Un weekend à la mer

This weekend, the students were divided in to two groups - one went to Port Vendres and Collioure, while the other visited Carcassone. We were lucky enough to go with the group to Port Vendres & Collioure, and enjoyed a full weekend of sunshine and gorgeous views. 

On Friday, the students went to class in the morning and loaded up on the bus for the 3 hour trip south. When we arrived at Port Vendres, the students had time to explore and enjoy the port village. We ate dinner all together in the hostel, and then wandered around town listening to the musicians performing for la Fête de la Musique (which celebrates the beginning of summer on the longest day of the year). 

Saturday was hot and sunny - a perfect day for our trip to the beach. Some students took the bus, while the others went on a long hike along the coast. While the hike was challenging, the views more than made up for it! Once we all arrived at the beach, everyone enjoyed relaxing and swimming in the Méditerranée. At dinner, we celebrated two birthdays - Christine and Brooke both turned 17 and learned a new French word - les jumelles (twins) :) 

Sunday morning we walked to the next town over: Collioure. The students had a few hours to explore the city, enjoy the beach, and shop at the Sunday market. We had a guided visit of the château, and learned about its history from the medieval ages until today. We also got to enjoy the best views of the town! Collioure is famous not only for its beauty, but as a destination for painters. All around the town, there are empty picture frames. You can step up to them and see the view that is now a famous painting.

After our visit to Collioure, we took the bus back home. Host families were excited to see the students after several days apart, and it was wonderful to see the mini-reunions. Everybody enjoyed the weekend and the chance to see more of southern France. We look forward to our trip to Carcassone next Saturday!