On Wednesday February 8th 82 very excited Bower 2nd Years departed for their much-anticipated tour of Paris. It was wonderful to see the resumption of this annual event which had been put on hold since February 2020.
A jam-packed itinerary had been arranged for their four days and three nights away. After such an early start to the day and many functioning on minimal sleep from pure excitement, the girls were eased into the trip on arrival with a guided bus tour of the city. They got to see some of the most famous features of the cityscape such as the Champs Elysees, the renovation work being carried out on the Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame, and the Arc de Triomphe. After a spot of lunch, it was on to the Louvre Museum. They had their route planned for their visit to Mona Lisa and enjoyed seeing the abundant collection of Medieval and Renaissance paintings and sculptures.
A Disney hotel was the group’s base for the duration of their stay, and this allowed for a very short 15-minute journey on the second day to the most magical place on earth – Disneyland. With access to two theme parks and being one of the first groups through the gates, they got to enjoy the spills and thrills of almost every ride the park has to offer. The evening parade along Main St with its floats, characters, music, and dance signalled the end of day two.
Day three saw the group take to the river Seine for a leisurely boat trip and the opportunity to see the sights from another angle. Blue skies and spring sunshine made for a really beautiful cruise. The group then walked the short distance to the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Montmartre was next on the itinerary with its Basilica of Sacre-Coeur and artists’ quarter.
The last day started with a stroll to a Saturday morning market, just around the corner from the Palace of Versailles. The girls got the opportunity to wander through this magnificent building and spend some time in its landscaped gardens before making their way to the airport for the return leg of the journey.
We hope each of the girls enjoyed their time away and will carry the memories made from Paris 2023 long into the future. We would like to extend our thanks to the School Tour Committee for organising another wonderful Bower tour and the staff who travelled with the group; Ms Kavanagh, Ms Tormey, Mrs Moran, Ms Moloney, Ms Greaney, Ms Fallon and Ms Sheerin.