|
After a long bus trip they arrived in Rosslare and boarded the Irish Ferries vessel ‘Normandy’. After an all night journey they arrived in Cherbourg. They drove to Paris enjoying the picturesque countryside. When they reached Paris they had a panoramic tour of delightful Paris- the Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Notre Dame and the exquisite Eiffel Tower. They then departed from Paris for an overnight journey to Nice in the Cote d’Azur. After a tiring journey, they arrived in Nice early Saturday morning. They checked into their snug hotel in the heart of the city and spent the day exploring the area on foot. That night they enjoyed a trip to the local ice-skating rink for an hour of ice-skating and they then returned to their hotel for a good night’s sleep. Early next morning, they enjoyed a good breakfast and they set out for Grasse, famous worldwide as the home for the French perfume industry. They enjoyed a guided tour through the perfumery. From there they continued on to Gourdon, a village built on a remarkable rock spur, over 1640 ft above the Loup River. They then traveled on to Cannes, famous for its film festival and its smooth sandy beaches. They unveiled the wonders of the coastal highway between Baie des Anges and the peninsula of Saint-Tropez. After a delicious evening meal they returned to their hotel in Nice passing through Antibes. Monday, 29th of March the group departed from the hotel and drove to Monaco - synonymous with the Rainer family, Grand Prix and the Casino of Monte Carlo. From here they went to Italy and visited Ventimiglia and it’s 11th Century Cathedral and San Remo on the superb Italian Riviera. After an enchanting day, they returned to Nice where they enjoyed their evening meal served in a local restaurant. Later that evening the group decided that a game of bowling would be agreeable. Day 6, the group said goodbye to Nice and traveled to the bourgoise town of Aix-En-Provence and then to the Roman town of Avignon where they saw the famous ‘Pont d’Avignon and the Popes Palace. They had a tiring overnight journey to Paris. Early Wednesday morning they arrived in Paris. They visited Disneyland Paris and had a fantastic day. They checked into their hotel and stayed overnight in Paris. When dawn appeared fresh and rosy fingered the group said goodbye to Paris and headed northwest to Cherbourg. Before they boarded the ferry the enjoyed some last minute shopping in a hypermarket. They boarded the ferry and said Au Revoir to France. The ferry crossed the wine dark sea and arrived in Ireland 22 hours later. They arrived back in Sligo tired but full of treasured memories of their school tour. |