Paris Tour Diary
Graeme Sneddon [S6]
February 2009
Day 1 on Tour
After an exhausting coach journey, 11 hours after we left Hutchie, we arrived at Dover ready to board the ferry to Calais. Sadly the same could not be said for the other coach which had got caught up in traffic and failed to make the same ferry as us; sorry Mr Uprichard, but even bus drivers get tired by chemistry tutorials and that doesn't get you there any faster! Our bleary-eyed group then set off for Paris after arriving at Calais; many appreciated the opportunity for some sleep.
Upon arriving in Paris a shopping opportunity at Les Halles followed. Despite the global financial crisis and the eye-watering European exchange rate Hutchie pupils still managed to find ways to spend some cash. Once we had finished our run around Les Halles we set off to our accommodation at Le Bois du Lys, a residential complex on the outskirts of Danmarie des Lys, around 50km from central Paris. After finding our rooms and enjoying a meal we prepared for our first concert the next day.
Day 2 on Tour
An 8am start (too early for some!) to the day saw us head over to the Louvre for a few hours of culture. Nearly everyone made a beeline for the 'Mona Lisa'; clearly the main attraction for our visit to the Louvre. Since we only had a few hours there it was impossible to get round all the art but we managed to have time to explore the delights of the café and gift shop!
Lunch at the banks of the Seine was followed by a relaxing cruise which allowed us to explore the beauty of Paris by boat, taking in such sights as Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and ile-de-France. After the cruise our thoughts turned to our first gig - le Chateau de Lormoy, a "maison de retraite" for senior citizens. The audience enjoyed our varied programme which mixed traditional Scottish music and popular music and were very impressed with the performance of a sword dance by Catriona Reid [S4]. We then returned to Le Bois du Lys in the evening for a meal and some leisure time; dancing ‘til exhaustion at a disco prepared by the staff at Le Bois du Lys.
Day 3 on Tour
One word summed up our third day on Tour; Disneyland. We travelled over to Marne-la-Vallée early in the morning and entered the backstage area. We set up in the Festival Theatre in the Fantasyland area of the park and had a quick hour in the park to relax before the serious business of performing began. After a quick briefing and sound check by the Disney staff we were on. The Concert Band gave a superb performance which was enjoyed by those who took a break from the hustle and bustle of the park and came to watch. After the concert the day was spent on the various rides and attractions Disneyland had to offer. Despite the crippling exchange rate we left the park with some daft merchandise and, more importantly, having had fun.
Day 4 on Tour
Day 4 started with a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately the fog managed to obscure some of the view but we could still spot some of the famous landmarks of Paris including the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and Les Jardins des Tullieries. After a quick bite to eat we were given a coach tour of Paris. We travelled around the Arc de Triomphe which was a thrilling but very scary experience; no driver is insured if they have an accident here! We travelled down the Champs Elysees towards Place de la Concorde and past rue de Rivoli; despite the big spending earlier Cartier and Louis Vuitton were a little out of reach! However we were bitten by the shopping bug yet again and we stopped to explore St. Germain des Pres, visiting the shops on rue des Rennes.
We returned to Le Bois du Lys to get ready for our final concert at the German Evangelical Christus Kirche near Place de Clichy. Our last performance was arguably the best as we brought out some of our best soloists. In particular Neil Watson [S5], Callum Blair [S2] and Ben Holloway [S5] gave a superb performance of "Glasgow Kiss"; a rock piece as aggressive as its namesake! Of the traditional music Mairi McLean [S5] performed a moving traditional folk song "Turn Ye to Me" accompanied by Anna Davidson [S2] on the clarsach. As we travelled back to Le Bois du Lys we caught a good photo opportunity as the Eiffel Tower sparkled in the distance; a great end to a great evening.
Overall everyone had a fantastic time on Tour in Paris. Those pupils lucky enough to be returning to Hutchie next year look forward to the next one. Our thanks go to Marie at Le Bois du Lys, our coach drivers and the staff: Mr Uprichard, Ms Drysdale, Mrs Tooth, Mrs Forbes, Mr Browne and Ms Freeland. Our special thanks go to Ms Freeland for giving her time to organise another varied, exciting and very successful music tour.