INDEPENDENT TOUR ~ APRIL 2010
1 April 2010 Bienvenue en France!
What a FULL day we have had and at last we are back at our hotel and I can update you! We arrived an hour late into Paris owing to the delay caused by inclement weather on our departure from Johannesburg, but this actually worked in our favour as we only had to have breakfast at 5.45am instead of 4.45am! No one had much sleep on the plane, but all were so excited to be in France! With no problems with immigration, customs, baggage or coach transfer by 9.00am we were at our comfortable and well situated hotel ~ the only problem was that we could not book into our rooms and the unanimous decision therefore was to tackle Paris for the day ~ phew! We started with a metro trip to the Hotel de Ville from where we made our way to Notre Dame and everyone was in awe of this magnificent cathedral. Although there was a chilly wind, the skies were clear and after lunch we all made our way to the Eiffel Tower. I still get the same feeling as when I first laid eyes on this incredible structure and to see the joy in the children's eyes is rewarding & unbelievably moving for me. We unfortunately had to accept a slight queue (something I abhor as a personality!) but in reality one of the accesses was 'en panne' ie out of action. After this amazing experience, we enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing cruise on the river Seine ~ the commentary was really informative and the music of Edith Piaf made us feel so 'French' and so romantic! Our final home-bound leg introduced all to the rush hour traffic in Paris and having squeezed our way onto the packed metro, we finally arrived at the Campanile Bastille at 7.00pm. What a FULL but amazing day we have had and no need for me to monitor anyone tonight ... I can already hear the snoring!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
2 April 2010 Quelle journée magnifique!
I hardly recognized everyone after a good night's sleep and having enjoyed an incredible breakfast, all were eager to join the thousands of other tourists on the famous Champs Elyseés! The metro is like second nature to them now and all are truly well-seasoned travellers in Paris! After 3 glorious hours spent exploring the amazing boutiques along one of the most famous avenues in the world, we made or way to the Louvre, where we met our guide who was so informative. The whisper system really works well and avoids having to compete with other dominant, loud and umbrella- brandishing guides! Not only were the art students in 7th heaven, but we also managed to convert the scientists and mathematicians of the group to art appreciation! Since it was raining we decided to postpone our tour of the Tuileries Gardens until tomorrow and we made our way to the shelter of the indescribably beautiful Galéries Lafayette. No one could believe the magnificence of the central stained glass dome in this national monument, the chic-ness of the various departments and the exorbitant prices! At 5.00pm we made our way back to the hotel and all had time to relax before the coach arrived at 8.00pm for our night tour of Paris. 'Les Illuminations' is always a highlight of my Paris sector and I can only imagine the squeals of delight as the Eiffel Tower lights up at 10.00pm! Our guide, Catherine, is a lady with whom I have worked for many years and her knowledge of this city is astounding ~ she will certainly have all the answers to the many enquiring minds on our tour! The group has bonded so very well and everyone is having a marvellous time!iQue nou s aimons Paris!
Every day just keeps getting better and how we all love Paris! After another sumptuous breakfast, we made our way to the impressive Place de la Concorde, where we had many 'professional' photo shoots and discussed the historical importance of this square. Thereafter, even with some light drizzle, everyone opted to take a stroll through the peaceful Jardins des Tuileries and all were amazed at the perfectly manicured gardens & trees and the discretely placed sculptures. We then unanimously made the decision to visit the Latin Quarter and this was so memorable for everyone as they wandered through the small quaint streets and savoured the ambience of this exciting & intellectual part of Paris. We then returned to the hotel for a rest and this proved to be a very popular idea! With batteries recharged we made our way to Montmartre and the climb up to the impressive Sacré Coeur is always worth the effort! La Place du Tertre was teaming with tourists and the atmosphere was electric ~ some enjoyed a visit to the Dali exposition (which was apparently 'awesome'!) whilst others were persuaded to have their portraits painted and all are excellent replicas! As a final treat, we enjoyed a 3 course meal in an 'authentic' restaurant on the Place du Tertre called 'Crémaillère' ~ an establishment which dates back to 1900. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to share anecdotes and with so many different personalities, conversation is always so interesting ~ how I love my job! We arrived 'home' at 8.30pm in high spirits and so very happy with our stay in this wonderful city. We will be transferred to Gare de Lyon station at 8.00am tomorrow and are scheduled to arrive in Antibes at 3.00pm. I will do my best to establish internet contact and update the diary in the evening, but if this is not possible on Easter Sunday, please know that all is well and that your children are not only safe but VERY happy and in good hands!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
4 April 2010 Nous voilà à Antibes!
At 8.00am we were all ready and waiting in the hotel foyer for our coach. Having covered so much of Paris during our relatively short stay, all feel so empowered and are keen to return to this wonderful city in the very near future. Once at Gare de Lyon, we identified our TGV and our journey to the south was relaxing & comfortable, giving everyone time to catch their breath and to write up journals. At 3.00pm we arrived in Antibes, where we were warmly greeted by Jeff, our animateur and Gregory from management at CIA. We boarded a bus to Le Chateau where we freshened up and then made our way into 'la vieille ville' for a guided visit. The marché provencal was teaming with people and many local products were on display ~ a real taste of Provence and in sharp contrast to Paris. Unfortunately it was drizzling so we cut our tour short and made our way back to the school, where all anxiously awaited their host parents! I met each family as they arrived and was once again delighted with the calibre of the familles d'accueil selected. Whilst I feel certain that everyone will be very happy, all have my telephone number and are aware that they may call me at any time of day or night if they do have any concerns.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
5 April 2010 Wonderful excursion to Monaco and Grasse!
Great excitement as we woke up to bright SUNSHINE this Easter Monday morning! Bearing packed lunches from their host parents, everyone gathered at the school for our day excursion and there was much excitement as they swapped stories about their host families ~ I was delighted to hear that all were so happy! At 9.00am we boarded our luxury coach to Monaco, driving along the magnificent 'route du littoral', the coastal road. With clear skies and azure blue waters we could not have asked for a more perfect day and the breathtaking views will remain in our memories forever. Everyone was aware of the obvious wealth and pristine cleanliness of this Principality and with hidden cameras + 1 policeman per every 60 people, not one sweet paper was dropped! We then visited the Palace and all were excited to see the flag flying high ~ an indication that the royal family was in residence! We then had some free time to eat lunch and shop for some Grand Prix souvenirs before visiting the Cathedral where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace are laid to rest. After a stroll through the beautiful exotic gardens, we gathered by the 'petit train' for an informative and energy-saving ride into Monte Carlo! At 2.00pm we made our way by coach to Grasse, the home of French perfume and the 'balcony of Provence', with its magnificent views. Upon arrival we enjoyed an fascinating guided tour of the Fragonard Perfumery before once more hopping on board 'le petit train', which miraculously weaved its way through the narrow streets of the 'vieille ville'. What a wonderful day we all have had and tonight there is a social barbeque at the school residence Castel Arabel, where our children will interact with students from other countries ~ it promises be great fun!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
6 April 2010 Excursion to Cannes!
Everyone arrived at Le Château by 8.30 this morning and all were anxious to meet their teachers and fellow class mates. They have been placed in classes to suit their varying individual levels of ability and all seemed to enjoy their first 3 hours of interactive, communicative French. Lunch was served in the school restaurant and the vast selection on offer was impressive – salads, roast beef, chips, fruit, chocolate mousse, cheese, rolls etc...! At 1.15pm we made our way to the station, where we caught a train to Cannes and Jeff escorted our group on a 20 minute walk to the viewpoint at Le Suquet, which affords a magnificent view over the bay & the Estérel Mountains. On return to the beachfront, we had a photo-shoot on the famous red carpet in front of the Palais des Congrès, which was followed by 'du temps libre' ie free time to shop! With a budget in mind, no one headed for the designer boutiques along La Croisette and all preferred to visit the well known stores like Zara, Morgan, Galéries Lafayette, before honing in on the more affordable bargain stores along La Rue Meynadier. Armed with an array of parcels, a happy band of travellers made their way back to Antibes and all unanimously declared that today's excursion had been superb!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
7 April 2010 A challenging & stimulating day!
I met everyone at the school this morning and all were eagerly looking forward to day 2 of class with international students. To replace the lessons missed on Monday, les Sud Africains had a further 3 hours of tuition in the afternoon and Kathy, their teacher, wanted to make this a fun and interactive/ communicative experience. She discussed various topics with them prior to sending them off to Antibes to conduct a one-on-one survey with the locals, aka les Antibois! This was great fun and the questions included: "How many baguettes do you eat a week/where do you go on holiday/what do you like most about Antibes/what is your favourite cheese/what is your favourite city on the Côte d'Azur" etc! They then returned to class and shared their answers, impressions and experiences with the group ~ to everyone's amusement Chesne announced that one lady even ran away from her! All were in high spirits at the end of the afternoon, having learnt new phrases and gained in confidence to speak. They were obviously exhausted and were excited at the thought of an ice-cream or crêpe ~ well deserved after a full day, I may add!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
8 April 2010 A relaxing day in Antibes!
Once again we gathered for a chat before lessons commenced and all were in high spirits. Everyone has made friends with other international students and they have all enjoyed interacting with them and learning about their countries. After lunch we made our way to the Picasso Museum which has recently been renovated and as a group we were quickly ushered to the front of the queue. Whilst Picasso may not appeal to everyone, we still felt very privileged to be viewing the original works of this legendary master. There were mixed opinions of his work and some of the comments overheard were: "Wow, this is amazing/I could have drawn that/This looks like my Prep school art exhibition"!! The rest of the afternoon was spent at leisure and all were encouraged to explore the quaint streets of the 'vieille ville' and walk along the ramparts ~ no doubt their favourite crêperie would have also been visited! Tomorrow promises to be a beautiful sunny day and perfect for our visit to Nice!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
9 April 2010 Excursion to Nice!
The week in Antibes has flown by so very quickly and today marked the end of their formal French tuition. All were proud recipients of a DELF accredited certificate which attests to the level attained + a comment from their teachers. Once again the teaching staff expressed their delight with our South African students and praised their positive & enthusiastic approach to the lessons. After lunch we all made our way to the train station, only to find that the SNCF was still on strike ~ a national pastime for the French! Jeff quickly organized 2 minibuses and we were very soon at the newly revamped Place Massena in Nice, 'Queen of the Riviera'. He enjoyed sharing his vast knowledge and enthusiasm for his favourite city on the Côte d'Azur and as we meandered through the vieille ville, we noted the strong Italian influence. We then stopped at a delicious ice-cream parlour called Fenoccios, which is renowned for offering 96 different flavours and John won the prize for sampling 7 of them! The group was then afforded 'du temps libre' and whilst many immediately back-tracked to the name brand boutiques on the Boulevard Jean Medecin, others chose to continue exploring in the old town looking for bargains. It was a lovely afternoon and at 6.00pm, laden with parcels, we all hopped on board the train back to Antibes ~ yes the grève is over! A special treat has been organized for after dinner tonight and at 9.00pm we will meet in the Place de Gaulle and travel to Juan Les Pins, where we will gather at Le Crystal to say goodbye to Jeff. This is a tasteful 'cocktail' bar with a superb ambience and all the cocktails (non alcoholic!) and ice cream sundaes are adorned with umbrellas and other decorative paraphernalia! I have no doubt that it will be great fun and a fitting ending to our amazing week in Antibes. At 11h00 all will be returned to their host families in the school minibus and with tomorrow's airport transfers only departing at 12h30, all are looking forward to a relaxing morning.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
10 April 2010 Final day in France!
We all had such a wonderful evening at Le Crystal and Jeff was very touched by the gifts ~ our group has been so special to him! Everyone has a free morning to relax and do as they please, so after packing I am sure we will all be meeting in the marché provenc?al on this beautiful sunny day! The host families will drive their children to the airport in Nice and we will gather at Terminal 2 at 1.30pm. I have confirmed our return flights and AF 990 is scheduled to depart Paris at 23h20 tonight, arriving at OR Tambo on Sunday 11 April @ 09h40. It has once again been my great joy and privilege to escort an outstanding group of South African students to France and I would sincerely like to compliment each and every one on their impeccable behaviour. They have fully embraced every opportunity and they have been superb ambassadors for South Africa. The children will return with mixed emotions and whilst they are all obviously looking forward to seeing family and friends back home, everyone 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. 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 remains for me to wish you all a happy home-coming and to say 'merci beaucoup, bon retour et à la prochaine'!
Written by: Jenny Peddle