A Dream Come True: Part 1

Ever since I can remember, Europe, namely France, has been high on my list of places to go. I have always dreamed of learning French; biking around town with a basket full of bread, cheese, and fresh wildflowers; sitting at a roadside cafe, laughing with friends; wandering the streets of Paris or London. However, iconic sites such as the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre Dame, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Tower of London and many others were on the same level as North Pole: a fantastical place, wonderful to imagine visiting, but unrealistic to expect to see in person—simply a life-long dream. Nevertheless, as much as I dreamed of and fantasized doing so, I never could have imagined the impact the actual experience would have on me. 

My journey began in a little airport in Florida.....

Me and Rebekah, my traveling companion, waiting in line to check our big suitcases.

Mamma came to say farewell at the airport.

Rebekah and I waiting to board.

In the air!!

We made it to Atlanta! Looking a bit travel-worn, but ready board AirFrance and go to Paris!

AirFrance may not have had Wifi like our shorter flight did, but it did have good taste in movies: all three Hobbit movies were available, plus Paddington Bear, How to Train Your Dragon II, and more! 

That was taken from my window seat in the bus. I could barely get the man into the picture because he was so close to the road! 

As the bus drove up to where our host families were waiting, I spotted my family among the crowd of waving people. Monsieur André, my host dad, gave me the traditional French greeting: a kiss on each cheek, plus one; Madame Irène squeezed me tightly. I could already feel their love. My roommate, Rebekah, and I were soon ushered into their car and managed to communicate a little with the help of our dictionaries, or “lexicons” as Monsieur Andre called them.

Entering Noirmoutier-en-L'île.

My room in Noirmoutier.

Meet Gino, our host-dog. He took a while to warm up, but soon, he was crawling in our laps and snuggling up to us.

Madame Iréne was a good cook!! 

The next morning, Rebekah and I biked to the beach.

It was beautiful! 

That's the Atlantic Ocean.

We collected lots of seashells. The blue ones, we later learned, were mussel shells. They're our favourites.

When the tide is low, boats just sit on the sand. 

The swing in the back yard hung from an awesome tree! 

Bread and CHEESE!!!!

Yummy fish and rice.

Up next.... The Chatêau, L’Eglise Saint Philbert, and the Passage du Gois!