KINGSMEAD COLLEGE TOUR TO FRANCE ~ APRIL 2011
21 April 2011 D Day!
Although I have not heard directly from the teachers, I presume that the girls arrived on time at the Sandton station and excitedly made their way to ORT on the Gautrain. Having just returned from a tour to France with my Independent group, I can assure all anxious mums and dads that an amazing tour lies in store for your girls and I will update the site as soon as I hear from the chaperones tomorrow…
Written by: Jenny Peddle
22 April 2011 Safe arrival and a full day in Paris!
I phoned the hotel this morning and the lady at reception confirmed that all had arrived safely and that the group had already set off to explore Paris! They will only be able to check into their rooms after lunch, but with scheduled visits to La Sainte Chapelle + the Eiffel Tower, this will certainly keep spirits and energy levels high ~ the beautiful, sunny weather is the cherry on the top! The evening will be spent in the Montmartre district and they girls will undoubtedly enjoy the beauty of the Sacré Coeur Basilica & the ambience of the Place du Tertre. Please note that the group is staying at the Campanile Porte de Champerret : 72 rue Marius Aufan 92300 Levallois Perret. Tel: 01.47.48.00.31 - Fax: 01.47.58.05.75 Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
23 April 2011 Another wonderful day in Paris!
After a wonderful sleep, everyone awoke refreshed and eager to explore all that Paris has to offer! The girls really appreciated their visit to the Musée d'Orsay, a former railway station and an artwork in itself. For many it was the first time they had been exposed to such great master pieces and the consensus was that the “Impressionists were indeed very impressive!” Thereafter, they excitedly made their way to the Champs Elyseés ~ one of the most famous avenues in the world ~ where all enjoyed exploring the amazing boutiques and judging by the designer packets in hand, the girls really took full advantage of this experience! After dinner all hopped on board the coach for a tour of Paris by night, ‘Les Illuminations’ ~ this is a highlight of the Paris sector and ever yone is always delighted as the Eiffel Tower lights up & sparkles at 10.00pm!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
24 April 2011 Arrival in Antibes!
Joyeuses Pâques ~ an early start this morning and all were excited to commence the next phase of their tour. At midday the group arrived in Nice, where they were warmly greeted by representatives from the Centre International d’Antibes. They then travelled by coach to Le Chateau, where all freshened up and appreciated a delicious picnic lunch before enjoying an orientation tour of this magnificent seaside resort with their ‘animateur’ ~ a wonderfully relaxing afternoon and the weather was magnificent! At 5.30pm the girls returned to the school, where they were introduced to their host families and all excitedly said their farewell to friends as they commenced a new experience ~ there is no need for concern as all these families have hosted children from 4 of my April groups, with great success and compliments!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
25 April 2011 A full day's excursion on the Côte d’Azur!
The school is not open on Easter Monday and with no formal lessons, all enjoyed a full day’s coach excursion along the Côte d’Azur. Once on board they travelled along the route du littoral, a coastal road where everyone was astounded by the spectacular scenery from the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, lined with its legendary beaches & palm trees through to the beautiful town of Villefranche. Here they visited one of the most charming villas on the French Riviera ~ the The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, which boasts 7 thematic gardens celebrating the harmony of nature and art. They then continued to Eze, a ‘perched’ village where the girls enjoyed a fascinating guided tour of the Fragonard Perfumery ~ this visit replaced the scheduled one to Grasse and proved to be very popular. After enjoying lunch in this quaint medieval town, they continued on to the Principality of Monaco and upon arrival everyone was struck by the cleanliness and obvious wealth of this small principality ~ with 1 policeman per every 60 tourists, no one even thinks of dropping a sweet paper! The Palace is unfortunately surrounded by scaffolding as it is undergoing a major face lift for the forthcoming wedding of Prince Albert to our very own South African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock. After some souvenir shopping there was unfortunately no time to include the final scheduled visit which was to Saint Paul de Vence but, as a contingency, the school has offered to take all those interested tomorrow after school.... merci beaucoup!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
26 April 2011 A happy band of travellers!
I have been in touch with Mrs Townsend who confirmed that the soirée barbeque last night was really enjoyable ~ a wonderful, animated evening, with plenty of food, much laughter and social interaction. All are delighted with their designated host families as well as their class placements ~ so a happy band of Kingsmead College girls all round! This afternoon some chose to accompany their animateur, the gorgeous Loic, to Saint Paul de Vence, whilst others opted to explore the vieille ville in Antibes ~ a few visited the Musée Picasso and some even contemplated a swim in the sea, surrounded by some of the most magnificent scenery on the Côte d’Azur!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
27 April 2011 A full day of French tuition!
The weather remains superb in Antibes and the girls arrived at school in high spirits once again, even knowing that 6 hours of French tuition awaited them! The focus of the afternoon workshop lay firmly on ‘jeux de role’ & oral conversation and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Suffice to say, they then felt a desperate need for some ‘retail therapy’ and all were delighted to see that the shops stay open until 7pm in France!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
28 April 2011 A wonderful afternoon in Nice!
After lunch the girls made their way to the station, where all hopped on board a train bound for Nice, the ‘Queen the Riviera’. Led by their animateur, Loic, they enjoyed an orientation tour with valuable commentary and then, to their delight, he declared ‘du temps libre’ ~ equating to some free time to shop! The majority headed off to the name brand boutiques along the Boulevard Jean Medecin, whilst others preferred to meander through the narrow streets of ‘la vieille ville’ looking for bargains, with only a few chosing to soak up the ambience on the seafront. After a wonderful afternoon, all gathered on the newly revamped Place Masena and made their way back to the station for the return journey to Antibes. Quelle journée magnifique!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
29 April 2011 Final day in Antibes ~ onward to Avignon!
The week in Antibes has flown by so very quickly and today marked the end of their formal French tuition. The girls were proud recipients of a DELF accredited certificate which attests to the level attained + a comment from their teachers and once again our South African students were globally praised for their positive & enthusiastic approach. After lunch they said a sad farewell to all the international friends they have made and boarded their coach to the beautiful & elegant city of Aix-en-Provence, where they enjoyed a guided walking tour in the footsteps of Paul Cezanne. Onward then to Avignon and in the early evening the group arrived at the hotel Le Magnan, which is ideally situated within the ancient walls of the city. Should you wish to contact your daughters, a reminder that the contact details are: Tel ~ 00 33 4 90 86 36 51/Fax 00 33 4 90 85 48 90.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
30 April 2011 Palais des Papes + excursion to Arles!
This morning all woke up to bright sunshine and after a good breakfast the girls enjoyed a guided visit (with headphones) to the Palais des Papes ~ an immense and very impressive UNESCO world heritage site. Thereafter they had some free time to explore & shop before travelling by coach through blazing yellow cornfields to Arles, where the girls met with their guide for a walking tour ‘in the footsteps of Van Gogh’. This was very special and the art students were enthralled to discover the many sites painted by this famous artist, including ‘La Maison Jaune’, ‘Le café la Nuit’ & ‘Le Jardin de l‘Hotel Dieu’. All are looking forward to their final dinner together this evening in a local restaurant and this promises to be great fun as they reminisce about the last 10 days on tour!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
1 May 2011 Farewell to France!
So much has been packed into the last 11 days and on this final day the group traveled to the ‘Vieux Port’ in Marseilles where they took a boat trip to the small island of If. Here they visited the Château, a former fortress & a prison, which was made famous as the setting for Alexandre Dumas’ adventure novel, The Count of Monte Cristo. After a relaxing lunch the coach transferred them to the airport in Marseilles for their flight to Roissy Charles de Gaulle, where the girls will relish a few hours browsing in the duty free shops. Flight AF 990 bound for Afrique du Sud will depart tonight @ 23h20 and there is no need I am sure to remind you that they are scheduled to arrive at ORT tomorrow, Monday 2 May @ 09h50. Whilst the girls will be looking forward to seeing family and friends again, all will be left with a sense of sadness at having to say farewell to people they have grown accustomed to interacting with on a daily basis ~ the superb memories and firm bonds of friendships which have been formed will last a lifetime. Everyone has fully embraced this wonderful opportunity which you as parents have afforded them and every girl will return not only academically enriched, but enriched as a person, having matured and grown in confidence. The ultimate success of any tour depends largely on the chaperones and your daughters have been privileged to have travelled with both Mrs Ann Townsend & Mrs Joelle Harding ~ not only have they been exceptionally well organized, but they have managed to find the perfect balance between firm discipline and a sense of fun. It has once again been my joy & privilege to be associated with Kingsmead College and it remains for me to say ‘merci beaucoup, bon retour et à la prochaine!
Written by: Jenny Peddle