Friday, September 30, 2011
Almost home
Addis Ababa 7.30 local time, just arrived from Paris and found out that our Lilongwe flight is scheduled on time, so you can expect us 4 p.m. this very afternoon. Yesterday Disneyland Paris, air balloon flight included: everybody was having so much fun! Some shoppings at the airport Charles de Gaulle, timely departure. Yes we do have a lot of pictures and no we cannot upload them here, sorry. But the students' stories this afternoon will tell so much more. Hope to see you later today.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Thursday
Extra late breakfast today, we needed some extra sleep. Then we went to Versailles by train: the splendor of the castle! Louis XIV's taste was quite sumptuous, "overwhelming" as one of the students said. We were lead by mobile guides. By the way: the weather was splendid again, blue sky, bright sun, temperatures approaching the 30s. It seems to be the hottest September in a century and it makes up for a totally spoilt summer in this part of Europe. After Versailles we went to the Louvre where Frenglish speaking guides told us more about some of the top paintings and sculptures, just to name a few: the Mona Lisa of course -actually bigger than I had in mind- and the Venus of Milo; loads of interested questions by our students. Dinner in a food court. And last but not least: Aquaboulevard with lots of water fun like artificial waves and very long (some quite scary !) slides. One of the students cried out "This is love at first sight, sir". Now it is after eleven and everybody is ready to go to sleep, preparing for another fantastic but tiring and -o misfortune- our last day in Paris - at Disneyland.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wednesday
It's Thursday already and we are tired, sorry no photos today but tomorrow, we promise.
Wednesday - From Paris to London and back - some comments from the students :
London was a great day. We woke up at five. We were so excited !
We got to the rain station and eventually got on the Eurostar which traveled at about 300 miles an hour ! It took us about two hours to get to London – we were jumping with excitement ! We went by bus to near to the Tate Modern and walked across the “wobbly” bridge. Then we went to the London Eye. From the top of the London Eye the city looked as big as an elephant, except bigger ! It went very slowly, but it was amazing.
After that we headed for lunch (traditional fish and chips) to an old pub called Ye Olde Cock Tavern.
And then we went to a live show called “We Will Rock You”. It was amazing and a fantastic experience!
We got to go shopping for half an hour at St Pancras Station. And then it was time to head back to Paris on the Eurostar.
We were a bunch of exhausted kids, but we were so happy to go to London and have an amazing day !
Guess what we did ? Well, we went to London on the Eurostar !We went to the London Eye and we did some shopping. Everyone should have a chance to experience this.
Today we had to wake up at 4.45 in the morning !
After rushing to the station, we boarded the Eurostar and used the fastest train in Europe to go to London. Once we had arrived and got off, we boarded a bus and a gentleman gave us an interesting tour of a small part of London.
We then went to the Tate Modern, with its very nice displays.
After this we went to the London Eye. The amount we could see was amazing ! Did you know you can see as far as 40 kilometers on a clear day ?
We had a classic fish and chips lunch. Everyone’s opinion “It was divine !”
Then we saw a musical based on the group Queen’s greatest hits. The whole group was excited and sang along !
Then we shopped for a bit and left for Paris again.
Today our whole group went to England. We were up very early this morning although some people did not have visas so they could not go. Some people were late coming downstairs so we had to rush to the Gare du Nord.
When we arrived, we had to go through the process of check-in. When we got on the train we had a picnic breakfast.
When we got to London we had a small tour of the city. We saw things like the Court of Justice and the Tate Modern museum. After the Tate, we went to the London Eye. We then went to a pub called Ye Olde Cock Tavern where we had fish and chips and lemonade. After that we went to a live show about the group Queen. It was amazing ! After that we went shopping at the train station.
Wednesday - From Paris to London and back - some comments from the students :
London was a great day. We woke up at five. We were so excited !
We got to the rain station and eventually got on the Eurostar which traveled at about 300 miles an hour ! It took us about two hours to get to London – we were jumping with excitement ! We went by bus to near to the Tate Modern and walked across the “wobbly” bridge. Then we went to the London Eye. From the top of the London Eye the city looked as big as an elephant, except bigger ! It went very slowly, but it was amazing.
After that we headed for lunch (traditional fish and chips) to an old pub called Ye Olde Cock Tavern.
And then we went to a live show called “We Will Rock You”. It was amazing and a fantastic experience!
We got to go shopping for half an hour at St Pancras Station. And then it was time to head back to Paris on the Eurostar.
We were a bunch of exhausted kids, but we were so happy to go to London and have an amazing day !
Guess what we did ? Well, we went to London on the Eurostar !We went to the London Eye and we did some shopping. Everyone should have a chance to experience this.
Today we had to wake up at 4.45 in the morning !
After rushing to the station, we boarded the Eurostar and used the fastest train in Europe to go to London. Once we had arrived and got off, we boarded a bus and a gentleman gave us an interesting tour of a small part of London.
We then went to the Tate Modern, with its very nice displays.
After this we went to the London Eye. The amount we could see was amazing ! Did you know you can see as far as 40 kilometers on a clear day ?
We had a classic fish and chips lunch. Everyone’s opinion “It was divine !”
Then we saw a musical based on the group Queen’s greatest hits. The whole group was excited and sang along !
Then we shopped for a bit and left for Paris again.
Today our whole group went to England. We were up very early this morning although some people did not have visas so they could not go. Some people were late coming downstairs so we had to rush to the Gare du Nord.
When we arrived, we had to go through the process of check-in. When we got on the train we had a picnic breakfast.
When we got to London we had a small tour of the city. We saw things like the Court of Justice and the Tate Modern museum. After the Tate, we went to the London Eye. We then went to a pub called Ye Olde Cock Tavern where we had fish and chips and lemonade. After that we went to a live show about the group Queen. It was amazing ! After that we went shopping at the train station.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
tuesday
Tuesday – another exciting day of adventures in Paris ! We started off with the awe-inspiring cathedral of Notre Dame with its beautiful famous rose stained-glass windows.
Next a journey underground, way down below the streets, below the metro trains,… down into the bowels of the earth beneath southern Paris … into the catacombs, …where the bones of around 6 million people have been carefully built into intriguingly macabre long winding walls … !
After a treat of crêpes (traditional French pancakes), when the students chose from the French menu and ordered their own crêpe (in French !), we went to the bewilderingly huge shopping mall, Les Halles, where everyone was let loose for a wonderful three hours of shopping till they dropped !
But they weren’t allowed to drop ! After meeting up and checking out everyone’s purchases, off we set, walking through the evening streets of Paris to the Latin quarter for a sumptuous meal of Moroccan couscous !
We are just back and everyone has gone to bed. We have a very early start tomorrow morning – we can’t miss that TGV to London !
I’m sorry but we can’t post photos this evening as the internet is very slow and we need to get to bed ready for our early start … But more photos will be posted tomorrow we hope.
Next a journey underground, way down below the streets, below the metro trains,… down into the bowels of the earth beneath southern Paris … into the catacombs, …where the bones of around 6 million people have been carefully built into intriguingly macabre long winding walls … !
After a treat of crêpes (traditional French pancakes), when the students chose from the French menu and ordered their own crêpe (in French !), we went to the bewilderingly huge shopping mall, Les Halles, where everyone was let loose for a wonderful three hours of shopping till they dropped !
But they weren’t allowed to drop ! After meeting up and checking out everyone’s purchases, off we set, walking through the evening streets of Paris to the Latin quarter for a sumptuous meal of Moroccan couscous !
We are just back and everyone has gone to bed. We have a very early start tomorrow morning – we can’t miss that TGV to London !
I’m sorry but we can’t post photos this evening as the internet is very slow and we need to get to bed ready for our early start … But more photos will be posted tomorrow we hope.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Paris on Monday. Comments from the students :
It was surreal, mind-blowing, extraordinary aaaj-mei-zing !! The Eiffel Tower was probably the highlight of the day, overwhelming by just being sooo humungous ! But not forgetting the Pompidou Centre, where we got to see various artists’ (Picasso, Matisse, Braque and others) pieces of work.
We started off after breakfast, walking to the Père Lachaise cemetery, a quiet place, with very grandiose graves and monuments. We got to see the graves of Jim Morrison (the lead singer of The Doors), Oscar Wilde (a famous poet and playwrite), Frederic Chopin (a famous composer of classical music) and Victor Noir (a famous journalist who was assassinated). Some groups went to see the graves of Pissaro and Seurat, (both impressionist painters which year 7 have been studying).
I like Paris. I liked the tour in Paris. I hope I will enjoy everything in this week.
When we had our picnic this evening, I saw the Eiffel Tower light up at night. It was beautiful !
I had so much fun !
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Dimanche, Paris!
Day 2,
Bonjour sunny Paris! The bags and we arrived safely at 6:30 am. This morning, which seems like weeks ago now! What a full, fun packed day!
After a quick mini tour of some main sights, we left our bags at the hotel and strolled to a local café for a typical French breakfast.
After that we took on the challenge of travelling by the Metro, first stop, the Trocadero, where a “living statue” amused us all.
A short walk past the bottom of the Eiffel tower took us to our boat. We enjoyed a wonderful cruise down the scene in the sunshine.
Back onto the Metro like true Parisians we make our way to the Cité des Sciences where we had a fascinating guided tour followed by a 3D film and then time to try out and play with many hands-on exhibits. Suppertime by then and we have now got back to our hotel, very ready for another day of interesting cultural experiences tomorrow. We are so impressed with the students’ eager, open-minded attitudes as well as their stamina. It’s going to be a great week!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Addis Ababa
So far so good! Arrived here in Ethiopia on time after a smooth flight from Lilongwe, everything under control, no problems, sorry... Next flight will leave -on time as of now- in a little over 3 hours: Paris here we come! Mood excellent. Great group of kids!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Leaving time Saturday
Leaving time tomorrow will be 11 a.m.(parents' letter)and not 10 a.m. (latest itinerary on blog)by bus at school. Sorry about the confusion. Gathering time however: 10 a.m. I hope to see you tomorrow!
Monday, September 19, 2011
updated itinerary and latest parents' letter
Saturday 24th September Departure 10.00 school, 15.20 (ET871L) by Ethiopian Airlines to Paris through Addis 20.45-23.55 (ET704L)
Sunday 25th Arrival 6.30 (ET704L), breakfast in café La Cantoche, a.m. Bateaux Parisiens boat ride on Seine., p.m. Cité de la Science guided tour + Géode 3D experience + evening Montmartre district
Monday 26th a.m. Père Lachaise p.m. tour Pompidou (1.30), Eiffel Tower, evening: bowling
Tuesday 27th a.m. shopping/market and Catacombes, surprise p.m., tour Quai d’Orsay/Notre Dame
Wednesday 28th London by Eurostar 6.43-7.59 departure (packed breakfast) Paris, 20.42-23.17 departure (packed meal) London: City trip, London Eye, tour Tate Modern Gallery, little shopping, some “Olympic London”, live show surprise 2 .00-6.00, lunch in pub
Thursday 29th a.m. guided tour Versailles, p.m shopping and tour Louvre 4 p.m., evening Aquaboulevard
Friday 30th September Visit to Disneyland Paris (Disney Park, Disney Studios + surprise); night flight 22.05 (ET705L) back home through Addis 6.20-9.30 (ET871L)
Saturday 1st October Arrival Kamuzu Airport 14.35, expected arrival school 16.00
Lilongwe, 20th September 2011
Dear parents/guardians,
In a few days we will leave for beautiful Paris and London, time for some final information:
*transport: we will leave BMIS (car park next to hall) by school bus Saturday 24th September 11 a.m. sharp and would like you to say goodbye to your children at school; please do not come to the airport in order not to confuse students and arrangements; Saturday 1st October we will be back in school 4 p.m., please come to school and not to the airport to collect your child; in case of delay we will post that on our weblog; if you wish you could call the airport to find out about arrival times
*luggage: make sure all appropriate luggage is in your son/daughter’s suitcase; for a clothing list please check weblog and do not forget about swimming clothes and drawing stuff; please anticipate on autumn conditions = chilly and wet; use 1 piece of 20 kgs as a guideline + maybe have a spare bag to transport all the souvenirs your children will buy for you
*information:if you have additional questions, please consult www.bmisgoesparislondon2011.blogspot.com in the first place; furthermore: all chaperones will be available 9.30 a.m. onwards this Saturday to answer to your questions; in France we will update the weblog every night, so you will be informed about your son’s/daughter’s activities + photos on a daily basis; mobile phones and e-mailing are not allowed for all sorts of reasons; only in the case of an emergency you can contact me through our Head Teacher Mr. Paul Harrison: 0999785466
*passports: have your child bring in her/his passport Friday 23rd September at the latest; we will triple check all details (validity, visas (double (!) entry Schengen, UK), TEP/PRP/other etc.), but it remains the responsibility of the parents to have everything sorted; we will keep the passports in a safe place so we can do a group check-in (no pointed/sharp objects and liquids in the hand luggage please) at the airport; the chaperones will take care of the passports during the duration of the trip
* pocket money: please place the pocket money in an envelope (guideline 150 euros and 30 pounds) and write on it the amount of pocket money + name student on Saturday: staff will take care of the administration of the pocket money in order to avoid losing and spending too much money
*medicines: please make sure your child knows what medicine to take, when, how and do not forget to pack it; we do have a list of all needed medicines, together with dietary requirements and it is all taken care of
*valuables: are taken at own risk for the simple reason that we won’t have time to spend at police stations finding out about lost/stolen items
*import tax: anticipate upon paying import tax on newly bought items as soon as we are back in Lilongwe, although last year the customs were very cooperative; have your child keep receipts
*missed classes: will have to be caught up at responsibility students
*latest itinerary:
Check out weblog
*extra 1st break meetings students: Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd September
Thank you very much for your cooperation and we hope to see you this Saturday.
Very much looking forward to have a fantastic time in France and UK with a fantastic group of young people,
also on behalf of the rest of the crew: Anne Taylor, Rachel Almeida and Sangamesh Rajeshwar
Willem Snieder, trip coordinator
Sunday 25th Arrival 6.30 (ET704L), breakfast in café La Cantoche, a.m. Bateaux Parisiens boat ride on Seine., p.m. Cité de la Science guided tour + Géode 3D experience + evening Montmartre district
Monday 26th a.m. Père Lachaise p.m. tour Pompidou (1.30), Eiffel Tower, evening: bowling
Tuesday 27th a.m. shopping/market and Catacombes, surprise p.m., tour Quai d’Orsay/Notre Dame
Wednesday 28th London by Eurostar 6.43-7.59 departure (packed breakfast) Paris, 20.42-23.17 departure (packed meal) London: City trip, London Eye, tour Tate Modern Gallery, little shopping, some “Olympic London”, live show surprise 2 .00-6.00, lunch in pub
Thursday 29th a.m. guided tour Versailles, p.m shopping and tour Louvre 4 p.m., evening Aquaboulevard
Friday 30th September Visit to Disneyland Paris (Disney Park, Disney Studios + surprise); night flight 22.05 (ET705L) back home through Addis 6.20-9.30 (ET871L)
Saturday 1st October Arrival Kamuzu Airport 14.35, expected arrival school 16.00
Lilongwe, 20th September 2011
Dear parents/guardians,
In a few days we will leave for beautiful Paris and London, time for some final information:
*transport: we will leave BMIS (car park next to hall) by school bus Saturday 24th September 11 a.m. sharp and would like you to say goodbye to your children at school; please do not come to the airport in order not to confuse students and arrangements; Saturday 1st October we will be back in school 4 p.m., please come to school and not to the airport to collect your child; in case of delay we will post that on our weblog; if you wish you could call the airport to find out about arrival times
*luggage: make sure all appropriate luggage is in your son/daughter’s suitcase; for a clothing list please check weblog and do not forget about swimming clothes and drawing stuff; please anticipate on autumn conditions = chilly and wet; use 1 piece of 20 kgs as a guideline + maybe have a spare bag to transport all the souvenirs your children will buy for you
*information:if you have additional questions, please consult www.bmisgoesparislondon2011.blogspot.com in the first place; furthermore: all chaperones will be available 9.30 a.m. onwards this Saturday to answer to your questions; in France we will update the weblog every night, so you will be informed about your son’s/daughter’s activities + photos on a daily basis; mobile phones and e-mailing are not allowed for all sorts of reasons; only in the case of an emergency you can contact me through our Head Teacher Mr. Paul Harrison: 0999785466
*passports: have your child bring in her/his passport Friday 23rd September at the latest; we will triple check all details (validity, visas (double (!) entry Schengen, UK), TEP/PRP/other etc.), but it remains the responsibility of the parents to have everything sorted; we will keep the passports in a safe place so we can do a group check-in (no pointed/sharp objects and liquids in the hand luggage please) at the airport; the chaperones will take care of the passports during the duration of the trip
* pocket money: please place the pocket money in an envelope (guideline 150 euros and 30 pounds) and write on it the amount of pocket money + name student on Saturday: staff will take care of the administration of the pocket money in order to avoid losing and spending too much money
*medicines: please make sure your child knows what medicine to take, when, how and do not forget to pack it; we do have a list of all needed medicines, together with dietary requirements and it is all taken care of
*valuables: are taken at own risk for the simple reason that we won’t have time to spend at police stations finding out about lost/stolen items
*import tax: anticipate upon paying import tax on newly bought items as soon as we are back in Lilongwe, although last year the customs were very cooperative; have your child keep receipts
*missed classes: will have to be caught up at responsibility students
*latest itinerary:
Check out weblog
*extra 1st break meetings students: Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd September
Thank you very much for your cooperation and we hope to see you this Saturday.
Very much looking forward to have a fantastic time in France and UK with a fantastic group of young people,
also on behalf of the rest of the crew: Anne Taylor, Rachel Almeida and Sangamesh Rajeshwar
Willem Snieder, trip coordinator
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Language training Wednesday 7th September
Wednesday 7th September 13.45 - 15.00 there will be a French language session for all trip participants in S5. The usual after school activities should be skipped for one time. Please arrange for transport back home. Thank you/Merci bien!
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