Year 8 Students from Brayton College arrived at Chateau Beaumont in Normandy late on the afternoon of Monday 27 April. 22 boys, 18 girls and 5 staff set off from Brayton College car park just after 1.30 a.m. on Monday morning - many thanks to all the mums and dads who were so prompt and organised for the departure time.
A smooth drive down to Folkestone saw us on an early train through the Channel Tunnel and setting off from Calais just before we were due to have left - if you see what I mean!
Breakfast at a service area could be a bit dodgy, but the French do these things well and students tried out their first ‘Bonjour' and ‘Merci' of the visit. "What's the French for Croissant please Miss?" won the prize for early ingenuity.
Another stop and some hours later, we arrived at the chateau at 4pm local time - by then totally confused about what time it was or should have been. We settled quickly into our dorms and earned an early dinner before an evening treasure hunt in the grounds, all enjoyed in spite of the rain.
On Tuesday morning we visited Mont St. Michel, always an impressive sight and all the more so for the tide being in. The air of grandeur about the abbey, the fortifications and the giant rock it is built on do not diminish with time. Students enjoyed a walk up the ramparts and then a meander down the steep, winding, narrow shopping street that is so like Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. Staff, of course enjoyed a traditional French Café but the message is that at 4.50e a cup, (and the same for a coke) the good life is not cheap.
Back at the Chateau, afternoon activities included the lofty zip wire and the blindfold obstacle course. Some of our students photographed (see above) after their exploits in front of the chateau!
Tuesday night involved great entertainment as we joined two other schools for a Blind Date Special. Some contestant number switching and some great questions and answers caused lots of fun and everyone had a fantastic night.
On Wednesday we took the bus to St Hilaire du Harcouet for a traditional French market. A bit like the continental market that visits Selby and York - except EVERYTHING was very French. The coffee might be expensive but there were some great bargains to be had in costume jewellery and watches. Several of our lads decided cowboy hats would be a good souvenir.
Notice that the sun came out too! We stopped at a great playground for our lunch and the attraction of a climbing frame was rediscovered by everyone. Here's a photo of everyone outside the marketplace:
French Trip Gallery
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