Arts News
Paris Tour
A group of very excited GSG students gathered at Terminal One on Easter Saturday filled with anticipation about their upcoming tour of beautiful Paris.
We had a good flight with Emirates stopping in Dubai and landing into Charles de Gaule airport on Sunday afternoon. We met our lovely tour guide, Fatma and went straight to our hotel by the canal in the 19th arrisondonment. Our first evening was dinner and a walk in the Latin Quarter. We viewed Notre Dame Cathedral which still has scaffolding, due to reopen later this year.
On Monday we had a relatively easy day visiting the Louvre and The Eiffel Tower. The Louvre was very busy, getting to see the Mona Lisa involves virtually being part of a mosh pit with crowds jostling for photos. The artworks held in the huge Louvre building are mind blowing and discovering some of the hidden, quieter areas was very rewarding. We queued to go up the Eiffel Tower, an incoming storm meant we only made it to the second storey but even that had amazing views of the city.
Tuesday was a visit to the Palace of Versailles. The rich history of this incredible place is hard to fathom. We had a wonderful, guided tour hearing many varied stories about the inhabitants and then headed for a bike ride around the gardens. The gardens are being prepared to host the Equestrian events in the Olympics. As we moved from place to place ‘On y va’ became our most familiar term (off we go!).
Wednesday was a very busy day, we visited Saint Chappelle which is an unassuming chapel that has the most incredible stained glass windows inside. We then visited the L’Orangerie viewing the large Monet Waterlily paintings. After lunch, we walked through the Catacombs thirty metres below Paris, a unique experience. A visit to the Musee D’Orsay completed the day. This was originally a railway station, transformed into an art gallery. There were 27 Van Goghs are on display as well as many Reniors, Toulouse Lautrecs, Gauguins and many famous artists. We finished with a meal below the Montparnasse Tower.
On Thursday we had a big trek, heading up to Normandy via a long bus ride to see the incredible Mont St Michel. The 11th Century heritage site built on the island was inspired by the vision of a Bishop. It is a very special place to visit. We made it back to Paris very late before heading for a boat ride along the Seine River, the sparkling Eiffel Tower was very special.
Friday was a relaxed visit to Chartres Cathedral, built in the 10th Century it is a stunning example of Gothic architecture. Many of us walked the labyrinth inside and were in awe of this amazing place. We had a long lunch at an outside café in the centre of Chartres. Returning to Paris, dinner was back in the Latin Quarter followed by a truly Parisian theatre experience, the absurdist play, La Leçon by Eugene Ionesco. It is the world’s longest running play.
On Saturday we visited Giverney and Monet’s Gardens. The gardens were full of tulips in full bloom, unfortunately the waterlilies weren’t quite out, that will happen in the next few weeks. Another bike ride followed along the Seine River in this very picturesque place.
Sunday was a Paris treat, a tour of Montmartre and Sacre Coeur, even visiting the site of the filming of Amelié! We also visited the Picasso Museum in the Marais, then headed back to the hotel to get dressed up for an evening at the Moulin Rouge.
On Monday we had a gourmet food walking tour in Saint Germain, even tasting the chocolates from the venue that Marie Antoinette ordered from. We visited the Pompidou Museum and then dined near the Arc de Triomphe. On Tuesday we began the long trek back to Perth arriving Wednesday evening.
The wonderful sights of the beautiful Paris streets and its rich history will stay with us for a long time. It was a pleasure to travel with such engaged and enthusiastic young people who really embraced the opportunity and life of Paris. The students proved very adept at getting on and off crowded metro trains!
Planning for the next Paris Tour is underway, anticipated to run in 2027. It will be open to students in Years Ten, Eleven and Twelve.
Ms Rachel Mordy | Head of the Arts
Albany Chamber Orchestra presents "Musical Tapas".
This weekend some of our advanced string players and our violin teacher Miss T’Hart are playing as members of the Albany Chamber Orchestra in a concert held in Wesley Church on Duke Street on Friday 19 April at 7.00pm and Saturday 20 April at 2.00pm.
The Albany Chamber Orchestra is made up of advanced string students and teachers from around the region. This will be a lovely concert of short musical works from the string orchestra repertoire.
Ms Emma Luxton | Director of Music