But before the coach arrived outside a frosty Parson Walk getting the trip organised had travelled many a bumpy mile. Initially the trip was planned for late March, but the group couldn't secure the London hotel, then the hotel in Paris visited back in 2010 wasn't available for a mid-week booking.
Another hotel on the Boulevard de Sébastopol wasn't in an ideal location (editor comment), nor was another on the Boulevard de Grenelle (a bit out of the way). Leaving the Paris hotel as the defining visit criteria, through much searching by Dot and Adaptable Travel the group had it!
L'hotel Excelsior in the Latin Quarter . . . perfect - and the London hotel has space for the group too - then the trains were playing "silly-beggars" - we couldn't travel from Wigan so had to make the short trip over to Manchester Piccadilly. Only issue - it was over the February half-term - so packing the woolly socks and big scarfs was a must.
Monday 20 February :
at 8.30am the coach set off to Manchester, arrived in plenty of time (coffee?) for the 10.35 to London Euston.
Two hours later and the group walked down to the Royal National, registered, spent an hour getting something to eat and wandering past McCann Ericksons before heading (for some their first journey on the London Underground) to Notting Hill Gate.A fifteen minute walk, past Portobello Road and across Westbourne Grove has the group impatiently waiting outside the gates of Pentagram. The editor made two calls to the groups host, Leah Speakman, waiting for the 'ok' to meet the 'Star of the Show' Domenic Lippa.
At 4.45pm Leah meets the group in reception. Eyes are everywhere, drinking in the wonderful, former dairy as Partners and staff go about their business. Domenic waves to the group and acknowledges the editor. Angus Hyland wanders past as does Harry Pearce and Daniel Weil. Time for a look upstairs at the working environment and then the seminar . . . Domenic and Leah welcome the group and the discussion on Pentagrams philosophy and the requirements for students to be successful in the industry. Such is the interest, Pentagram actually employ someone to 'field' approaches for placement and job opportunities to keep the eager away from the Partners.
Disappointingly only four, Ryan, Adam, Nik and James from FD2 think it worth attending . . . "are you mad??"
Tuesday 21 February :
at breakfast the group received the gifts from Pentagram and one of the number enquired how, allowing for Pentagram's 'Castle-Guard' they could get placement. The editors response . . . ? "go for a beer with Leah and Domenic". Cue the sound of dropping pennies!
A brisk walk to St Pancras - a certain amount of WOW factor and it was through passport control and onto EuroStar. Woosh!
Although some concern was raised about being under the Channel, when we emerged the other side it took some convincing of one or two that we were actually in France! Clocks forward an hour and at 2.47 EuroStar came to a halt in Gare du Nord. So there we were in Paris.
One student stood in front of the editor holding £220 . . . "I need some Euros!" Avoiding the children begging for money a visit to the Bureau de Change and a poor exchange rate later the group headed for the Metro to Porte d'Orléans . . . dropping off at St-Michel Notre Dame.The trip then took an unexpected twist for the worst . . . as the group trundled along under Paris the sub-editor realised that her portefeuille (purse) had gone - along with credit cards, euros and passport!
Certainly was an unusual hotel, all themed with images of Paris, some strange dark corridors that reminded the editor of the ghost train in Blackpool - but the rooms were comfortable and VERY warm!!
Running now over an hour late on schedule first stop the BatoBus departure point opposite Notre Dame. More bad news this was the last one of the day so the plan of getting off and returning from the base of the Eiffel Tower around 10pm went out the window.
But the group sailed down the Seine, alighted at the Grand Palais, crossed the Champs Elysées and then headed for cafés and restaurants to eat. The editor and sub-editor located the British Embassy and met up with the group at the Arc du Triomphe . . . who couldn't gain entry as all had left their passports back at the hotel.
So a choice . . . on the Metro back to St-Michel or down Avenue Kléber and the promise (fingers crossed) of crêpe's on the Esplanade du Trocadéro - no contest!
Almost without exception every student asked for (and it was fun to hear their attempt at ordering in French) a crêpe with an assortment of fruity or chocolate topping. The group stood there ‘lovin’ the authentic French pancake looking across the Seine to the magnificent Eiffel Tower. We proved that Big G is taller than Big E! It’s getting late so it’s back into the Metro and ‘home’.
early breakfast for the editor and sub-editor - one or two students made it down to the lovely French maid who served all the ‘green’ looking English students with a smile and greetings in French. As the group tucked into a typical continental breakfast the editor and sub-editor headed off to the British Embassy.
A cool but sunny Parisien morning - the commuters scurrying to the buses and Metro, across the Seine, past the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde, around the corner past the Madeleine to the Embassy. Having dodged a gun wielding police man a trip to the British Consulate started the process of getting a new passport.
But the cold won and although three of the ‘fitter’ (or so they thought) lads decided to walk up to the second level - the majority travelled down in the lift. Round the corner to the Metro and back via the MonoPrix supermarket for an evening fix of French ‘goodies’Thursday 23 February :
breakfast and a wander down the Boulevard St-Michel (to the strains of Peter Sarstedt!?) over the Seine to Notre Dame on to the Île de la Cité - all the gargoyles peering down at the group and then it’s time for an hour of quiet reflection within the hallowed walls. Amazing stained glass windows, the glow of dedicated candles, crypts and religious splendor. Next stop just as it started to rain . . . the eateries on Rue d’Arcole before crossing over the Seine again to the magnificent Pompidou Centre.
Kandinsky, Picasso, Braque, Giacometti, Matisse, Bacon et al - some absolutely amazing exhibits including a spiralling, floating tape that captivated everyone who strolled past. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rciVk7rVdYc&feature=youtu.be
At 3pm the group exited the iconic building and headed for the Metro to Anvers. Through some rather tacky tourist souvenir shops and crêpe stalls, awaiting the group at Montmartre was the Basilique du Sacré Cœur. A climb up dozens of steps, past locals trying to sell everything from miniature Eiffel Towers to cheap jewellery until reaching the doors of the Basilique and an amazing view across the city - and the site of a recent Renault television advert. Time to drink in the view and spot iconic Parisien landmarks.Exhausted by a packed and intense day the group wandered around the corner from the Basilique to Place du Tertre - a tree lined square populated by restaurants and artists - Dali had hung around the square in the past and Picasso had worked in a studio no more then five minutes walk away. Everyone was on their guard as the street artists before you know it are drawing/painting/cutting out portraits of the unsuspecting . . . and demanding money!
For three days the group had tried to avoid a traditional French restaurant . . . but not this evening. The editor took it upon himself to ‘open’ dialogue with two proprietors. Within minutes the choice was made and the group, on-mass filed into the Au Clairon des Chasseurs - which roughly translated means the Bugle of the Hunters. Translation of the menu over and it was time to indulge in proper French cuisine. James and Dec tried the snails, the French Onion soup with it’s floating cheese was a shock to some, Rob’s steak came back still alive . . . enter the editor to ask for “bien cuit” and the Creme Caramel dessert stumped many and gave the editor several portions - which were gracefully accepted.
Euros paid - experienced never to be forgotten the next port of call was the Moulin Rouge. Downhill off Montmartre - onto the Boulevard du Clichy and soon the red glow to the site of the iconic French burlesque theatre was upon us . . . and the crowds. Before heading to Paris, Matt had been banging on about going sampling the delights of the “can-can” - but at 70€ to get over the threshold decided against it. The group stood just drinking in the atmosphere of an amazing part of the French capital.
So, sadly, that was the trip all but over. The option put to the group was to wander back towards the Seine (and make those sore feet ache for one last time) or jump the Metro - the decision didn’t take much of a debate.The final celebratory evening, with presents for the editor and sub-editor, a signed-by-all card and the realisation of everything the group had experienced, all the places they’d visited, all the sights they had seen, the struggle with the language, the trip down the Seine, the trip up the Eiffel Tower, the price of a ‘pint’ - the headaches, “une crêpe avec du citron et du sucre”. Time for bed? Not for some!!
Friday 24 February :
a leisurely breakfast, bags packed, keys returned and as we stepped onto Rue Cujas we stepped into a film-set - didn’t we cause a stir! A fine, cool, sunny morning and a wander down to St-Michel Metro heading for Gare du Nord. Hands firmly clasping bags and straight to the EuroStar check-in. Final sight of Sacré Cœur as the train departed Paris, through the tunnel, back to a sunny England and soon in St. Pancras.
A fifteen minute stroll down to Euston, on the 2.30pm train back to Wigan and two hours later the group is home, all in one piece, all better for the experience and for the editor and sub-editor handshakes and good wishes from everyone of the group - magic!
