Year 8 Paris Trip Un énorme succès
This year's trip to Paris saw 44 Year 8 students embark on a journey to the continent, each eagerly looking forward to exploring all the French capital offers.
With a brief stop at a service station en route (where many students sampled a French "MacDo" for the first time), we arrived at PGL centre Château de Grande Romaine in the early evening, enjoyed a hearty dinner, and got settled into our surroundings.
Saturday was spent in the heart of a chilly, peaceful Paris. First up was the Eiffel Tower, looking resplendent in an early morning fog. After negotiating security, we were greeted by hundreds of steps up to the first and second floors. At the top, any breath that we had got back was immediately taken again by the 360-degree view of the city, taking in landmarks such as l'Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and Sacré-Cœur. After a bit of souvenir shopping and a quick bite, we boarded our boat and floated down the Seine, once again admiring the sights of Paris. In the remaining time, we jumped back on the coach and headed to the Place du Trocadéro for the classic 'finger on Eiffel Tower' photo opportunity before heading over to the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde for one last walk. Quelle journée!
Sunday saw the students negotiate the market town of Brie-Comte-Robert before stepping back in time at the Château de Fontainebleau, one of Napoleon's most prized residences. Students had the opportunity to explore the Château in its original glory, each room filled with ornaments and possessions that were quite literally priceless.
At our final evening meal, many took the chance to try snails, with reactions varying from pleasantly surprised to... less than impressed. The evening disco was a chance for many of the students to show off their dance moves, whilst others enjoyed a more relaxed time in the games room.
On Monday we had one last excursion to a hypermarket on the journey back home, with the opportunity to see the range of French (and English!) products on offer and spend some pocket money.
We arrived back in Sittingbourne after a brilliant 4 days full of excitement and adventure (and walking), with many excellent memories being made along the way.
