Vienne, Crémieu et Annency

5 septembre

We just got back from Césarges, a chateau located south of Lyon, where we completed our orientation for the program. The family who runs the chateau were wonderful hosts and made the most amazing dinners for us every night. 

During the days, we made a few trips to places around Lyon. The first was to Vienne, France (not to be mistaken with Vienna, Austria) where we discovered ruins dating back to the Roman Empire. We walked though the "houses" and down the "streets" listening to our history professor, Gilles, describe the way of life during the period. It was very interesting!

Then, not to far from there, we made our way to an outdoor amphitheater that still stands, and looked out over the town. The view was beautiful! 

That same day we were off to discover Crémieu, another ancient city but from the Middle Ages. There, we did a lot of walking, and saw many "French" buildings and churches. By the end of the day, we were exhausted! 

Another day, we went to Annency to continue our discussions of French history, and to discover the famous lake the town revolves around. It rained and rained that day, and was very cold, but we stuck it out and had a wonderful meal in a café to pass the afternoon. 

During our orientation, and when we were not traveling around the countryside, we took two classes in the span of 5 days! We learned so much about the French language, and talked about the entire history of France. We also learned about the history of Césarges from Angilles, the grandmother/great-grandmother of the chateau, who lived through World War II, and had a very different and interesting take on the war. 

The whole trip was spent in French. Listening, learning, speaking, observing - all very tiring, all the while battling jet-lag. Yet, the trip was worth while, and exciting in many ways. We all had a hard time saying goodbye.

Now, we're back in Paris anxiously waiting to meet our host families! I'm excited to see where I will be living and to begin my life in Paris :) I am having a wonderful time. I cannot wait to explore Paris and all its wonder!