School Trip To France
Culture and Fun in Cool and Fabulous France 2018
By Mary Darcy and Niamh Bourke
On the 12th of October a large number of excited 2nd and 3rd year students left Aldi carpark to go on a trip that they would never forget.
The first activity on arrival was a bus trip all around Paris where the group saw so many well-known buildings and statues including L’arc de Triomphe. Next was the fantastic Notre Dame Cathedral. Dinner that evening was in a restaurant called Hunch before the students and equally tired teachers finally got to the hotel and badly needed sleep.
Next morning the bus took them to Disneyland, an experience that no words can adequately describe. From arrival to departure there was something to do-roller coasters, shops and meeting the Disney characters. Roller coasters, especially “House of Terror” and “Space Mountain” were the favourite activities of the group. Everyone gathered at Planet Hollywood in Disney Village for dinner and the visit ended with an incredible firework display.
Next morning it was off to Stade de France and a tour of the famous stadium. History lovers really appreciated the trip to the beautiful Palace of Versailles. The last day began with a shopping trip which provided an opportunity to buy souvenirs and gifts. The students really enjoyed having a few hours to do what they wanted before having a boat trip on the Seine. After that it was time to head to Beauvais airport for the flight home. The girls were sad to leave after such an amazing time and are very grateful to the teachers who accompanied them and their families for the opportunity to go.
School Trip to France
Paris Trip 2015
Paris is a mesmerising city but it’s impossible to grasp just how breathtaking it is until you see it through your own eyes. Over the four days we spent in Paris there was a lot of sight seeing that needed to be packed in but somehow we managed it and we all had an unforgettable time. We visited Notre Dame de Paris, the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre famous for Leonardo da Vinci’s world renowned painting, the Mona Lisa.
We viewed the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and visited Montparnasse Tower for an astounding panoramic view of Paris. We spent a magical day at Disneyland Paris and went on an enchanting cruise on the River Seine. A massive thank you should be given to all the teachers who took part in organising it because it was a trip that exceeded all our expectations, and one we’ll never forget.
On est rentrée de Paris!
Second year French students have returned from an amazing voyage to the French capital and what a trip it was!
We left Nenagh late on Saturday night, September 21st and were trop excitée to sleep on the bus to Dublin airport! We checked in and had time for a little petit déjeuner (breakfast), although for some, this turned out to be des frites (chips!)…We left at 6.50a.m. Sunday morning and, thanks to Aer Lingus, were in Paris by 9.40a.m., France being an hour ahead of Irish time.
Our excellent coach driver, Carlos, collected us at Charles de Gaulle airport and super vite, we were au centre ville, driving around the Arc de Triomphe and down the Champs Elysée. It was incredible to see so many famous monuments as we began with a guided tour of the city. La Tour Eiffel. Le Louvre, la Seine, Notre-Dame, Les Invalides, Place de la Concorde were all magnifiques in the blazing sunshine.
We stopped at Le Louvre and before we visited the most famous resident, we had déjeuner (lunch) in the multicultural food court beneath le musée. Fortified, we braved the queues to see La Joconde (Mona Lisa) and, although smaller than we expected, she didn’t disappoint. After all that culture, we were starving so it was off to the Bistro Romain for le dîner.
At that stage, we were completely fatiguées, so we were happy to see our hôtel at Disneyland and turn in.
After un petit déjeuner délicieux, we were ready for a Monday to remember – Disneyland Paris ! What can we say? It was better than we expected: not too crowded, a beautiful day and the montagnes russes (roller coasters) were incroyables! We watched the défilé (parade) that afternoon and took off to the centre commercial at Val d’Europe for some retail therapy in the biggest shopping centre en Europe. Later, it was back to Disney Village for le dîner and then home to bed.
Tuesday was a packed day, beginning with an authentic Parisian experience: des bouchons sur le Périphérique! (Traffic jams on the ring road around the city!) We arrived in the artists’ quarter Montmartre and climbed the trois cent marches (300 steps) to the Sacré Coeur church. We were rewarded with a magnificent vue of the city and ran back down to do some shopping for souvenirs. Then, it was time to go to Montparnesse and take the fastest ascenseur (lift) en Europe to the fifty-third floor of the Tour. Another incredible view of the city allowed us to spot all the landmarks we had seen in the previous days. We had déjeuner and left to catch a bateau – a tourist boat on the Seine, to admire la ville one more time. The soleil was very hot and we saw the city at her best. Quelle belle ville!
Mais toute bonne chose a une fin..all good things come to an end and sadly, Carlos had to drive us back to Charles de Gaulle in time to catch our vol (flight) on Tuesday night. We were en Irlande in forty minutes (remember that hour?) and drove back to Nenagh, arriving early Wednesday morning tired but so contentes.
We are very grateful to our parents and guardians for making this wonderful trip possible for us. We learned a lot, had great fun and made memories that will last beyond our days in St. Mary’s. Un grand merci to Ms. Cooney, Ms. Grace, Ms. Whelan, Ms. Rellier, Ms. Corkery and Ms. Fahey, who worked hard to organise the trip and minded us so well!!
Vive la France!
Students enjoying the sights 2012.