EUROPE TOUR 2013
On Friday, 20th September, 22 All Saints’ students in Years 9,10 and 11 and four of the
accompanying adults gathered at the school dining room with our families for a farewell lunch
before we departed on our journey.
We said our goodbyes and after 33 hours of travelling from Sydney to Dubai then Dubai to
Heathrow, we finally arrived in London where we met our tour guide, Elisabetta. We travelled to our
London hotel, St Giles, where we met up with Lyndsay Menzies (Year 10) and Father Paul Woodhart.
After a quick freshen-up and a much needed shower we hit the ground running, heading straight
towards the London Eye on our first trip on the Underground. After a breathtaking ride on the ‘Eye’
we spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the streets of London before an early dinner and
a well-earned sleep.
The next day was spent visiting Westminster Abbey, the Churchill War Rooms, squirrels in
the park, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and the Imperial War Museum. After a long day we
were rewarded with a spot of shopping at Covent Garden and dinner at Café Rouge. Our last day in
London consisted of the morning spent travelling on the Underground to Tower Bridge and the
Tower of London where we visited the exhibit of the Crown Jewels, which proved to be very
spectacular. That afternoon we visited the gorgeous St Paul’s Cathedral and the British Museum. To
end our great time in London we all dressed up and attended the New London Theatre where we
watched a spectacular production of War Horse.
We said our goodbyes to London and caught the Eurostar from Kings Cross St Pancras
Station to Lille where we met up with Mr David Pike and got a coach transfer to Ypres. We spent the
remainder of the morning exploring the beautiful town of Ypres before a visit to the In Flanders Field
Museum. We had an afternoon tour of the Ypres battlefields followed by an early dinner at our hotel
and a Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate. Benjamin Bayliss (Year 11) and Sophie Jones (Year 9), as
the oldest and youngest students on the tour, had the honour of laying the wreath on behalf of the
school.
We headed for Paris the next day, travelling though the battlefields of the Somme Valley
where we stopped in Fromelles, Pozières Le Hamel and Villers Bretonneux. At Villers Bretonneux, Mr
Wayne Feebrey and Father Paul put together a ceremony where we remembered those from All
Saints’ who fought for our country in the war. It was a very moving and lovely service. We continued
to Paris and at our hotel, The Ibis Bastille, we met up with Mr Robert and Mrs Suzanne King and their
daughters, Madeleine and Genevieve for dinner. The King family is living in France for the year.
The next day was a highlight of the tour as we visited the Army Museum and Napoleon’s
Tomb at Les Invalides before lunch in the centre of Paris. That afternoon we ascended to the top of
the Eiffel Tower followed by shopping and dinner on the Champs Elysee as well as a visit to the Arc
de Triomphe.
Friday consisted of a ride on the RER and metro to Versailles where we visited the Palace of
Versailles and its breathtaking garden before a leisurely afternoon exploring the Left Bank and Notre
Dame. We had free time that afternoon to explore the Louvre Museum and the surrounding gardens
before an early dinner and a cruise on the Seine River.
We departed Paris on an Easyjet flight to Naples where we spent the afternoon on a tour of
the Herculaneum archaeological site and the Villa of Poppea at Oplontis. We then continued to
Piano di Sorrento where we spent the next two nights.
A visit to Pompeii the following day was another highlight of the tour and proved to be
extremely interesting. That afternoon we spent exploring the coastal town of Sorrento, shopping
and eating delicious gelato followed by dinner.
We finished our time in Naples with a guided visit of the National Archaeological Museum
before continuing by coach to our final stop - Rome.
Our first full day in Rome consisted of a tour of Palatine Hill, the Forum and Capitoline
Museums and an afternoon visit to the spectacular Colosseum. We also said farewell to Father Paul
who departed for Australia.
The following day we spent the morning exploring the markets and shopping squares before
an afternoon guided tour of the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica. Gabrielle Elias, Mitchell
Thompson, Benjamin Bayliss and William Trounson even had the energy to climb the Cupola. We
spent the rest of the afternoon shopping before our final dinner in Rome.
The next day we said goodbye to Mr Pike who was travelling back to France and presented
Elisabetta with gifts of thanks for being such a great guide. We spent the morning in the market
square and shops around the area spending the remainder of our euros. A leisurely lunch and large
amounts of gelato allowed us to celebrate an end to our amazing time in Rome. That afternoon we
visited the Roman Catacombs before transferring to the airport to check in for our flight home. We
said our goodbyes to Mr Feebrey and his wife, Aileen, who were continuing their European journey
and to our beloved guide Elisabetta before Mrs Elizabeth Moller and Mr Spencer Goddard guided us
to our flight.
This trip proved to be such an amazing experience for all who attended. Special thanks to Mr
Feebrey and Mr Goddard who spent massive amounts of time organising the trip and also to Mrs
Feebrey, Mrs Moller, Mr Pike and Father Paul, all of whom contributed greatly to the success of the
tour. It would not have been the same without any of these people. We had a great time with a
great group and everything we saw and learnt on the trip will remain with each one of us for a very
long time.
Lucy Hobson and Courtenay Moller (Year 11)