Normandy and Brittany are beautiful. The beaches look like a perfect picture from your monthly National Geographic magazine. Yesterday, we went to Mont St. Michel and cruised around Normandy/Brittany in our ice cold bus. I think the theme of yesterday’s excursions was rocks because we went to go see a sacred rock on top of a huge rock (Mont Saint Michel) then went to see just a rock in the middle of nowhere (I’m not sure what the name was but it was huge rock), then we went climbing on rocks that looked over the ocean (the Emerald Coast) and ended our day with skipping rocks on the beach before dinner. So yeah. The moral of my story was that there are a lot of rocks in Normandy and Brittany. Also, before I finish my post I have to tell you about the food. The food here is amazing (well at least at the hotel). The first night I had salmon and when I ordered it I thought to myself “Ella. Why in the world did you order salmon? You don’t like salmon you idiot.” But let me tell you about that piece of fish. It was probably one of the best seafood dishes I have ever had. I loved it. If you love seafood, I highly recommend that you get yourself over here ASAP and eat some fish because it’s that good. Anyways, I’m defiantly going to miss this place and I hope I can come back in the future. See you in LA. -Ella
When I think of France, I picture little kids riding bikes in Paris with baguettes and berets. But in Normandy we got to experience a different side of France that’s not on every postcard. We had fun adventures, exploring our small town by the beach, and took long bus rides to see things such as Mont Saint Michael, historical monuments, and beautiful beaches. Overall, Normandy was very different from Paris, but brought more history to the trip!—Anaïs
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| The rock where Saint Michael beat the devil |
Good morning everyone, it’s the final day of the France GIP trip. Yesterday, we started off by driving up to Mont Saint Michel. After suffering through climbing up a seemingly endless hill, we toured the breathtaking cathedral. In the process of trying to find drinkable water, a small group of us wandered off, finding ourselves taking a long tour. The beautiful mixes of architecture (it was rebuilt after burning down) made for a wonderful sight of gothic and neoclassical styles. After the group reassembled, we had free time to walk into the market and explore the various aspects of the island, ranging from sandy beaches to tall towers. After lunch, we drove out to Pont Pig Snout (we can’t remember the French name). When we arrived we took a short walk to a beautiful jagged rock point. We could see the emerald colored ocean and, far away in what seemed to be an ominous mist, we could see Mont St Michel. As we walked back, the sun beat down upon us. I could feel all the moisture leaving my body as I grew ever more dehydrated. We climbed on the cool airconditioned bus and made our way back to the hotel. Back in town we were rewarded with 2 hours of free time, a quarter of which I spent at the beach in the cool refreshing water. Afterwards, in better spirits, I made my way back to the hotel where I joined Diego, Matt Kim, and Sam for an excursion to the local Carrefour. We decided it was a good idea to have a post dinner snack. This was a grave mistake as we would end up being far too full, and far too tired to even approach some of the food. After free time Madame was to take us to see all the oyster farms and to eat fresh oysters, but sadly the oyster farmers were no longer selling and the tide was too high to see the cages themselves. Instead of this we enjoyed some time skipping stones across the calm waters of the bay. After a nice dinner, which started with some amazing fresh oysters, the other boys and I moved on to our second dinner. Despite the fact we were already bulging at the seams, we felt obliged to consume at least some of the food. As the early hour of 1 approached I made my way to bed extremely full and finding myself thinking about the bittersweet departure which approached. In reflection I find that without the host families we have all bonded within ourselves and have been forced to reach out to people outside of our normal groups.
-Betsy, Sam, and Miles (any use of I, is from Miles’ perspective)
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| Claudine Gervais, Mme. Diederich's host mother from SYA Rennes gives a tour of the Thabord gardens |
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| Students meet with Denis Brochu, the Resident Director of SYA, Rennes |
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| Devant l'école américaine |
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| Mme. Lyons gives explanation of Chartres cathedral |
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| Final Ouistiti! |
And on to the next! After a week and change in Paris with our host families, we’re off to Normandy. So many wonderful memories have been made on these streets and I know I speak for others when I say the Parisian way of life is something I’ve fallen in love with. Although I was just too tired for tears this morning, as we drive out of the city I’m overcome with sadness. As excited as I am for our next adventure, there was something about my time in Paris that leaves me wanting more. Whether it be in two years or ten, I can say assuredly this was not the last time I will be seeing my Parisian sister. To all the host families, thank you for so graciously opening up your doors to a bunch of American strangers. Our stay would not have been the same without you.
—Lucy
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