It's hard to believe that we've already passed the three week mark in St. Brieuc. The summer is flying by! This week was a busy one too. In addition to normal classes and activities, we also had our first round of the Dessert Exposition and our overnight excursion to Normandy.
For our Dessert Exposition, the stagiaires prepare a French or Breton dessert with their host family and bring it in to class so that everyone can taste the different desserts and learn how they're made, as well as any history or traditions associated with them. This week we started with the Bleu group, and the Rouge and Blanc groups will follow next week and the week after. Here are a couple of photos of everyone tasting the desserts, as well as our swing dance lesson (led by our swing master Jamie) after everyone had devoured all that there was to taste.
Bright and early Thursday morning we left for our overnight excursion in Normandy. Our first stop was Le Mont Saint-Michel. Le Mont Saint Michel is an abbey formerly inhabited by cloistered monks that sits atop a mountain on a small island on the coast. In the past, the island was only accessible at low tide, but in modern history, a land bridge was built to provide constant access. Le Mont Saint Michel held strategic important for France during the middle ages, as it is named for the patron saint of France and was often the target of English attacks. It was also a major stop for religious pilgrims during this period as well. During the French Revolution, it also briefly served as a prison. Today, Le Mont Saint Michel is no longer inhabited by monks or prisoners, but its rich history is available for everyone to view. After climbing the mountain to the abbey (and many many many stairs), we had a guided tour led by our one and only Sarah Kay. A couple of pictures from this stop on our excursion are below.
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| Le Mont Saint Michel |
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| On the steps of the Abbey |
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| In the fireplace that was used to prepare meals for nobles who visited the abbey |
After Le Mont Saint Michel we rushed to Bayeux to view the famous tapestry which tells the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings. Unfortunately pictures could not be taken in this museum due to the delicate nature of the exhibit. Below is a link to the museum and the wikipedia page for the tapestry for those who are interested in its history.
The Bayeux Tapestry - Wikipedia
Bayeux Tapestry Museum
After viewing the Bayeux Tapestry, we headed to La Pointe du Hoc which was one of the first landing sites on D-Day during the second world war. It was at this site that U.S. Army Rangers scaled the cliffs to disarm and destroy Germany artillery thought to have been installed at this point, which was the highest point between Utah and Omaha beaches. Today, one can still explore the remains of German bunkers that had been built at the sight as well as the craters left by the bombardment that destroyed much of the area.
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| The whole group in one of the bunkers. |
On the second day of this excursion, we visited the American Cemetery, Omaha Beach and the Memorial at Caen, which is a museum that was dedicated to peace after the Second World War. At the American Cemetery we took a guided tour that explained the history of the D-Day, the role of Omaha Beach and highlighted some of the figures who are interred at the cemetery and their role in the war. We were asked not to take photos during the tour and it began to rain quite heavily soon after, so unfortunately there are not very many photos of this stage of the excursion. There are also a few photos of those stagiaires who chose to go down to Omaha Beach during the downpour. The Memorial at Caen was our last stop and the stagiaires had one final opportunity to immerse themselves in the history of the region and really see the impact of the Second World War in France and the world.
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| The Memorial at Caen |
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| A Memorial in the American Cemetery |
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| Omaha Beach |
La Point du Hoc
At the Memorial at Caen, we ran into the group from Brest who were also finishing up their Normandy excursion. The stagiaires had a few minutes to catch up with their friends and siblings before we boarded the bus for the drive back to St. Brieuc.
It was a long and busy week, and there is still more to come. Keep a look out for more desserts, activities and the 4th of July!
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