Off to Angers

So if you didn't know, I'm traveling to France in 3 days. I'll be staying in Paris for the first night, then visiting Versailles, Tours, and various castles. For the next month I'll be living in Angers with a host family (my host mom sounds really sweet) and learning about French culture, language, history, agriculture as well as the regional food products in the Loire valley (wine, cheese, bread, salt, etc.).

Chateau Angers!!!

My days will pretty much go like this: French class from 8-9, one or two classes before lunch, and then company visits or exploration in the afternoons. I'm pretty excited about visiting a salt production cooperative, and wine and mushroom caves.

During the second month I will be living and working on a French organic vineyard learning about viticulture. Unfortunately, from research I have done, I won't be there for harvest but I may still learn a little about making wine. Luckily I'm much more interested in the grapes than the alcohol. :D The vineyard is called Clos Mélaric and is about an hour away from Angers, 20 minutes from Saumur, and 3 hours from Paris.

These are the owners of the vineyard and their little daughter. It will be so neat to live/work with such young, passionate people!

After my stint at le clos, I will be rendezvousing in Paris with my SISTER!!!! We will be staying in a youth hostel, drinking espressos in cute little cafes and talking girl talk. I haven't seen my sister in about 9 months so I'm super excited!!!! Exclamations galore!!!!!

Reason for more exclamation marks: after my time in France I will be spending a week in California to hang with old friends, go to the beach with Augie Beeman and visiting my big brother Matt!!!

I'm hoping to update this as I go along in the computer lab at school during the first month, but I don't know quite what to expect during the second. Hopefully I'll have access to a computer, but if not I enjoy sending snail mail (way too much.)