This morning, we got on a bus with the students from St-Laurent-du-Var and went to Gorges du Verdon, a lake and gorge about two and a half hours away from Nice. One of our teachers, Pauline, had grown up in Marseille, and she told us that she had spent her teenage summer at Gorges du Verdon with her friends. Apparently it was the popular hangout place of much of the younger French generations.
The drive took us through the beautiful countryside, forests, old villages, and vineyards, all of which are very French, but very different from what I was used to: beaches, palm trees, and crowds of people. Eventually, we made it to Gorges du Verdon.
It is is unlike any other place I have been… The water was so blue/turquoise, it seemed like somewhere one could only picture in his or her head. It was also comfortably warm and refreshing to swim in. The huge rock mountains on either side of the gorge were spectacular and also acted as cliffs for jumping into the water, which is what people loved to do.
Everyone from both programs broke into groups of two, three, or four and got in kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats. We all made our way down the beautiful gorge, passing by waterfalls and many other kayakers and canoe-ers. There were hundreds of people swimming and/or boating in the gorge.
After our afternoon on the water, we made our way to a local village that had amazing stone buildings and a river running through the middle, surrounded by lush plants. It was mostly a touristy town, but nevertheless, it was beautiful. It also overlooked the countryside. I loved the houses, because they were so traditional yet simple. I really didn’t want to leave… I could have spent many more hours exploring the village.
Overall, it was an unforgettable day! -Anna