French Trip 2008

Monday & Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday

Monday & Tuesday

Everything got off to a great start on Monday night. We all arrived on time and the coach even left a few minutes early! Our long journey began and high spirits reigned. After a couple of stops at service stations (and virtually no sleep!) we arrived at Portsmouth to catch the ferry, the ‘Mont St Michel’, nice and early so we tried to catch 40 winks on the coach while we waited to board.

So far so good, once we had been showed our private lounge and the children had received a safety talk we were allowed to explore the ship. The games room proved to be popular and so did the various shops and cafes. The highlight for the staff was winning the onboard quiz (with other Lindisfarne teams coming a close second and fourth)! Still running ahead of schedule we arrived in France on Tuesday afternoon and headed straight for the Château Du Molay where we will be staying for the rest of the week.

With our two great drivers at the helm we got to the château in good time and settled in. We were welcomed by the staff and shown to our rooms after a short time to argue about who got each bed we assembled to be officially welcomed and told the château rules after which we had some free time followed by a lovely meal. In the evening the children enjoyed a château trial quiz where they got to explore and learn about where they were staying. An early night followed as we were all tired from the long day of travelling and we all needed lots of energy for the day ahead.

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Wednesday

An overcast sky greeted us on our first morning at the château but that didn’t dampen any spirits as we tucked into breakfast. Once fuelled up we prepared our day bags and set off into France.

Arromanches was our first stop where we watched a 360 degree film of the D-Day landings. ‘The Price of Freedom’ comprised of actual images and film footage shot at the time and modern clips of area as it is today. The film didn’t have commentary it just used the powerful images and sound to give us some idea of what the landings were like. A chance to spend some money in the gift shop and walk through the town followed and with the weather improving we got a chance to explore one of the D-Day landing beaches for a short while before continuing on to Bayeux.

Celebrated as the first town to be liberated by the Allies after the D-Day landings Bayeux is also home of The famous 70 metre long Queen Mathilda’s (Bayeux) Tapestry. Not only did we see the tapestry up close with an excellent commentary but we also watched a film on the history of the tapestry and walked around a small museum of relics and models. By this time the sun was out in full force and it was time to sample ice-cream and shop on the streets of Bayeux itself (the triple chocolate ice-cream is highly recommended!)

For the shopaholics among us the last stop of the day was a real treat. The Carrefour shopping centre is a large French hypermarket where we all got a chance to practice our French and stock up on souvenirs (and wine!)

Back at the château we sat down to another sumptuous meal and then we rounded off the evening with a bit of karaoke and a display of ‘Fire Poi’ by one of the staff (spinning flaming balls!)

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Thursday

An early start today. Breakfast at 7.30 and then ready to hit the road on another sunny day. Today we started with a visit to a German war cemetery ‘Mont-de-Huisnes’. We all took an interest in the 11,956  war dead that are buried there. A number of interesting conversations were sparked by the children as we walked around the secluded peaceful site and we spent time talking about various aspects of the second world war.

Our main activity for the day was a visit to, and exploration of, the incredible fortress/abbey of Mont St Michel. Situated on an island Mont St Michel dates back to 708AD and some of our eagle eyed pupils even noted that appeared in the Bayeux Tapestry we visited on Wednesday. We all took a tour of the abbey and it’s history and we even witnessed the abbey in use by some of the many pilgrims that visit the holy site. Once the tour had concluded we were free to explore the medieval town that grew up at the base of the fortified abbey and sample some of the local delicacies. Sadly the heavens opened for the first time and we had to hide from the showers but it soon cleared up and we got right back to it.

In the evening we did the ‘Egg Protection Challenge’ where teams had limited materials to protect an during different challenges. More materials could be won by telling jokes (the funnier the joke the more materials earned!) As well as this, each team had to come up with a team name, song and a dance! By the end of the activity all eggs were fully destroyed much to our amusement and the help of a baseball bat! Another long day tomorrow so an early night and a good sleep.

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Friday

An even earlier start today! 5.30am! It’s all worth it because we’re off to ‘Ooh la la Paris' for the day.

A long bus journey later and we got our first fleeting glimpse of the Eiffel Tower as we made our way in to the centre of the city. We started by taking the coach around a couple of the major sights, the Arc de Triomphe down the Champs Elysees then across the river for a closer look at the Eiffel Tower. The first stop we made was near the famous tower for quick photo opportunity and to take in the stunning view. Soon we were back on the coach again and off to the Pont de I’Alma where we boarded a boat for a guided tour along the Seine. We took in the sights, used our cameras to good effect and we also had a chance to work on our tans!
By now it was time for a spot of lunch and where better to have our picnic than in the sunny parks at the base of the Eiffel Tower?

Now, due to our driving crew getting us everywhere in double quick time, we were able to squeeze in a little extra stop. Once lunch had been dealt with we whizzed across the city for a look around Notre Dame before getting back to our schedule and heading for Montmartre.

In blazing sunshine we arrived at the base of Montmatre. We made our way up thousands of steps (it felt like that many anyway!) to the top where we were presented with some fabulous panoramic views of Paris. After much camera clicking we split into groups to explore the local area and set off. From their vantage point of a little street café the staff watched as the children bought souvenirs, a great many hats (we now have a most impressive collection of hats between us!), ice-cream and a few even had sketches made by street artists.
As evening drew in we said goodbye to Paris and headed back to the château for another well deserved rest. At least tomorrow we don’t have to be up so early (whooo!)

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Saturday

On our last full day in France we had two main items on our agenda so, after another fine breakfast, we set off in the sun to Honfleur.

Honfleur is a historical town that is famous for it’s extensive market every Saturday. We arrived early, just as the thermometer hit a balmy 20 oC, and dived straight in to the market. The stalls catered for every taste fashion, jewellery, hats (how many hats can one group buy!?), games, food, sweets, sportswear, gizmos and gadgets, trinkets and many more. We had a very leisurely time browsing the stalls and investigating the side streets all the while topping up our tans. Eventually it was time to move on and we gathered back at the coach happily showing off our purchases and eagerly awaiting the next step on our journey.

The War Memorial Museum at Caen was our second stop of the day. The museum details the major conflicts and history of the world from World War Two to beyond the Cold War but mainly concentrates on the build up, battles, conclusion and aftermath of WWII on all sides. Starting with a film of the D-Day landings we followed an interactive tour through history showing some of the tragedies, horrors and triumphs of the times. Everyone got something out of the visit; many interesting discussions were started.

Back at the château there was no time to rest as tonight was disco night! Get your glad rags on it’s time to party! A good night was had by all and we’re looking forward to a well deserved mini lie in tomorrow before we start our long trip home.

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Sunday

Mixed feelings this morning as we packed and prepared to leave our château for the final time. We’ve all had a fabulous week and it’s sad that we have to go, but at the same time we are looking forward to getting back home to family and loved ones. After one final room check (which uncovered: 3 odd socks, 1 bottle of shampoo, half a bag of sweets and something that at one point may have been a sandwich!) we waved goodbye to the staff and settled in for the long trip home.

Not wanting to waste a moment of what little time remained in France we set off to squeeze in three mini visits into the day before having to catch our ferry ride home. First stop was Sainte-Mere-Eglise a small town with a lot of history. This town is famous as the first to be liberated by American paratroopers after D-Day. We luckily met a man who does guided tours of the area and he agreed to recount some amazing stories about the liberation of the town. A quick look around the shops and church followed and then it was back on the coach and on the move again.

The next two stops were war cemeteries. First was the German Cemetery at La Cambe and then the American cemetery at St. Laurent-sur-Mer. La Cambe is a five acre site where 21,139 German soldiers have been laid to rest. We took a short walk through the graveyard which raised more questions about the war which we discussed as we made are way to St. Laurent-sur-Mer. Although only 9,000 men are buried at St. Laurent-sur-Mer, the site is more than 30 times the size of the German Cemetery. Again we walked through the cemetery and as we walked we compared the two sites talking about the similarities and many differences.

This last week has been packed with trips, activities, history, culture, sights, sounds and many adventures but now it’s time to leave. We arrived at the ferry terminal on time and settled into our lounge and before long we were on our way to England.

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