We started the day off with an everyday French breakfast of baguettes and tea, then had a lovely walk to our language school where we would spend the next 3 hours immersing ourselves in the art of French grammar! We had our lessons in an actual school so it was interesting to see the difference between schools in England compared to France! (Did you know they don’t wear a school uniform?)

 Soon after the lessons, we arrived at Honfleur Harbour where we were met with a harsh drizzle, but that didn’t stop Mme Reichardt from explaining to us about the town and its local monuments. We were then given some free time to explore the town on our own, which we used to the fullest! Some of us visited pâtisseries to buy some goodies for our home, trinket shops to purchase jewellery and even mini music boxes. There were some delightful cafés that served fresh waffles and tea made only in Hornfleur!

After meeting up, we arrived back at our host family’s abode to try having some more French conversations whilst enjoying the food they had made for us.

The third day started with another 3 hours of language learning, but this time about more practical vocabulary, such as what you would use in a restaurant, whereas some students went out around the city to speak to people in French!

We then visited Giverny, where we would see the impressionist artist Claude Monet’s House & Gardens! Our driver, Patrick, was an absolute legend, driving us along narrow little roads to and from Giverny. Luckily for us, the weather was also on our side with clear skies and a blissful breeze. This was a part of the trip we were particularly looking forward to, and as we arrived, the beauty of the gardens blew our expectations of just how stunning everything was. The flowers were captivating and the sight of the bridge was even better than the paintings! We headed towards the queue to visit the house of Monet, and it was worth the wait! Monet had an exquisite taste in furniture, with more mirrors than I could count! Other than the fact every room had a painting (even the bathroom, believe it or not!), no room was alike. Each unique in their own way, with some themed a sunflower yellow, whereas others featured Japanese prints! Overall, the visit was magnificent in every way, even when completing a fun and informative worksheet made by Mrs Souch, who eagerly wanted all of us to make the most of this educational art trip!

After many, many clicks of our camera, we bid farewell to the village and headed to our next destination, a supermarket! This may sound like an ordinary, weekly chore for the French, but for us tourist students, this was a completely different revelation! There was a fresh bakery with many different pastries and desserts of all kinds at prices that you would not find at your local Waitrose with a whole separate cheese and meats section with everything you would ever dream of having!

The day ended with a nice cold Schweppes Agrumes Aux Saveurs and everyone retired to their beds, to a sound sleep.

It was our last 3 hours of language school, and we made the most of it with our amazing teacher by playing competitive group games in French that really brought out every bit of French vocabulary we’ve ever learnt.

After saying our au revoirs, we walked to the city centre of Rouen for some free time. That time was spent in department stores or local cafés, but either way, it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone! We then had a Guided Tour of Rouen where the engaging tour guide showed us around the historical city, telling us about the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, Le Gros-Horloge and La Maison Sublime, which were a few of the places we explored. Learning about the history of each and every place was interesting and really gave a new perspective on architecture that was built a few centuries ago.

This wasn’t the end of our wonderful history lessons as we soon arrived at the Historial Jeanne d'Arc, the museum for Joan of Arc. The whole experience was enlightening, as we were exposed to the unfairness she endured, her prevailing bravery, fighting to the very end. By the end of the day, we were exhausted and fell asleep as soon as we were in our beds. It was an eventful day but riveting nonetheless!

We all arose early, ate a big breakfast of baguettes or pancakes and headed off to our last destination in France, Parc Astérix Theme Park! This was the day everyone was ecstatic about! After checking in, the choices for rides felt infinite! There were massive roller coasters with 7 loops, such as Goudurix, which was exhilarating, or L’Hydre De Lerne for those who didn’t want such a heart-dropping experience. There was also a variety of theme park food staples, like candy floss and slushies, but surprisingly, there were even crêpes and Fritapopoulos (French fries with cheese and fried onions!) Towards the end of our time there, we managed to convince Mme Harding to join us on a collective favourite. The ride Le Cheval De Troie. It seemed small but was in fact the most invigorating ride we experienced! Personally, I’m so glad I managed to share this whole experience with so many people and teachers!

We went back to our host family for one last time, but little did we know they had prepared a surprise for us! For dinner, our lovely lady had prepared Raclette, a French/Swiss dish where the cheese is freshly melted and then placed on vegetables or meat! It was a delightful meal, and it was an honour to experience it in France. We ended the meal with french chocolate mousse and fell into a deep slumber, awaiting the next day's trip home.