Le Mans
The spring term was cut short for twenty-two boys as they left early on the last Wednesday of the Easter term. We were caught between the fatigue caused by the long term nearing its end (exacerbated by the five o’clock wake up call) and uncontainable excitement. Strangely enough, geed up by the atmosphere of lads on a bus, the latter prevailed.
Following the coach journey down to Le Mans, we received an awesome welcome, disembarking in front of the towering cathedral, being whisked away by our respective host families for an introduction to French domestic cuisine and a much needed good night’s sleep.
The next day, having spent the early part of the morning brushing up on our French, we started our sightseeing with the most prominent attraction first, making a visit to the Circuit de la Sarthe, annual site of the famed Le Mans 24hr race. We were driven round sections of the racecourse and given a guided tour, followed by a visit to the stands at the start of the racecourse which had been extended due to the demand for photos on the podium.
The weekend began in style on the Friday, with a trip to Saumur, renowned for its sparkling wine production. A tour through the dark caves, as pungent with history as with wine, was rounded off by a brief tasting and an opportunity to buy a bottle or two – strictly for folks back home.
While in Saumur, we paid a visit to Le Cadre Noir, the prestigious equestrian school used by the French military, and got a peek behind the scenes of caring for the horses and training the riders
On Saturday, we were given some time with our families, a tranquil foil to the day to follow. No French school trip would be complete without a day in Disneyland. The wide range of rides and attractions was broadened further still by the fact that the day of our visit marked the 15th anniversary of the park itself, bringing with it a grand procession through the centre of the park.
We marked our last day in Le Mans with a visit to Béline, a master chocolaterie just outside the town. A thorough tour through the inner workings of the factory ensued, giving us a chance to see the vast stock rooms of exotic ingredients and the chocolatiers themselves at work. Some boys were left a little shocked, having had the image of chocolate rivers and oompa-loompas scurrying about dispelled, but soon returned to their former selves once they had tried some of the chocolate creations.
Having said farewell to our French hosts, we boarded the coach on the last day and headed for Paris. A scenic drive through some strangely familiar streets, including going down the Champs Elysées and past the imposing Arc de Triomphe and we arrived at the premier landmark of Paris: the Eiffel Tower. The wind did nothing to reduce our enthusiasm, we all headed for the top with some of us going a little snap-happy, overwhelmed by the photo opportunities before us.
Having been rounded up, we were all frog-marched (no pun intended) back down the Tower and onto an open top tour bus where we received an audio tour of south Paris. Armed with gigabytes of photos and reams of Paris facts with which to wow our parents, we returned to the coach for a peaceful journey home.
All those on the trip would like to thank Mr. Allwright, Mrs. Smith and Ms. Vincent, Ms. Galineau, our French organiser, and, our coach driver, Tony.