Midpoint

We are at the halfway point of the stage, (pronounce the A like “ah”) as it is called here in France. 

This is an interesting time every year.

This being a polite society, we ask the students how they are every morning. What we often hear is “fatigué” (tired). And that is rightfully so. These kids are working so hard. Their brains are working in a foreign language 24/7. (Many of them now report dreaming in French.) They are walking often 3-5 miles per day. Their courses aren’t intense, but they are in a different language. In the afternoon, they are dancing or singing or working on theatre pieces or doing improv, in French.

Then they go home. Often there are activities, because the French families want to share authentic experiences with them. Then there is dinner, which is a ritual in France. It takes a while, and there is a lot of discussion around the dinner table.

The sun doesn’t set here until 10:30pm and it isn’t full dark until after 11. So going to sleep can be hard.

And these kids eat! Portions at lunch are quite large, and they usually eat most of it. Then they have to have a kebob or a pastry or a cookie or SOMETHING in the afternoon. French families at this point express astonishment at the amount of food the American kids eat. We try to explain that they are feeding a machine that is working overtime. Students report eating more than ever, but losing weight.

(The food here is good for you. There are fewer fatty foods. Families rarely eat fast food. There is no high fructose corn syrup in foods. Snacking is not a thing here. And families eat together, slowly.)

So, yes they are physically tired, but mentally tired as well.

That’s why we try to make this an easier week. There is no excursion this week. And sports this week was “beach volleyball,” which turned into an afternoon at the beach, as we imagined.

The students needed a break, and we figured that an afternoon relaxing on the beach would be just the thing. And it proved so.

Some kids joined a group of French kids playing beach volleyball. Eventually, it became France vs. the US. The US won. Luckily, the French had to leave before they could challenge the US to a soccer match.

Then there was the full-on sand burial of Srija, and the half-hearted sand burial of Abi F. There were trips for ice cream. There was much standing about in the water. Grace and Grace as well as Luc dove into the chilly water and swam around a bit. In the end, it was a good day for all.

Wednesday, we skipped classes and visited a program for animal rescue. We divided into groups and visited a veterinarian’s office. We got to see all of the inner workings of the office. They work with an animal rescue group which is housed right next door.

We received a tour of the tiny operation that was the animal rescue center. This center handled cats exclusively. The have another branch that deals with dogs. The coordinator of the program explained the incredibly numerous steps undertaken to return cats to their owners or to get them adopted. They even have a socialization program for feral cats to get them ready to deal with people. It was fascinating.

We then went to what was basically the health department to discover how the city deals with stray animals. The gentleman who spoke with us was a high official, but took his time explaining their system. Their approach is very different than what we find in Indiana. Euthanasia is a last resort, not the end of a two week grace period.

Unfortunately, the experience was not particularly photogenic. I’ve included a few photos. But it is hard to make students listening visually interesting.

I have spent quite a bit of my free time creating photographic portraits of students who wish to use them for “senior” portraits. I do not limit this opportunity to only students who are to be seniors. If a student wants portraits in Brest, I happily create them. And sometimes, we have fun adventures, as this is something rare in France.

(If you would like your stagiaire to have portraits done, just have him or her let me know. Our time is getting limited, and the weather won’t be great next week, but we’ll try. Parents anticipating portraits already created, I will provide an online link next post. Of course, there is no charge for this opportunity. One of their teachers in France is a former professional photographer. It just seems right.)

While doing portraits in the Atelier, these happy souls
happened upon us and gladly participated.

Happily standing about in the water.

Esti and Ani bury Srija in the sand.

Fait accompli!

The deed is done!

Resurrection!

Michael, Emily and Jocelyn are not quite as dedicated
to burying Abi.

With Sophie serving, we can't lose!

Davia is certainly the pro. She gives her all!

It's a team effort!

Grace is just chillin'.

And Grace made a kelp bracelet for Srija.
How sweet is that?

Learning about cat rescue.

Learning about a different approach.

There was a full moon over the bay
Tuesday night.

Hôtel de Ville, Normandie

Since we departed on a Wednesday, I’ve tried to think in terms of posting on Wednesday and on the weekend. As you saw from Wednesday’s post, I didn’t have much time. So this post will be a huge wrap up of what happened since last weekend.

The discours at the City Hall is always a big deal. The mayor isn’t ever there. But his deputy mayor, Monsieur Pellican, usually steps in. But this year, he had a prior engagement, so the deputy mayor for education was going to speak with us. But she ended up having a conflict. So the mayor’s special assistant was to speak with us.

But his secretary failed to update his online

calendar. He was at home when he got the call he was 15 minutes late. He jumped on his bike as the quickest way back to City Hall. (This only makes sense in France.) But he got caught up in a traffic jam – on his bike. (This REALLY only happens in France.) But some 45 minutes late, we began.

The girls did an incredible job, enchanting the French crowd. Please watch the video. Discours à l'Hôtel de Ville

Tuesday was our first real sports afternoon. We went to the Salle 

I'm not sure this qualifies as a sport,
but they sure seemed to enjoy it.

Maybe it's a girl thing.

Cerdan, a city-owned facility hosts the city’s semi-professional basketball team. Currently, it is set up for handball, which we would call dodgeball. That means no baskets for basketball, no nets for volleyball, really just a big open gym. So the kids have to be really creative in their sports. There was one small soccer goal, so a group started a half-court soccer game. Another group started what would be considered volleyball warm-ups. Another tried badminton without a net. Still others played Frisbee.

By the end, there was a group of girls playing some kind of hand slapping game, the goal of which was entirely unclear to me.

With our French friends

Wednesday, we went to the American Memorial in Brest, where we will be singing the Star Spangled Banner and the Marseillaise on July 4. We decided it was an appropriate place to practice. After several repetitions, a group of nearby French teens applauded us. Then three asked to join us. Our kids were so proud!

Early Thursday morning we headed for Normandy. First stop: Saint Malo. It is a city that, like many in the region, was nearly completely destroyed during the allied invasion in 1944. Saint Malo was rebuilt in an historical style. So its building today appear as if they date from the 18^th century but were built in the 1940s and 1950s. Even construction today must adhere to those same building codes.

This is one of those very safe places, so we let the students wander the walled city (in groups of at least three, of course). Many stopped for crêpes, a favorite. Others did some shopping, while others climbed up to the ramparts for the incredible views of the English Channel. (That is what we teachers did.) And it was in Saint Malo where the students had their picnic lunches.

View from the walls of Saint Malo

I make this picture every year, but it never becomes less
impressive.

Next was Mont Saint Michel, the granite island topped with a 12^th century abbey that is the second most visited site in France after the sites of Paris. The walk up the main street is almost a climb, followed by several hundred steps to reach the chapel at the top. From there, one can literally see for miles on a good day. And the weather for us was incredible.

From the top, we descended through the various parts of the abbey seeing the dining hall, various chapels, the wheel that moved materials up the steep side of the island and finally to the gift shop.

From the abbey, our students meandered through the narrow ancient streets or around the upper walls of the village. Charlotte even exited the walls and walked completely around the island – a feat that would have been impossible at high tide.

From there it was to the youth hostel that would be our home for the night. It was situated in an idyllic woods, complete with a stream running through and its very own chickens.

After dinner, there was a hall for games and activities as well as a field for outdoor activities.

Mistress of mini-foot
(pas vraiment)

It must be an exciting game!

Last time I checked, rock beat scissors.

We were off the next morning after breakfast headed toward the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach. Here are the graves of more than 9,000 American soldiers and sailors who died on D-Day and in the days both before and after. It is a solemn place of reverence. Here the students begin to understand what sacrifices had been made in the name of their freedom.

The walkway down to the beach was closed, so our driver Pascal, drove us there. We didn’t have much time. But the students got to see how vast the beaches of Normandy really are. We Americans think of the beaches at Daytona and Panama Beach as being wide. Omaha Beach on Friday was nearly half a kilometer (500 yards) wide, and it was not even low tide.

From there it was on to the Memorial at Caen. Caen was also largely destroyed in the invasion. In the memorial, you walk through the years of the war with exhibits and films about daily life, the Shoah (Holocaust), the violence against gypsies, the Milice (those who helped the Nazis) and the Maquis (part of the Resistance). The exhibits feature authentic articles from the time period including uniforms, equipment, armaments, weapons, clothing, cutlery, dishes, radios and thousands of things that evoke life at that time.

Our visit ended with a film describing the D-Day invasion and the pursuit of the war in Normandy in the months that followed. Our students left with a vastly greater understanding of the events of the war and just how greatly it impacted the lives of the French, the other allies and the Germans.

In front of the Mémorial at Caen

Saturday, I offered an optional excursion – a bike ride through Brest and along the coast just outside the city. Only four took me up on my offer. But Jocelyn, Emily, Lily, and Michael got to experience some fantastic scenery and some beautiful sites.

At the Jardin des Explorateurs.

With the Phare (lighthouse) in the background

Thanks Hobby Cycles!

We came across the most beautiful garden overlooking the bay and the Naval base. It is a really beautiful, relaxing place. I created a short video of it: Jardin Kerbonne

Congratulations to those kids for the courage to come out on a Saturday morning, after two days of travel to take what became a 2 ½ hour bike ride. It was well worth it for all five of us. Although I am still sitting somewhat gingerly.