The annual Year 7 French trip to Bologne-Sur-Mer in Cote d’Opale saw an excited group of Fryers taking the ferry to take us across the Channel to the French coast on Monday 24th June.
Keen to make the most of every minute, as soon as they reached France they headed for ‘Le Fournil’ bakery in Wierre-Elfroy to experience the process of bread making and a hands-on insight how the dough is made. Learning that the bakery produces some 3,600 loaves of bread per week for local suppliers shocked many of the students but this surprise was quickly eclipsed by what came next – croissant making crossed with a basic French conversational skills lesson taught by France’s rural PG answer to Gordon Ramsey! Rest assured, the group won’t forget the French words for ‘sugar’, ‘flour’ or ‘milk’ for a long time to come.
After the students had escaped “Monsieur Ramsey”’s tutelage, they travelled further to Boulonge-Sur-Mer, stopping at restaurant Brasserie Hamiot en route. There the group enjoyed social time together as well as enjoying the excellent food the restaurant had to offer.
Day 2 began with French lessons at the Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale, with students dividing into three groups dependent on their previous experience with the language. Students found these two-hour classes immersive and engaging and were a recurrent morning activity through the week.
The afternoon continued with a visit to the Old Town in Boulonge-Sur-Mer and an impromptu historical tour by Year 7 tutor and History teacher, Christopher Tyer. At the Creperie ‘Le Pain Show’ students were given a demonstration in marzipan decoration and experiencing the art of crepe making, the results of which were promptly devoured by all!
The end of the day’s travels took us to Nausicaa; the biggest water aquarium in Europe. Students were entranced by the huge array of water-based animals the aquarium held across three separate exhibitions, including a giant stingray and a waddle of African penguins as particular highlights!
The weather clearly knew the itinerary on Wednesday as it brightened up from an otherwise muggy day as soon as the bus arrived at the local theme park. Students explored, enjoyed the attractions and practised their language skills as they navigated the area in small groups. Some conquered large roller coasters and other fairground attractions in a much braver fashion than many of the staff!
The final day in France began with another continental breakfast at the accommodation, followed by a short Meeting for Worship in the cafeteria. Bags were packed and beds stripped before it was time to hit the road for our last day of excursions.
Top of the list was Aqualud Water Parc with many indoor slides and pools including the fairly terrifying Twister slide which involved an incredibly steep drop and a whirlpool to finish. Suffice to say, adrenaline was pumping when students left Aqualud to begin their journey back to Leighton Park.
En route (the French lessons clearly paying off!) the group stopped at P + J Chocolatiers, a Belgian-run chocolate shop, where students got a lesson in how chocolate is made, before decorating their own bars themselves!
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