arrived back at Campus around 6.00pm, having thoroughly enjoyed the most wonderful day at AquaSplash! After our hectic schedule, all found it so relaxing and peaceful. The first thing everyone commented on was how orderly and spotlessly clean the park was. There were numerous officials wearing red shirts bearing the word 'surveillant' - the French have very stringent regulations and not one ride was unsupervised for a minute. Marianne instructed all to use plenty of sunscreen and to find some shade, so we have no red lobsters tonight! Everyone really enjoyed the day and all should sleep well tonight! PS: With the arrival of my Herschel and Maris Stella groups, I am delighted to boast 68 'Personal Touch' South Africans in Antibes! PPS: Happy birthday to my husband, Clive!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
7 July 2008 A relaxing afternoon in Antibes
All were so excited to commence their second week of class, which clearly lays testimony to the innovative teaching methods and the stimulating presentation of the lessons. After lunch everyone was able to relax a little and at 2.30pm we made our way by coach into town. Everyone feels so at home in Antibes and the Place de Gaulle has become the Place to Be!! There is so much to do and see in this wonderful town and every visit reveals something new. At 6.00pm we returned to Campus and after dinner, all the students participated in the evening's entertainment which was organized by the animateurs/animatrices. The temperature remains high well into the evening and it stays light until 10.00pm, so the central courtyard provides the ideal setting for healthy interaction!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
8 July 2008 Sailing again!
Today we were informed by Management that there were 29 nationalities represented on Campus Horticole and confidentially they admitted that the South Africans were once again their favourites! All the students in our group have fully embraced the opportunity to learn and to integrate and I am very proud of everyone! After lunch, we all boarded the bus and made our way to the beach, where all were delighted to have another opportunity of sailing on the Mediterranean! It was a perfect afternoon and we all decided to stay on and enjoy the beach until 5.30pm. After dinner, more entertainment was organized by the team of animateurs and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
9 July 2008 Excursion to Monaco
After lunch today, we travelled by coach to Monaco and everyone was struck by the cleanliness and obvious wealth of this small principality. We started our tour with a visit to the Cathedral where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace have been laid to rest and then we went to the Palace, situated on 'le rocher', where all were excited to see the flag flying high, indicating that the royals were in residence! After exploring the tiny cobbled streets and doing some souvenir shopping, we wandered through the lush exotic gardens, where we marvelled at the breathtaking views - white yachts bobbing on the calm azur blue sea, picturesque villas in various shades of terracotta, vibrant green lawns, all set against purple mountains! It was a wonderful excursion and we returned to campus having thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
10 July 2008 Fragonard + Florian
Everyone was very excited about today's excursion and all had drawn extra funds for the occasion! We arrived in Grasse just after 2.00pm and we were lucky enough to have a wonderful guide who made our tour of the Fragonard 'parfumerie' really interesting. Judging by the many packets and the strong scent in the coach thereafter, many purchases had been made! After a quick visit to the old town of Grasse, we departed for the Gorges du Loup and the scenery en route was magnificent. The Florian confisserie is world renowned and they make sweets, choclates & jams on site - the free tastings were greatly appreciated! We returned to the campus around 6.30pm and in the evening there was a Cabaret which was a lovely ending to a perfect day!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
11 July 2008 Excursion to St Raphael
After class today, all were proud to receive their certificates, which indicated their personal level of achievement + a detailed comment from the teacher. I was once again complimented on our 'wonderfully disciplined group' and all the educators remarked on the level of commitment of the South Africans.... we can all feel VERY proud of this accolade! At 2.00pm we boarded our train to the seaside resort of St Raphael, passing through some magnificent scenery en route. We had a lovely relaxing afternoon and many swam in the warm waters, whilst others strolled along the beachfront with ice-creams and the keen shoppers even managed to arrive at the station with some packets! We have our last outing to Juan-les-Pins tonight and packing will slot in somewhere between 6.00pm and 9.00am. The energy of youth is amazing ------!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
12 July 2008 Happy home-coming!
Whilst everyone is obviously looking forward to seeing family and friends back home, all have a sense of sadness as they say farewell to people they have grown so close to and accustomed to seeing on a daily basis. We have planned for a few hours in Antibes this morning, to be followed by a 'social' group picnic/farewell in the Campus gardens. I will write more later --- just dashing to organize all now! In the meantime, please rest assured that all flights have been confirmed and no changes are anticipated. We depart Nice on IB8755 at 18h35, arriving in Madrid at 20h30. We then have a long wait and depart Madrid on IB 6051at 01h30 tomorrow morning (!) arriving in OR Tambo at 11h20. The Cape contingent, which includes me to PE, will only finish our LONG trip in the early evening of Sunday 13 July! ...... updated at 10.00pm on Saturday evening in Madrid....! Our picnic was a wonderful way to conclude our tour and gave everyone the opportunity to share amusing anecdotes and to say farewell to the Campus Management and the animateurs/animatrices. We boarded our coach at 2.30pm, arriving at Nice Airport at 3.00pm. and all relaxed before our 2 hour flight to Madrid. We arrived in broad daylight at 8.45pm and everyone found places to eat, shop or just relax. I have chaperoned over 20 tours to date and can honestly say that this stands as one of my happiest. The students have been wonderful and I applaud their level of commitment, sense of responsibility and general behaviour. They have all had their eyes opened by some of the other students on campus who have not displayed the same level of respect and all have commented on the enormous value of clear boundaries and firm discipline. My sincere thanks go to my very good friend and co-chaperone, Marianne Scholtz, who has been of invaluable assistance to me, mirroring the values which are fundamental to my business. It is a real privilege to work with someone of her calibre and to be able to rely implicitly on her judgement. I leave with a great sense of peace and happiness, in the knowledge that this tour was an incredible success...au revoir, merci et a la prochaine!
Written by: Jenny Peddle