Year 8 Revisit Sauveterre!

Jour 3: jeudi 19 juin 2008

We set off for Carcassonne after a hearty petit déjeuner in a Duclos coach. It was an interesting but circuitous route that our driver chose but we had a good break at the services before arriving at the old Cité de Carcassonne in time for lunch. We split up into groups of six in order to keep the waiters calm in the square full of restaurants and cafés (they don't welcome groups of  arriving without warning!) Enormous plates of pizzas, steack haché, poulet frites and a few moules were enthusiastically gobbled up and one group ordered gigantic banana splits (guess which member of staff's group this was, first correct answer gets a Carambar!) Next, we all dispersed into the old town and suddenly terrible screams could be heard from a house situated near the ramparts - it sounded like Mowden screaming! It WAS Mowden screaming, coming from the famous "Maison Hantée!" We all had a good wander around the shops and bought souvenirs and presents before returning very hot and tired, to Sauveterre. Here, Mr Bailey kindly let us use the pool and we felt very refreshed and ready to go for supper at yet another restaurant, the famous Auberge Champetre. This is where the patron takes the order "boeuf ou magret?"  The answer came back 50/50 duck and steak. His fantastic cabbage soup came along first, followed by a salad with smoked duck; the steaks and duck breasts were now sizzling nicely on his open wood fire and when they appeared, there was a gasp of amazement all round at the sight of these sizzling and beautifully done pieces of meat. The children all appreciated the wonderful meal and our guests, the four year 8 girls currently at Sauveterre enjoyed themselves very much too. A speech in French was made by Andrew Dickinson, Charlie Hilton and Tom Gordon to thank the owner and his wife for a memorable evening and meal. We drove back to the houses and walked off part of the meal around the rugby stadium next door, before Mr Bailey came to collect his four escapees!

Jour 4: vendredi 20 juin 2008

Today is the big adventure trip - White Water Rafting in the Pyrenees! We got up at a leisurely hour and had a relaxing breakfast in the open air again. It was a beautiful clear sky again and we boarded the coach when it arrived to take us on the short journey to St Gaudens, where we paused to shop for our picnic lunch (and to top up the Carambar supplies!) We drove into the Garonne Valley, passing St. Bertrand de Comminges on our right, until we arrived at the Aire de Fronsac. This is where we were to meet our instructors and don the wetsuits and helmets, but not until we had enjoyed a lovely picnic on the bank of the Garonne River This was looking very full, running fast and looking extremely cold, as the recent snowfall and heavy rain had swelled the normally placid waters. We met our instructors, who fitted us with wetsuits, helmets and paddles. We drove several miles up into the mountains, arriving quite close to the Spanish border and were shown how to paddle, taken through safety routines, such as how to survive if you fell out in calm or rapid water! We borded three rafts while Mr Peel and Mr Thomas climbed into a two-man "Hot-Dog!" As we all settled into the rhythm, spinning round and trying to go straight, we encountered some lively weirs and sudden dips in the river. There was a tree sticking out, which the instructors took us to so we could climb up and jump into the water and climb back into the boats. We continued downstream and spotted Mr Lord and Mr Spencer armed with camers by a stone bridge. As we waved and smiled for the cameras, little did we know that below the bridge was not only the largest and most bouncy rapid of the course but another one just below it, so the screams of laughter and panic rose to new heights! This was near the end of our course and we clambered ashore back where we had eaten the picnic, laughing and feeling exhilarated. We headed back to L'Isle en Dodon, where we had a swim in the lake and settled down for our chicken and turkey barbecue evening.

Off to the market this morning. We took the minibuses up to the Chateau and met up with Mr Bailey and the Sauveterriennes. We drove north to L'Isle Jourdain, to enjoy its fabulous Saturday morning market. There were stalls all along the streets and amazing smells, tastings and side-shows all around. Fergus, Mr Thomas and Will could resist no longer. Out came the guitar, the flute and the beret for some busking. Their varied repertoire attracted a small audience and the centimes started to tumble into the begging beret, enough for a few individual Carambars anyway! Loaded up with some tasty goodies for our lunch, we returned for a picnic at Sauveterre, spread on the outdoor table tennis tables. We played and swam all afternoon in the Chateau grounds, enjoying a lovely time with our hosts. In the evening, we returned to pack our bags and enjoy a final meal out, this time at the restaurant next to our gites, "Au Bon Vivre", where we all tucked into the hors d'oeuvre buffet then had steak-frites followed by ice cream. Délicieux!

Jour 6: dimanche 22 juin 2008
Le Retour

The return journey, suffice it to say, was not an easy one! We went to say our farewells to the Sauveterre people at 9.00am and took the coach to Blagnac Airport. We were warned of a delay on our first flight, which had major implications for the rest of the journey! Eventually, after 4 hours at Blagnac, we were flown to Paris, then to Heathrow and on to Newcastle, arriving at 1.00 am (Monday!). Start to finish time: 16 hours! The children were magnificent throughout the journey as they had been all through the whole trip.

Our thanks go to Mr and Mrs Bailey and their staff and children, who shared their time and facilities with us so generously; to Mr Lord, Mr Peel, Miss Cashmore, Fozzy and Mr Thomas for accompanying us on the trip, looking after the house groups and helping with the driving and supervision. It was a vintage Year 8 trip and we have many excellent photos to remember it by!

Merci à Tous