Language Learning: France A 2011

août 1

Photo by August Laska

Finishing up our trio of hikes, we began the day with a téléférique and télésiège ride high into the mountains, and went by foot for about an hour and a half to a spectacular glacial lake, where we had a picnic lunch overlooking the valley and mountain around us.

Photo by August Laska

After the long hike back, everyone especially enjoyed Benoît’s cooking and capped off the day with a foot-stomping balloon game.

août 2

With our second to last day upon us, we went canyoning, which included a brief stop in Switzerland. From traversing streams to jumping into a natural pool below to sliding down rock walls, our guides took us on a wonderful adventure through the forest.

On our way back to the chalet, we stopped by Chamonix to go ice skating before dinner.

Speaking of dinner, one group went with Julia and Karen, while the other group–the winners of the food challenge–went with Mark Anthony to a restaurant in town where a special menu had been prepared for them.

août 3

It is a bit hard to imagine but we have reached our last full day together. We began bright and early by packing our bags before splitting off into three groups for lunch in Chamonix. Afterwards, we went to a fun park to experience the luge d’été and had our final ice creams and free time of the voyage. For dinner, we went to Le Dahu and ended the night with a campfire.

At the time of writing this final entry, we are preparing for our journeys home, beginning with our bus ride to Geneva.  It has been an amazing journey!

Signing off,
Mark, Karen, and Julia

29 juillet

From the heat and the beach, our group took a total of four trains before arriving at our final destination, high in the Alps. Indeed, we have literally reached new heights as our surroundings—inclusive of cooler weather and a much higher altitude—dictate life in the French Alps. By the time we arrived in the area, it was about 6pm and Carly had emerged as the victor of our “Slaps” meets les fourches langues (tongue twisters) version of Assassins. After settling into our cozy chalet in the valley, we soon ate dinner prepared by Benoît, the owner and wonderful cook of the chalet. We also celebrated August’s “savory 16th” birthday which ended with tiramisu and an evening game outdoors.

30 juillet

Following a breakfast highlighted by freshly baked croissants at the chalet, we kicked off our first full day in the Alps by first taking a set of téléfériques to the top of the Alps, where we enjoyed the crisp air and played in the snow.

Down and away from the snow, we picnicked against beautiful mountain scenery before hiking to the glacier d’Argentière.

After a long, first day of hiking, we went to a cozy restaurant and enjoyed French-style comfort food.

31 juillet

Continuing our sommet adventures, we took two téléphériques from 1030m above sea level to 3842m and the top of the Aiguille du Midi. Taking an elevator further up, we ate lunch overlooking French, Italian, and Swiss borders, before heading back down for an afternoon in one of the larger cities in the area, Chamonix.

Back at the chalet, Benoît prepared a wonderful dinner which included our final round of the défi de nourriture: andouillette and boudin noir. Arguably one of the most difficult rounds we’ve had throughout our voyage, nine students completed the task and looked forward to the winners’ dinner to follow.

27 juillet

Keara and Louisa

Today we had breakfast at the hotel. It was really yummy. We had croissants, cereal, bread, and pain au chocolat. Then, we took a bus for around an hour to a modern/contemporary art museum, the Leger Museum, where we paired off and found our favorite piece and wrote about it in French. We then presented it to the rest of the group, like a petite tour.

Hey family! We’re having a ton of fun. I miss you guys and I’ll see you soon. Love, Louisa

Hi Fam. I’m having a blast. Give Lainey a kiss for me. See you soon. <3 Keara

Laura and Alex

Today was a rainy day, and after stopping for lunch on the road, we went to a chapel painted by Matisse late in his life. After that, we went to another modern art museum before returning to the hotel for dinner out of a choice of three restaurants.
Alex and Laura

Aidan and Alden

Tonight was Hayes’ birthday but before we could celebrate we split into three groups for dinner. The three choices were Moroccan, Thai, and Franco-Italian. Generally, all the food was delicious (even though Julia’s group waited an hour and a half for their food to arrive). After dinner, we ate dessert in the form of ice cream, waffles, or crêpes before walking back to the hotel. Before we got to the hotel, we blindfolded Hayes in order to surprise him with a giant “H” of sparklers in the sand. Hayes got a nice little cake to wrap up a great birthday.

Dear Mom + Dad, We are having the time of our lives here in St. Raphaël. But that doesn’t mean we’re not excited to see you in 8 days!

Love,
Alden + Aidan

28 juillet

Livvy and Sarah

Another beautiful day in St. Raphaël! This morning we had a leisurely breakfast at our hotel and then set out for our first activity of the day. We divided up into teams of two and were asked to choose and translate controversial articles from various newspapers. We then headed out to talk to locals and get their opinions. Many people were hesitant to discuss politics, especially when asked about Sarkozy. Others were strong about their feelings, including one woman who said definitively, “I and all the young people in France are opposed to Sarkozy.” The responses were certainly mixed, but it was interesting to talk to the locals and get their take on things. For those in the States reading this blog, thanks a lot for following us!

To the Zalesins: Miss you and can’t wait to see you in a week. To the Wellers: I miss you guys so much! Hope everything is well. Can’t wait to see you in a week.

Livvy and Sarah

August and Eric

This afternoon, Karen, Mark, and Julia, had a surprise for us. They took us on a catamaran boat to an island about 30 minutes away to go snorkeling and to relax in the sun. It was so much fun and the weather was perfect. Yes, Mom, I wore sunblock. Today is our last day in St. Raphaël — I don’t want to leave! I am excited to go to the French Alps, though. I can’t wait to finish off this awesome trip with an incredible time in the snow and beautiful mountains!
-August

This afternoon was amazing. We went on a catamaran and it was so fun. Laying on the net with everyone and tanning was very relaxing. We also went swimming and I loved jumping off the boat. This was one of my favorite days of the trip!
-Eric

A word from the leaders:
Following four long days here in St. Raphaël, it’s now time for us to move on.  And, naturally, we gathered on the outdoor terrace of a great restaurant in the Vielle Ville (old city) of St. Raphaël to celebrate our last night here. After a final tour of the midnight market, everyone went back to the hotel to finish packing and to get a good night’s rest before our long journey to the Alps in the morning.

A bientot,
Mark, Karen, and Julia

After a two-hour train ride from the windy city of Aix, we have now made it to Saint-Raphaël and the southeastern coast of France, the land of sun, beach, and water.  It is hard to believe that this the second to last stop on our journey.  For this post and the one to come, the students will let you know what we’ve been up to.  More to come soon.  Enjoy!

25 juillet

Sami and Carly

In the afternoon we all went shopping for our favorite foods and sandwich fixings, and had a picnic lunch overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. After that, we had a fun day laughing, splashing, and relaxing. Dear Mom + Dad, We’re having a lot of fun, but we miss you and we’ll see you soon.

Love,
Sami + Carly

Maya and Kimia

Finally! We’re in St. Raphael and we’re so excited to be here. It’s been amazing. Tonight, we had a really nice dinner on the pier. Some of us have been participating in a food challenge and tonight’s challenge was frog legs – yum! After dinner, we got some ice cream and walked through the midnight market which goes on every night in St. Raphael. We’ve been having the best time ever and we all wish this trip could last forever!  Bisoux!

26 juillet

Katie and Maggie

Today was our first full day in Saint Raphaël. After our croissants and freshly squeezed orange juice, the group headed out to the beach for banana boating and fun in the sun. Hi family, We are having so much fun and making lots of new friends. Love and miss you guys!
Katie + Maggie

Emma and Colleen

We’ve been having so much fun in St. Raphael. This afternoon, we were given free time to explore the city and go to the beach in small groups. Some groups went to different restaurants and cafes, while others chose to have picnics on the beach! Hi Mom. The weather has been so nice here; it finally feels like summer laying out on the beach!
Emma and Colleen

Michael, Hayes, and Keenen

To whom it may concern: We concluded our first full day in St. Raphael by dining in a most eclectic fashion; we were given a plethora of choices for our dining experience. While the others took a culinary voyage to Italy and Tunisia, we decided to stay in France for some high class grub. We experienced the fine art of France. While eating, these adjectives came to mind: life-changing, indescribable, scrumptious, fit for a king, and pleasurable. Our dinner was also accompanied by copious amounts of laughter. Following our meal, we felt it was necessary to take in some of the beauties that St. Raphael has to offer. We decided, rather than spending more of our parents’ money while shopping, we would do something a bit more meaningful. A group of us trotted down to the beach to relax and appreciate the beauty of St. Raphael; from the pier, you could see the laughter radiating from our mouths. A fine evening fit for the children of such distinguished parents! For now, we bid you adieu.

Best regards,
Hayes, Keenen, and Michael

Greetings!

The region of Provence—known especially for the great winds of Le Mistral, historical influences of the Gaulois, Celtics, and Romans, and as a source of inspiration for many a great artist—greeted us with both beautiful weather and ample time to reconnect as a group after our week-long homestay in Alsace.

21 juillet

Maya, Michael, and Colleen stand before the Rotonde fountain and the statue of the Trois Grâces (justice, agriculture, and the fine arts) in the city center.

After saying goodbye to our host families and coordinators, we sojourned six hours by train to Aix-en-Provence. We settled into our hotel and then explore the Cours Mirabeau (the Champs-Elysée of Aix) before eating dinner together and celebrating Alex’s birthday. Following dinner, we ended the night with stargazing, quiet time, and shout-outs on the rooftop terrace.

22 juillet

As we were still fairly new to the area, we kicked off the day with a morning scavenger hunt, discovering such notable sights as the Hôtel de Ville and its clock tower with upper ironwork. We then broke up into smaller groups for a quick lunch before making our way to Cezanne’s workshop, preserved and maintained with original artifacts. After an afternoon of free time, we had dinner à la Provençale, the local specialties of which include duck and seafood.

23 juillet

The students gather around an installation, within the ruins of Glanum, which reflects their images from an underground water source believed to have been used for ritual purposes.

Today was our excursion day and after breakfast we began with a visit to St-Rémy and the ruins of Glanum. In French, we had a tour of the archaeological and cultural history that was not unearthed until 1921, and which still reveals many waves of structural influences and early writing systems.

Everyone gains a wider perspective of the ruins from the site of the ancient columns.

A short walk next door, we then visited Van Gogh’s asylum and the garden grounds, seeing the room where Van Gogh lived, as well as the surrounding grounds. After lunch in the city of Saint Rémy, we went by bus to spend the rest of the afternoon swimming in the Roman aqueduct waters of the Pont du Gard. Back in Aix, we had dinner in three groups— at a 24/7 French brasserie, an Indian restaurant, and a Thai eatery—followed by dessert and a street spectacle on the Cours Mirabeau.

24 juillet

At the Pavillon de Vendôme

Today we found a soccer field and started our final day in Aix with yoga ball soccer, which ended with a contested 8-4 finish. We then returned to the hotel before heading back out again for lunch and a second scavenger hunt, which this time incorporated a toilet paper exchange. Simply put, each group was asked to exchange a roll of toilet paper at least seven times for something arguably better.  One group came back with a light-up helicopter toy. Following a few hours of laundry and packing, we ended our day with a picnic and outdoor movie (Some Like It Hot) on the lawn of the Pavillon de Vendôme.

The group of 10 continue onward in our défi de nourriture.

Oh! And we can’t forget: before the movie, we completed the third round of our food challenge. (Un)fortunately, everyone made it through—we truly have some brave eaters!  They ate a serving of roquefort (no bread), caviar on a small piece of toast, and four spicy Provençal black olives.

Karen, Mark, and Julia... fearless leaders!

It seems not too long ago that we began our voyage together to the beautiful country of France and already we write to you in retrospect of our week here in Alsace.  We are  now more than halfway into our travels and now we have our sights set on Aix-en-Provence.

14-17 juillet

We left Paris very early last Thursday (Bastille Day), and within minutes of arriving, the students and their respective host families had found each other and headed home, leaving behind the three leaders and our homestay coordinators, Estelle and Emmanuelle. Throughout the weekend, the students stayed with their host families–learning about daily life, visiting nearby cities, and so forth–while the leaders stayed in town, taking in the sights, trying Alsatian food, and planning for the remaining weeks ahead.

18 juillet

This morning, the students and their host siblings arrived at the gare excited to see each other and clearly having progressed in their French. They recounted what they had done the last few days, and among the French activities was watching the final Harry Potter movie in French and without subtitles. Moreover, they commented on how much French they had been speaking and were equally proud to have been able to communicate with their host families and new-found friends.

Together, we boarded a bus en route to Struthof-Natzwiller where we visited the concentration camp (the only one in France) which is situated in the Vosges mountains. A symbol of past and present of the French resistance, Struthof stands as a reminder of very recent history, and it was a great experience for the students to both pay respects and learn about the lives of those in this region.

The American and French students take a break for lunch before the cheateau visit

Following our visit, we went down the winding roads for lunch and then soon back high in the Vosges to visit a fortress castle high in the hills.

Especially on excursions the English-French dictionary is well-utilized!

20 juillet

Conseil de l'Europe

For our second excursion, we met again at the gare in the morning and this time took the train to Strasbourg. Upon arrival, we went both by bus and by foot to the Conseil de l’Europe (Council of Europe) where we had a tour conducted in French and a small discussion using French and English. Indeed, our guide commented on the students’ attention in French for the entirety of the tour. From the Council of Europe, the students broke off into smaller American and French pairs and spent the afternoon together exploring different areas of Strasbourg. It was then back home to spend a final evening with the host families before leaving for Aix in the morning.

À bientôt,
Mark, Karen, and Julia

10 juillet

Burgeoning experts of the Parisian metro system

Up early again today, we went to the Musée de Louvre and amidst a crowded museum had a tour of the lesser known exhibits before giving the students some free time to explore and see the major attractions. Afterwards, we went by metro to St-Michel and the Latin Quarter for lunch. We then did a more formal orientation to the metro system and in small groups, they spent the afternoon exploring Paris before dinner.

Under the Eiffel Tower

Afterward, we headed out to the Eiffel Tower and made our way to the top of the summit to check out Paris at midnight.

Of the many sweet treats the students are really into, barbe à papa is definitely the favorite.

At the summit of the Eiffel Tower!

11 juillet

In front of the field of France's national football (i.e., soccer) and rugby pitch

After our breakfast, we headed out to Notre Dame, situate on the Ile St-Louis, a brisk 5-minute walk from our hotel, and then broke into small groups for a morning exploration of Paris, with many students going to the marché aux puces (flea market). Following lunch, students chose between going to a yoga class or a tour of the Stade de France, both in French. About 2/3 of the group went to the yoga class near the Arc de Triomphe and learned new vocabulary in their practice. It was a good refresher of the vocab words we learned in Brittany. The rest of the group went to the Stade de France. Our tour guide was great and she was most impressed that our group speaks French so well!

Getting in touch with Putney's Vermont roots, the group its the Ben & Jerry;s of Paris for some dessert.

We ate dinners of three regional cuisines: Thai, Italian, and French. To end the day, in two groups, we got ice cream at a Ben & Jerry’s and watched spectacles (in this case, fire juggling and dance) on the courtyard of Notre Dame.

12 juillet

Today was our excursion day, as we boarded the train early this morning for Chartres to visit the cathedral and have a private tour and window reading with English-speaking leading expert Malcolm Miller. Following our visit, we went into town for lunch and a bit of free time before boarding the bus and heading to Versailles to check out the castle and gardens.

The group at the Théâtre des Mathurins

In the evening, we ate dinner at a restaurant directly across the street from the Théâtre des Mathurins where, at the suggestion of Michael, we watched a mystery theatre play called Dernier coup de ciseaux (in the States, it’s known as Shear Madness). Highly interactive and spoken in quick and witty Parisian French, everyone enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm of the actors.

13 juillet

Today was a memorable day.  Indeed, as many pointed out, today was the end of an era, as well as our last day in Paris.

We began our day in line at Les Catacombes, anxiously awaiting both entry and this evening’s activities, marked already by lightning bolt scars and flipping through French magazines bearing the headlines « La bible ultime Harry Potter : Les secrets les mieux gardés de la saga » (The ultimate Harry Potter: The best guarded secrets of the saga) and « Harry : C’est fini 10 ans de Potter » (Harry: This is the end of 10 years of Potter). We eventually made our way through the underground catacomb system of Paris. With many sights of Paris already seen through the lens of the highest of monuments, today’s visit brought us beneath the Métro. Indeed, one could say we saw an extremely wide range of angles of the City of Lights.

During lunch, we prepared the students for the homestay component of the program which would begin tomorrow, and then gave them some free time to do their laundry and pack for our early train ride in the morning to Colmar. Time passed quickly and finally we were gathered at Les Halles, a large mall connected to the Métro which housed the theatre in which we would watch the final installment of the Harry Potter series.

The 10-year group is saddened by the end of the Harry Potter cinematic era

Over the past few days, we had shared some French Harry Potter vocabulary which ended up naturally appearing in the subtitles. From this particular experience, the students learned the difference between watching a movie V.O. (original version) and one in V.F. (French version); as a particularly special treat and in reflection of their dedication to speaking in French, we watched the 2-D version of Harry Potter et les Réliques de la Mort in English. To conclude our evening, and indeed our visit to Paris, we went back to the Marais for ice cream and crêpes.

That’s all for now!

Mark Anthony, Karen, and Julia

8 juillet
Hello all!  We are all getting used to our traveler’s schedules and with all of the walking we’ve been doing we’ll be experts at navigating France by the end of our journey here! With a very early departure and long day of travel ahead of us, we left Le Conquet and headed for the capital city of Paris. We took some time to eat lunch and do laundry in the Marais district and then had some time to decompress before doing what we all love to do: eat!  For dinner, we went to an Italian-accented restaurant near our hotel and then made our way to the Jardin de Tuilleries where everyone—especially the Parisians—was in carnival mode. As a group, we went on the Grand Roue (ferris wheel) and had a beautiful view of Paris by night, of which we will certainly have many more.

9 juillet

If one could describe our visit to Blois as one of exploring châteaux, one could certainly say that Paris is one of the Métro and of musées. We slowly introduced the students to the metro system and made our way to the Musée d’Orsay. The tour and our guide were both excellent, and the students were very attentive.  What’s more, our guide commended the students for their willingness and enthusiasm in learning about art history in French.

We ended our visit at the museum with a brief discussion on which works they enjoyed most, and then went to Montmartre for lunch and exploration time. Then we had our second terrific view of Paris by climbing the stairs of the Sacré Coeur, and went to the Dali Museum.

Continuing our unofficial theme of athleticism and heights, we took the metro to the Champs-Elysée and made our way up the Arc de Triomphe.

We ate at small restaurant near our hotel and in sight of the Seine; we began our first course with our second food challenge: foie gras and escargot. At the end of this round, 10 students remained in the competition. To conclude our evening, we walked across the Seine to the Berthillon for ice cream, before getting to the Pont Neuf for a river boat tour of Paris, which many of the students requested to do on their “ce que je voudrais faire à Paris” list.

5 juillet

After breakfast and a group review of yesterday’s scavenger hunt, everyone wrote to their homestay families, and en masse we took our bike riding skills into the Breton rain. We then took a bus from Le Conquet to Brest where we chose three movies to watch in French: Insidious, Limitless, and Transformers 3. We are anxiously awaiting our cinematic experience at the end of our stay in Paris: the premiere of the final Harry Potter movie.

6 juillet

Today was our first day of the students’ mini stages (work placements) both on the farm and in our town.

From spending time in the kitchen preparing the group’s dinner to working in a poissonerie (a shop specializing in seafood), to playing with kids on the beach to translation practice at the Office de Tourisme, the stages give the students an opportunity to experience daily French life in suburban/rural Brittany, as well as to practice their French. Following lunch together in town, most of the students went with Julia on a long bike ride to a fun ropes course and zip-lining, while Karen and Mark Anthony stayed with the others playing language games.

For dinner, Aiden and Eric helped the chef during their stage to prepare the vegetables for a soup, as well as peel and dice apples for a delicious tart. In addition, we experienced for our main course a true Breton specialty, kig ha farz.

7 juillet

It’s rather difficult to imagine, but today is our last full day in Brittany before our departure to Paris. We began with a language lesson on “crutch words” (i.e., words to indicate things: truc, choses, etc.) and then it was off to the second morning of stages. For lunch, we divided into three restaurant groups and then returned to the farm for an afternoon of free time (en français, of course!).

Right before dinner, students presented their stages to the rest of the group and we had a language lesson on body parts vis-à-vis “Julia dit” (as opposed to Simon says) which was particularly timely as Julia had taken a group earlier in the day to a yoga class. Soon after, we had dinner together and celebrated our last night on the farm. Yesterday’s sous chefs, along with August and Mark Anthony, helped prepare this evening’s dinner of poulet bourginon. With the additional enthusiasm and support of the staff on the farm, we also celebrated Keara’s birthday, sparklers and all.

3 juillet

Today, we rose early for our departure from Blois. Our transfers from one Parisian sation to another en route to Brest went smoothly, and we were met in Brest by our bus, which shuttled us to our new home for the week. Upon arrival, a visit to the beach (about 10 minutes by foot) was in order just before dinner. Following our dinner of smoked salmon, chicken/fish, and sabayon, the students were presented with the first Défi de Nourriture (food challenge).

Before listing this first round’s ingredients, there are a few rules which everyone should understand:

1. Participation in the food challenge is completely optional (and it should be noted that one of the many things the students wished would happen during our voyage was to try new foods).
2. Each leader participates in the food challenge as well; the food(s) chosen in each round are traditionally eaten in France and must be something the leaders are also willing to eat.
3. Before consuming the food, everyone is told—and must thus understand—what they will be eating.
4. In order to move onto the next round, those participating must finish everything given to them for the challenge.
5. Those who do not pass the round are still welcome to try future foods.

Défi de nourriture: Round 1

Eleven students continued in the challenge and successfully ate: a very small handful of gooseberries, four thin slices of sausages (one made of blueberry, one of boar, one of donkey, and one of wild horse), and about 1.5 tsps of zucchini antipasti (made of cooked zucchini, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil).

4 juillet

The students reflected on their experiences in Blois as we moved our focus to Brittany.

After today’s breakfast, everyone found their bikes and helmets and traversed en masse into town. Our small community is situated right on the ocean.  Some families in this region still speak the Breton language and have lived in Brittany for many generations. Our visit here provides an excellent look into contemporary French maritime life.

While the leaders met with the businesses in town who will host our students’ internships, we sent the students out on a 20-question scavenger hunt throughout the community. From asking a young child what they want to be when the grow up to recording someone dancing a traditional Breton dance to learning about local cuisines, the groups returned excited for once again having practiced their French and interacting with those in Le Conquet.

Roasting marshmallows without sticks, and facing the United States 'across the pond.'

Following the scavenger hunt, we went to a crêperie which had a beautiful ocean view, and then came back for some time to relax before eating again at dinner. As today was the U.S.’s Independence Day, it was fitting that we would celebrate on the beach facing the land across the waters. At the suggestion of one of the staff members here in the auberge, who joined us for our campfire, we ended an evening of playing ultimate frisbee, roasting marshmallows, and spending group time together by yelling our thoughts out over the water, leaving us more or less lightened and completely ready for bed.