It’s been a week since the group arrived in St. Laurent-du-Var! While we arrived only last Monday, our time has already been packed with lots of activities. The first day, we landed in the Nice airport and were quickly introduced to our lovely host families. After meeting with them and our roommates, we rested up for the rest of the program. The next day, on Tuesday, we went to the town mayor’s office, we met some of the local government, including the mayor himself! After that, we were given a tour of the town center and then spent the afternoon at the nearby beach. For dinner, we went to a restaurant by the sea in order to better get to know the group.
Wednesday marked the first day of classes and electives, where the group was split in two. For class, we’re split by level, whereas the two electives include “Conversation and Culture” as well as “Creativity and Conversation.” One elective managed to help rescue a baby owl that fell in the park! Thursday was similar, only in the afternoon, instead of elective and saving birds, we enjoyed time in Nice, shopping and visiting the beach. On Friday, after classes and elective at the beach, we had the opportunity to participate in a dance activity near the sea.
The weekend allowed us more activities and free time. We spent the day in and near Antibes on Saturday, stopping at the Musée du Picasso and spending some time downtown, around a local market with specialties of the area. In the afternoon, we traveled to a beach one station over, and participated in kayaking and paddleboarding. On Sunday, we went to Cannes, to see the center where the famous film festival is held. The group then split to spend time shopping in the city or going to the Iles de Lérins, a gorgeous location with lots of natural scenery. After returning from Cannes, we spent time in local restaurants to watch the final game between France and Portugal. While unfortunately, France lost, it was still fun to watch the game amongst the locals.
Today, Monday, we had a more relaxed day in order to wind down after the late night yesterday. While one class spent the morning talking to locals in St. Laurent to better immerse themselves in culture, the other focused on French art, watching a short film, studying paintings and reading a short story. In the afternoon, the creativity elective painted, while the culture elective played games and studied French music.
This past week has gone by so fast, and we’re so excited for the rest of the trip!
-Natalie B.