Volunteers Create a Gaellic Evening in France

Saturday the 24th May at 19.00 a evening of music and celts songs was the plan for La Giraudiere. Volunteers from New Zealand, USA , UK , Scotland, Ireland and France gathered together to put in place what was to be a superb evening in the small Charentaise village in France.

Joy preparing bouquets for the dinning tables is not put off by a passing shower

Organised by the l’association “Les Amis De La Giraudiere” in order to raise awareness of the project at La Giraudiere and to raise funds for the association a Gaelic Gathering was proposed and Music was supplied by DAGAN, musique de bande gaélique, together with Irish singer Steve Thompson from the newly created Shamrock band and also accompanied by AGNES, The incredible harp player or la harpiste incroyable.

A three course meal was planned again with a gaelic flavour. For the entree a breton pancake filed with champignon, fromage and pay de jambon garnished with salade was presented followed by an unforgettable Irish Stew which had been fermented in dark beer and numerous herbs finished off by a traditional cake or dessert from the Brittany region in France. All this was presented with red wine and of course Guinness was on tap.

Joy, a volunteer from New Zealand, did not let a rain shower deter her from the making of the bouquets for the tables.

The poster which was distributed around the village to pulish the event

Publicity was produced in the form of a flyer and this was distributed around the local shops and public places within the village. Posters were also placed around the area. The event was also published in the local paper the Charente Libre and you can see an article written by The Charente Libre by visiting La Giraudiere creates a Gaelic Soireé .

Over 30 volunteers help create this event all of whom had a perfect evening with Free dinner, entertainment and drinks. A Big thank you to all those who helped and to the musicians of DAGAN, to also singer Steve Thompson from Ireland who help encouraging the musicians to take part. A further thank you to Agnes for providing the harp and the music which just flowed. And to all those who turned up to participate and make a perfect evening.

A collection of photos for the evening have been loaded up to the volunteers page on face book you can see the photos by visiting La Giraudiere’s Face Book Page

If you would like to be a volunteer at La Giraudiere then visit our website Volunteer in France for further information and the application form.

Charente Libre publish the Volunteers create gaelic soiree in Brossac

VIDEO is now available on UTUBE at http://youtu.be/2AzPNEYUaBM

Volunteering in Europe

“A New Zealander volunteers at La Giraudiere”

Hi, my name is Joy Webster and I live in the north island of New Zealand. I have lived there since 1973.I have always wanted to travel in Europe especially as I was born in the UK. Rather than being a holiday maker I found that volunteering in Europe would both immerse me more in the local culture and at the same time be easy on my budget.

Joy Volunteering in Europe at La Giraudiere

I do volunteer work for the Red Cross back in New Zealand which I find is a good way of meeting people and enjoy the general social interaction. So I started to search the web for a volunteering project in Europe and this is how I found Paul’s website in France. La Giraudiere’s website and programme was the most interesting so I applied. His response was so welcoming and positive that I knew that I was making a good decision. 

As I would now be travelling to Europe, I decided to spend some time in England before starting this adventure in France, so I visited family and friends in Oxford, Birmingham and Southend-on-sea, which is my old home town.

On 15 May I flew to Bordeaux airport then took the shuttle bus to Bordeaux station (St Jean) where I then took the cross country train to Chalais, where Paul was there to welcome me.

Two volunteers from Australia, Sean and Robyn had prepared dinner and a glass of wine and my stay began. Sean and Robyn were leaving the following morning so I did not get a chance to get to know them.

It was early to bed for me that night but the next morning the bright sun shining in my window woke me. Breakfast first, then a guided tour of this interesting project. Much work has been completed but there is still plenty to do for future volunteers. 7 days have gone by since that day and each packed with good company, food, social occasions and just a little better understanding of the French language, of which I catch about two words in every ten but I am hoping the weekly French lesson will improve that score.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays are volunteer work days. The rest of the week is free to do as you please or join in a variety of trips out. So far, I have played petanque for the first time with the local Brossacaise,  shopped at the local market, visited the supermarket to stock up on food, big time, visited the very old Notre Dame of Brossac and drank with the locals at the local bar.

The weekly market in Chalais was full of surprises and, I think, bargains. More delights to follow. If you are thinking about volunteering in Europe or more specifically in France, this is the place to come.  

Volunteers arrange Gaellic night in South West France

On Saturday 24 May at La Giraudiere, international and local volunteers will be catering for approximately 70 guests for a Gaelic evening held in the oldest part of this charming building. Work on the building project has been ongoing for a number of years and much progress has been made, but for the past few days the volunteers have been concentrating on preparing for this unique event. A bar will be in full swing, a Gaelic band playing, later a harpist, while the meal, including an Irish stew, Breton dessert and other delicacies will be served.  It promises to be a grand evening. We hope you will come back to this site next week, when we will include a report on the evening, including the menu and recipes.

you can also follow the story on our volunteers page at Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LaGiraudierePage

The poster volunteers distributed

Sunday walk and Lunch French style for the LG volunteers

Sunday the 18th May 2014 and It was an early start and a bright and warm one.  We had been invited to join the Brossac Art Association on a walk to the blue lake round Touverac, with a guide. This is an old clay quarry and regenerating forest where a number of small lakes have formed.  The minerals give the lake waters a beautiful soft blue colour. It is possible to swim in the lakes but with soft, clingy clay underfoot, it would be a brave soul to take a dip.

One of many of the Blue lakes in the Charente

This walk took about two hours and we were glad for a drink of water at the finish. We drove then to an old tile works where the Mayor of Tatre, whose ancestors worked there, explained the working and firing of the clay.  The works date back to the seventeen hundreds and we came away with a better understanding of just how hard and long his ancestors had to work.  

It was then off to Chez Renaud for a lunch at the home of Monique (the pharmacist in Brossac); a lunch, like no other I have experienced.  Firstly, tables were laid with bright tablecloths under a shady veranda, cutlery, glasses, bottles of wine and water placed. From memory there were about 20 of us, and offered, firstly,  what I thought was an orangeade but turned out to be something stronger. Monique’s husband was meanwhile firing up the barbeque. We then proceeded to enjoy aperitives, entrees, large portions of steak and beans, cheese and salad, a delicious dessert which just melted in the mouth, coffee and cognac.

All the time bottles of a variety of wines appeared and somehow at the end of the meal, our table, seating five, had acquired eight bottles.

Sunday Lunch in France can be such an event

Naturally, as the afternoon progressed (three hours on) the conversations and laughter made the meal one of the most enjoyable I have ever experienced.  The French really know how to appreciate food, that’s for sure.  A visit to a cognac museum was included in the programme but Paul, Tom and I made for home and a rest.  Dinner that night was a sandwich for me and a pizza and ice cream at the local Brossac bar for the other two. I just went long for the walk.

Joy Webster Volunteering in France at La Giraudiere

This blog post was written by Joy a New Zealander volunteer

Internship in France at La Giraudiere

This week I began a new chapter of my life when I arrived in Brossac to begin an internship in France. I hadn’t really considered interning until I began exploring my career options for life after college. The search quickly yielded one unmistakable result: more than anything, employers want their new hires to have relevant work experience. Therefore, in today’s difficult job market it is more important than ever for job-seekers to distinguish themselves from their peers and gain as many valuable skills and as much experience

Intern during his travels

as possible. For college students and recent graduates, perhaps the best way to attain this is through an internship in a foreign country. In addition to valuable lessons in the workplace, internships abroad also offer a distinct opportunity to learn about foreign cultures, interact with different people in new and exciting locations, and improve foreign language skills among native speakers. However, this information is hardly a secret, and many other people have written on the subject. A recent article on USA Today’s College site also details the multitude of benefits that come from interning abroad, including the opportunity to receive college credits. So if the life-changing opportunity of living, learning, and interning in a foreign country is so exciting, beneficial, and accessible, why not go for it? La Giraudiere offers training internships in the southwest of France that develop skills vital to the workplace, offers the opportunity to begin learning or continue improving abilities in the French language, and is unique in that it offers lodging, meals, and French lessons all on site among other interns and volunteers from around the world. Take a look at the website for more information on a terrific opportunity to find a great internship in France:

Internship in France http://www.lagiraudiere.com/internship-abroad/

Steven Hawkins

La Giraudiere Intern

Assistant to the Project Director in France