Visit To Boissy 2010

We all gathered promptly at 7 a.m. in the car park beside the school. Soon we were on our way to Folkestone to get the shuttle to France. We made good time to the shuttle terminal and managed to get on an earlier train than planned. After a quick fill-up of Diesel in Calais it was off along the motorways towards Paris and eventually Boissy. As usual we had an hour lunch stop at Peronne and then it was off towards Paris. We were making good time and were hopeful of beating the rush hour around Paris and arriving in Boissy on time at 6 p.m.

Unfortunately it was not to be. About 50 miles from Paris Linda, our driver, announced that there was a problem with the coach and we would have to stop in the parking area at the paeage while she checked the coach.

Actually everyone was glad of an opportunity to get off the coach and have a walk around in the pleasant afternoon sunshine.	Linda quickly got down to investigating the problem.	It did not take long to find the problem. The coach was losing water - not Henry!
Water was brought from the toilet area.	With advice and encouragement from the men Linda refilled the radiator and effected a temporary repair to the leaking hose which was more than good enough to get us to Boissy.

Click here for a slideshow of the above photos.

Unfortunately the delay at the paeage meant that we hit the Paris rush hour. After one of our slowest trips around the Périphérique, and not helped by the closure of our exit to the N20, we arrived in Boissy at 8.30 p.m. As always our hosts were patiently waiting for us in very good spirit. Quickly we located our families and were whisked off to our hosts' homes. There after a quick wash and a not so quick aperitif we had a good meal and the pleasure of being reunited with old friends or for two of our families the chance to get to know new friends.

Saturday was a free day and we were taken by our families to various places of interest, local towns, shopping etc.

At 6 p.m. Saturday evening we all met together again outside the chemist in Rue Pasteur. There we boarded Linda's coach and a French coach for the 40 minute journey to La Ferme du bout des Prés ("The Ranch") at Cernay La Ville.

On arrival we were greeted with Champagne and canapés		and soft drinks for the children.
Four year old Gemma quickly got in to the spirit of the evening.	Patsy needed a torch to read the French part of her speech.	Patsy presented ABAI with two copies of a poster of pictures of the past 28 years of our twinning.
after which Patsy passed the microphone to Alfred Ortlieb - the President of ABAI.	Alfred enjoyed telling us what his guest, Harry, had suggested he should say.	Finally, the Mayor of St Yon said a few words
	and presented Patsy with some books about the local area.

Click here for a slideshow of the above photos.

A starter of pate and terrine was followed by roast pig, a cheese course and apple tart. All served with plenty of wine.

Click here for a slideshow of the above photos.

During and after dinner we were entertained by a Line Dance group.
After dinner they tried to teach us some simple dances. Despite the instructions being in French and the amount of wine that had been consumed most managed to follow the instructions.

Sunday was spent with our host families either at rest or visiting places of interest.

All too soon it was Monday morning and time to say goodbye to our hosts and embark on the journey home.

For a change this year, we decided to skip the shopping experience at Cité Europe and instead spend three hours at Amiens. There we were able to visit the largest Gothic cathedral in Europe and have lunch in one of the many restaurants and cafes on the banks of the river Somme.

Click here for a slideshow of the above photos.

Linda got us back to Calais early enough to have a break at the shuttle terminal before the train and the final leg of our journey to Colney Heath. Tired but happy we eventually arrived at Colney Heath at 8.30 p.m. Another good twinning visit to Boissy had ended.

Our thanks go to Ed Pizzey, Ian Skelt and Peter Fox for these photos.

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