Rebonjour!
All goes well in Angers, despite the rather terrifying news we continue to hear from the US. Along with their coursework, the students have had a good time gettting to know the region. Here are some highlights of our activities over the past month and a half:
- On a rainy Sunday in October, the SUNDEF students joined the Douthwaite & Viglione family for a painting and pizza party at the CIDEF. We cleaned, swept, dusted, and then painted salles 100 & 512 (the SUNDEF office and computer room) a lovely shade of yellow with blue trim. (Free pizza seemed to be a big attraction.) We're all pleased with the cheerful new SUNDEF rooms.
- Vendanges are an important part of life in Anjou, so the SUNDEF group took two excursions to a local vineyard to join in the grape harvest, on Saturday October 13 and Oct. 20. Our host, Mme Francine Desmet, gave us a royal welcome at the Manoir de Versillé. After working in the vines, we enjoyed a picnic lunch, a hike around the vines and down to the river Aubance (whence the wine «coteaux d'Aubance»), a visit to the Manor house, and a dégustation, of course.
-In keeping with our theme of «cuisine régionale», we celebrated October birthdays with a «Dîner en ville» à la Casa Corsa, a Corsican restaurant in the pedestrian zone of Angers, and we will soon celebrate the November birthdays at La Treille, a traditional French restaurant near the Cathedral.
- On November 22, we will enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving feast with the SUNDEF students and their host families. Pecan pie is on the menu this year, for a special "exotic" surprise.
- I am delighted to announce that one of our «monitrices» from the Université Catholique de l'Ouest, Laure Lechappellain, will be in South Bend for 2 1/2 months (end January -- début April) this spring. Laure will be working with ROFR faculty to do a stage d'observation & d'enseignement, as part of her work towards a Maîtrise en FLE (français langue étrangère). We hope that this will pave the way toward more visits from French students in the future.
- In December we will be travelling to the Abbaye de Fontevraud, near Saumur, for a day of visiting the beautiful abbey, and a concert of liturgical music. See the Fontevraud website for a glimpse of this lovely place.
En attendant le plaisir de vous accueillir à Angers, nous vous souhaitons une excellente fin de semestre.
Cordialement,Julia Douthwaite Directrice
Bulletin #1 Bulletin #3 Bulletin #4