Greetings from the Alps! We can’t believe it, but we are on our last leg of this amazing journey. We have already been to Bretagne, Paris, the Loire Valley, Montpellier, and now Chamonix. Amazing. . .
Last week may have been the most valuable experience of the entire trip. The students all lived with French families, 24/7. However, we emphasized that they were not really guests in these homes; they were to be active participants. They ate their meals together, went on family excursions, met friends and extended families, and many students even received little keepsakes by which to remember their French families. On a few occasions we met up as a giant group of Putney students and their French counterparts. We all went canoeing, had a pool party at one student’s house, and even visited the famous candy factory Haribo! We worry that their luggage will be too heavy because of the purchases made at Haribo, but it was well worth the visit!
After a tearful send-off on Tuesday morning, we began our trek to the Alps. We traveled by train, which gave us an opportunity to see the various landscapes that France has to offer. By far the most stunning, however, is where we are currently located. Here in the Valley of Chamonix we are surrounded by ice-capped mountains, and just a stone’s throw from Mont Blanc! We have already been on a beautiful hike to the Swiss border (see photo below), and yesterday we tackled an impressively large ropes course that finished with a luge down the mountain!
Lest we forget, we are still going strong with our language lessons. Yesterday we focused on 'mountain' vocabulary pertinent to the various activities in which we will be participating. The end of our program is in sight, and our students know it. They are soaking up these last moments together and having a great time. Many incredible friendships have been made on this trip-- memories that they will guard for years to come. We are looking forward to a warm greeting in the USA.
See you soon!
Tim, Laura, and the whole crew
