10 January 2017
On the penultimate day of term 25 Abingdon boys and 25 St Helen’s girls, plus five members of staff and our drivers Mick and Heidi, set off very early in the morning for a weekend in Strasbourg, one of the most festive cities in Europe.
The aims of the trip were to introduce the students to a region of France they were not familiar with, enjoy the festive atmosphere of the Christmas markets and practise and improve their French. It was very pleasing to witness this right from the outset as many of them took the opportunity to order their first meal in French as we stopped for dinner en route.
We arrived at the Ciarus Hostel in the centre of Strasbourg in the evening. This proved to be very comfortable with very good food and excellent facilities for school groups.
Visits during the trip included: a guided tour of the city, the Musée d’Alsace and the Musée Zoologique, a tour of the Cathedral – the tallest mediaeval structure in Europe, a boat trip on the River Ill and of course plenty of time to explore the Christmas markets and soak up the festive atmosphere.
A very good time was had by all, so much so that we hope to be able to offer this trip again in 2017. Huge thanks go to Andrew Crisp and our three St Helen’s colleagues for accompanying the trip.
