Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!

“When would you use the present subjunctive form of the verb avoir?”  While several members of the class seemed ready to jump in with the answer, the only image in my mind was that of the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, dancing around a field, singing “if I only had a brain”. What fool had decided that a month in a French immersion language school was a “fun” way to start a four month adventure in France? Yep, it’s the same one sitting in class realizing that while learning French had been an "easy" in high school for me, those classes were 30+ years ago. My brain no longer switches into study mode quickly or easily, nor can I memorize much of anything. The vocabulary and grammar of a foreign language is a real challenge now that I can’t always count on remembering the word for something in English on any given day.

The top notch instructors at the Institut de Francais in Villefranche sur Mer, near Nice, patiently worked with all of us. Classes are made up of people from all corners of the globe – between my husband’s class and mine there were Irish, Jordanian, Canadian, Thai, Swedish, Japanese, Russian, South African, and a few American students of all ages. We were tested the first day to see which class was right for us. My husband, brand new to French was in the “debutante” class, while I somehow ended up in the upper intermediate class.

Natalie, the chef at the Institut, greeted us the first day, and knew us all by name at the end of the first week. We were never served the same lunch twice in four weeks, and she made adjustments for dietary restrictions and dislikes. Lunch was not only a time to sample French cuisine however. An instructor would dine at each table, asking questions and keeping the conversations going.

Speaking and hearing nothing but French during the classes and activities offered each day, was difficult and exhausting. Five evenings a week we would return to the quiet of our apartment, heads pounding. One of us would collect aspirin and water, the other a bottle of wine to share (one bottle, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). By the time we’d consumed those, and a light dinner, we’d tackle our homework. Many evenings, I could have used the Tinman’s oil can, as I could hear the rusty cogs in my head creaking in protest.

There was also plenty of laughter. Each day there would be a session where we met with another class to listen to news casts, music, or play games. During one of the first sessions, we were divided into groups and asked to try to figure out the words to a song the instructor played for us. Each of us caught a few words, but the ideas our groups came up with were no where near the reality – the story of a bullfight as told by the bull!  By the end of the four weeks though, we were able to turn on the TV in the evenings and understand some of what the broadcaster was saying.

The first week or so, I could have also used that oil can for my leg muscles. Our apartment and the school were situated on a hillside above the town and harbor. That provided breathtaking views, but also meant we walked down the steep hill to the grocery and bakery, and then had to face the uphill hike loaded down with bags. We quickly learned just how much to buy each time.

After graduation, we explored the Loire Valley, the Dordogne Valley and Paris. Each area was wonderful, but we found that the Bordeaux wine region & Dordogne Valley of the Southwest were our favorites. Our hope was to find a way to return often (couldn’t let that newly acquired French disappear!), so we started a tour company. There are a daunting number of companies offering trips to France. Many are luxury tours. Others are those large bus tours advertising six cities in seven days. Neither our budget nor wardrobe is sufficient for luxury tours. Personally, my husband and I prefer to meet local residents and get fairly in depth look at one or two regions, rather than a quick overview of several.

New experiences on and off the paved (but not yellow brick) road

As travelers, and for our tours, we love to stay in Bed & Breakfasts. Being welcomed into a home rather than a hotel, allows us to enjoy more personal touches, and experience different home styles and furnishings. We also get glimpses into the varying lifestyles lives of our hosts.

Bed & Breakfast owners often have other careers as well – teachers, photographers, farmers, vineyard owners, etc…

Those that offer the “tables d’hote” option of taking the evening meal with your hosts, are not only a good value, but an opportunity to taste a variety of regional specialties and wines. There’s a relaxed, family atmosphere to these dinners. There are often guests from several countries dining together.

Ask the Wizard, and he will make it so

Since today’s travelers are demanding new and different experiences, we asked some of our favorite B&B owners for their ideas. Several of our hosts have been in the restaurant industry, and are willing to offer cooking classes. These are casual, fun classes where the guests who choose to participate, work with their host to prepare lunch or dinner. The whole group then enjoys the feast, as well as the stories of their experiences during the class. Our favorite B&B owner in the Medoc not only is a wonderful cook, but makes wine for his own use, and built the addition to his home that now houses the guest rooms. His wife, a newly retired teacher, happily acts as our “professeur” when we make a mistake or can’t think of a word in French. Her eyes roll, as she admonishes her husband for trying to tell us jokes that she says even native French speakers wouldn’t understand.

One host leads an evening wine tasting/appreciation seminar, where guests are instructed on the different aspects of wine tasting and the flavors and characteristics of the wine. They also learn about the main specifications of the Bordeaux wines and the various grape varieties used to make them. He adjusts the seminar according to the level of knowledge of the participants, and includes a fun exercise in assembling their own wine, using the local grape varieties. Tasting each participant’s wine at the end produces new rounds of laughter, and in some cases more groans. He’ll also arrange personalized winery tours and tastings for the groups, where they learn about the various production methods and the amount of work that goes into each bottle.  

The neighbor of one host is a retired baker. Until more modern, faster and less labor intensive methods were developed, he baked bread in the traditional way using a 200 year old brick oven.  Now, he offers interactive visits where the participants get a chance to join him in his old bread shop, assisting him in the dough making, forming the different loaves, and baking the breads in his beautiful old oven (pre-heated 24 hours in advance). Afterwards, the participants join the baker and his wife for a casse croute, (snack) of the fresh warm breads, as well as other local products (cheeses, wine, paté, etc…). 

Improving language skills is also possible in a fun & relaxed atmosphere. Many of our favorite hosts speak little English, though they are happy to try. They will gladly assist and correct our attempts to speak French during the leisurely dinners we enjoy with them. Somehow, after that first glass of wine, everyone finds a bit of that “courage” the Cowardly Lion was seeking. Lively discussions on a variety of subjects make the evenings pass quickly.

These are only examples of what’s available in one area of one country, through one company. Tour operators like myself, will also customize tours to include biking, walking, visits to historic WWII sights, and much more.

There’s no place like home – that’s a good thing!

If you want to keep your brain active, and be able to put away the oil can, dredge up the courage to continue searching out new adventures – learn something new on your next vacation. You’ll discover that the laughter, groans, and (eventually) wide smiles that come with learning a new skill aren’t just for students.   

There may be “no place like home”, but I’ve found that there are very few experiences more enjoyable than getting to know the people and countryside of a new region or country – learning a new language, now that’s a different story!  What IS the subjunctive of “avoir” anyway.