Montpellier, France

My second visit to Montpellier welcomed me with the same blue skies and very warm temperatures, magnified by the large stone pavements found throughout the city and especially in the Place de la Comedie in the heart of the old town. The French immersion host families greeted our anxious students with smiles and excitement at the meeting point. Each was wondering what the other would be like. The bonds that our students forged with each other during the two weeks in Toulouse would have to take a break during this week in which each student is expected to integrate as much as possible into their host family’s life. This is the part of the program where a student’s language skills can really take off. The more effort they put in the more easily they will be able to express themselves in French.

After just three days in the city, things seem to be going very well for our students, some challenged more than others with the French language and opening up to their families. Some have travelled with their host families to Marseilles and Avignon, while others have been out and about town with their host brothers and sisters, partaking in conversation over an ice cream cone or a kebab. Tracy and I have seen many of them during our day and evening walks, unbeknownst to them, and we have even made it a game of “face bingo”. So far, Tracy is up 4 to 2, having seen Jordan, Danny, Aaron, and Vanessa, while I have only caught a glimpse of Rachel and Paige.

I hope that the students all appreciate what an interesting Montpellier is. Quite a bit different from Toulouse in its ambiance and street layout, Montpellier is full of palm and umbrella covered terraces where locals and tourists can lazily pass the time sipping Perrier à la menthe, Orangina, or café crèmes. This is a city with windy, narrow streets, sandy stone facades, and palm trees. The brick covered buildings from Toulouse seem very far away now.

One way to escape from the heat is a trip to nearby Carnon, a beach town about 15 minutes south of Montpellier. Just before arriving on Sunday afternoon, all our students were able to bask in the Mediterranean sun on the Carnon beach before meeting their host families. For many, this was their first experience on a French beach. The water couldn’t have been more refreshing and all the elements of a bronzage à la française were there – men in skimpy speedo swimsuits, topless women, the ice cream vendor with her mobile cart, kite boarders, and even a library on the beach where you can peruse your favorite magazine just yards from the sea. This was a great way for the students to transition into this second half of the ECI experience.

Last days in Toulouse

Well, we have had a jam-packed week. Wednesday we visited the Modern Art Museum of Toulouse and students were both amused and bewildered with the exhibit on the future that included children warriors and mutated breeds of animals. Wednesday night we had our final language partner session. It was nice to see many students exchanging emails and giving one last bise to their new French friends. Thursday we visited the town of Foix, which is at the base of the Pyrénées and home to a medieval castle. Most came away with the notion that living in that time period was not so much fun. Imagine having to be a knight and wearing a suit of armor that weighed between 50-60 kilos and needing a pulley system to get seated on the horse (cross your fingers that you weren't knocked off). Trips that we take for granted in a car that take minutes often took hours and days to complete in the Middle Age. Friday was our last day of classes and everyone had a free afternoon for some last minute shopping or visiting Toulouse. Those students, however, who are seeking university credit finished a difficult final exam that enabled them to show just how much they learned in a short amount of time. We also had a French conversation hour in a Salon du Thé called Bapz House. The fig and raspberry tart was my personal favorite, but scones and tea were the hit for quite a few of the kids. Today (Saturday) we went kayaking in the Gorges of Averyon and it was a great way to finish our time in the Toulouse area. Nobody capsized their boats, but everybody still managed to return drenched with water from the small rapids we did encounter.

Now it is off to Montpellier tomorrow morning. Students will be with their new host families for a full week of true immersion. Everyone's stories will be different so I hope that many of your children will get the chance to write descriptive stories of their personal experiences.

Canal du Midi Bike Ride

Imagine a canal 240 kilometers in length and anywhere from 10 to 20 meters wide and 2 meters in depth. Imagine it being all made by hand, and in the 17th century at the time of Louis XIV. You would be describing the Canal du Midi, one of France's most amazing treasures. The genius behind this body of water linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic is Pierre Paul Riquet, a tax collector who saw the need for improved means of travel. Today, our ECI students got to try their hand at biking along this canal. The challenge was quite a bit different from the 11,000 feet of climbing that the Tour de France cyclists endured in the Alps in today's stage 16, but it was certainly more fun. Well, I should clarify that a bit. It was more fun for those who didn't get a flat tire without the means to fix it (namely Charlie and myself). A big thanks to Max for his help this afternoon. He is our biker extraordinaire and he and a few others pitched in by returning the bikes by foot while the rest of the troops enjoyed a bike tour along the beautiful countryside and the tranquil canal.

Petanque

The game of Petanque was first introduced in Gaul by the Romans and is one of France's most popular sports. The game is quite simple - a small ball (called the cochonnet) is thrown out onto a rectangular area, and then each team takes turns throwing larger metallic balls (called boules) in an effort to get as close to the cochonnet at possible. It reminds me a lot of shuffleboard, a game I used to love to play when I was a kid. Our students had the opportunity to practice their petanque skills this afternoon in the company of a few of their language partners. We found a lovely shaded Petanque course near the Garonne River and divided up into teams of three and four. If you're familiar with shuffleboard then it would not be a surprise to learn that one of the strategies in Petanque is to knock your opponents ball away from the cochonnet. That strategy didn't work so well for me, unfortunately, as every time I tried to knock my opponents ball away I ended up either hitting my own teammate's ball or nudging the opponent's ball even closer to the cochonnet. Most of the other students had much better success. After about an hour of play, most students left with their language partners for French conversation in a cafe.

Tepacap Ropes Course

Just outside the small town of Rieumes, about an hour from Toulouse, is located one of the most amazing ropes courses I have ever seen. 15 different circuits, #1 being the easiest and #15 insanely difficult (none of our students even attempted it). After a 30 minute orientation from our instructor, our students divided up and proceeded to conquer almost all the circuits, including Le Tyrolean (the longest zip line in the park). For some students it was their first time trying out the challenges of a ropes course. It was incredible to see Amy encouraging Molly, for example, during the higher elements. Even though Molly has a fear of heights she did so incredibly well. So many other students also pushed themselves and seemed to have loads of fun moving from one obstacle to another. The final attraction for many was the "Monde Obscur", a long pitch black tunnel in which students had to crawl on their hands and knees to reach the end (not suited for those with claustrophobia). Judging from the reaction of the kids afterwards, this was a highlight of the week.

Catching up in Carcassonne

The kids have been in class for four days now, and I’m finally putting my thoughts down on “paper”. That should give you an idea of how crazy busy the schedule can be here in Toulouse, as much for the kids as it is for the chaperones on the trip. The day starts at school at 9:15, when students are expected to arrive for their morning session. Although there is a break from 11:00-11:15, it is still a long stretch until 1:00 PM when classes officially end for the day. The length of the classes isn’t the only difference to which students must adapt. Our ECI students are taught under a comprehensive language instruction program established by the European Commission on Education. Grammar, for the most part, is reviewed within the context of authentic French language materials and role playing situations. Students who are used to a lecture style course will find this methodology quite different, but I hope very stimulating. The challenge as you can imagine for a language school is finding the middle ground for so many students from so many different backgrounds. ECI students, for example, are studying with young adults from across Europe and Asia. During the breaks, one can hear many students with accents from Spain, Germany, Ireland, and England. It is up to each student to become a curious and active learner in the classroom. As I have already said to them, you will get out of it what you put in. Those who are seeking university credit through the University of Southern Mississippi are already being challenged with a two page composition, an oral presentation on a topic of their choosing, and a final exam this coming Friday. I hope that they will feel proud of their accomplishments by the end of the two weeks.

Today, we all went on an excursion to Carcassonne, a medieval walled city about an hour south of Toulouse. Named a world heritage site in 1997, Carcassonne’s ramparts and 52 towers are quite a sight to behold. The city was an important stronghold during the crusades and served as a defense post between Aragon and France until the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. After a stroll through the winding streets mobbed with tourists we all took a tour of the ramparts and the chateau. It was nice to see the students enjoying their surroundings, newly acquired toy swords in hand and cameras ready for the next photo underneath a 1000 year old archway.

Albi

Salut de Toulouse,
Today we visited the town of Albi, which was about a 45 minute bus ride from Toulouse. It was our first excursion outside of Toulouse. The highlights of our visit to Albi included the St Cecile Cathedral and the Henri Toulouse-Lautrec museum.

First we had a guided tour of the Toulouse-Lautrec museum. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, (1864 – 1901) was a French painter of the Post-Impressionist period. He was born into a noble family in Albi, but lived for most of his life among the actors, dancers and prostitutes of Paris. He is famous for painting the lives of these people, the entertainment of Paris, and many portraits. We saw some of his most famous works such as the Moulin Rouge and Les Ambassadeurs which are posters or affiches and were completed during his time in Paris.

The Gothic Cathédrale Ste-Cécile of Albi, built in the 13th century in the heart of Cathar country, is the largest brick building in the world. Fortified with ramparts and parapets, construction on Ste-Cecile Cathedral began in 1282 by the lord-bishop of Albi and was not completed until 1480! It truly is an amazing site both inside and out. The frescoes on the cathedral's arched ceiling form the largest (97 meters long by 28 meters wide) work of Italian Renaissance painting to be found anywhere in France. The work was carried out between 1509 and 1512.

Afterwards, everyone had some time to explore the town and get a snack. Quite a few came back with crepes spread with nutella.