Diary of Year 7 Trip to Paris & Normandy
Posted on 27. May, 2010 by Mr Holding in Français, Year 7
All of the boys on the trip to Paris and Normandy wrote an account of their trip in the form of a diary. There were many fantastic entries. Read on for the winning diary by Luca C.
Day 1: Our journey started at around 00:30 when we left the playground and boarded the bus. After a couple of hours driving we stopped at a service station where we all went to the toilet and most of us also bought even more sweets and fizzy drinks. We were soon back on the motorway heading south towards Dover and on this part of the journey most of us fell asleep. We arrived at Dover at 05:00 and we had to wait for around half an hour to board.
Once we were on the ferry, we headed up to the on board restaurants for breakfast. We arrived at Calais at 09:00 and continued our journey towards Paris. As we entered the city I was immediately struck by the amazing architecture. We eventually reached the hotel, FIAP Jean Monnet, and were told where our rooms were so that we could drop off our suitcases before setting off to the metro which would take us to the Eiffel tower. When I first saw the Eiffel tower I was startled by its sheer size. We had to wait to get our tickets and then we started the huge climb towards the summit.
The views got better with every step we took and when I eventually reached the second level I was astonished by the view, since it seemed that the whole of Paris was at my feet. Sadly, we couldn’t go up any further and had to return to the hotel where we had an excellent dinner on our first night on French soil! After a couple of hours of free time, we all went to bed, which was what we chiefly needed.
Day 2: We woke up for breakfast at 08:00. Having refuelled for the day on croissants and cereals, we took the metro to the world famous Musée d’Orsay, which once was a train station before being turned into an art museum housing many of the works of the great Impressionists. We were fortunate enough to be taken on a guided tour and the guide showed us how the different styles of paintings changed over the ages.
The highlight was the collection of Impressionist paintings, which had bright, beautiful colours, unlike the paintings we had previously seen. My own personal favourite was the Poppy Field by Claude Monet. Later in the afternoon, once we had left the art exhibition, we had our lunch in the gardens next to the Louvre, before walking to the Obelisk from which we could see all the way down the Champs-Élysées, with the Arc de Triomphe just about visible at the far end.
We took the metro back to the hotel and relaxed before dinner. But this wonderful day was not over yet! In the evening we took a trip down the Seine on a Bateau Mouche (I had always thought that flies did not like water!!). The views from the boat were breathtaking and it was wonderful to see sights such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame lit up in all of their glory.
Day 3: We woke up at 8:30 for our croissants and coffee before driving off to Notre Dame, which was extremely busy, as it was Palm Sunday. We had time to walk around the outstanding Cathedral and I was amazed by the stunning gargoyles and how symmetrical the Cathedral was. A short drive took us to Montmartre, where we saw another beautiful church, the Sacré Cœur. We made the most of our free time to have our lunch and to buy souvenirs.
In the afternoon we travelled to the Stade de France, which is the home of French rugby and football. The first stop on our guided tour was the medical centre and we were then given the opportunity to visit the mammoth changing rooms, which also had a hot tub and a massage area. I have to confess that I made use of the bathroom facilities whilst we were there – what a claim to fame! After that we walked down the tunnel which was an amazing experience.
We were able to sit in the stand beneath the giant T.V. screen and I imagined what it would be like to see some of my football and rugby heroes parading their skills from such a great vantage point. We also learned that the TV screen is 200 square metres. I wouldn’t mind having that on my bedroom wall!
Day 4: I was extremely tired when I woke up at 07:30. After breakfast we returned to our dorms to collect our already packed suitcases and went down to the hotel lobby where we waited for the bus. As the bus made its way through Paris’ business district, we saw the huge Arche de la Défense. Our next stop was Versailles Palace which had previously been home to many Kings of France. We wandered up to the breathtaking Palace and then we all had our lunch, before going to the café where I had an ice cream. After that we continued our long journey and finally arrived at the hotel in Merville at 17:15. As soon as we were told our rooms we dumped our bags in the dorms and rushed to the beach.
Day 5: I woke up at 7:30 and had a quick shower so that I was refreshed for breakfast. We set off for the Caen Peace Museum and arrived at around 9:30. The first thing we saw at the museum was an exhibition about the events leading up to World War Two, followed by a stunning video on the Battle of Britain.
Shortly after that, we watched a video about the D-Day landings in France, which also had breathtaking footage. After lunch we travelled to Arromanches, which was the site of an artificial port out at sea which was built to support the invasion force. A short drive took us to an American war cemetery which I am sure made us all feel very emotional. On our way back to the hotel we stopped to see some bunkers and gun emplacements which still had the guns in them. We then headed back to the hotel where I had a quick game of rugby on the beach after dinner.
Day 6: I was awake earlier than usual, which left me very tired for the long day ahead. Breakfast was at the normal time of 8:15. Shortly after that we left for Bayeux, where we were going to see the tapestry and the cathedral. First of all we went to the cathedral which had a couple of beautiful stained glass windows, but these were a rarity as most of the decorative windows had been destroyed in World War Two and had been replaced with plain windows.
We then went on a short walk to view the tapestry, which tells the complicated story of William Duke of Normandy’s invasion of England. It is 70 metres long and is full of detail and colour. Our next stop was a hypermarket, where we had free time to eat our lunch and to visit the numerous shops. We then travelled back to the hotel where we had around 4 hours free time! Guess what we played?
Day 7: I woke up just in time for breakfast! I rushed downstairs and just about made it! After that we collected our already packed suitcases and loaded them on to the coach. We arrived at Honfleur at around 11:00 and had an hour of free time to wander around the town and the shops, especially those that sold chocolate! It was then time to leave and continue our journey to Calais.
We arrived at Calais at 16:00 and had to wait for 45 minutes to board the boat. Once we were on the ferry most of us had some food and walked around to pass the time. We arrived at Dover at 17:50 and commenced our non-stop journey back to Nottingham. We eventually arrived back in Nottingham at 01:30. When we got to the school yard we all rushed to see our parents and were pleased to be finally getting back to our own bed for some much needed sleep.
Overall, the trip was outstanding and I enjoyed every second of it! My highlights were going up the Eiffel Tower, the trip on the Seine on a Bateau Mouche, walking around Montmartre and playing touch rugby on the beach in Normandy. I also loved the crêpes – they just don’t taste the same back in Nottingham!
LA FRANCE, C’EST MAGNIFIQUE!!!
