HERSCHEL CULTURAL TOUR ~ JULY 2008
26 June 2008 D Day!
After months of organization, it is hard to believe that D day has actually dawned! I have two groups traveling to Zurich tonight – Maris Stella from Durban & Herschel from Cape Town and I can only imagine what fun they will have! I chatted to the chaperones at 10.30am and they confirmed that everything was on track from their side. The girls arrived at the airport full of excitement and anticipation and seeing Mr. Probyn was a real treat! A phone call at 6.00pm assured me that all had gone well on the domestic leg and that the girls were in high spirits, having just passed through customs. I wished the group a 'bon voyage' and did not expect any more communication until tomorrow ... but then I hadn't factored in the effect of seeing the Springbok rugby team & DJ Fresh descending the escalators towards the adoring eyes of our girls! I was assured that this was their first 'cultural' experience and asked please to convey to all parents that their money had already been well spent! No doubt the photos and autographs will bear witness to this! Please rest assured that all arrangements are firmly in place and that a wonderfully enriching tour awaits the Herschel group. If you chat to your daughters and have any interesting snippets to share, I would love to hear from you!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
27 June 2008 Safe arrival!
I received an sms from the chaperones to confirm that they arrived safely: "We're on the coach to Lucerne and we're all delighted that the luggage arrived!It's nice & hot and everyone is in high spirits - we could all do with a bath!" I am sure they will enjoy relaxing in their 4 star hotel tonight! 10.00am Sat
28th I received a lovely email expanding on the day's activities and I quote: " When we landed in Dubai, feeling jetlagged we were greeted by an intense heat wave. The, airport was a display of Dubai's amazing architecture as it feature giant indoor palm trees and majestic windows. After about an hour of stretching our legs we made our way to Switzerland with an incredible view of Dubai's Palm Island. Our flight to Zurich was greatly appreciated because most people needed to catch up on some lost sleep. Most people felt that this experience was surreal as they were in Europe and it was incomprehensible. On the coach ride most girls were shocked to see that a lot of people leave their bikes unattended whereas in South Africa if that were to happen their bikes would be gone in a flash! We made our way to Lucerne where we stopped to have a tour of a The Glacier Garden which bears witness to the last ice age. Our mother's worst nightmare became true as tens of duplicates of their daughters were created in the hall of mirrors! While we were there we saw the famous Lion Monument which represents those who died in the Battle of Tuilleries. We made our way back to our spectacular four star hotel(Hotel Hermatige) where many people either had a well-deserved shower or a quick dip in Lake Luzern while surrounded by a breathtaking view of Mount Pilatus, The Swiss Alps and Southern Lucerne. The food was amazing and most girls eagerly awaited a well deserved rest to prepare themselves for an exciting day".
Written by: Jenny Peddle
28 June 2008 What a wonderful day in Lucerne
I received the most wonderful email from the chaperones and you have a real treat in store as you read this account which was written by Kathryn Wishart and Amy Paterson: " This morning we woke up full of excitement at the prospect of our first full day of activities. We started off with an orientation tour of the town with a local guide, Annamaria. The very first thing we noticed was the amount of yodellers around us! They were everywhere, and we discovered that this was due to the fact that the annual "Eidgenössissches Jodlerfest" was taking place. For a town with a usual population of 60 000, the 200 000 people that this festival brings in each year ensures that the streets are busy and bustling, full of people creating a vibrant and festive atmosphere. During our walk we came across the Chapel bridge, famous for it's beautiful paintings of 16th century Lucerne, as well as the Musegg towers and . Along the way we also noticed the incredible architecture of all the buildings, and the beautiful murals on a lot of the walls. We passed flea markets, with items ranging from home appliances to sunglasses, and stalls selling fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers. Next, was a cruise on the serene Lake Lucerne, where we marvelled at the town from a distance, giving us a whole new perspective of the spectacular Lucerne canton. We also saw some of the most expensive five star hotels the town has to offer, including ones visited by Charlie Chaplin and Audrey Hepburn. After stepping off the ferry, many of us a darker shade than before, we made our way to the aerial car that would take us 70 000 feet above sea level to the summit of Mount Pilatus. After ears had popped and sweaters donned, we had an unbelievable 360 degree view of the Alps including its 7 peaks and 5 lakes. When we were done admiring the view, we made our descent down the mountain on the world steepest cog-wheel railway which took 35 minutes. We returned by coach to the town and were now given 2 hours of freedom to wander around to discover and explore the town. Although the main shops were all closed, we managed to fit in some souvenir shopping and a much needed caffeine stop at Starbucks. We also witnessed some of the yodellers in action, as well as a very entertaining fire eater. Then it was time for dinner. We dined at a traditional Swiss restaurant, the Stadkeller, where we were kept entertained by a folklore show as we ate our cheese fondue. Some of us were even roped in to take part in the yodelling, dancing and alpine horn blowing, providing many laughs and red faces!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
29 June 2008 Onward to Venice!
I have received a wonderful update written by Natalie Mason and Holly Nichol: "Today we woke up fairly early in order to drive from beautiful Switzerland to Italy. This drive had the most spectacular views of lakes, mountains and green valleys. On the way to Venice we stopped off at Verona, the famous town of Romeo and Juliet. We visited Juliet's house, where we got to see her balcony where she declared her love for Romeo. There was a wall where we got to write our names and the names of the person we liked! This was very sweet as it meant a lot to some of us. We then got a bit of free time to do some shopping and buy some souvenirs. It was extremely hot as we walked through the city and enjoyed a beautiful view of the arena and the surrounding buildings. When we reached Venice we were hit by a heat wave and had to stand for quite a long time while poor Miss Parker had to go sort out our vaporetto tickets, which our grumpy bus driver didn't understand how to do and dropped us off at the wrong place. This is such a spectacular city, with the most beautiful buildings and canals. Most people seem to have flowers hanging out of their windows which make it even more picturesque. Our hotel is very rustic but enjoyable, as was our dinner. We are treated almost every night to 3 course meals which give us a taste of the local cuisines and customs. They are very tasty. Tonight we had some yummy pesto pasta, potatoes and veal, and tiramisu. After dinner we were able to walk around the area and enjoy some ice-cream and see the gorgeous night lights".
Written by: Jenny Peddle
30 June 2008 A wonderful day in Venice
Another lovely diary entry, this time from Amelia Vernede and Sibu Maseko: "Today we woke up to an early start and another very hot day to catch the vaporetto (which is like Venice's golden arrow bus on water) to the island of Murano to visit the glass blowing factory. We saw the glass being blown and in the shop we spent half of our savings on beautiful hand blown glass and then found out that the entire island had shops not just one store! After catching the vaporetto back to the main island we had three hours shopping time (dangerous!) where we spent the rest of our savings and ate the MOST delicious pizza of our entire lives !!!!! And interrupting our wonderful pizza was a ferocious army of swarming pigeons which terrified most of the girls and set the rest off laughing at them. The majority of the pigeons were in the St Marks square which is the only piazza in Venice.... it is stunning! And in our tour around the square our tour guide cracked a joke about there being more lions there than in Africa because of all the lion statues around the square representing Venice! Also part of the square was the court of Venice and on the other side of the canal opposite the court was the prison of that time linked by the Bridge of Sighs. Right now we were all about to pass out from the EXTREME heat, but managed to sit through a very comfortable gondola ride.... but we were disappointed that the gondolier didn't sing to us! Some of us on the other hand heard a gondola pass by with a signer on it and were irritated within the first 5 seconds! After the ride came supper, which seemed to have the recurring theme of fish! All in all it was an amazing day!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
1 July 2008 Onward to Florence
Another entry, witten by Kate Goddard and Kath Tennant: "We had an early start with a some what "continental" breakfast, after which we trekked across most of Venice with our colossal suitcases with rain, thunder and lightning! We took a long journey in our bus to Florence, stopping off at a rather healthy looking shop but of course we all managed to find what we love best-JUNK FOOD! After settling into our hotel we then took a rather long walk in the 38 degree afternoon sun and were accompanied by our knowledgeable guide, Patricia who informed us on the historical architecture of Florence. We ended our day off by enjoying a four course meal next to a girls school from Sydney who were on a similar tour to us. Last but not least we took a bus up to the magnificent Piazzale Michelangelo, where we witnessed some truly breath- taking views of the city. Once again another adventurous day with every moment being a memory...!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
2 July 2008 Firenze!
We have been communicating on a daily basis and I am really sorry that so many have this terrible heat rash. I am in Antibes with my group and we too are suffering unbelievably in this heat --- the humidity reminds me of the worst of days in Pietermaritzburg. Herewith our latest update, written by Courtney Barry and Carolyn Andrews: "Today, we woke up to yet another hot day in Florence and we were given a map and told to find our own way to the Galleria dell'Accademia... which we miraculously did! Before we entered the museum, we had time to explore and test our bargaining skills in the street markets! Once in the museum, we had the amazing experience of being able to see a few of Michelangelo's preparation statues and also the famous original statue of David. For lunch we all had some real traditional Italian pizza and this to our surprise was Carolyn's first time ever of tasting any sort of pizza! After lunch, we visited the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fione, which is completely made out of marble on the outside. We were astonished to hear and to see that the ceiling had begun to crack and expand considering the harsh weather conditions. We also visited the Uffizi Museum, which had the one and only painting by Michelangelo and we also had the chance to see many paintings from the Renaissance Period. Various artistic styles and interesting symbolism were pointed out to us by our well-informed and amazing guide Patrizia, who spoke to us with such depth of knowledge. Today was extremely inter esting and 'breath- taking' – figuratively, because of the stunning pieces of art works and literally, because the day consisted of 9 hours of walking --- although great for the figure! With the many aches, pains and heat rashes we will all appreciate a lie in tomorrow morning, although many of us are determined to re-visit the market before we leave!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
3 July 2008 Pisa
A diary entry written by Shannon Hayes and Alex Dare : After so many days of walking and our heads exploding with mind- boggling information about Europe's history and culture, we were all so relieved to have a slow start to the day with free time to sleep late, relax and visit shops/markets looking for the odd gift or bargains to buy. We then said our goodbyes to sunny Florence and set off on a bus trip to the Piazza of Miracles in Piza to see the Leaning Tower- the most amazing slanted building anyone has ever laid eyes on. Seeing its majestic size and interesting detail was overwhelming and left us in awe. Everyone posed for 'creative photo shoots' by "leaning against" the tower or "kicking it over" as some of us did by playing with the angles and dimensions of subjects in the pictures. We then browsed the many markets in the vicinity for souvenirs. After visiting Pisa we took a coach drive through Tuscany to Montecatini, a small quiet town famous for its spas and warm thermal baths. We explored the town after unpacking at Hotel Cavalotti and our Italian supper was homely and traditional. All together this was a relaxing day.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
4 July 2008 Cinque Terra
A diary entry written by Melissa Reed and Jessica Hull: "Breakfast was a feeding frenzy as everyone wanted to stock up for the day! We then went by coach to La Spezia railway station, where we caught the train to Rio Maggiore, one of the CinqueTerra villages on the coast of Liguria. These settlements have existed since before the Middle Ages and are a World Heritage Site. The views of the Mediterranean Sea took our breath away as we then headed along 'Lovers Walk' – a beautiful manageable part of the many walking trails in the park. Despite having tired feet and much scepticism about our energy levels, we were led on to explore more and more of a truly beautiful part of Italy. We travelled by train to Venezza and Monterossa, where we enjoyed lunch and free time at the beach, after visiting the old part of this fascinating town. The villages that are protected in this national park as part of the CinqueTerre are largely self-contained. People who live here practise small-scale farming of grapes and vegetables on terraces and fishing. At Monterrosso we enjoyed splashing around in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean. Most of us got a tan but someone in particular really showed us what a life-sized tomato looked like! Many of us slept on the bus as we travelled back to our hotel after the days events. As this was our last night in Italy, we painted the town red, white and green by walking around the quiet village of Montecatini. Seven-scoop ice-creams helped to cool down! Excited for France, we crashed in our beds and dreamt about the many memories we had created in Italy. VIVA ITALIA!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
5 July 2008 Arrival in Antibes
The group arrived in Antibes at 3.30pm and I was delighted to meet all the smiling faces in the hotel reception. Everyone seems to have had a wonderful tour to date and I enjoyed listening to the many anecdotes! I suggested that we made our way to the swimming beach and this was welcomed with open arms! The chaperones very bravely accompanied me in my hired car and they were able to have some perspective of Antibes, which is truly a gem on the Riviera. They ate dinner in a lovely restaurant on La Place de Gaulle and then all raced to the train station, where I accompanied them to neighbouring Juan Les Pins. This is such a 'vibey' town during the tourist season and always a great favourite with the youngsters! The chaperones and I settled down in couches on the beach and treated ourselves to an ice-cold drink, whilst the waves lapped at our feet – heaven! At 10.30 pm we all gathered and made our way back to Antibes, having had a wonderful day and evening! And now for an update written by Kimryn Sherwood, Jayati Patel and Rachel Stein: "After a quick breakfast of lemon cake and cereal, we headed to France. We passed through the beautiful mountains of Italy on our long bus trip that lasted over five hours. We were slowed down near the French border due to increased traffic jams as a result of the closure of the French schools for the annual holidays! We visited the Grimaldi Palace and the Cathedral in Monaco and we drove through the streets of the Monte Carlo Grand Prix. We continued on to Menton, Beaulieu-sur- Mer and Villefranche and the azure sea, purple bougainvillas and beautiful homes created an atmosphere of wealth and luxury. As we passed through Nice, we were amazed by the luxurious yachts, topless tanners and private jets lined up at the airport! We were greeted in Antibes by Jenny Peddle, who guided us around and showed us the closest beach. We enjoyed swimming in the warm ocean and lazing on the beach before returning to our hotel rooms. We enjoyed a traditional French meal at the Restaurant Duplex overlooking the Place de Gualle and after supper we rushed to catch the train to Juan les Pins. This beautiful spot near Antibes is peaceful but really busy, with many people crowding seaside cafes and bars. After walking along the beach and spending time working off the delicious chocolate mousse we had had for dessert at supper time, we boarded the train at 10:35 to return to our hotel. We met a few girls from Springfield and we met Jessica Schipper, an 'Old Herschelian' at the station.... Small world! She was surprised to meet our teachers again after leaving school four years ago. This was an amazing and exciting day and we cannot wait to see what they have in store for us tomorrow."
Written by: Jenny Peddle
6 July 2008 Perfumeries, confisseries and much more!
Update written by Daniella Corder & Amelia Farquharson: "The day started off with the upsetting news that Ms Parker's purse had been taken on the train last evening. This delayed our departure as we rallied to support her as she stopped her cards and tried to make the necessary arrangements to sort out her money requirements. It was a sobering experience as we have come to enjoy our freedom in Europe. Within an hour we left for St Paul de Vence, which is a beautiful and quaint medieval village situated in the hills close to Vence - a few kilometres outside Antibes. This village is a vibrant artistic community; the narrow alleys and cobblestone roads attest to numerous galleries displaying a range of sculptures, paintings and ceramic works of art. There are many expensive shops in this little town and its beautiful views and buildings helped to lift our spirits. From there we drove along narrow roads surrounded by green valleys, forests and hilltop hamlets. In the Gorges du Loup, we visited the Confisserie Florian where we tantalised our tastebuds with the interesting variety of sweets. We were accompanied by a guide who carefully explained the process of making the preserved fruits, jams and other confectionary. After succumbing to the temptation to buy colourful bonbons, we drove into Grasse and visited the renowned Galimard Perfumery. Silvi, our guide, explained how Marie Antoinette had started the fashion of wearing perfume to disguise the unpleasant smell of the newly introduced goat skin gloves! We also heard why the area of Grasse is most suitable for perfume making and the demands of being 'un Nez'. This was very interesting and we all got to experience the testers of a range of perfumes.....some of us felt we had nearly lost our sense of smell. Upon our return to Antibes we had free time and most of us spent the time soaking up the sun on the beach. We then experienced a delicious French meal at restaurant Le Duplex followed by free time mostly spent enjoying our final moment at Antibes beach and watching the Wimbledon final J (Go Federer)!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
7 July 2008 Paris here we come!
At 9.00am I met the group at the station in Antibes and saw all safely & happily aboard the TGV bound for Paris. Herewith an update written by Kirsten Dreyer and Nicky Durand:"Today we boarded the TGV for Paris. The journey was 5 hours long which seemed slightly daunting but it went by quite quickly, with the cafeteria being quite a popular venue along the journey! Nicky and I guarded our luggage like hawks and occasionally used the codeword "Gatvol" to indicate anything or anybody that looked suspicious. We were far more cautious and wary on this part of our journey. After we arrived at Gare du Nord we were transferred to our hotel by coach. We were allowed some free time to scout the area around our hotel and to find some dinner. Tonight was the first night we had to organise our own food which was an interesting experience and everyone managed to find something to their liking - from Chinese to McDonalds. We were delighted to also find a supermarket 'Ed's' that had very reasonable prices and tasty treats- including fruit. We then departed for our guided night tour of Paris by coach, which was a brilliant introduction to this beautiful city. We passed landmarks such as the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and Nortre Dame Cathedral and were shown exclusive hotels such as the Ritz. We had an interesting view of many areas such as the Latin Quarter and boulevards of fashion stores. The tour concluded with a stop at the Eiffel Tower decked out in blue lights with bright yellow stars in honour of Nicholas Sarkozy's appointment as Head of the EU for the next six months. To celebrate our first night in Paris we ate chocolate crepes and watched some talented street dancers. This was a great start to another adventure in a new city!"
Written by: Jenny Peddle
8 July 2008 A wonderful day in Paris!
A lovely update from Amy Paterson and Kathryn Wishart: "After an early breakfast we made our way towards Gare du Nord Station accompanied by our guide for the day Francoise. We had to come to terms with using the RER train system to Versailles. En route to the station we got wet and were sent running for cover as the overcast cloudy skies we had woken up to conveniently decided to open! Initially some girls were disappointed by their first impressions of Versailles but as we made our way around one of the wings the breathtaking views of the gardens quickly changed their minds. We then took a tour through the many rooms of the palace, all of which were decadently and extravagantly decorated in typical 18th century style. These included the bed chamber of Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette, the Mars Room, the Diana Room and the various ante-chambers. We passed through the famous Hall of Mirrors with its beautiful views of the gardens and then we enjoyed a picnic overlooking the kilometre long canal. Then it was back to Paris for a boat cruise along the River Seine providing us with a new perspective of the city, with commentary through headphones about the landmarks we were passing. We saw landmarks such as the Pont Neuf Bridge, the National Assembly, the Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower amongst many others. We stepped off the boat almost directly onto the base of the Eiffel Tower which we would now be ascending to it's second level. Up we went in the elevator neurotically clutching onto our belongings to guard then from the infamous gypsies we had been warned about. The view was incredible as were the chocolate crepes we devoured at the end of our exhausting day of sightseeing! We made our way to the Trocadero station, where we took the metro train back to Louis Blanc Station on a train which was crowded as it was peak hour ... quite an experience for us!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
9 July 2008 Disneyland Paris!
Another lovely update, this time written by Natalie Mason and Holly Nichol: "Today, after a leisurely start and a delicious breakfast, we walked to the train station and boarded the RER A to Disneyland. This was quite a daunting process as we had to change trains half way and there was a bit of an electricity problem with the trains to start off with, so there were a few delays. Disneyland was very busy and like a true life-size fairytale, with so many rides to go on. The popular ones amongst the girls were the big, terrifying and hair-raising roller coasters, which went upside down, twisted, turned, stopped, started and many screams later we stumbled off to find another outrageous activity! The junk food seemed to be another main attraction, like the huge clouds of candy-floss, brightly coloured 'slushies', pizza, caramelized popcorn, towering ice-creams, fizzy drinks and gummy sweets. We saw many different Disney characters, such as Belle, Cinderella, Captain Hook, Eeyor, Tigger, Gepetto, Pinocchio, Mary Poppins, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Aladdin, Baloo and Stitch. We ran around all day enjoying the many different activities that Disneyland had to offer us and ended our day with sore feet, but with big smiles all round. The challenging part of the day was trying to find the return train back home. This proved rather difficult for most of us so we sat on the floor, waiting for Miss Parker and Miss Grove to come and fetch us.....until we received an SMS from them telling us that the train was LEAVING from another platform! We had followed each other blindly without taking note of our destination. Much to our chaperone's amusement we all came stampeding down the escalator only to find Miss Parker recording us on her video camera chuckling to herself! Mrs Grove compared the stampede to the migration of the wildebeest across the Serengeti! This was another great day filled with many memories for us to take home."
Written by: Jenny Peddle
10 July 2008 Our final day in Paris!
A lovely update from Amelia Vernede and Sibu Maseko: "After a late start to our day we met our guide Francoise and then walked to Louis Blanc Station, from where we boarded the metro bound for Palais Royale Station at the Louvre. We fared better with finding our way on the metro thanks to Ms Parker and Mrs Grove's 'metro grillings' of yesterday! After emerging in the courtyard of this classical palace we viewed the glass pyramids that were constructed during Francois Mitterand's presidency. Instead of walking the total 42km around the Musee du Louvre museum, we saw the most famous classical paintings and sculptures- including the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory. We reluctantly left for Notre Dame, home of "Quazimodo" – who actually didn't exist- and walked around another absolutely beautiful cathedral, gazing at the unique architecture. We made our way to the Champs-Elysees, thinking that everything would be way too expensive and were pleasantly surprised by wonderful sales which broke most of our budgets! We visited the Arc de Triomphe and witnessed the rather chaotic twelve streets of traffic that enters the Place de l'Etoile at any given time. Finally we left for our final destination on our Tour, the Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. The streets around the cathedral had many shops,where many bought souvenirs and gifts.... luckily many of the shops had sales. We sat on the stairs of the cathedral and listened to music as we enjoyed the widespread vistas of Paris. To end the evening, we went to a wonderful Chinese restaurant near our hotel and said thank you to the teachers for all that they had done to make our tour special. We spent the rest of the night packing, depressed that we were leaving but making pacts that we would soon return".
Written by: Jenny Peddle
11 July 2008 Final update from girls + MOI!
The final update comes from Kathryn Tennent and Kate Goddard: "We leave today with mixed emotions, some of us feeling sad and others looking forward to getting back home after a jam-packed two weeks. It has been one memorable and indescribable adventure and our strong bond has pulled us through as a 'team'. We have captured so many memories that will never be forgotten along with new friendships and stronger relationships. Our education has expanded beyond our expectations due to our knowledgeable guides, who were willing to share their passion with us about their beautiful cities and its culture. The experiences we shared and the cultures we learned about over these last two weeks have helped make this trip one we will remember forever". ..... and now for moi! It has been an absolute joy and privilege to organize the Herschel Cultural Tour for 2008. As parents, you can rest certain in the knowledge that you have afforded your children the most wonderful opportunity and I have no doubt that each and every child will have returned not only academically and culturally enriched, but enriched as a person, having matured and grown in confidence. To act 'in loco parentis' to 21 girls is no mean task and I am sure that the love and care of the chaperones, Sue Grove and Bronwen Parker, will not have gone unnoticed... they have been amazing! All flights are confirmed and the group is to depart Paris today at 15h30 on EK 74, arriving in Dubai at 00h15 tomorrow morning. They then depart Dubai on EK 761 at 04h40, arriving in OR Tambo at 10h50. They depart OR Tambo at 14h00 on SA 343 and FINALLY arrive in Cape Town at 16h10 on Saturday 12 July. They will all most certainly be exhausted and 'jet lagged' and although the stories may not be immediately forthcoming, they will reveal themselves in the days, months and years to come! It remains for me to wish you all a very happy home-coming!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
12 July 2008 Final words from the chaperones!
"We have come to the end of a wonderful tour. The time has passed by quickly and we have been to so many wonderful places. What a privilege it has been to accompany the girls who went on the 2008 Cultural Tour. We have travelled extensively across three fascinating European countries and experienced a range of interesting cultural experiences. Our visit to Lucerne coincided with the annual 'jodelfest' and what an experience that was to see groups in the streets in traditional gear, just bursting into song! We had fun at the Stadkeller as we experienced traditional songs and even had our own jodler! Kath did us proud! Our hotel was a special treat with exquisite views of Mt Pilatus and Lake Lucerne.The tour to Italy brought with it new challenges with the language and the transport systems. It was also the excessive heat that challenged our spirits and feet! Yet the girls proved to be resilient and positive. Group cohesion was important when the going got tough and it was vital to stay together at all times. We found the girls obedient and responsive – never sparing a laugh – even in the rain as we left Venice. The navy hoodies also came in very handy on the day! The girls loved Venice and Florence with their store of art treasures and beautiful buildings. Verona, Pisa and Montecatini all added to our cultural enrichment and Cinque Terra was a delight to the senses. The drive from Italy through the many resorts along the Cote d'Azur was another treat. Antibes had its own appeal and the girls were able to spend some time lazing and tanning on the beach. We have appreciated the efforts of the girls to be cooperative and responsible. It has made our task easier and more enjoyable. Our tour ended with four memorable days in Paris with its broad boulevards, art galleries, museums, monuments, cathedrals, quaint bistros and shopping for better priced food, water and fruit at 'Ed's' near our hotel. The girls have been exposed to challenges (like meeting a budget and converting currencies), leadership opportunities and high expectations. We want to thank them for their support and for the fun we have had. We will both remember this experience with many fond memories. In closing we would like to thank Jenny Peddle for her expertise, support and guidance. It has been a pleasure to work with her. Thank you too to the girls and to their parents for all their support in all our ventures to make the 2008 tour a very special experience - we have had an amazing time! With fondest wishes - Mrs Sue Grové and Miss Bronwen Parker".
Written by: Jenny Peddle