Author: sam_goeuriot

My host family and i went to Paris for the weekend and visited versailles today. One thing that stood out that is less prominent in tours is how important nature and aesthetic are to French people. All throughout the day I saw details in our travels that differed from day to day life in America- there was a chandelier in the train station, but in America there would probably be a dingy, boring and old light. Also, the insides of their trams/busses were orange and yellow, which was really bright and cheery compared to the public transit system of America. When we were taking the trams I had a chance to see a lot of Parisian roads and blocks, and I noticed a multitude of nature in such a busy and populous city. Wherever there was space there was green- and it wasn’t the uniform and tidy cut grass of typical American lawns. There was biodiversity everywhere, from uncut grasses of varying types to wildflowers growing in the medians of the roads and under the tram tracks. It was really unusual to see so much nature and so much diverse nature so seamlessly integrated into a busy and fast paced city. It brought some calmness to the busy atmosphere and probably helped the air quality too! All in all, i really appreciated the artistic and natural elements of Paris that aren’t present in most large American cities. 

Today the Americans enjoyed our first day of the long weekend with our host families. My host family and I are currently staying near a resort/campground-type place called “Le Parc de Fierbois.” There is so much to do, and we were outside all day. We are staying in my exchange partner’s grandmothers house with  her cousin who is our age. First, we slept in a bit after a tiring first week, had some cereal for breakfast, and found her brothers and other cousins fishing at the lake.

Then we kept walking along the lake until we came across an inflatable playground, where we swam and sunbathed. Afterwards, we swam some more in the pool and headed back to the house for lunch- sausages, a rice/cucumber/corn salad, chocolate cake, and baguette with camembert! Then, we headed to archery, where I got a bullseye on my first shot. If you zoom in you can see it! After I was promised a free coca cola by the archery supervisor, we headed back to the lake with all the kids and swam again, played tag, and got sunburnt. We also got some ice cream! Then we rented these go karts and had a race around the resort.

Today Léane, Grace, Lucie and I went to Futuroscope, which is an amusement park with lots of rides and shows. We spent the whole day there, and had a picnic for lunch. Léane’s mom packed us sandwiches, chips, and brownies. I think the brownie here tastes different than the ones in America because they are less sweet and has a more grainy texture. Most of the rides there were 4d rides based off of popular French movies. There were no roller coasters and all the scenes in the rides were projected onto screens, which is different to what American amusement parks have. We all agreed that our favorite ride was one similar to Epcot’s soaring around the world, where we got to visit different parts of the world through a screen. One thing that surprised me was the security system that they have at this park. When I was going through security, the door beeped and the security guy asked me to take off my bag and open the compartment. But there were 3 compartments and they only peeked inside one, felt the bag on the outside, and said I was good to go. Which when compared to America, they check more thoroughly. Overall, I really enjoyed the amusement park and I think it was worth the visit.

One thing that was interesting to me was the food used for lunch in France. There were sandwiches made up of a baguette or something similar to that. At Cary Academy however, any sandwiches are created using white or whole wheat bread, different from St. Ursule. This goes to show the different kinds of food universally used in France in comparison to the United States. 

Today in france we went to school with our exchange students and attended english classes. In class we helped other high school students with their english and learn about their day to day life. In the afternoon we learned about the dances and songs from the renaissance period in France. We then learned the dance and preformed in the dance class room. After the school day was over students went with their host families to spend the long weekend with them.

There are many culture differences that I noticed in my short time in Tours so far. Unlike in the US where there are two locker rooms, one for men and one of women, France only has one. There is one common space for lockers and then individual changing stalls that are universal to all. I was very confused by this when I first came to understand the idea, but it makes more sense to me because there is no need for two completely separate locker areas. Another culture shock for me is dinner. I would usually have an informal dinner for about 45 minutes in America. But so far every night I have been sitting down for dinner at around 8 pm and finishing at 10pm. I am not used to such long dinners but the food is amazing so not complaints!

Welcome to our second day in France! This morning we visited a beautiful castle called Langeais the castle was inhabited during the middle ages and is equipped with various levels, a dungeon, and a beautiful garden. We were guided through the castle by and amazing tour guide who explained to us the detail and stories of the castle. After the tour we explored the garden where we saw beautiful flowers and were able to climb up wooden stairs to view the whole garden and castle from above. We then ate a picnic style lunch that our families had packed for us and got to try new French snacks! After our delicious lunches we took off for the goat farm. Here we learned all about the process of making goat milk and cheese. Our guide, an owner of the farm, showed us the different rooms in which each step of the process occurred. Not only did we see how the farm works, but we got to meet all the goats. There was about a hundred goats in this beautiful open land where they grazed the grass and we got to pet them. We were able to see goats of all different sizes and colors. Our guide let us sample a variety of goat products including their homemade yogurt, fresh cheese (which is like the texture of cottage cheese), a variety of different aged cheese and rosemary jam. Many of us also purchase the goat ice cream in numerous flavors. We then sadly departed the goat farm but are excited to see our correspondents again after a great day of adventure. 

Today, after shopping and walking around Tours, we went to a Museum and learned about 5 types of paintings: religious, portrait, landscape, mythological, and still life. One thing I found unusual was the traffic. Many streets are one-way and crowded with pedestrians, which seems stressful to drive in. I was also surprised at how a tram runs right through the center of a large area where there were many people gather, showing how public transportation is very common in France. I was also surprised at how bicycler-friendly streets were, and there was even a large bridge dedicated only to bikers and pedestrians!

Today, I got to Saint Ursule at 8:30 because my exchange partner, Lucie, had a French class. Some of the other American students also sat in on the class until 9, when all the American students met to walk around Tours. Notably, we saw houses from the Middle Ages that are still standing and being used as residential homes. We then went to look at a French market, which had an inside section and an outside section. The vendors there were selling many things, such as fresh meat, fish, cheese, and fruits. My friends and I bought strawberries, which were delicious. We then were allowed to go get lunch, and I went to a restaurant called the Café de la Poste with my friends. I got a vegetable and tofu dish, which was very good! Half of the Americans then went to the Musée des Beaux-Arts, where we got a tour in French by a very nice and patient guide. We saw a Monet painting! Then, some of us got pastries from a patisserie and we walked to the Cathédrale Saint-Gatien. Inside, we looked at the stained glass windows and listened to someone playing the organ. Afterwards, we walked back to the school, where Lucie and I got on a bus and went to her apartment.

While I can’t say whether or not French people appreciate graffiti, its heavy presence along highways in Paris is certainly noticeable. Almost every wall and pillar large enough to spray paint is painted, filling the normally drab space with art. The art is in various states of decay, created by artists of varying skills and experiences. While unconventional, it makes the French highway experience far more pleasant than the American one. French graffiti is large, colorful, and bold, providing splashes of interesting colors and equally as interesting designs, which can be seen in the images below. This is not to say that smaller tags don’t exist, but they are far outnumbered by larger pieces. France’s highway graffiti is fascinating because of its amount and its beauty. Its artistic value should not be ignored purely because it is unconventional. And, as all highway graffiti does, it leaves me wondering how the artists did it.