Didn't quite get around to uploading those photos. You'll have to wait until our slide night. Early morning tomorrow to get to the airport. I can't speak for everyone but I'm sad to leave but looking forward to getting home to the family.
Au revoir la France. A la prochaine!
Students are encouraged to send their comments and/or photos to Mr Casey (dcasey@tps.vic.edu.au)
07 July 2012
05 July 2012
And the winner is...
What a day!
As expected, the teams were very keen and determined to bring home the P2P Metro Challenge Trophy. (One suggestion was the Cornichon Cup. Keep them coming...) The weather was fine, a lot milder than yesterday with a gentle breeze - perfect for a day of exploring Paris. It was still, however, quite warm and sticky underground in the Metro.
Each team tackled the cryptic clues to find the various destinations in slightly different ways; all were tackled with enthusiasm. It was sometimes frustrating for the accompanying teachers as they were not allowed to give any assistance unless a team decided to "buy" a clue (which cost them points off their total.) You all know the story of the tortoise and the hare... I'm sure that your sons and daughters will describe the experience to you in greater detail when you see each other again.
To cut a long story short, the day was a huge success. The students were very proud of themselves; proficiently navigating the Metro and RER systems, walking around Paris, asking questions of French people and using teamwork to solve problems. The Challenge concluded at Le Cimetière du Père Lachaise. Everyone (except for Team Ongenaert who were an hour late) then had time to visit their favourite dead people in the wonderfully old and famous cemetery - Chopin, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde to name a few.
The winning team was announced upon our return to Vernouillet-Verneuil station. The jury found it quite difficult to choose the winner as there were two teams tied on the maximum 78 points. After countback they were still tied. So I - err, I mean - the jury had to make a decision based on the teams' performance of Men at Work's "Down Under" on the steps of the Bastille Opera. Congratulations to Team Curtis! Second place went to Team Hewitson, third to Team Casey (oh la vache!) and poor old Team Ongenaert came fourth (more politically correct than saying "last.")
We say "bonne continuation et bon voyage" to Madame Ongenaert, Amy Kierce, Elyse Anderson, Nick Bender, Victoria Roadnight and Emma Weight as they continue their stay in Europe with their families.
The next two days will be full of social events, cultural visits and time spent with correspondants and families. We are meeting at Notre Dame at 6:30am to get the coach to the airport on Sunday morning. Oh la la!
I'll pop some more photos on in the next few hours.
As expected, the teams were very keen and determined to bring home the P2P Metro Challenge Trophy. (One suggestion was the Cornichon Cup. Keep them coming...) The weather was fine, a lot milder than yesterday with a gentle breeze - perfect for a day of exploring Paris. It was still, however, quite warm and sticky underground in the Metro.
Each team tackled the cryptic clues to find the various destinations in slightly different ways; all were tackled with enthusiasm. It was sometimes frustrating for the accompanying teachers as they were not allowed to give any assistance unless a team decided to "buy" a clue (which cost them points off their total.) You all know the story of the tortoise and the hare... I'm sure that your sons and daughters will describe the experience to you in greater detail when you see each other again.
To cut a long story short, the day was a huge success. The students were very proud of themselves; proficiently navigating the Metro and RER systems, walking around Paris, asking questions of French people and using teamwork to solve problems. The Challenge concluded at Le Cimetière du Père Lachaise. Everyone (except for Team Ongenaert who were an hour late) then had time to visit their favourite dead people in the wonderfully old and famous cemetery - Chopin, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde to name a few.
The winning team was announced upon our return to Vernouillet-Verneuil station. The jury found it quite difficult to choose the winner as there were two teams tied on the maximum 78 points. After countback they were still tied. So I - err, I mean - the jury had to make a decision based on the teams' performance of Men at Work's "Down Under" on the steps of the Bastille Opera. Congratulations to Team Curtis! Second place went to Team Hewitson, third to Team Casey (oh la vache!) and poor old Team Ongenaert came fourth (more politically correct than saying "last.")
We say "bonne continuation et bon voyage" to Madame Ongenaert, Amy Kierce, Elyse Anderson, Nick Bender, Victoria Roadnight and Emma Weight as they continue their stay in Europe with their families.
The next two days will be full of social events, cultural visits and time spent with correspondants and families. We are meeting at Notre Dame at 6:30am to get the coach to the airport on Sunday morning. Oh la la!
I'll pop some more photos on in the next few hours.
04 July 2012
Ouf! On est fatigué!
We've just got home from our second-last day in Paris together. Everyone is quite tired. It's been warm and quite humid these last few days, and I think that all our socialising, exploring and - to say the least - walking has finally got to us.
The boys and girls had lots of interesting stories to tell of their long weekend with their families and friends. The early start on Tuesday did not seem to deter them from spending lots of energy chatting and laughing on the bus as thery caught up with each others' adventures. After an hour or so, however, many of them started to nod off as their bodies tried to catch up on lost sleep.
Our visit to the Loire Valley was wonderful. We had lots of time to explore the two amazing chateaux and gardens of Chambord and Chenonceau. We got back to Verneuil at about 8 o'clock that night.
Today was spent at the Louvre (so much to see, such little time!), the Quartier Latin and Notre Dame de Paris. Everyone was exhausted but very happy. They are getting quite expert at navigating the Metro system, keeping to the right on escalators and on footpaths, crossing the road and sticking together - most of the time... I must say again that your children are a real pleasure to be with. We have had no real incidents to speak of, and the little things that have popped up have been resolved with humour and good grace.
Everyone is very excited about tomorrow - our last day together in Paris. It's the day of the Metro Challenge. The teams have already started to play their psychological games with each other, and some cheeky students have tried to prise information out of the teachers. Unfortunately, no attractive bribes have been offered to date. Who will win the coveted P2P Metro Trophy? (I haven't thought of a better name yet. Any suggestions?)
You will notice that the photos of our time in Bordeaux are not there. I had to delete them to make more room for the new ones as I had run out of online storage.
A bientôt !
The boys and girls had lots of interesting stories to tell of their long weekend with their families and friends. The early start on Tuesday did not seem to deter them from spending lots of energy chatting and laughing on the bus as thery caught up with each others' adventures. After an hour or so, however, many of them started to nod off as their bodies tried to catch up on lost sleep.
Our visit to the Loire Valley was wonderful. We had lots of time to explore the two amazing chateaux and gardens of Chambord and Chenonceau. We got back to Verneuil at about 8 o'clock that night.
Today was spent at the Louvre (so much to see, such little time!), the Quartier Latin and Notre Dame de Paris. Everyone was exhausted but very happy. They are getting quite expert at navigating the Metro system, keeping to the right on escalators and on footpaths, crossing the road and sticking together - most of the time... I must say again that your children are a real pleasure to be with. We have had no real incidents to speak of, and the little things that have popped up have been resolved with humour and good grace.
Everyone is very excited about tomorrow - our last day together in Paris. It's the day of the Metro Challenge. The teams have already started to play their psychological games with each other, and some cheeky students have tried to prise information out of the teachers. Unfortunately, no attractive bribes have been offered to date. Who will win the coveted P2P Metro Trophy? (I haven't thought of a better name yet. Any suggestions?)
You will notice that the photos of our time in Bordeaux are not there. I had to delete them to make more room for the new ones as I had run out of online storage.
A bientôt !
28 June 2012
Reception and Montmartre
The official reception at La Mairie on Wednesday night went very well. Rebecca and Brayden spoke beautifully and were commended by a number of French parents and teachers. The dinner back at Notre Dame was, as expected, fantastique! The photos speak for themselves. Thanks to Chelsea for these ones.
Our day at Montmartre started with a visit of Sacre Coeur. It is certainly a most impressive sight, and (most of) our boys and girls enjoyed having a look inside. They are a bit strict on the dress requirements. Poor Lauren Pinney was not allowed to enter as her shorts were considered too short and inappropriate! I thought they were fine (I don't know how Chelsea got in...) Anyway, it was a good thing that Lauren had already visited Sacre Coeur with her family a couple of years ago. She and I spent some time exploring until the others came out. I hope that our students remember this when we visit Notre Dame de Paris next week!
From Sacre Coeur, we went to La Place du Tertre (look it up.) We had a team meeting and agreed to spend the next three hours exploring Montmartre, having lunch and shopping. The students had been asking if there would be more time for shopping so they were very happy. From our meeting point at the Carousel du Sacre Coeur, we strolled down the Boulevard de Clichy to the Moulin Rouge. Photo opportunities abounded.
It got to 33 degrees today and was very humid but we survived! It was certainly better than rain.
Mr and Mrs Johnston spent the day with us again and had a lovely time. Mr Johnston spoke with the students before we went home and complimented them on their demeanour and enthusiasm. He was very proud of them.
We now look forward to a four-day weekend with our families. Oh la la! I have heard that there are lots of exciting things planned...
On Tuesday morning, we have an early start for our trip to the Loire Valley - 6:45am!
A mardi!
Our day at Montmartre started with a visit of Sacre Coeur. It is certainly a most impressive sight, and (most of) our boys and girls enjoyed having a look inside. They are a bit strict on the dress requirements. Poor Lauren Pinney was not allowed to enter as her shorts were considered too short and inappropriate! I thought they were fine (I don't know how Chelsea got in...) Anyway, it was a good thing that Lauren had already visited Sacre Coeur with her family a couple of years ago. She and I spent some time exploring until the others came out. I hope that our students remember this when we visit Notre Dame de Paris next week!
From Sacre Coeur, we went to La Place du Tertre (look it up.) We had a team meeting and agreed to spend the next three hours exploring Montmartre, having lunch and shopping. The students had been asking if there would be more time for shopping so they were very happy. From our meeting point at the Carousel du Sacre Coeur, we strolled down the Boulevard de Clichy to the Moulin Rouge. Photo opportunities abounded.
It got to 33 degrees today and was very humid but we survived! It was certainly better than rain.
Mr and Mrs Johnston spent the day with us again and had a lovely time. Mr Johnston spoke with the students before we went home and complimented them on their demeanour and enthusiasm. He was very proud of them.
We now look forward to a four-day weekend with our families. Oh la la! I have heard that there are lots of exciting things planned...
On Tuesday morning, we have an early start for our trip to the Loire Valley - 6:45am!
A mardi!
26 June 2012
Trop bien!!
We had a wonderful day today. It started out grey and drizzly - the coats and brollies were out. There were three or four cornichons who were wearing the obligatory shorts and t-shirt. I won't name them; you'll recognise them in the photos. In the end, they weren't too inappropriately dressed (just a little premature) as the rain dried up and the day turned warm and a little sticky.
We met Mr & Mrs Johnston at Trocadero. The teachers had a coffee while the students admired the magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower from our vantage point at the Palais de Chaillot. The clouds were low and the top of the tower was obscured. From there we walked down to the tower and then the length of the Champs de Mars to the Ecole Militaire. A short metro ride and we were at the Hotel des Invalides. Magnifique! Instead of taking the metro we walked along the Seine from the Alexandre III bridge and then to the Musee d'Orsay. Maddie McDonald had a brush with a pickpocket and lived to tell the tale - one alert, strong little girl, one disappointed pickpocket. Our time at Orsay was fantastic... if only we had the whole day to explore it!
A lot of walking today; we'll enjoy our sleep-in tomorrow.
We met Mr & Mrs Johnston at Trocadero. The teachers had a coffee while the students admired the magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower from our vantage point at the Palais de Chaillot. The clouds were low and the top of the tower was obscured. From there we walked down to the tower and then the length of the Champs de Mars to the Ecole Militaire. A short metro ride and we were at the Hotel des Invalides. Magnifique! Instead of taking the metro we walked along the Seine from the Alexandre III bridge and then to the Musee d'Orsay. Maddie McDonald had a brush with a pickpocket and lived to tell the tale - one alert, strong little girl, one disappointed pickpocket. Our time at Orsay was fantastic... if only we had the whole day to explore it!
A lot of walking today; we'll enjoy our sleep-in tomorrow.
25 June 2012
A Villers Bretonneux
Today started out with a very brisk morning but at least the rain had dried up. As we drove further north, the weather became fine and sunny and soon we were complaining about being too warm! Yours truly did not practise what he has been preaching and neglected to apply sunscreen and a hat; outcome - un coup de soleil.
Our visit to Villers Bretonneux and surrounding areas was most impressive. We visited the Franco-Australian Museum (Lauren Gibbs found a relative on one of the displays! see photo), the Ecole Victoria, the Australian Memorial, Adelaide Cemetery and Crucifix Corner. Our students were very interested and often moved by the displays at the museum and the visits to the cemeteries. They demonstrated maturity and empathy, and are to be congratulated on their comportement (I'm forgetting my English vocabulary.)
Unfortunately, there was a disappointing mix-up with our coach's itinerary plans, and we were unable to visit Fromelles. Consequently, Victoria and Joshua missed out on visiting their relatives at the neighbouring cemeteries.
Tomorrow, we will be meeting Mr Johnston in Paris. He will accompany us as we visit the Trocadero, Champ de Mars, Ecole Militaire, Invalides and the Musee d'Orsay.
We will have a tour of Notre Dame Les Oiseaux on Wednesday afternoon, followed by the Reception and Dinner.
Our visit to Villers Bretonneux and surrounding areas was most impressive. We visited the Franco-Australian Museum (Lauren Gibbs found a relative on one of the displays! see photo), the Ecole Victoria, the Australian Memorial, Adelaide Cemetery and Crucifix Corner. Our students were very interested and often moved by the displays at the museum and the visits to the cemeteries. They demonstrated maturity and empathy, and are to be congratulated on their comportement (I'm forgetting my English vocabulary.)
Unfortunately, there was a disappointing mix-up with our coach's itinerary plans, and we were unable to visit Fromelles. Consequently, Victoria and Joshua missed out on visiting their relatives at the neighbouring cemeteries.
Tomorrow, we will be meeting Mr Johnston in Paris. He will accompany us as we visit the Trocadero, Champ de Mars, Ecole Militaire, Invalides and the Musee d'Orsay.
We will have a tour of Notre Dame Les Oiseaux on Wednesday afternoon, followed by the Reception and Dinner.
24 June 2012
We're on the bus tomorrow.
Tomorrow, we're heading up to Villers Bretonneux, Fromelles and surrounding areas. Looking forward to finding relatives of Victoria and Josh who are buried there.
As I write this, the rain has come back! It's a bit of a miserable Sunday morning weatherwise but I'm sure our kids are busy doing something interesting with their families. The weather up to this point has been great - when I say "great" I mean by this Paris summer's unseasonably cool stantards. Until today we had only had one morning of rain (at Arcachon.) We're not going to grumble about the weather though, we're going to have a wonderful time regardless.
I'm grabbing a brolly now and popping out to wander about the Verneuil market...
(Please email me if you are having trouble with the photos.)
As I write this, the rain has come back! It's a bit of a miserable Sunday morning weatherwise but I'm sure our kids are busy doing something interesting with their families. The weather up to this point has been great - when I say "great" I mean by this Paris summer's unseasonably cool stantards. Until today we had only had one morning of rain (at Arcachon.) We're not going to grumble about the weather though, we're going to have a wonderful time regardless.
I'm grabbing a brolly now and popping out to wander about the Verneuil market...
(Please email me if you are having trouble with the photos.)
23 June 2012
Hourra!!
I've managed to create a primitive slideshow on the blog! You will have to scroll to the bottom of the page to find it. The ones you will see are a selection of the reception at TPS in February. I'll put on more photos of our trip in a few hours...
22 June 2012
A Paris
We've been so busy with our families (arriving in the rain yesterday) and touring Paris today (a bit fresh in the morning but lovely and sunny as the day progressed) that we haven't had a great deal of time to sit down, upload photos and write messages on the blog! Suffice to say that all is going well and that our children are looking forward to a full weekend.
One of the highlights of any trip to Paris is watching the kids' faces when they emerge from Charles de Gaule Etoile station and see the Arc de Triomphe for the first time. From that moment, they enthusiastically tackled the length of the Champs Elysees, eating and shopping their way to La Place de la Concorde before heading to La Madeleine. From there, we took the Metro back to La Gare St Lazare and then the train to Vernouillet-Verneuil. A short walk to Notre Dame and our families were waiting to pick us up. Bon weekend!
One of the highlights of any trip to Paris is watching the kids' faces when they emerge from Charles de Gaule Etoile station and see the Arc de Triomphe for the first time. From that moment, they enthusiastically tackled the length of the Champs Elysees, eating and shopping their way to La Place de la Concorde before heading to La Madeleine. From there, we took the Metro back to La Gare St Lazare and then the train to Vernouillet-Verneuil. A short walk to Notre Dame and our families were waiting to pick us up. Bon weekend!
20 June 2012
La Dordogne
An action-packed day in the beautiful Dordogne region. A longer bus trip today, starting with a visit to an amazing cave called Proumeysac. We descended into the cool reaches of a truly impressive limestone cave replete with stalagmites and tites, weird formations, trickling water and clear blue pools. The guided tour and sound and light shows were great.
In the afternoon, we spent nearly 3 hours canoeing down a 14 kilometre section of the Dordogne River. We paddled past sheer smooth rock walls, tesselated and strata walls, wild stands of forest and beautiful old villages and chateaux, many of which were built into or partially carved from the rock. Incroyable! I should also mention that the teachers' canoe - captained by Monsieur Hewitson and adeptly co-piloted by Monsieur Casey - crossed the finish line first. Oh, forgot to mention that Madame Curtis was a most valuable passenger, assisting with balast and photography and occasionally dipping a paddle in the water.
The weather was fantastic today. We had some mild cases of sunburn as a result of our time on the water under a blue sky and hot sun. The temperature reached 34!
We're mostly packed now and looking forward to catching the TGV up to Paris and our families in the morning. We've had a great time here in Bordeaux and surrounding regions but it's time we caught up with our correspondants. Au revoir Bordeaux! Bonjour Paris!
In the afternoon, we spent nearly 3 hours canoeing down a 14 kilometre section of the Dordogne River. We paddled past sheer smooth rock walls, tesselated and strata walls, wild stands of forest and beautiful old villages and chateaux, many of which were built into or partially carved from the rock. Incroyable! I should also mention that the teachers' canoe - captained by Monsieur Hewitson and adeptly co-piloted by Monsieur Casey - crossed the finish line first. Oh, forgot to mention that Madame Curtis was a most valuable passenger, assisting with balast and photography and occasionally dipping a paddle in the water.
The weather was fantastic today. We had some mild cases of sunburn as a result of our time on the water under a blue sky and hot sun. The temperature reached 34!
We're mostly packed now and looking forward to catching the TGV up to Paris and our families in the morning. We've had a great time here in Bordeaux and surrounding regions but it's time we caught up with our correspondants. Au revoir Bordeaux! Bonjour Paris!
19 June 2012
technical issues
Still having trouble with the slideshow. I'm going to have to ask our techexpert Daniel Reaper tomorrow.
Arcachon and La Dune du Pyla
Lots of rain this morning. We modified our program a little and decided to go to the lovely seaside town of Arcachon in the morning. We did some exploring, sampled the offerings at the market and shops, and bought some baguettes for lunch. By the time we got off the bus at the Dune du Pyla, the sun was peeping through the clouds and the humidity was rising rapidly. The boys and girls had a wonderful time. What an amazing place! (I hope that you have done your reading of the blue booklet and/or done some research as you follow our itinerary.) We were home in time to go back to la Rue Sainte Catherine for more exploring and shopping - and not necessarily in that order for some! (I promised Mrs Curtis I wouldn't mention her name...)
Tomorrow, we're off to the Dordogne area. A full day is planned with caving and canoeing. Everyone is looking forward to it!
Only another 88 photos to sift through. I'm having a bit of trouble embedding some code in our site, which would enable you to see a slideshow of our pictures. At the moment, I'm only succeeding in uploading tiny individual ones (which you've probably already discovered.)
Tomorrow, we're off to the Dordogne area. A full day is planned with caving and canoeing. Everyone is looking forward to it!
Only another 88 photos to sift through. I'm having a bit of trouble embedding some code in our site, which would enable you to see a slideshow of our pictures. At the moment, I'm only succeeding in uploading tiny individual ones (which you've probably already discovered.)
18 June 2012
A Bordeaux!
Bonjour tout le monde. We've just had a very full day! After a wonderful night's sleep (horizontal, on a mattress and with a pillow) we had a leisurely buffet breakfast before going on a guided walking tour of central Bordeaux. We hadn't got far before we discovered an Orange mobile phone shop. A quick visit became nearly one and a half hours on our kids' quest for what is now clearly and undeniably an essential item. The tour continued (albeit abbreviated) and we saw some really interesting things - like a nearly 400 year old wisteria - before boarding the coach for our trip to St Emilion. Highlights included a subterranian tour of the old medievel town and guided tour of Haut Veyrac winery. The winery visit concluded with a tasting - well, an appreciation for the students which included looking and smelling. One teacher forgot to spit his wine out and actually swallowed it! Sacre bleu! Other highlights included Daniel Reaper's 3 blood noses, Chelsea walking into a pole, Luis and Nick singing One Direction songs on the bus, buying fresh baguettes and macarons, and Elyse saying "French supermarkets are weird!" and learning that Daniel Isaac can, in fact, talk underwater with a mouthful of marbles.
The flyiing, walking, waiting and training really took it out of many of us and to say we were tired is an understatement. Another good night's sleep tonight (we've just strolled past their rooms and all is quiet) should mean we're 100% ready for the next couple of days of action.
Your sons and daughters are all well and very enthusiastic. I'll try to upload some of our 150 photos.
The flyiing, walking, waiting and training really took it out of many of us and to say we were tired is an understatement. Another good night's sleep tonight (we've just strolled past their rooms and all is quiet) should mean we're 100% ready for the next couple of days of action.
Your sons and daughters are all well and very enthusiastic. I'll try to upload some of our 150 photos.
11 June 2012
Bienvenue sur notre blog!
Welcome Mums & Dads, students and friends of the Notre Dame Exchange 2012 France touring party.
Check this page for updates and information as well as photos of our intrepid travellers.
The use of this blog is limited. Only approved posts and photos will appear on this page. Each of our 27 TPS students is encouraged to send comments and/or photos to Mr Casey dcasey@tps.vic.edu.au who will edit (maybe!) and endeavour to post them as soon as he can.
Check this page for updates and information as well as photos of our intrepid travellers.
The use of this blog is limited. Only approved posts and photos will appear on this page. Each of our 27 TPS students is encouraged to send comments and/or photos to Mr Casey dcasey@tps.vic.edu.au who will edit (maybe!) and endeavour to post them as soon as he can.
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