School holidays and shopping sprees in France

COUNTRY: France
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Language and tutoring English
WRITTEN BY: Siobhan Calafiore

School is winding down and the holidays are beginning. I am about to find out what this means. For the past two months now I have been regularly visiting schools and helping out in English classes.

When I have days off I have the house to myself and I guess most of Hennebont as well. The town is always quiet as everyone is either at work or at school. I enjoy my peaceful walks along the river and by the forest when the sun makes up its mind to come out. But the holidays are not far away. The caravan park is filling up and there are more and more tourists. At the Thursday morning markets I was surprised to hear so many people speaking English.


Next week I will have to say goodbye to all the children at the primary school. I will miss the pictures they draw me, their hugs and kisses, even the pretty bouquet of weeds they give me. Most of all I will miss playing games with them and helping them progress in English.

I’m looking forward to the holidays though as I know my host family will show me even more of the beautiful region Brittany. Every single weekend they manage to take me somewhere. Two weekends ago it was Le Mont Saint Michel which was incredible (definitely up there with the Eiffel Tower and Versailles) as well as Saint Malo and Dinan. Last weekend we did a coastal walk in the north of France which was spectacular and explored a castle. On both occasions we stayed with my host father’s parents who have a beautiful house on a farm in the north of Brittany. I fell in love with their place the first weekend and was more than happy to come back the second weekend.

The sales have begun in France! Rachael (the American girl staying in Hennebont) and I had a shopping trip to Vannes and bought up at our favourite store. It was our last time together as Rachael is going to Nantes to stay with another host family. We celebrated in true French style and went to a creperie for lunch.

However as much as I have enjoyed the familiar rhythm of the last two weeks Jess and Phoebe have been up to much more than me!

Jess went to Barcelona with Elisa. They enjoyed warm summer days that never got below 25 degrees. They got to the beach, hit the shops, visited a famous cathedral and explored Gaudi’s house and garden. Jess on her return to Le Mans was in Paris for the annual “fete de la musique” - a celebration where everyone plays music on the street and dances all night long. Her host family have also taken Jess to Tours for a weekend to see all the chateaux. There has also been a new addition to the family, a kitten named Ciboulette (which means chives in French.)

Phoebe spent time with friends of her host family in Pau, a beautiful city in the South of France. They had a picnic in the pyrannies amongst the massive mountains and by a stream. Two donkeys decided to join them and steal their food. Phoebe is now currently in San Sebastian in Spain staying in a hostel and returning to Thiex this weekend.

I can’t believe that two months has already flown by and there is only one more month to go! I’m not ready to leave just yet.

Time for me to go make Anzac biscuits with boys!

A bientot!