MONDAY 22 APRIL D DAY!
After months & months of anticipation, the happy day dawned and all, but 2 students, gathered punctually in the International Departure Hall B at OR Tambo this afternoon. I have been in contact with the chaperones, who report that check-in went smoothly, with no problems being encountered at emigration and everyone is very excited at the many adventures that await in la belle France! Please rest assured that all arrangements are firmly in place and the safety & security of your precious children is of paramount importance to the chaperones. I wish your daughters ‘bon voyage’ and abundant blessings and I will update the site as soon as I have news tomorrow. A reminder that there will be daily entries in the 2019 diary section on www.schooltours.co.za and photos will also be loaded on a Facebook page linked to the website. If you are a member of Facebook, then either search ‘Personal Touch Schooltours – Roedean 2019’ or follow the link below and click ‘LIKE’ to receive updates. https://web.facebook.com/Personal-Touch-Schooltours-Roedean-2019-2356508831065910
TUESDAY 23 APRIL - SAFE ARRIVAL IN PARIS!
I received news and photos early this morning to confirm their safe arrival in Paris! As arranged, they had some time to freshen up at the airport and enjoy a snack, before boarding their coach to the hotel, Paris Louis Blanc. As expected, the rooms were not available at such an early hour, so all the luggage was placed in the bagagerie, before they embarked on their first metro experience to the Jardin des Tuileries. From here all were ecstatic to see the Louvre, the Obélisque, the Eiffel Tower & the Arc de Triomphe and the gardens were in full bloom, boasting amazing colours of spring. All had time to relax and absorb the beauty of Paris, sampling their first baguettes and crepes, before making their way back to the hotel at 2.30pm. Everyone really appreciated some time to relax and in the evening they enjoyed a delicious 3 course meal at a restaurant close to the hotel. A full day awaits tomorrow and I have no doubt that all will sleep well!
WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL A WONDERFUL DAY IN PARIS!
All thoroughly enjoyed dinner last night in a restaurant close to the hotel and the photos are wonderful! After a good night’s sleep and a sumptuous breakfast, they set off for their morning visit to the Louvre. The girls were overwhelmed by the beauty of this former palace and their specialist guides introduced them to so many incredible ‘gems’. They then had some free time to enjoy the Louvre’s ‘mini-Mall’ and Starbucks was a firm favourite! In the late afternoon they will enjoy a glorious cruise on the river with commentary, followed by a 3 course dinner with drinks. Their guide will join them at the restaurant to accompany them on a coach tour of Paris by night and at 23h00 they will ascend to the 2nd level of a sparkling Eiffel Tower ! Quelle journee magnifique!
THURSDAY 25 APRIL – CHAMPS ELYSEES + MONTMARTRE
Everyone so appreciated a slower morning today, having arrived back from the Eiffel Tower well after midnight! All enjoyed a delicious breakfast, before heading off to the Champs Elysées and the girls were delighted to be granted a few hours to discover the magic of this magnificent boulevard. After lunch they made their way to Montmartre, the highest natural point in Paris, where the beautiful basilica of Sacré Coeur dominates the sky-line and at the Place du Tertre, many girls chose to have their portraits painted. They then were treated to a 3course meal with drinks at the beautiful 19th century restaurant La Crémaillère and this was a special experience. All returned to their hotel in high spirits, looking forward to their final full day in Paris tomorrow.
FRIDAY 26 APRIL - WONDERFUL LAST DAY IN PARIS!
Bonjour! I have been out and about with my group all day and will only be back at the hotel after midnight! In summary they have had a marvellous (sunny!) last day in Paris, starting with a guided tour of the Opera Garnier. This was followed by a visit to Galeries Lafayette and then on to Notre Dame and La Sainte Chapelle...exquisite stained glass! Dinner tonight will be in le Quartier Latin and all are excited at the thought of flying to the south of France tomorrow. A new adventure awaits...!
SATURDAY 27 APRIL ONWARD TO THE COTE D’AZUR!
All were a little weary this morning, with the wake-up call scheduled for 05h45 and breakfast at 06h15! Paris has captivated everyone – they have seen & done so much in such a relatively short space of time and all have enjoyed every moment in this glorious city. The chaperones reported that check-in at Orly airport went smoothly and the girls managed to have a good rest on the flight to Nice. Upon arrival they were warmly greeted by the team from Le Centre International d’Antibes and Emilie will be their dedicated ‘animatrice’ for the week. Once all the luggage had been loaded on the coach, they headed for Antibes, where they enjoyed a picnic lunch at Le Chateau – the school premises which are beautifully situated, overlooking the snow-capped Alps and the azur blue Mediterranean Sea, bedecked with luxury yachts! Thereafter they walked into Antibes and enjoyed an orientation tour of the vieille ville and the views from the ancient city ramparts were magnificent – everyone has immediately fallen in love with this idyllic part of the world! Once the visit was complete, all were given free time to wander and explore, before making their way back to Le Chateau to meet their familles d’accueil. I have no doubt that your precious children will be in good hands, but if there are any concerns, they should speak to their chaperones. I too arrive with my group in Antibes tomorrow - bon séjour à tout le monde!
SUNDAY 28 APRIL COACH TRIP TO EZE & MONACO
At 09h30 the girls gathered on the Place de Gaulle, all very excited for their day coach tour They travelled along the beautiful ‘route du littoral’ and stopped in Eze, which is a beautiful mediaeval ‘village perché’ and here they had time to wander through the narrow streets and climb high up to the little church, from where they had a spectacular 360 degree view. They then continued on to the Principality of Monaco, where they enjoyed their picnic lunch overlooking the beautiful Princess Grace gardens, before having a visit to the State Apartments in the Pink Palace. They were then afforded ‘du temps libre’ and enjoyed some souvenir shopping, before taking a ride on ‘le petit train’, a tourist train which weaves through the famous ‘Grand Prix’ streets of Monte Carlo, providing valuable commentary along the way. A happy, albeit a little weary, band of travelers returned to Antibes around 18h00 and all had a restful evening.
MONDAY 29 APRIL LE TEST + EXCURSION TO CANNES
Everyone arrived at the school in high spirits and Le Chateau is looking so beautiful, with the snow-capped Alps and the beautiful Mediterranean Sea as a backdrop. At 09h00 they were divided into groups to do their oral & written assessment and after ‘la pause’, all enjoyed ‘cours fermés’. Tomorrow, based on the results of ‘le test’, they will be placed in classes to suit their individual level of French, with other students of similar ability. Lunch was so enjoyable and everyone took their trays on to the terrace, mingling with the others. After lunch all made their way by train to Cannes and upon arrival they followed Emilie to Le Suquet, a landmark which affords a magnificent view over the yacht-lined bay & the Estérel Mountains. After a visit to the Palais des Festivals, which is famous for hosting the Cannes Film Festival, they were afforded ‘du temps libre’ (free time) and the majority swarmed to the well-known brand stores such as Zara, Morgan, Sephora and Galéries Lafayette, whilst others were delighted to discover the more affordable shops on the Rue Meynadier, which boast an abundance of bargains in all shapes and sizes! At 18h30 all hopped off the train at Juan les Pins and went to the venue for the ‘soiree barbecue’ (a fancy braai!) where they will have a wonderful evening socializing with all the other students at the school this week. This is usually such a fun-filled evening and I am looking forward to some exciting stories tomorrow morning!
TUESDAY 30 APRIL FRENCH COURSE ….. ALL DAY!
Apparently last night’s soirée was a huge success, with our South African students once again ‘getting the party started’ with their singing and dancing – bravo les filles! Another glorious day greeted us this morning and there was a buzz as they gathered around the notice board to see their designated class & teacher. Everyone is very eager to start their lessons, where the emphasis will be placed on improving communicative skills and general confidence to speak. As tomorrow is a public holiday (un jour ferié) the school will not be open and to replace these lessons, after lunch the girls benefitted from a specially designed course. The various teachers prepared worksheets and questionnaires, which required the girls to communicate with locals in Antibes in order to fulfill the requirements. After an hour and a half on site, they returned with their teachers to the school to discuss their findings and I could hear much chatter and laughter emanating from the classrooms! This was certainly ‘education with a difference’ and the girls really enjoyed participating in this valuable exercise. Tonight will be a quiet night for everyone and a time to recharge batteries for all that still lies ahead!
WEDNESDAY 1 MAY ‘UN JOUR FERIE’ AND A FUN FILLED DAY!
The girls all had a chance to sleep in a little longer today and at 10h30 they gathered on the Place de Gaulle, all very excited for the day ahead! Armed with sunscreen, hats, water bottles and good walking shoes, they embarked on a beautiful coastal walk along the Cap d’Antibes which is known as the Sentier des Douaniers, the route formally used by smugglers! Emelie led the group through the 5km route, following a path which weaves through a protected national park, offering magnificent views over the Mediterranean and it is listed as one of the top tourist attractions on the Côte d’Ázur. It was a wonderful morning and they enjoyed their picnic lunch on the beach. At 13h30 they hopped on board their coach and made their way to the medieval hilltop village of Saint Paul de Vence, which is a haven for painters & sculptors. It was a wonderful day and a welcome change from shopping!
THURSDAY 2 MAY FRENCH COURSE + FRAGONARD & FLORIAN
All enjoyed their lessons this morning and they are feeling so much more confident to communicate in French! The animateurs laid out a table full of post-Easter treats and during 'la pause' all enjoyed some delicious chocolate and juice! After lunch everyone gathered on the lawn to relax and at 13h30 all hopped on board the coach to Grasse. Here they had a guided tour of the world-renowned Fragonard Parfumerie, after which they visited the impressive on-site boutique. They then continued on to the beautiful Gorges du Loup, where they enjoyed a visit to the Florian Confisserie which is famous for its sweets, jams and superb chocolates! Laden with packets, all returned to Antibes in high spirits and tonight they have been granted an extended curfew to give the girls the opportunity to be 'tourists' and perhaps enjoy a meal together in a restaurant. School transfers have been organized to return the girls to their families at 22h30.
FRIDAY 3 MAY - DELF CERTIFICATE + FREE AFTERNOON IN ANTIBES
Today marked the end of formal lessons at Le Centre International d'Antibes and all were very proud to receive their DELF accredited certificates, which attest to the 15 hours of tuition and the level attained, as well as an individual comment from the teacher. The educators were once again full of high praise for our SA students, commenting on their level of participation & enthusiastic approach to the tasks at hand and, furthermore , they were impressed with the marked improvement in their confidence to communicate. After lunch the girls were delighted to have free time to explore the fascinating vieille ville with all its hidden gems and many are excited to visit the Picasso Museum. All will enjoy their last evening chatting to the host families and they will need to pack as they leave early tomorrow morning for their visit to Nice.
SATURDAY 4 MAY VISIT TO NICE THEN HOMEWARD BOUND!
This morning at 08h30 all gathered at Port Vauban, where the girls said a fond farewell to their host families who have taken such good care of them for the past week. Once all the luggage (+ copious amounts of shopping!) had been loaded on to the coach, they travelled to Nice, dubbed the ‘Queen of the Riviera’ and here they will spend the morning. From Place Maséna they will head towards Vieux Nice, mixing with the locals at the Marché Cours Saléya, which is one of the largest and most well-known open markets in France. They will no doubt visit Fenocchios to sample some of the 107 flavours of ice creams on offer, ranging from nutella; sun dried tomatoes; nougat; cactus; rhubarb; coca cola; pinacolada etc! Thereafter some may choose to explore Avenue Jean Médecin, which boasts several famous name brand boutiques, whilst others might prefer to head to the beach to soak up the sun and view of the azur blue waters of the Mediterranean, flanked by the magnificent Promenade des Anglais. At lunchtime they will enjoy a picnic as a group in the tranquil gardens close to the central square, where they will bestow gifts on their ‘animatrice’, Emilie who has been a very special companion to the group during the week. At 14h30 they will travel to Nice Côte d’Azur airport, where they will check in for their flight to Paris. I am also travelling with a group of 33, so in total there will be 62 ‘Personal Touch’ passengers winging their way back home tonight! Once at Roissy Charles de Gaulle, our large group will remain in transit, where all will no doubt enjoy browsing in the duty-free shops…not that much money is left to buy anything! Flight AF 990 is expected to depart at 23h20 and I am sure that there is no need to remind all excited parents & family members that we are scheduled to arrive at OR Tambo tomorrow, Sunday 5 May at 09h55. To act ‘in loco parentis’ is no mean task and I would sincerely like to thank Beatrice Toniolo, Sipho Zulu and Lise Gordon for their dedication to the task at hand as chaperones. Merci beaucoup mes amis – I value your professionalism and for always being willing to go the extra mile to ensure that the girls felt happy and safe at all times. Everyone has had a wonderful experience and having managed to pack so much into a relatively short space of time. As parents, you have given your children the most incredible gift 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. The precious memories & firm bonds of friendships will last a lifetime and it remains for me to wish all a happy home-coming - ‘merci beaucoup, bon retour et à la prochaine…!