Ah, France! Land of cheese and wine..
Just over a week ago, I was still in the land of scones and tea, packing as many possessions as I could in my two suitcases and backpacks, happily saying my goodbyes as the excitement mounted.
Today, I feel fairly well settled - in the few days I've been here, I opened a bank account, filled in the paperwork for the
securité sociale and
mutuelle, went to my two formation days.. I have been a little busy, and have had a lot of paperwork to do. France loves paperwork.
Yesterday, Wednesday, was the first training day for assistants. We all got up early and boarded a train to
Orléans, where we had breakfast in the café opposite the
Lycée Benjamin Franklin, where we were meeting at 9am.
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| Language Assistants at the Lycée Benjamin Franklin |
We were able to pick up various leaflets, and then sat through some presentations and introductions. Shortly before lunch, a small number of French students took us in groups to go and visit the town.
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| Statue Jeanne d'Arc, Orléans |
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| Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d'Orléans |
We had lunch at the Lycée cafeteria, then had another small meeting but finished a little early. We were free to roam around the city, killing time before our rather late train back. Shortly before taking the train, we stopped for a dinner/snack combination, and admired these lovely cakes.
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| Cakes displayed in a French café |
Orléans is an interesting town with lots of history, and I quite enjoyed seeing bits of it, but the day itself was very tiring and I was glad when it was over.
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Today we did not have to leave Châteauroux, which allowed me to stay a little longer in bed. We had our meeting, which of course involved lots of paperwork, did a mini tour of Châteauroux, and received our schedules. I was still suffering from yesterday's lack of sleep, so was quite tired, but it was a much shorter and less intensive day, which was a relief. Next week I start working in the schools I have been allocated to - I look forward to experiencing these next months in a French classroom!
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| A house window in Châteauroux |
