INDEPENDENT TOUR TO FRANCE – JULY 2016
Tuesday 28 June D Day!
There was great excitement as we all gathered at ORT this afternoon and check-in on Lufthansa went smoothly. There are 23 students in total and they come from PHSG, PBHS, Reddam School Durbanville and Somerset College. The designated chaperones for the trip are Ms Megan Jelley from PHSG & Ms Adele Holl from Reddam School Durbanville and I look forward to travelling with them. After saying a fond farewell to family & friends, we gathered to make our way through security and, other than one (serious) concern, I am delighted to confirm that we are now all safely through Emigration and on ‘other side’! Everyone is so excited at the prospect of the wonderful adventure which awaits and they have already made new friends in the group. I will update the site as soon as I have connectivity 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 – if you are a member of FB, then either search ‘Personal Touch Schooltours – July Independent 2016’ or follow the link below and click ‘LIKE’ to receive updates as they are posted.https://www.facebook.com/Personal-Touch-Schooltours-July-Independent-2016-473719239504977/ A demain…
Wednesday 29 June Safe arrival and a full day in Paris!
It is now 23h00 and this is the very first time I have been able to access my computer today! Our international fight was pleasant and most fortunately seem to have had a few hours of sleep. Our coach was waiting to transfer us to our hotel in Paris and, miracle of all miracles, our rooms were ready early, which was such a blessing! After having some time to freshen up and settle in, we enjoyed our first metro experience to the lower end of the Champs Elyséees, where we were able to relax in the Tuileries Gardens and enjoy our first baguettes and crepes. In the late afternoon headed off to Montmartre and everyone so enjoyed the ambiance of this superb historical district. Out dinner at La Cremaillère was magnificent and there was so much banter, chatter and laughter, belying the fatigue all must have felt ...we’re off for some well needed rest now!
Thursday 30 June A wonderul and another full day in Paris!
Goodness, yet another late night entry, but we have had such a full & wonderful day! All thoroughly enjoyed a good night’s sleep and after breakfast we set off for our visit to the Louvre. The children were overwhelmed by the beauty of this former palace, as Frederique their specialist guide introduced them to so many incredible works of art. They then had some free time to enjoy the joys of the Louvre’s ‘mini-Mall, with Starbucks and MacDo’s (sadly!) being firm favourites to eat! Thereafter we made our way to Paris’ ornate Hôtel de Ville, before crossing the Seine to Notre Dame on Ile de la Cité, where I shared my ‘special recipe’ for ‘advancing the queues’! We then travelled by metro to Boulevard Haussman, which is dominated by the glorious department store Galéries Lafayette, and here all enjoyed a few hours of retail therapy! Dinner tonight was served in a restaurant close to the hotel and gauging by the noise level & laughter, it was an exceptionally successful evening!
Friday 1 July Une journée magnifique!
All were delighted to have a slower start this morning and at 09h30 we left for a glorious few hours on the Champs Elysées. With firm instructions re the meeting time, they all dashed off to explore the many 'gems' on this famous boulevard! We returned to our hotel at 14h00 to relax a little and at 16h00 we made our way to Trocadero, which affords a magnificent view of this iconic Eiffel Tower. After photo-shoots, ice creams and crepes, all hopped on board the ‘Catherine Deneuve’ and enjoyed a cruise with commentary along the river Seine. A delicious 3 course meal will be served at 18h30 in a restaurant alongside the river and at 20h00 our guide will meet us for our coach tour of Paris by night. To complete our amazing day, at 22h30 we will ascend to the 2nd floor of a sparkling Eiffel Tower, marveling at this City of Lights, before returning to our hotel by coach around 23h30. What a happy & memorable day and all are very excited for Disneyland Paris tomorrow!
Saturday 2 July Disneyland Paris!
Disneyland Paris, a day everyone looks forward to and we had an early start, as the journey by metro & RER takes over an hour. We arrived just after the gates opened and in they bounded, all so excitied to bring out their inner-child again…..including our chaperones, Megan & Adele!! At 19h30 a very happy band of travelers returned to the hotel, with just enough time to freshen up for dinner in a restaurant within close proximity. Everyone has had such a wonderful taste of Paris and we have covered so much in a relatively short space of time. Tomorrow we fly from Orly Airport to Nice on the glorious Côte d’Azur, where we will be greeted by members of Le Centre International d’Antibes and travel to Campus Horticole. I will update the site tomorrow evening from the magnificent French Riviera, but please know that your children are having a superb time!
Sunday 3 July Welcome to the Côte d’Azur!
An early start for us this morning, with breakfast being served at 7.00am and in the coach by 07h45. At Orly Airport we were fortunate enough to secure a dedicated desk for our group check-in, which certainly reduced the stress levels! As we flew into Nice, everyone was delighted to see the glorious coastline, lined with azure blue waters and all happily discarded jackets & jerseys from Paris! Nathalie from Le Centre International d'Antibes, accompanied us back to the campus and after a delicious picnic lunch in the quad, all changed into beach wear before boarding the transfer bus to Antibes. In the company of Béatrice and Nafice, we enjoyed a walking orientation tour through the fascinating streets of the 'vieille ville' and, with not a cloud in the sky, the views from the ancient city ramparts were magnificent. All were then afforded free time, with some choosing to relax on the beach and enjoy a first swim in the Mediterranean Sea, whilst others enjoyed exploring. Upon return all had time to settle in to their rooms before enjoying dinner in the restaurant, after which they were introduced to the 200 other international students on campus! A wonderful week awaits ….
Monday 4 July School + excursion to Monoaco!
Last night everyone really enjoyed the ice-breaker activities & social interaction with new-found friends. After breakfast this morning the chaperones and I met with the group in the quad and the girls (as always!) were feeling anxious about ‘le test’! They were given an oral & written assessment, after which they were placed in ‘cours internationaux’ to suit their individual level. At 13h15 we hopped on board our designated coach and made our way to the Principality of Monaco. Driving along the ‘route du littoral’, we admired the magnificent views along this winding coastal road and, with clear skies and azure blue waters, we could not have asked for a more perfect day! Upon arrival in Monaco, 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 littering! All 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. We hopped off at Le Palais and all were delighted to see the flag flying high, indicating that the royal family was in residence and they hoped to catch a glimpse of ‘our’ Charlene with her twins! We then had some time for souvenir shopping, before visiting the Cathedral, after which we strolled through the magnificent exotic gardens of Princess Grace. It was a wonderful outing and, as always, everyone left in awe of this wonderful principality. There are currently 250 students from various nationalities studying at Campus Horticole and tonight there will be a ‘soiree barbecue’ (a fancy braai!), which is guaranteed to be great fun, with plenty of food, music and social interaction!
TUESDAY 5 JULY CLASSES, CANNES & JUAN LES PINS!
Only a few class changes were necessary and now everyone is very comfortable with their level of placement. After another delicious lunch and armed with hats, sunscreen & beach towels, we all hopped on board the train to Cannes. The weather was glorious and after seeing the Palais des Festivals, home to the annual Cannes Film Festival, they were then afforded ‘du temps libre’ (free time)! The options were plentiful but, in this heat, no one opted to make the climb up to Le Suquet for a magnificent view over the yacht-lined bay & the Estérel Mountains. Many of the girls dashed off to the well-known brand stores such as Zara, Morgan and Sephora, as well as the more affordable shops on the Rue Meynadier, with its abundance of bargains in all shapes and sizes. Others immediately headed off for the beach to enjoy the sunshine and swim in the azure blue waters – a really good idea on such a sweltering day! At 6.00pm, a happy band of travellers returned to Antibes and after dinner, those who wish, will board the bus for our evening excursion to the vibrant resort of Juan les Pins, which is always a highlight!
WEDNESDAY 6 JULY SCHOOL + PARFUMERIE + CHOCOLATERIE!
The colours & fragrances of summer in this magnificent part of the world are indescribable and we awoke to another picture-perfect day. Everyone is really enjoying the lessons and are feeling much more confident to communicate in French. After lunch we hopped on board our air-conditioned coach to Grasse, which is dubbed the ‘balcony of Provence’ for its panoramic views. It is also known world-wide as the home to French perfume and at the Fragonard Parfumerie we enjoyed a most informative tour, before having the opportunity to purchase authentic products from their on-site boutique.We then walked through the small, quaint streets of Vieux Grasse, where we visited the Chocolaterie du Planteur, a family-run enterprise which was enjoyed by all. It was a wonderful, relaxing afternoon and we returned to campus in high spirits, having had a superb olfactory experience, as well as a taste extravaganza - quelle journée magnifique!
THURSDAY 7 JULY SUN, SEA & SAILING!
After class today everyone excitedly boarded the coach to the Yacht Club in Antibes, where they donned life jackets and listened attentively to the instructions for sailing on a catamaran! This was such a wonderful experience and all were stunned by the incredible beauty of the calm azure blue waters, with the vieille ville in close proximity and Italy in the distance! The group is amazing, with such a wonderful spirit amongst them and there was much laughter as they were towed out to sea! All returned an hour and a half later wanting “more please”! We then made our way to the public beach, where we relaxed, frolicked in the waters and ate ice-creams until our departure for campus at 17h30. It was such a special afternoon in an idyllic part of the world and tonight is the traditional soirée cabaret – our SA students have been practising and are eager to show off their many & varied talents!
FRIDAY 8 JULY DELF CERTIFICATE + EXCURSION TO NICE
Our week in Antibes has flown by so very quickly and today marked the end of the formal lessons with Le Centre International d'Antibes. All the students were proud recipients of a DELF accredited certificate which attests to the 15 hours of tuition + the level attained + a comment from the teachers and once again the educators expressed their absolute delight with the South Africans, praising their positive, enthusiastic and serious approach. After lunch all excitedly made their way to the train station for the afternoon excursion to Nice, the ‘Queen of the Riviera’ and at the newly revamped Place Masséna all were afforded ‘du temps libre’. Many followed Nafis into Vieux Nice to sample some of the 104 flavours of ice cream on offer at the famous Fennocchios, whilst others immediately headed off to the name brand boutiques along the Boulevard Jean Medécin! The beach too was a firm favourite as they enjoyed the glorious sunshine on the pebbled beachfront and swam in the azure blue waters. At 18h30 all returned to the campus and by popular request, a 2nd visit to the vibrant summer resort of Juan les Pins has been organized, which is bound to be a perfect ending to our week on the French Riviera!
SATURDAY 9 JULY HOMEWARD BOUND!
The last 10 days have simply flown by and no one can believe all we have done in such a relatively short space of time! The tour has been filled with such happy & valuable memories and the firm bonds of friendships which have been formed will last a lifetime. All were able to leisurely pack their cases this morning + enjoy the swimming pool, before saying a fond farewell to all new-found friends on campus. Nafis has been an exceptional animateur and he has certainly added a special dynamic to our group – merci beaucoup! Our return flights have been confirmed and we will depart nice at 14h50 on LH 1061 bound for Frankfurt. Here we will have some time before boarding LH 572 which is scheduled to arrive at ORT at 08h40 tomorrow, Sunday 10 July. It has been a real delight to once again escort an outstanding group of South African students 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 our country. Whilst your children are tired and obviously looking forward to enjoying the comforts of home and seeing family + friends, everyone will leave with a sense of sadness at having to say farewell to the special people they have grown so accustomed to seeing on a daily basis. The many tales of the tour may not be immediately forthcoming, but they will certainly continue to reveal themselves in the days, months and years to come! To act ‘in loco parentis’ is no mean task and it has been my joy to work alongside 2 very competent chaperones, Megan Jelly & Adele Holl. I thank them both for their commitment, professionalism & sense of fun. Both certainly went far beyond the call of duty to ensure that your children were well cared for & happy and I certainly valued their ‘personal touch’! It has been such a 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 ever y child will return not only academically enriched, but enriched as a person, having matured 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’!