La fête du 14-Juillet

Posted on July 14, 2016 by La Giraudiere

Bastille Day 2016

Bastille Day is celebrated annually on July 14 in France and French-speaking regions around the world. To the French it is ‘la fête du 14-Juillet’ or simply ‘la fête nationale’. Signifying the start of the French Revolution, more than 200 years on it is still a central event in the nation’s calendar with celebrations including military parades and fireworks. The storming of the Bastille prison by angry crowds in 1789 in Paris may have been a violent day but nowadays it is marked peacefully by millions.

The volunteers and interns at La Giraudiere are looking forward to the celebrations on Bastille Day 2016. They got off to an early start this morning July 13 by volunteering to assist the local Brossac organising committee in preparing the area at Lake Brossac where the festivities will take place. The area needed to be spruced up worthy of the occasion to be celebrated and our volunteers went armed with brooms, rakes and loppers ready to bring the area up to a pristine state. This is another example of the community involvement demonstrated by La Giraudiere and an opportunity to mix with the local community and speak in French.

Kathryn and Emily doing the big clean.

Kathryn and Emily doing the big clean.

Bruce and Alina hedge trimming.

Bruce and Alina hedge trimming.

Celebrations kick off this evening with a BBQ at Lake Brossac followed by a fireworks display around the Lake. Authorities tell us they expect 5,000 people to attend from all around the local areas. This will be quite a spectacle to see. Of course there will be food and drinks and lots of fun. Having finished the clean up this morning; the volunteers are excited about the festivities which will commence early this evening.

Joanna wiping the bar down.

Joanna wiping the bar down.

Kathryn and Emily hard at it.

Kathryn and Emily hard at it.

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La Giraudiere work, play, fun

Posted on July 13, 2016 by La Giraudiere

Work, Play, Fun at La Giraudiere

Do you think work should be fun? At La Giraudiere there is a lot of talk and laughter going on while the volunteers are going about their work. This probably has a lot to do with working in a beautiful countryside environment where the air is clean, fresh and invigorating, the sky is a beautiful shade of blue and the sun shining. Pollution isn’t a word that is relevant to this pristine countryside. Work, Play, Fun at La Giraudiere is the ethos here. The teams work together, project manage and problem solve without any of the tensions or petty power plays which sometmes occur in workplaces. The seven dwarfs spring to mind as the volunteers go about their work – hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go – with a shovel and pick and a walking stick – hi ho, hi ho. There is no grumpy or lazy, just happy travellers enjoying their stint at volunteering in the countryside in the south of France.

Michelle from Canada and Alina from Russia hard at work on the property.

Michelle from Canada and Alina from Russia hard at work on the property.

Joanna and Emily from UK tree trimming. Great job!

Joanna and Emily from UK tree trimming. Great job!

Morning tea comes around quickly and then lunch around 1 pm – no fast food or junk, nutritious healthy food – tomatoes that taste like they were just picked off the vine and breadsticks so crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, cheeses that melt in your mouth. Lunch is a lively time with discussions which range on all sorts of subjects. It is easy to forget what is going on in the world as none of it seems to matter in this peaceful environment. Work, Play, Fun at La Giraudiere is the order of the day.

Once work has finished for the day, there is plenty of time to wander down to Brossac Lake for a swim or mini golf if you like or just to enjoy the walk through the countryside and hang out at the lake. The long hours of daylight certainly allow for a lot more outside activities. Nightfall doesn’t close in until around 10.30 pm so a long walk before then can be done in broad daylight. So much safer than trying to do the same thing in the dark.

La Giraudiere volunteers walk to Lake Brossac after finishing work for the day.

La Giraudiere volunteers walk to Lake Brossac after finishing work for the day.

Lake Brossac - Emily showing Olivia from UK and Kathryn - intern from Scotland some moves. Go Emily!

Lake Brossac – Emily showing Olivia from UK and Kathryn – intern from Scotland some moves. Go Emily!

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Work day at La Giraudiere

Posted on July 12, 2016 by La Giraudiere

Volunteers/Interns Work Day at La Giraudiere

Sitting in the office on a Volunteers/Interns Work Day at La Giraudiere has a different feel to sitting in an office in a busy city or sitting in a class at Uni taking notes. A peek out the door and you can take in a view so picturesque that you have to pinch yourself and say “how glad am I that I find myself here” – green fields, stone cottages in the distance, trees swaying in the breeze, sun shining and a quiet peacefullness all around. The outside workers stroll by occasionally in search of a tool, some advice, or ready for another chore.

Each volunteer elects to do whatever type of work they like of the chores to be done and somehow everyone is very content with what they are doing. We all look forward to morning tea break, lunch break and afternoon tea break which are always lively and generally there are discussions about who is cooking dinner and what they will be cooking. Of course there are discussions about politics, home countries, chores and all manner of interesting topics.

Today we have 2 volunteers and 1 intern in the office and the tapping of computer keys breaks the otherwise peaceful silence. The intern will be very well equipped to run a business after this experience as she will learn all the various components of the organisation and how it runs. There are manuals and procedures to be updated, emails to be read and answered, bookings to be managed and all sorts of duties providing an in- depth overview of the organisation in total. All good experience for one’s c.v.

Kathryn is an Intern from Scotland who speaks French and Arabic as well as English.

Kathryn is an Intern from Scotland who speaks French and Arabic as well as English.

Olivia from the UK working on a website for Brossac. Olivia speaks French and German as well as English.

Olivia from the UK working on a website for Brossac. Olivia speaks French and German as well as English.

The other two office workers are blogging and doing a website for the Brossac district. Volunteers and interns are constantly arriving and leaving so it is very helpful to have up to date manuals and procedures.

Who can resist posting a photo of the beauiful La Giraudiere with the wisteria coming into bloom.

The wisteria bush flowers a little more each day. A pretty adornment to the house.

The wisteria bush flowers a little more each day. A pretty adornment to the house.

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Volunteers/Interns at La Giraudiere enjoy travel to other regions of France

Posted on July 12, 2016 by La Giraudiere

Volunteers/Interns at La Giraudiere enjoy travel to other regions in France

With just a 3 day commitment to work, La Giraudiere volunteers/interns have 4 days each week to explore other parts of France and the current group have been making the most of this opportunity. The train service from Chalais provides a gateway to anywhere you want to go. Some popular weekend jaunts are Angouleme, Santes, Cognac and Bordeaux.

Bordeaux, in southwestern France, is a port city on the Garonne and hub of the famed wine-growing region. It’s definitely a city on the not to be missed list.  It is known for its Gothic Cathédrale St-André as well as its many fine and contemporary art museums and 18th and 19th century mansions. The Grand Place de la Bourse opens to the water with the Three Graces fountain at its center.

Some 1,810 hectares of Bordeaux are listed a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is well worth a trip on the ‘red bus’ to get an overview of the city and then go back to specific sites to visit magnificent buildings some dating from the 12th century. There are a myriad of outdoor restaurants and good French food available everywhere.

Whilst in Bordeaux another not to be missed is a visit to Saint-Émilion. It is located 35 kms northeast of Bordeaux. Saint-Émilion’s history goes back to prehistoric times and it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site with fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets. The Romans planted vineyards in what was to become Saint-Émilion as early as the 2nd century. Monks started up the commercial wine production in the area in the 8th century. The scenery is eye-wateringly beautiful with rows and rows of grape vines in every direction.

The group currently staying at La Giaudiere have this past weekend returned from various locations and their lovely photos and descriptions of where they have been demonstrates that Volunteers/Interns at La Giraudiere enjoy travel to other regions of France.

There was lots of hugging and kisses when everyone returned to Chalais last evening to be reunited after a weekend away from their now good friends and two newcomers and a local couple joined us for a dinner in the churchyard of Chalais Chapel under the trees. Chalais Chapel was rebuilt in the Neo-Roman style from 1868-1872 as a hospice, chapel and girls’ school. Today the building is associated with worship and culture for the benefit of mainly young people.

Friends sharing dinner and stories about their weekend jaunts

Friends sharing dinner and stories about their weekend jaunts

It was obvious from the lively chatter and camaraderie that Volunteers/Interns at La Giraudiere enjoy travel to other regions of France and sharing their stories with each other. A lovely meal was served by the owners of the small restaurant across the road from the Chapel.

Beautiful location for dinner in the Chalais Chapel yard under the trees

Beautiful location for dinner in the Chalais Chapel yard under the trees

Kathryn Intern from Scotland found a fluffy friend

Kathryn Intern from Scotland found a fluffy friend

We arrived back at La Giraudiere to witness a glowing magic sunset, perfect end to a perfect weekend.

Sunset from La Giraudiere - perfect end to the day

Sunset from La Giraudiere – perfect end to the day

 

 

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Enjoying the outdoors as a volunteer at La Giraudiere

Posted on July 12, 2016 by La Giraudiere

Enjoying the outdoors as a volunteer at La Giraudiere

For some volunteers, their stay at La Giraudiere offers a chance to work outdoors in the beautiful countryside of Brossac. For those normally stuck in an office or studying at university, this is a great opportunity to try their hand at a range of activities they wouldn’t do on a day to day basis. La Giraudiere has a lot of land and there is always pruning, mowing, hedge trimming, whipper snipping, gardening, tree trimming and general yard tidying to do. Last week there was a lot of effort devoted to the garden/yard tidy up. A familiar sound is the whipper snipper going non-stop and someone calling out “where are the loppers”. With volunteers from a range of countries, there is  lot of discussion about what the various tools are called.

Odile from Ireland and Emily from the UK did a massive prune with the loppers. Big job.

Odile from Ireland and Emily from the UK did a massive prune with the loppers. Big job.

Enjoying the outdoors as a volunteer at La Giraudiere is not confined to gardening only but as the garden is a priority at the moment, the volunteers are focussing on getting that done before moving on to other things. Roses are blooming and a bit more wisteria appears each day and as we sit outside having all of our meals, we can pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. Some of the volunteers are beginning to sport sun tans from their time in the sun. It is amazingly cool under the shady trees so quite pleasant for working.

Elena from Russia gets into the clearing up in the yard.

Elena from Russia gets into the clearing up in the yard.

Odile did a lot of work in the garden and sadly it was time to say goodbye today. Back to Ireland. She is missed already.

Odile did a lot of work in the garden and sadly it was time to say goodbye. Back to Ireland. She is missed already.

Once the work day has finished, some of the volunteers can been seen Enjoying the outdoors as a volunteer at La Giraudiere by taking a walk to the lake for a cool swim. It is a pleasant walk to the lake past fields of sleepy cows resting in the deep green, lush grass. The walk into Brossac is about a 10 minute stroll, past gorgeous stone houses and of all things a water lily pond which evokes memories of Monet’s garden and his famous painting “Waterlilies”.

Bruce with the whipper snipper. He has made a big impact.

Bruce from UK/China with the whipper snipper. He has made a big impact.

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