Jack Carey: France

             Upon arriving in Cadaujac the first day, I was greeted warmly by my host family. My correspondent, Remy Laborde, played guitar, so we kicked things off with a jam session. As far as music went, we had surprisingly similar tastes, and rocked out to "Hotel California" by The Eagles. The Labordes were very curious about Nashville, so I answered a few questions, and used Google Earth to show them my neighborhood, as well as MBA. Their first two questions were, "Do you live in a forest?" and "Do you do anything other than sports at your school?" We ate pasta with baguette and chocolate mousse, and retired to bed after a long day of traveling.

             The following day (Monday), my host dad drove us to school. Remy explained how driving in France required much more extensive training than in the U.S, and added that he sometimes rode a scooter for transportation. The largest difference between the two schools was technology. At MBA, wifi is second in importance only to oxygen. At the Sauque, however, there was a single computer lab, which was the only area one could access the internet. Overall though, it definitely added to the experience, as I was never tempted to surf the web. Each day, the groups from MBA and SCA assembled outside on the benches adjacent to the basketball court. There, we conversed, and prepared for the main event of the day, normally a field trip. These trips included medieval churches and castles which dated back to the 12th Century A.D. It was remarkable to me just how well some of these monuments had been preserved; it was doubly remarkable, since nothing in the U.S. is very old. My favorite trip, however, was the Dune of Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe. After trekking up a vast number of steps at a steep incline, we were greeted by a spectacular view of the bay. The skies were clear almost the entire month, and that day was no exception. When it was time to leave, we ran down the side of the dune. The steep incline made running effortless, and we bounded down in long strides. 

Fishing for crawdads with Tim le pecheur

       

             My second host family, the Maurices, was comprised of four boys, with my host brother Baudoin being the oldest. The house was right on the Garonne, the main river that flows through the south of France. During the homestay, my French improved more than it had any other week. We spent many hours playing ping pong and Mario Kart. The highlight of this portion of the trip, however, was the wedding of Baudoin's cousin. It was a grand event, with over 300 people singing hymns in an old cathedral. Afterwards, we had dinner at a large chateau, and I finally got to try oysters, which are a regional specialty. In addition, my host family had prepared canelés, which resemble miniature bundt cakes, but have a more chewy texture, and an almost molasses-like taste.

Baudoin and I in front of the chateau were the marriage took place

             

    

          The third leg of the trip took place in Paris. There, we toured everything, from Montmartre to the Louvre, to the Catacombs, to the Eiffel Tower. My favorite part, however, was simply sitting in the Luxembourg Garden, where we could enjoy the Parisien atmosphere. After the week was over, I was fortunate enough to stay another ten days in Paris with my family. Since they spoke hardly any French, my skills as an interpreter were required more than ever. Moreover, I was able to relax, since I had already toured much of the city, and therefore did not feel as much pressure to visit more sites.

         

Contemplating life from the Seine

               Though the monuments were grand, what I will miss most about France were the little things: the conversations I had with the students at the Sauque, the hilarious play they performed on the final night, the dog that was always on campus, and riding through the sunny vineyards that never seemed to end. 

           Lastly, I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to M. Trotter for accompanying us on the trip, as well as the Wilson family, for their immeasurable generosity. Thanks to you, I was able to spend an incredible summer in France, all while learning a great deal.

My father, my brother and I posing in front of the Eiffel Tower