Orientation and Travel

Local Representation

Brigitte Madeline, assisted by Sylvie Griveau and Noella Mardelle, is our family placer in Tours and also assists with the organization and operation of all our French programs. Brigitte grew up in Blois, just up the river from Tours, where her family hosted Dartmouth foreign study students for many, many years. She and Helene met when both were 18 and Brigitte was an au pair for a Dartmouth French professor. Brigitte has taught English and French from pre-K to university students, and worked in corporate French immersion for businesses and other adult groups with the Rassias Foundation. She is a teacher of English in a Tours high school as well as a reader of the English Baccalaureate tests. She has two great kids, Basile and Charlotte .

The Loire Valley (3 days)

From our landing in Roissy, we head south to the city of Angers. Situated on both sides of the Loire River which is spanned there by 6 bridges, Angers has been occupied by an array of famous ruling parties: the Vikings, the Romans, the Plantagenets, the Huguenots to mention a few. Its giant castle is the crowing jewel of this beautiful city, today known for its markets and flowers.

Some of our time in Anger and the environs is spent assessing French levels, getting to know each other, and starting to speak French more and more each day. We use the town environment to acquaint ourselves with each other and the French – using our French in real life situations. After enjoyment and acclimation there, it's on to meet our host families in Tours.

The Home Stay in Tours (18 days)

We meet our families upon arrival in Tours. From the late afternoon until classes start each weekday morning, we participate in all activities with our families. Weekends are also spent with our families, on excursions ranging from day trips to music festivals, to visits to family summer homes on the Atlantic coast. Early on, we also meander together through Tours—both to see its many historical sites and become familiar with our new home city.

Normandy and Brittany (6 days)

Our Normandy days include visits to St. Malo, Mont St. Michel, Bayeux, and both the American and European invasion beaches. Our groups have all been swept in by the Musée de la Paix where the Allied invasion is so well depicted. The famous Bayeux tapestries plus the equally famous Normandy crêpes and cider are also on our schedule.

Our group then travels to Southern Brittany, as many of the French themselves do in the summer. Our destinations include Port Navalo, a coastal, family vacation village, and Vannes, a typical Breton medieval city.

We explore Port Navalo, a small summer community where sailing occupies much of the local's time.

For us too, local sailing and sea kayaking school occupies some afternoons as do the people, the food, the sun, the sea, and the sights. In Vannes, we take in the festival, wander through old artisan quarters, and visit the shops and restaurants of the old city.

Paris (3 days)

On the route to Paris, we make a can't miss stop - Versailles and its gardens and chateau.

And then, the last leg of our travel is Paris. Our newfound familiarity with France and its language enables us to appreciate more of what the city and its environs have to offer—from the catacombs to the Musée d’Orsay, on to the Eiffel Tower, down the Seine in a bateau mouche, on to the treasures of the Louvre, the shops of the Marais, a concert, and then to a play (one we’ve been reading during the travel weeks). And the meals—from fun to formal French!

Tours, France

Program summary

Orientation and travel

2010 itinerary

About Tours

Links and alumni

Arles, France