GCSE French trip to Paris
On Friday 13th February, 41 students and 5 members of staff met at school in the early hours of the morning to embark on the journey to Paris. Despite the lack of sleep, all were excited to experience the sights and culture of France’s capital city as part of their GCSE French course.
A coach and ferry journey later, we arrived at our PGL centre – Château de Grande Romaine- and we were welcomed by the PGL staff. Once settled into our rooms, we had dinner and then took part in a French quiz, where students were tested on their cultural knowledge, in French!
The next day, we enjoyed some freshly made croissants et pain au chocolat for breakfast and headed off for our day at Euro Disney. An unforgettable day for all!
The next day, we headed into the centre of Paris. First stop, La Tour Eiffel. To our surprise, it began to snow! Despite the cold, this only added to the magic of the symbolic French landmark. We had an opportunity to get a photo of the group before heading up the 1,665 steps.
After some fresh baguettes for lunch, we headed towards the River Seine for a river cruise to see some more famous Parisian landmarks such as the Notre Dame, Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre.
Next stop, the Sacré Coeur de Montmartre. This iconic Basilica overlooks the entire city of Paris and its suburbs. We then ventured into the district of Montmartre, and explored the winding, cobbled streets of Paris’ famous art district where students used their French to buy souvenirs and crêpes.
Back at the Château that evening, students were given the opportunity to try some French cuisine (escargots!) and had the chance to practise both their language and culinary skills with a crêpe making workshop, in French! Delicieux!
What an incredible trip, with students who were a credit to the school. They were able to use their language skills with real French people, pushed themselves out of their comfort zone in many ways and made memories which they will treasure for a lifetime!