Two new volunteers hit up the French countryside.

Posted on July 27, 2016 by La Giraudiere

Volunteers in French Countryside

Here I am, writing my first blog post after my first sleep at La Giraudiere. And what a wonderful sleep it was!! Upon my arrival I met a group of warm friendly easygoing people. All my nerves quickly vanished as they ensured I happily settled in to the scenic countryside. Luckily I arrived just in time for lunch. We had a tasty lunch of salads, crispy bread and delicious noodles lounging outside in the warm sunshine.

And then down to the lake we headed.  After a leisurely stoll through the breathtaking countryside of Brossac we arrived at the famous lake. It certainly was everything I anticipated and more!! The beach was full with laughter from sunbathers, swimmers and those playing volleyball.

french countryside

two new volunteers enjoying their first day.

I was excited to hear that there would be another arrival- a lovely woman from Wales who has volunteered here two times already. It was so interesting to hear her great experience as a volunteer on this wonderful program in the french countryside and to hear how La Giraudiere has developed since her last visit – 5 years ago.Then it was time for dinner which consisted of a mouthwatering chicken strawberry and avocado salad served with delicious garlic bread all made by Joanne, one of the  volunteers. Once again we ate outside as the sun began to set in the distance. We topped that off with some melon and then ice cream and drinks at the lovely restaurant Quai Sud that overlooks the lake.

After a wonderful day of strolling the french countryside, meeting the other volunteers who I’m sure will become lifelong friends and getting to practice my french with the locals I quickly fell asleep eager for the next 3 weeks as a volunteer here in the picturesque countryside of Brossac, France.

dinner time volunteers

evening dinner in the french countryside

 

 

 

 

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Why southwestern France?

Posted on July 26, 2016 by La Giraudiere

Why southwestern France?

In the days of computers and google, it makes the world a smaller place! Like many of those before me, they asked themseves the same kind of questions. Where to go to achieve my goals and desires? Aha now to the computer, and the search is on!

Improve my French, volunteer, intern, travel, adventure, exploration…whatever your reason may be, there are endless posibilites! I found La Giraudiere to be the perfect place for me! It is a place that welcomes individuals from everywhere, who want to share their talents and passions, while exploring France.

As I depart, a piece of my heart remains at La Giraudiere, along with the new friends that I have made (the family we formed)! La Giraudiere offered a new perspective of living, learning and exploring from within France! Au revoir for now!

Final farewell at the Club house

Final farewell at the Club house

 

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French market & Restaurant Poirier

Posted on July 20, 2016 by La Giraudiere

French market & Restaurant Poirier

Southwestern France has an ambience like no other! It is the perfect setting to intern or volunteer/study French and explore the country. Monday, brought us to the local market in Chalais, held once a week, where shopping opportunities abound from local wine and fresh produce to jewellery, clothing, sovenirs and more.

Chalais market fun

Chalais market fun

After experiencing the French market, we were treated to a lunch of fine, French cuisine at Le Poirier. Le Porier specializes in tantalizing the taste buds of their customers with a six course meal, but only for lunch and reservations ensure that you have a table. Also, be sure to avoid snacking at the market, prior to such a feast! What a grand day out: the French market & Restaurant Poirier!

Delightful cuisine at Le Poirier

Delightful cuisine at Le Poirier

The volunteers and interns were excited to embark upon tasting the culinary delights that awaited. The traditional French meal began with everyone’s favourite, of course, baguette and red wine! We were soon served a delicious chicken soup.  A little known tradition to travellers in France, is that towards the end your soup, you add just a small bit of red wine to mix with the last of the soup (called faire Chabrot). Sounds odd, but tastes great! We were then served with two different types of salad: green bean and beet (very delicious)! The next course consisted of a salmon dish; quite scrumptious!

Delicious salmon course

Delicious salmon

Room for more you ask? That was not all, with still more to come. We were served an entree of sausage and mashed potatoes, along with a vegetarian selection of fish and potatoes. We practiced our French admist the fine dining experience, which allowed for a break between courses.

wide selection of cheese

wide selection of cheese

We dined on a variety of cheeses and finished with a salad for a good palate.  There was a refreshing dessert of raspberry cream to follow!

delectable dessert

delectable dessert

That was almost the end of our scrumptious lunch. But, alas in France, they finish the meal with coffee. We extolled the dining delights we had experienced  as we sipped our coffee. What a marvelous dining experience, so rich in French tradition and culture! The French market & Restaurant Poirier were definitely a highlight for us today!

 

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Volunteer Adventures in Angouleme

Posted on July 19, 2016 by La Giraudiere

Volunteer Adventures in Angouleme

After a lovely week at La Giraudiere the volunteers and interns were off on a weekend of exploration and adventure in Angouleme. Angouleme is a city, which lies on a high plateau above the Charente and Anguienne rivers in southwestern France. We boarded the train on a sunny, warm Friday at Chalais station. A half an hour later we arrived at our destination, ready to go! To our delight, as we began our adventure, we encountered beautiful wall art on the buildings.

Wall art in Angouleme

Wall art in Angouleme

Angouleme had so many wonderful sights to see! After checking into our B&B we had a plan of action.  The volunteer adventures in Angouleme began with a train tour around the old city and ramparts (dating back to the 9th century).

Volunteers explore by train

Volunteers explore by train

Then, with maps in hand, it was time to begin our walking tour.  The cathedral stood majestic against the skyline. After much exploration of the sights, it was time for a lunch break. There were so many outdoor cafes from which to choose!  Afterwards, it was time to explore the museum of Angouleme. We practiced our French along the way! We ended our evening with a drumming extravaganza outside the church!

The next day brought the volunteer adventures in Angouleme to the infamous: Le Musée de la Bande Dessinée (Comic Museum). We explored the origins of comics through the ages: Tin Tin, Popeye and Lucky Luke to name a few.

Adventures at the Comic Museum

Adventures at the Comic Museum

It was a lovely weekend in Angouleme. There was much laughter, French conversation and exploration of the city! We ended our time with a scenic boat trip down the Charente River!

Boat tour of Angouleme

Boat tour of Angouleme

Angouleme was a city rich in culture, history and beautiful sights! The highlight of our stay was capturing all of this ambience together-from the Cathedral, parks and river, to the museums and wall art, along with the cafes and French restaurants. Angouleme has become a cherished memory!

Cathedral in Angouleme

Cathedral in Angouleme

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Bastille Day Celebrations at Lake Brossac

Posted on July 14, 2016 by La Giraudiere

Bastille Day Celebrations at Lake Brossac

After all the clean up activities in the morning, the volunteers and interns were excited when the celebrations were about to commence at Lake Brossac. Le Committee du Fete had done a marvellous job of setting up the venue into a picnic ground with long tables and benches and after a drink on arrival soon everyone was seated and a delicious spread of French country food was delivered to each table – sausages, terrines, cheese, melons and crunchy bread, roast pork and frites. Delicious French food in a picnic setting outdoors was a great start to the evening. Bastille Day Celebrations at Lake Brossac were under way.

Eve of Bastille Day - picnic at Lake Brossac.

Eve of Bastille Day – picnic at Lake Brossac – Volunteers enjoying the food and drinks.

Crowds of people started to turn up and take up positions all around the Lake where the fireworks were scheduled to commence at 11.00 pm. It was a little chilly outdoors so after finishing dinner our group retired to the Lake Brossac Club and Irish coffees soon warmed us up. It wasn’t too long before the time had come for us to take up our places on the banks of the Lake in a good position to see the fireworks. Now the Bastille Day Celebrations at Lake Brossac were under way with a bang!!  What a spectacular display it was! Light and colour lit up the sky and everyone was in awe of the variety and beauty of the fireworks. Lots of clapping after each burst of colour indicated that the crowd was enjoying the spectacle.

Spectacular Bastille Day Fireworks.

Spectacular Bastille Day Fireworks.

The Lake transformed by red fire.

The Lake transformed by red fire.

After the fireworks finished, sounds of funky music could be heard coming from the disco area by the bar and lots of people made their way there to enjoy the music, have a drink and bop the night away. It was the end of a long day for the volunteers and interns from La Giraudiere and we decided to walk back to LG, about a 25 minute walk along the country road, guided by the light of phone torches, single file, and made it back right on midnight. Everyone agreed that it had been a wonderful day of work and celebration, mixing it with the local community, speaking French some considerably better than others and finally enjoying the walk in the crisp country air. It is invigorating!!

LG Volunteers watching the Bastille Day fireworks.

LG Volunteers watching the Bastille Day fireworks.

Circle of friends - Bastille Day Celebrations 2016.

Circle of friends – Bastille Day Celebrations 2016.

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