We pulled into the centre two hours early and were greeted by our group leader. She showed the children to their rooms, each of which consisted of two sets of bunk beds and en-suite.
The children had 40 minutes to unpack and settle in to their rooms, as well as pop into all their friends' room just to make sure they weren't missing anything in their own, and then it was off for a site tour. I had been impressed with the amount of food that children had brought with them in their hand luggage onto the ferry, but that was nothing compared to the treasure trove of treats which emerged from the children's suitcases. Some of the rooms looked more like convenience stores than bedrooms!
We ate dinner in the Chateau, and the food was great, but for some reason a few of the children didn't have much of an appetite. We had a choice of baked potatos or pork chops, and a wide selection of salads and vegetables. There was also plenty of bread, and a choice a lemon tort or fruit for dessert. What the children most enjoyed about the meal, I think, was the hot chocolate machine. It certainly got a work out on our first day at the Chateau.
After dinner, the children had their first activity, which was 'wide games'. It basically involved playing a series of games over a large area which involved the children running around for 90 minutes in an attempt to let them burn off all the energy they accumulated through sitting down for such a long time, and make sure they're nice and tired so they have a restful first night here. We all agreed this was a good plan, but the chlldren enjoyed the games so much, they came back at the end of the session more energised than when they started! I was sure that it would be a long night for the teachers patrolling the corridors and making sure the children stayed in their rooms and got some sleep, but I was mistaken. The children were fantastic, and stayed in their rooms and turned out the lights when asked to do so. I could get used to this!
We'll be waking the children up in just over an hour to get them ready for breakfast and their first full day of activities, which will include abseiling, archery, team challenge and a trip to the chocolate factory. I can't wait!
