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This blog is includes a trip Mary and Chloe, our granddaughter took to France to spend two weeks in a French immersion school in the village of Sancerre.  They then took a train to Amsterdam where they were met by Paul.  We spent a few days in Amsterdam before Chloe went home by herself.  

We then enjoyed a cruise on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland and a couple days sightseeing in Basel, Switzerland.  

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July 14 - 26 – Sancerre France and French School

Chloe and Mary flew to Paris, France and then took the train to the small village of Sancerre where they will be spending two weeks studying French and enjoying this lovely, quaint village.  

The school is in a 400-year-old chateau in the heart of the village.  

Our accommodation was in a small, 2-bedroom, second story apartment about a block from the school.  Choe had good views from her window into a nearby garden and of the rooftops. 

When not in class we often spent time wandering the narrow, windy streets of the beautiful village.  Old buildings, colorful doors and flower boxes.  

Taking a walk with Jean, one of our teachers.

There was a main square with many eateries.  We ate here many times for lunch and dinner. 

Some of the local goat cheese.  Very yummy.

Some of the streets had colorful umbrellas strung between the buildings, making for a great visual treat.

The views of the countryside from the hill and town seemed to go on forever. 

Taking a walk with Aureline, one of our teachers.

And we also stopped in to see the Notre Dame of Sancerre.  It is a lovely church that is still active although there is no resident priest.  A roving priest comes for one service a month.

 

There was a small general store in town so we also shopped there so that we could have some food to eat in the apartment. 

On the 20^th we had a major lightning and thunderstorm in the late evening.  It poured very hard.  Glad we didn’t need to be out in it. 

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More Central France
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July 14 - 26 – French School: Special Activities and Excursions

On July 14, Bastille Day (France’s independence day), we were told there would be a parade.  It turned out that the parade consisted of an honor guard of local fire fighters, some local officials, and we students, with teachers, from the school.  The parade started in front to the school, walked up the hill to the main square and then down to a small square that featured a World War I memorial.  There were speeches (in French) and laying of flowers on the memorial and then we were done. 

We headed back to the school and then to a nearby park with great views.  The school had set out appetizers and drinks for the group.

On the 17^th we joined a group for a school excursion, Food Among the Vines.  Sancerre produces excellent wines known around the world.  So, for this excursion, we took a short walk to a nearby vineyard where the owner, a woman and her mother, hosted a wine tasting picque nicque (picnic) overlooking their vineyard and the Loire River below.  The setting was bucolic, and the local foods were interesting.  Everyone greatly enjoyed the outing. 

On the 18^th we had another field trip.  This one to the market in Saint Sature, as small town located at the base of our hill.  The locals were out in force.  There were lines at the cheese counter and the vegetable stalls and the charcuterie.  Chloe bought a crepe to eat and some fruit.  Mary found a clothing stall that had a blouse and a dress that fit, and she also bought quiches and fruit for later. 

Later in the day, after class, we both participated in a painting class hosted by one of the school’s instructors, Guillaume.  We sat in the beautiful courtyard with it’s massive wisteria (planted in 1903 so it is 121 years old).  The art was from a drawing Guillaume had done of the school from the courtyard with its fairytale tower.

Mary's Art

Chloe's Art

On the 20th (last day of the first week), Amy, from New York, hosted a party in her room.  We brought chocolate covered strawberries.  Everyone contributed something.  

Her room was in the Chateau and boasted great murals on the ceiling. 

On the 25^th we had a big end of school party, for those of us who had been there for the last two weeks.  The party was at the apartment of two of the students and they had a big garden with wonderful views of the countryside below.

The last day of school, the 26^th, was the opening ceremony of the Olympics taking place in Paris.  Originally the town was going to have a big party and large screen TV’s set up in the town square, but it was cancelled due to technical difficulties.  So, the school invited us all over, they hung a sheet up in the lobby, brought out snacks, some people brought wine, and we had a viewing party. 

Only two or three of us stayed up for the lighting ceremony.  It was growing quite late and the ceremony (particularly moving the torch through town and up the river) seemed to take forever.  But it was a magnificent end to the evening.  

Some hot air balloons floated overhead just after the party started.