A Special Weekend for La Giraudière Volunteers

Posted on July 24, 2018 by La Giraudiere

A Special Weekend for La Giraudière Volunteers

This past weekend was a particularly exciting one for the volunteers at La Giraudière, with many of us going out on excursions for the duration of our long weekend.

Simply because one comes to volunteer in France doesn’t mean one has to stay in France! Sybil, one of our volunteers, left on Friday to spend four days in Milan, Italy. She spent time meeting friends and marveling at the beautiful architecture – as well as taking advantage of the shopping, of course.

Sybil at the Sforza Castle in Milan during the weekend

Our other volunteers Jean and Helen decided to spend the weekend in Bordeaux, taking the train there and back. During their stay, there was a bustling market in Bordeaux, so there was an exciting atmosphere with lots to do. They went on many walks around the city and had a wonderful time.

Square in Bordeaux, photo by volunteer Helen

In the meantime, Jill and Viv explored the neighboring villages around Brossac. They went to a beautiful café in the area, and also to Les Essards to take photos and visit a brocante. In addition, they spent time with French teacher Lynn, and had a lovely dinner together.

Beautiful photo by volunteer Viv from Les Essards

All in all, the volunteers at La Giraudière got to see many new places and explore Europe during the weekend.

Posted in France, vacation france, volunteer, Volunteering | Tagged abroad, Bordeaux, Brossac, Chalais, France, French learning, international volunteers, La Giraudiere | Comments Off

Volunteers’ Day Out in La Rochelle

Posted on July 19, 2018 by La Giraudiere

Volunteers’ Day Out in La Rochelle

On Wednesday, Paul and all the volunteers went on an adventure to La Rochelle, where Francofolies took place only a few days ago. On the way, they stopped at Pons for breakfast and a cup of coffee before going into La Rochelle. They spent the morning browsing the outdoor and indoor markets in the city, as well as walking along the port and taking photos.

Group photo in Pons on the way to La Rochelle

For lunch, volunteers either went out on their own or ate with the group along the Port des Minimes. Afterwards, they went off into their own directions to shop, have a coffee, or tour the beautiful cathedrals.

La Rochelle is lined with shops suited to everyone’s taste, with designer brands from Paris in addition to chain stores and privately owned boutiques. Some volunteers also headed down to the beach, where a slight breeze cut through the sunny weather.

Port de Minimes at La Rochelle

Beautiful city of La Rochelle

After a long day of fun, Paul brought the volunteers to Le Relais, a truckers’ stop for food and rest in Barbezieux. There, everyone had a filling dinner before heading home. All in all, the volunteers greatly enjoyed a midweek outing in La Rochelle.

Posted in France, Volunteering | Tagged bénévolat, community, France, French learning, international volunteers, volunteer work abroad, volunteering, working holiday | Comments Off

Fun La Giraudière-themed French Activities!

Posted on July 17, 2018 by La Giraudiere

La Giraudière-themed French Activities

For today’s blog, we have some fun French activities for a change! Francophiles will have fun with this – some of the activities are La Giraudière-themed!

Part 1 – Crossword

Didn’t get some of the answers? No worries, here’s the key:

Part 2 – Riddles and Jokes

À La Giraudière, jeudi vient avant dimanche, mais où dimanche vient-il avant jeudi ?

Réponse: le dictionnaire

Un clown dit à son médecin :
– Docteur, je me sens drôle …

Part 3 – Interesting French expressions.

Those untranslatable, uniquely French sayings…

Ever slept through the whole morning? In France one says <<dormir la grasse matinée>>
If you miss a rendez-vous, you would use the expression <<poser un lapin>>
It’s perhaps rare in France, but terrible wine is <<vin à faire danser les chèvres>> (wine that makes goats dance)

Part 4 – Hangman

Click this link to play a quick game of hangman! Hint – it’s related to La Giraudière 🙂

http://www.hangmanwords.com/play/custom-YnJvc3NhY2Fpcw==

Hope you enjoyed these French activities, until next time!

Posted in Volunteering | Tagged France, French, French countryside, French experience, French learning, French lessons, La Giraudiere, volunteer abroad, volunteer work abroad, volunteers | 1 Comment

Cheering on the Bleus in Brossac

Posted on July 11, 2018 by La Giraudiere

Cheering on the Bleus in Brossac

Tuesday evening was an especially exciting one in France with the victory of the Bleus, and volunteers at La Giraudière definitely didn’t miss out on the excitement in Brossac.

The Bleus, the French football team, was playing against Belgium in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, and the game ended in a French victory with a score of 1-0. France will play against either England or Croatia in Sunday’s finals.

Volunteers at La Giraudière headed down to the clubhouse in Brossac to watch the France vs Belgium game last night, and the atmosphere was lively and intense at the same time.

The clubhouse in Brossac

Everyone in Brossac (minus the Belgians, perhaps!) will be cheering on France this weekend, and we have our fingers crossed that the Bleus will win the 2018 World Cup.

Posted in Volunteering | Tagged abroad, bénévolat, Brossac, football, France, La Giraudiere, world cup | Comments Off

Volunteers’ Arrivals and Departures at La Giraudière in France

Posted on July 10, 2018 by La Giraudiere

Volunteers’ Arrivals and Departures at La Giraudière in France

With the sun smiling down at La Giraudière in France this week, we’ve been happy to welcome four new volunteers.

Justin and Stephanie, who are from Canada, joined us Sunday evening. Both pharmacists, the couple is taking a year off to travel the world. They have traveled far and wide, from Sri Lanka to Italy, and now to France. Since they have been here, Justin and Stephanie have spent their first day at work outdoors, clearing the path of twigs scattered by last week’s windstorm.

Stephanie and Justin gardening

Jean and Helen also joined us from Australia to volunteer at La Giraudière. Jean is a retired accountant, but is opening a café with her daughter, and Helen has her own business selling handcrafted soaps. On the first workday this week, Helen has been helping Viv with the housekeeping. Meanwhile, Jean, who worked hard in the garden this morning, is lending a hand to Christine in accounting. Both Jean and Helen hope to improve their French while they are here.

Our new volunteer Helen

Our new volunteer Jean

This morning, we also sadly had to say goodbye to longtime volunteer Linda, who was an amazing housekeeper (in addition to other things) during her six-week stay. She enjoyed interacting with different personalities, as well as improving standards of maintenance for the rooms. After a tour around other parts of France, Linda will go back home to Denmark.

Linda with her volunteer certificate

We’re excited to work with our new volunteers, and hope those who have departed will come back to France.

Posted in Volunteering | Tagged abroad, bénévolat, bénévoles internationaux, Brossac, Canadian volunteer, Chalais, cultural exchange, France, La Giraudiere, learning french | Comments Off

Volunteering In France | Interning in France