Jeudi 2 mars

Today we had lessons from 8am until10am and then we went to the the Medieval city of Carcassonne.  The city stands on a hill and as we approached we could see the city walls and ramparts from the road.  We completed a scavenger hunt where we had to collect clues from around the inner city which really helped us to understand more about the history of Carcassonne. It was a beautiful day and we ate our lunch outside before exploring the site and sampling the delicious crêpes on sale at the south gate.  Tonight is our last night with our pen friends.  Tomorrow is a staff training day so lots of us are meeting up before we head to the airport for the flight home.  The week has gone far too quickly and we would love to be able to stay longer. However, we’re really looking forward to the French arriving in Cornwall on 24th March

Mercredi premier mars

This morning we went to a large indoor market where we had to interview French shoppers.  It was rather nerve wracking at first but they were all very kind and happy to answer our questions. We also completed a quiz about the different food available at the market and local specialities.  After that we visited Le Capitol, the large town hall in the centre of the city.  This is where the mayor’s office is and where the official part of a wedding ceremony takes place, before the church service.  School finishes at midday on Wednesdays and so we all had the afternoon off!

Tuesday 28th February

This morning we had lessons which start here at 8 am! A group of us played handball in PE and we managed to beat the French! After that we walked to le Cité de L’Espace where we had a guided tour and learned all about the work of the International Space Station.  We also visited the Planetarium and watched a film about space exploration. On the way back to school we called in at a boulangerie and ordered snacks in French. We’re all getting to know each other really well and making new friends with students from Penair and Richard Lander.  Tonight we have to prepare a dialogue with our pen friends because tomorrow we are going to a market where we have to interview shoppers in French!

Monday 27th February

Today we visited a museum dedicated to the history of aviation where we saw some of the earliest flying machines as well as Concorde and the Airbus A300.  This afternoon we visited the city centre then went back to school to wait for our pen-friends to finish their lessons at 4.30pm or 5.30pm! Quelle horreur! We really can’t complain about a 3.15pm finish.

We arrived safely on Friday evening and were met at the airport by a very excited group of French youngsters.  Students have spent the weekend with their host families, and some have been up into the Pyrenees. The weather has been beautiful!