Les Premiers Pas....

Bonjour à tous et à toutes!

We've made it! The 6am arrival was but a distant thought as we glided through customs, caught our transfer and begun our Parisian odyssey. The first day was action packed in an attempt to counter any possible jet lag and to set up a correct sleeping pattern. 

We started with a traditional French breakfast (and much needed coffee) before heading to Montmartre and Sacre Cœur. The weather was beautiful and people from all over the world converged on 'la butte' to admire it beauty and views. We also had a chance to ride the Carousel - which some described as a 'life completing' experience.

After seeing the Eiffel Tower from a distance we took the Metro to the Place du Trocadéro, which affords exceptional vies of the Eiffel Tower - clearly we weren't too tired yet, plenty of energy in the photos below. We also had a 'surprise' visit from Fanny and Victorine - 2 French exchange students who spent 5 weeks at Scotch in 2011!  The look on the students faces when they came to see us was priceless!

We then hopped on our bikes and not only saw some major parisian sites, but also learnt some fun facts from our guides. Of course, we stopped for warm drinks and a crêpe or baguette at the half way point. 

All of this and we've only been here for 1 day! Stay tuned and we'll put more photos up as they come to hand. We all love seeing your comments and we're hoping to see some student contributions shortly.

All of us are currently in bed, getting some much needed rest and we'll be sleeping in tomorrow before heading to the Musée d'Orsay and to Galleries Lafayette for some shopping. We'll likely eat 'escargots' tomorrow too - never a dull moment on the France Tour 2012!

À plus tard!

Shawn Kasbergen - on behalf of the France Tour Team!