Today was no ordinary school day… it was the last day of school before summer break – a day to celebrate! After riding the train into school bright and early this morning, it was time for a variety of classes, most of which were simply parties in celebration of the end of the school year. In Italian class, a few of us joined the French students in a snack and an Italian movie (luckily, with English subtitles)! The food consisted of many different types of bread – a trend we have all noticed during most meals and snacks. After Italian class came physics, but for these students, in English! After their end of year presentations, we played Pictionary where the students were able to show off their impressive knowledge of very difficult scientific terms in English, phrases us Americans are not as strong in when speaking in French! They were able to easily draw and identify terms such as mechanical energy, the ozone layer, and even heliocentric! After a quick break, our class was off to the city market, a staple in Tours. We found ourselves surrounded by fresh fruit, bread, cheese, flowers, and all of the meat you could imagine. In this indoor in outdoor market, we spent time walking around, shopping, and of course, sampling! I can personally say that the strawberries here are like no other – the epitome of perfection. Other than this, I was able to try some chocolate chip bread, apricots, and even a fried ball of cheese, while everyone was similarly searching for something to fill their curiosity. We then hurried back home for lunch, some staying at school while others ventured off for a quick bite, myself and many others going to a taco shop. These were not your average tacos, as they were filled with French fries along with the toppings of your choice. This combination was mind-blowing! We ate in the garden of a museum (a phrase I never thought I would so casually write) and got ready to go to our last adventure of the day: le Musée du compagnonnage. We arrived at an old, regal building and quickly found ourselves doing another scavenger hunt after a quick introduction to the museum. Similarly to the last scavenger hunt activity around the city of Tours, this was not your average hunt. It was pretty difficult, as we had to search around the museum for answers to a variety of questions. We spent about an hour and a half doing this, then went back to school for a few more classes: history and English. In both, we played games and partied outside with some games and food. I personally played volleyball with many French students and was able to meet and converse with many new people and make many new friends- no complaints here!
As ascension began, we all were able to do our own thing. After many goodbyes to the friends we would not be seeing for four days, we all went our separate ways. Some of us when shopping, some home to rest, others grabbed a quick bite to eat (cookies!) like myself and headed off to the train to go home. After a nice walk around the neighborhood in the countryside once home, I was introduced to the French News, something I admittedly understood very little of. Dinner was filled with many laughs, great pizza, and a lot of talk about my exchange student’s little brother turning 10 on Friday – a big milestone! I know I am speaking for all of us when I say I am so incredibly excited for this long weekend to begin – four days to do whatever is planned with our families and friends, four days to further bond with our students, and most importantly, four days to sleep in!
