On 1^st October, our year 13 French A level group visited Paris. We had an excellent journey on Eurostar, and we travelled around Paris by metro. Although it was only a short stay, our itinerary was crammed and you will be pleased to know that there was not a bed bug in sight!

We arrived on Sunday evening and enjoyed a meal together at a lovely restaurant in Bercy village (ordered in French, of course) . After a great breakfast the next morning, at the Novotel Paris Bercy hotel, we took the metro to the Jardins du Luxembourg and then had a leisurely walk to the Tour Montparnasse, where we were able to get an excellent panoramic view of the city. We were very fortunate with the weather – beautiful October sunshine all day. After the tower, we stopped off at a very busy Parisien supermarket – our students were thrown in at the deep end (to say the least!) with a mission to get lunch. Then it was off on the metro to the Louvre and a walk through the Tuileries gardens, where we paused for a much-needed café stop. From there, we took another metro to the Eiffel Tower and took a boat ride along the Seine. After a short bout of souvenir shopping, we then headed back to the hotel and had a quick spruce up before heading out again to Bercy village to get dinner – our students put their French to the test again by choosing a restaurant and ordering for themselves. We finished off our day with a stroll along the Champs Elysées where we saw the magnificent golden Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe by night and window-shopped past the beautiful shops. Again, our Year 13 put their French to the test by ordering themselves crepes from one of the stalls. After another stop off at a souvenir shop, we headed back for a well deserved sleep, ready for our journey home on Tuesday.

It was a wonderful few days – I enjoyed it immensely. I am so very proud of this group- for their smiles and laughter from the moment we met up at Manchester but also for their enthusiasm for the French culture and their willingness to embrace everything that we did. It honestly felt like being with family rather than a school trip – I will remember it always.

Mrs Williams, MFL department