Monday, May 29, 2006

French, French, French

In reading through the blog, one might get the impression that we are on vacation all the time. Actually, that is not really true. We spend much of our time either in French class, doing French homework, or practicing French. After all, that is what we are here for. When we're not preoccupied with French, we're usually doing job searches or planning for the next steps. Somehow "we went to school and did homework again today" just seems a bit to ordinary to post a blog. So, most of what gets posted is what we consider to be the "special" or exciting things. Just in case you were wondering...

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Bach: sa musique et son Dieu

Bach: his music and his God was a cultural presentation/outreach to the town of Villefranche de Rouergue last Sunday afternoon. Lois invited us to sing in the choir with her. What an awesome experience! We sang under the direction of a very gifted director and two accompanists: a violinist and an organist. The performance was held in a huge cathedral with two grand pipe organs. One of the songs was even sung from the tall balcony at the back of the cathedral -- we felt like angels singing high up in the sky!

Monday, May 22, 2006

Retreat

After a week which included a big French exam for Steve, we were glad to get out of town. The church retreat was a perfect opportunity to breathe fresh air, see more of the beautiful French countryside, and even practice French. There was time to simply "hang out" between times of reflection, a picnic, a hike, a village visit, sports, and group games.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Vacation

No class this week. We enjoyed resting in Toulouse the first part of the week, then rented a car and drove to Cannes. Our friends took us by ferry to the Island of St. Marguerite. We walked around the island and saw the fort, a former prison. The following day we drove to Peille to do the "Via Ferrata." It was magnificent to hang from the side of the cliff, tremble across the tight ropes and blow with the swinging bridges. On the return, we stopped briefly in Monaco and drove along the beautiful coastline.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Marathon

Beth ran her first marathon last weekend in Albi, a town just over an hour away from where we live. She finished without major injury! While she ran Steve enjoyed touring the charming town then going to the sidelines to cheer her on.