Now that the kids are grown, we’ve gone back to school– we’re in Provence for three months improving our French. Every morning starts out peaceful, but around 8:30 we jump on our rented bikes and ride through the village and up a steep hill, arriving at the school breathless. The école française for JEM- Jeunesse en Mission is located in an old farm overlooking the Ardeche Valley, between the Rhone and Ardeche rivers, an époustaflant, or breathtaking sight. We are the oldest students, although one other couple from Australia is in their 50s. Nineteen students and an equal number of staff represent 12 countries and almost as many languages. Most students and some staff live on the base in dorms and chalets, but we live in the village with seven women, sharing a two-story, 4 bedroom apartment where Portuguese is the predominant language, but Swiss, Dutch, French and English are…
Mother’s Day Again- in France
C’est la fête des mères en France aujourd’hui… without much more than a whim for a plan I seem to have planned it just right to have two Mother’s Days in one month– France celebrates the mother two weeks later than America. But I’m alone, no children in sight, so how to celebrate? Because I do love the celebratory life of all six children having safely reached adulthood… why not celebrate again in France? It’s Sunday so all the church bells are ringing in Angers where I came to attend the literary conference aptly named Possible Futures (the whim)… But that was yesterday. Today I searched for a church nearby. If you want to get to know people in a community, consider church, if you can. If you are trying to learn French, you will get to hear it sung, and sing along, if you like. I found a small…