Fantastic France [Part One]

If I had to describe the trip in one word it would be “Amazing!”  I loved every minute of the trip.  Below is an extract from a journal I wrote while in France.

 

 

Sunday

 

I don’t remember much about the ferry crossing from Portsmouth as I was sleeping for the majority of the time, with a little help from a sea sickness tablet and a travel pillow.  A teacher commented:  “Every time I glanced over, you were sleeping like a log.  Nothing could wake you.”  Even when I was awake, I felt sleepy.

 

On arrival in Normandy, it was fine, but boy, it was cold!  Despite that, I had never been so glad to see a place as much as this one.  I had never seen so many people in one place at one time.  The entire village had come out to welcome us. 

 

I don’t know where I gathered the strength from to smile and wave back, I was so tired.  It must’ve been a side-effect of the sea sickness tablet.  All I wanted to do was sleep in a nice, comfortable bed.

 

 

Monday

 

We were woken up at 7:00a.m, to be ready for the day ahead at 8:00a.m.  Then breakfast was served.  It consisted of cereal, yogurt and fruit, followed by croissant and jam, with a cup of tea or fruit juice.

 

Later on that morning, we visited the French town of Mayenne.  Here, we were split into three groups of ten, and then set a challenge.  This morning’s task was to go into a café, then order some food or drink in French.  I ordered a hot chocolate – a French speciality.  Then I went into a baker’s and was brave enough to buy a pain au chocolat (literally translates to ‘chocolate bread’).

 

After lunch, my group had a go at abseiling.  I had a go… twice!  I was unwilling to have a go at first.  I had to pretend to sit on a toilet, but there would be nothing behind to support my back.  This scared me the most, the fact that there was nothing there – just me and a black rope.

 

Once I gained confidence, I started to abseil down the wall.  It was nineteen foot high, taller than a house.  As I got the bottom, the sense of achievement was immense, it was overwhelming! 

 

I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my body, blotting of the coldness.  I was raring to have another go!  Mrs. Cooke, my helper, grabbed my arm and said “Leigh, please don’t have another go” because I was terrified first time around.  But I’m glad I did, because I was much more confident, and we got some wonderful pictures.

 

Abseiling for the first time! (Filmed by Mrs. Cooke.)

 

Tags: abseiling, adventure, archery, France, travel log, school trip