Arrivals and Departures at La Giraudière This Week

On Tuesday 12th June, La Giraudière welcomed Catriona to the group of volunteers. She hopes to explore the nearby French towns and get a feel for French life. Since being here, she has played a large gardening role.

Catriona helping to clean at the Brossac stade

The following day, Julia also joined the team of volunteers. She is currently a student at the University of Warwick in England, studying French and Economics. She hopes to gain an insight into life in the French countryside whilst practicing her French. Her main role has been working on the blog.

Julia at the Yviers Festival Lunch

Sadly the team said goodbye to two of the volunteers on Saturday, when it was time for Janis and Venicia to head back home to England. During their 3 week stay here, La Giraudière benefitted from Janis’ role sorting through the volunteer applications and Venicia’s help with household management. We want to thank the two volunteers not only for their help at La Giraudière but also for the bubbly atmosphere and sense of humour they brought with them. Between the two of them, they really made the volunteer community feel like a close-knit family. It was very sad to see you both go and we hope that you visit again.

Janis and Venicia with Paul, Christine and Anna

Janis and Venicia with Christine and Anna

Janis and Venicia with Faith and Anna

The Volunteers Enjoy a Trip to the Yviers Festival

Following a typical Sunday morning, with a lie in and a late breakfast, Paul took a few of the volunteers to the neighbouring town of Yviers to experience their local festival. The volunteers began by walking around the Braconte, a flea market of mainly second hand goods. Everybody found something they liked: whether it be ornaments, books or fresh fruit.

Yviers Brocante

After the market had been fully explored, and most of our money had been spent, it was time for lunch. The 3 course meal consisted of a ham and melon starter, followed by chicken and chips for main, and finally a fruit salad for dessert. All the volunteers enjoyed the lunch, acting as a chance to converse with some of the locals living in Yviers and to pet all the different breeds of dogs present at the festival. Now the town is looking forward to hosting its next festival: this time with a Mexican theme!

Yviers Festival Lunch

Two Volunteers Take a Day Trip to Angouleme

On Saturday, two of the volunteers decided to venture out of Brossac and explore the nearby city of Angouleme. The morning started relatively early with Paul taking the two girls to Chalais train station, just in time to catch the 8:00 am train.
Upon reaching Angouleme, the volunteers followed the directions to the ‘centre ville’, climbing further up the town’s landscape. Like most day’s out, the first stop was the tourist office, where the volunteers decided on the selection of museums and sites for the day. From here, we headed straight to the food market, looking at the range of jams, cheeses and wines of the region, whilst practicing their little knowledge of French with the locals. The rest of the morning was spent exploring the rest of the town, hiking up the ‘jardin vert’ and having a stroll by the river.

Angouleme Jardin Vert

By the time we sat down for lunch, we were exhausted from all the walking. We quickly replenished with bread, burgers and salads before setting off again to the various churches and cathedrals of Angouleme. The historic architecture of the buildings was beautifully inspiring, whilst giving an insight into the religious heritage of the town. By the time we had finished in the churches, the museums had just opened. Us girls began at the museum of Angouleme, which celebrates the prehistoric findings, Sub Saharan remnants and the archived paintings of the town. The last stop on the list was, of course, the comic strip museum. Angouleme is a city dedicated to ‘la bande dessinée’, with comic images and recognizable characters scattered across the walls of the town center. Here, the festival of comics takes place each January, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors to witness the city’s art. Although our visit didn’t come in time for the festival, the displays at the museum were enough for us to embrace this part of the region’s culture, allowing us to admire the different artist styles and funny stories of the comics.

Angouleme Museum Cathedrale

Inside an Angouleme Cathedrale

Overall, our day trip was very enjoyable and with lots to do in Angouleme, both us volunteers would recommend visiting the town during your stay at La Giraudière.

Volunteers’ Day Out to La Rochelle and its Ports

This past Thursday, despite typically being a work day, Paul decided to take the volunteers for a day out to La Rochelle, making the most of the sun and the warm weather. It was an early start to the day, with Paul and all the volunteers leaving La Giraudière by 8:00 am in order to maximise the time spent at the beautiful and historic city. Before arriving at La Rochelle, we made a stop on the way at the town of Pons for breakfast, enjoying the range of coffees and croissants that the café had to offer.
Upon reaching the seaside town, the volunteers began by walking around the different shops and market stalls, before sitting down for our next meal at a restaurant overlooking the old harbour. As La Rochelle is a coastal city, it is not surprising that lunch consisted largely of fish soups and calamari, with the volunteers making the most of the region’s maritime tradition.

La Rochelle Port Minimes

After having appreciated the picturesque views and fresh food of the city, it was now time for the volunteers to split up and explore the specific sites and museums that interested them the most. Some chose to spend this time shopping for family and friends (and themselves) in the artisan shops, whilst others chose to immerse themselves in the history of La Rochelle, visiting the WWII German Bunker situated under the town. However the day was spent, the culture and heritage of the city was recognized and admired by all.
As the volunteers’ day out drew to a close, the tide had fortunately risen, allowing us all to experience the beautiful Renaissance architecture of the 17th century city from the boat bus, taking us back to the car park. After a day of sight-seeing and shopping, all the volunteers were definitely grateful to have a rest from all the walking.

Boat Bus at La Rochelle

However the day wasn’t over just yet. On our return journey home, Paul and the volunteers took a stop at Routiers, a truckers restaurant. Here, we all enjoyed plenty of bread, wine and desserts alongside the help-yourself-style buffet. The food was delicious and just what we needed after a tiring, activity-packed day.