Visite à la mairie

 Visite à la mairie / Visit to the mayor's office

Bonjour à tous ! Hello everyone!

Today we had the opportunity to visit the mayor's office here in Saumur. Students dressed to impress and showed up promptly at school at 9:00 so we could leave by 9:30. City hall is about 3/4 of a mile from Saint Louis, which we walked in about 20 minutes. We had arranged to meet with the two mayors of Saumur. "Two mayors" is somewhat of a misnomer as one is the Mayor of Saumur (M. Jackie Goulet) and one is the mayor of Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent (M. Marcus Néron) which comprises the outlying areas of the larger city. 

We arrived promptly at 10:00 am. M. Goulet found himself tied up in a meeting, but fortunately, we had planned for just such an occasion as we had also arranged for Mme Judith Grimand, an archivist for the city's long history, and charged with international relations in the area of the patrimony of Saumur. She arrived at city hall at 10:00 to meet us and then she took us inside where, along with M. Néron, provided us with some context for the rich history involving troglodytes over the last 1500 years. 

Troglodyte refers to souterrain dwellings. Saumur is famous for its many and varied cave systems, and over the last millennia and a half, the locals of this area have inhabited many of the various cave systems in one form or another. Today, such dwellings still exist but to a much more modern extent. Additionally, many students have already had the opportunity to visit the mushroom museums, which are housed within two different caves, several wonderful restaurants, and even a nearby shopping area that has shops exclusively within caves. 

One of the cool aspects of this talk was that students had the opportunity to sit at the tables that city delegates normally use. This was something that our lovely on-site coordinator arranged.

Christian poses for a photo during the discussion on Saumur's history

Photo courtesy of Prof Evie

Aminata smiles for Evie before the discussion

Photo courtesy of Prof Evie

Brooklyn poses while in her chosen city delegate's seat

Photo courtesy of Prof Evie

Brooklyn, Rachel Claire,  Abby, and Emily smile for a photo

Photo courtesy of Prof Evie

Following our discussion on Saumur's rich troglodyte history, students filed into the main hall where they sang the French national anthem, the Marseillaise, which students began learning last week. After only a week of practice, we think they did a great job!

When M. Goulet was finally able to join us, many of the students mingled and chatted with each other, while two students, Jean-Luc and Victor presented gifts from IU.

Photo courtesy of Prof Evie

Victor and Jean-Luc present the gifts for both mayors to M. Goulet (M. Néron had to step out for a few moments)

The group posed for a picture with the two mayors as well as Mme Grimand and our on-site coordinator, Marie-Odile

Photo courtesy of Prof Evie

Everyone who was in attendance was welcomed to a reception after meeting the mayors, which involved some cookies and orange juice, and cold water. Students enjoyed some free time taking pictures in the main hall we were in (also known as the marriage hall as it is where all marriages take place).

Hannah, Cassie, and Camille pose for a photo in the reception hall

Photo courtesy of Prof Evie

Monick, Brooklyn, Abby, and Rachel Claire pose for a photo near one of the large windows overlooking the city

Victor and Jean-Luc have become the group's go-to (willing, I think) photographers in moments such as this

Photo courtesy of Prof Evie

If host families were free for the morning, they were more than welcome to attend the reception at city hall with us. Below is a picture of the host families who were able to come!

Brooklyn also wanted a photo with her host mom, so Prof Evie happily obliged!

A new post will be uploaded yet this week with a variety of photos from host families, photos of students at lunch at Saint Louis, a picture of Saint Louis, and a few other fun photos as well... stay tuned!

Aux Châteaux !

Aux Châteaux ! To the Castles!

Update: Evie has quite a few photos of students that I was not able to photograph during the excursion and I have updated the blog accordingly.

Good morning to all the parents and followers of the blog back home! This post is a bit lengthy so I apologize in advance, but it contains dozens of photos of your students!

On Friday, we had our first excursion to see several castles in the Loire Valley. In my previous post, I mentioned the three we were to visit: Chambord, Clos Lucé, and Chenonceau. Friday was an incredibly hot day with temperatures topping out at 102 (cooler than Saturday which hit a record 108... I think we were all missing AC yesterday), but the students were well prepared with light clothing and a refillable water bottle each.

We left Saumur early Friday morning at 7 am, and I think we were all a bit tired right out of the gate, but some of us took advantage of the 2.5-hour bus trip to our first stop... some us more than others!

Yara made a funny comment upon seeing a group of cyclists. She said, "Oh! Le Tour de France!" Naturally, I had to loan her a hat I bought in 2013 for a photo to accompany such an exclamation:

Our first stop on the tour (no pun intended) was Chambord. This castle, which first began construction in the mid-1500s, is the largest castle in the Loire Valley. Used primarily as a hunting lodge for the next few hundred years, it is notable for its hundreds of depictions of salamanders, often topped with a crown that bears the motto: Nutrisco et Extinguo, which translates loosely from Latin as "I feed on the good fire and extinguish the bad." Aside from the salamanders, it is also famously known for its double-helix staircases that wrap around one another— one person can descend while another ascends and the two would never pass each other. 

One of the many salamanders depicted throughout the castle

Photo courtesy of Evie

Interestingly, the castle was used as a staging point for the evacuation of France's great art collection during WWII, which was moved from the Louvre in Paris to southern parts of the country at the height of the war.

    Here the group poses for a photo outside the massive castle and walls with the IU Flag! Work is currently underway to renovate various portions of the castle, which, unfortunately, obstructs some of its view.

Hannah, Cassie, and Camille examine layouts of Chambord before entering

Just inside the walls, Victor pauses to take a picture of the immense structure

Students taking in Chambord and discussing where to go first just inside the entrance

Luka just inside the walls of Chambord
Photo courtesy of Evie

Instructor Evie takes a picture of me taking a picture of her... I'd rather not see her photo of me as I much prefer to remain hidden behind the camera!

Evie and Shane pose for a quick photo before entering the castle

The students were given 2 hours to explore the castle in groups of three and then visit the gift shop before meeting us outside the walls to return to the bus and move on. Upon entering the castle, most students climbed to the topmost floor which is accessible to visitors. There we took a variety of photos!

Abby, Monick, Rachel Claire, and Brooklyn pose for a picture in front of the tower/spire

Summer and Yara pose for a picture with instructor Evie in front of the tower/spire atop the castle

For reference to its size, here is the opposite side of the tower/spire in its entirety

Victor and Avery pose for a picture at the top of Chambord

Mara poses for a photo near the spire

Photo courtesy of Evie

Aminata poses for a photo within the castle
Photo courtesy of Evie

Evie has guilted me into including a picture of myself at Chambord

Photo courtesy of Evie

Grace pauses to take a picture of the grounds

Emily poses for a photo overlooking the countryside
Photo courtesy of Evie

Well known for its magnificent grounds, gardens, and forest surrounding the estate, visitors can see large swaths of it all from the top of the castle.

Chambord's gardens and forest as seen from the top

Ruby, Mara, and Grace pose for a picture at the top of Chambord

Inside, Shane found a lovely Warthog

Victor and Avery pose outside of a window looking in

Photo courtesy of Evie

Camille, Cassie, and Hannah pose for a photo in front of a window

Photo courtesy of Evie

Camille and Cassie take a selfie in one of the many mirrors throughout the castle

Photo courtesy of Evie

After our visit to Chambord, we relaxed for an hour in the AC of the bus while we traveled to the neighboring city of Amboise. There we found a shady area on the Loire river to enjoy our picnic lunches. Some of us took the opportunity to lay back on the grass and close our eyes for a little while.

The students and instructors enjoy a picnic lunch packed by their respective host families on the banks of the Loire

After lunch, we went to Clos Lucé, a castle (though more the size of a "manor") located in Amboise where Leonardo da Vinci spent most of his life. We visited in the heat of the day and the castle was absolutely packed. We were all feeling a bit claustrophobic and exited the interior at the first opportunity to hunt down cold water, some ice cream, and a shady bench or two on which we could rest. Because of the heat and the general exhaustion we were all feeling, I did not take any pictures, so I am going to borrow a picture from Google to show what it looks like.

After Clos Lucé, we went to Chenonceau, the general favorite among the group of students and instructors. Chenonceau, built over the water of a small river flowing underneath, is well-known for its gardens, labyrinth maze, and the beautiful tree-lined road leading to the château. Given the heat, the students spent the majority of the time in the various shaded areas of the grounds or within the castle itself where temperatures were a bit more manageable thanks to the stone construction.

We took a group picture at the entrance to the road leading up to the château, and I've cropped the image below so that you can see your student's lovely faces a bit closer!

The group enjoyed the shade provided by the trees as we walked down the road to the gardens and entrance to Chenonceau

At the end of the road leading to the château, we took one final group photo with Chenonceau in the background. It is somewhat misleading as the castle extends back over the water, which you can see from the side in the image below.

This is my favorite spot on the grounds to view the castle. The reflection extends out onto the water and gives an excellent perspective to anyone who ventures to this corner of the gardens. For anyone with an interest or knowledge in photography, this is an HDR image and a composite of about 30 different images, ideal for landscapes with direct, and sometimes harsh, sunlight.

I made a beeline for this spot in the gardens, and several students who are interested in photography followed me to see what I was talking about when I said it was the best place to view the castle.

Christian, Dawn-Cheryl, and Annalyse pose for a picture in front of the château

Annalyse asked me to take a portrait of her in front of the château as well, to which I happily obliged

From right to left: Yara, Molly, Summer, Evie, Jean-Luc, Mara, Aminata, and Grace
Photo courtesy of instructor Evie

Aminata, Mara, Hannah, Grace, Ruby, Emily, Camille, and Cassie pose for a picture within the gardens of Chenonceau

Photo courtesy of instructor Evie

Inside Chenonceau, a great hall spanning the length of the building greets visitors. Used primarily as a location for royalty and nobility to throw lavish parties, the design of the castle is the perfect venue for such occasions. During WWII, the castle served as a hospital for the wounded. 

Illuminated by the 18 windows on either side overlooking the river below, the main hall makes up the vast majority of the château

Evie, Yara, Summer, and Molly pose for a photo within the grand hall

Hannah, Camille, and Cassie pose for a picture inside Chenonceau

Photo courtesy of instructor Evie

Following our visit to Chenonceau, we all returned to the bus at 6:00 pm to head back to Saumur. We arrived back at Saint Louis at 7:30 and the students reunited with their host families thoroughly exhausted and ready to eat dinner and then sleep. 

I know I still need to upload a photo of Saint Louis, and I promise to do that this week along with uploading some photos that families have sent me over the last week of the students doing a variety of activities with their host families. Additionally, if I did not capture an individual photo of your student outside of the group photo, I promise I will do that on our next excursion and at various times in between. Because students had the liberty to explore the castles in groups of three, I did not always see every single group outside of the group photo, and some students stuck closer to the instructors than others. Hopefully, this post gives you some insight as to the nature of the excursions we will go on. Our next excursion is in two weeks and will be to Normandy in Northern France!

À bientôt !