Beginning to recover
from the trip but still seriously jet-lagged, the students engaged
in a two-hour walking tour of Faverges on Sunday morning. The
sun shone brightly as we walked through the central street whose
oldest building dates back to the 13th century...
After
a brisk walk up a steep hill, we took the traditional group
picture in front of the castle before heading back to the Roman
digs and the modern center of town, where we located the building
in which classes are to be held every weekday morning.
The host families
came to retrieve their students just before noon, and we all
headed home for lunch and one more afternoon's recuperation.
The group photo at left is framed in orange, which means that
you can view a larger version of the same image by clicking
on it
Classes started
on Monday morning, and all of the students had tales to tell about
the places they'd seen, the meals they'd eaten, and the people
they had met in the forty-eight hours since their arrival in Europe.
After two and a half hours of class, we went to the post office
to buy stamps and phone cards. Family and friends in the US can
expect mail to start arriving in about a week's time.
Tuesday, classes
as usual. followed by a visit to the bank. Late afternoon we met
at the Town Hall where we were greeted by Assistant Mayor Emmanuelle
Sénéchal, herself a host mom to a UA student several
years ago. We were photographed for the local press, sampled tasty
cookies, and of course were treated to a glass of Kir, the now-traditional
cocktail served at every function in France. There was also orange
juice available for those who preferred to abstain.
The photos above
show a town official serving Kir, students clowning for the camera...whereas
the photos below show several of the students already engaging
in conversation with French "brothers" and "sisters".
Wednesday, class
(as usual). But after an hour and a half we headed for the weekly
open-air market. Everyone noticed the strong odor of strawberries
wafting in the breeze as wonderfully ripe fruit sat on the stands.
We saw a staggering
diversity of foods, from asparagus to zucchini, and of course
sampled the flavorful and mild local cheese.
Emil decided to go native and
bought himself the typical French bérêt, despite
the fact that no Frenchman under seventy years of age can ever
be seen wearing such headgear any more (except for the troops
in certain army regiments). But it will be good and convenient
protection from the rain that is announced for Thursday...
After lunch we
walked to the Archeological
Museum where we were received by Guide du Patrimoine
Patrick Rendu. He told us, in clearly enunciated French, of the
history of Faverges since Paleolithic times. He let us handle
7,000-year-old polished stone axes from the Neolithic and explained
the evolution of the local society from the Stone Age to the Copper,
Bronze, and Iron Ages...
The excellent
collection of Gallo-Roman and Medieval artifacts
was explained in detail. We saw many everyday objects from Gallo-Roman
times, some two thousand years ago, and learned about the different
types of pottery that allow archeological sites to be accurately
dated.
We then visited
the church next door, and learned of its ancient history by examining
the several sets of foundations which lie under the church's floor.
The oldest building, a basilica from Roman times, was replaced
in the 6th century by the first Christian church on the site.
Rebuilt repeatedly over the centuries, the building still boasts
a thousand-year-old steeple and apse.The best part (or worst,
depending on whom you ask) was the crawl amidst human bones under
the church. The photo below shows most of the group, the most
adventuresome handling femurs or other long bones,much to the
horror of some of the others....
The tour ended
with a visit of the museum's office, where we examined potsherds
and more human bones. The students each received a booklet about
the history of Faverges and an iron Gallo-Roman nail, which makes
a fine souvenir of the visit.
The last picture
(above right) shows Glenn in the mountain village above Faverges
where he is living in bucolic tranquillity with his host family
on the flank of Mt. Tournette.
We will have
classes Thursday and Friday, will attend a traditional circus
performance on Friday afternoon, and will spend Saturday visiting
the nearby city of Annecy. Saturday evening, we will attend the
AFA dinner which is a fund-raiser for the day trip sponsored by
the association. This year's trip, to the city of Lyon, is scheduled
for June 9.
The next report
will be posted on Saturday evening or Sunday...
Questions? Comments?
Please write by clicking the @ link below
