A weekend of new experiences, sun and fun at La Giraudiere

‘Never has so much been achieved by so few in so short a space of time.’ Perhaps exaggerating things a little, needless to say this is how part of the LG Team felt about the conquests they have made this weekend!

Whilst the bright lights of Brossac continue to burn deep into the early hours of the morning and the usual haunts of St Bernards and Quai Sud keep us well fed and entertained during the working week, this weekend three of our young female volunteers, Lucy, Lydia and Saskia, were keen to venture further afar and enjoy new experiences of life in southern France by visiting the beautiful port city of Bordeaux. Unbeknown to these intrepid explorers, this Friday marked the first day of the ‘Fete de la Musique’ in the city – a nationwide festival currently being celebrated to signify the beginning of summer. It quickly became apparent however, as they made their way across the ‘Pont de pierre’ which crosses the river and stepped into the throngs of people gathered in La Place de la Victoire, that the night was to be full of surprises, new people and new experiences! After enjoying a delicious (and typically French) meal in a small restaurant close to the cathedral, the trio made their way to the main student square, where they quickly accustomed to the somewhat slurred Bordeaux accents of the local students, even managing to hold some semi-intelligable bilingual conversations! The next morning, keen to make the most of their short stay in the city, the girls set off early to see the sights, do some shopping (oh so necessary) and enjoy yet more delicious French cuisine. (Again, entirely necessary…)

Day two of this weekend of new experiences and broadening of horizons saw Lucy and Saskia take on the formidable challenge of cycling to the historic village of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, voted one of the most beautiful villages in France since 1993 and home to one of only two monolithic churches in Europe – situated a mere 46km away from Brossac… Armed with water, sun cream, cameras and two of the most hi-tech bikes that La Giraudiere has to offer, the pair set off on their adventure, factoring in a time frame of at least three hours to reach their destination. Arriving in Aubeterre it was easy to understand why the village had been awarded such a prize year on year – it is a truly beautiful French village. And on stepping inside the monolithic church, which dates back to the 12th century, the long (and somwhat exhausting!) journey all became entirely worth it.

Aubeterre-sur-Dronne

So, a busy weekend was had by all. Excellent food was enjoyed, incredible atmosphere absorbed and some stunning scenery photographed. The weather is set to improve hugely this week, and so with any luck the garden will receive the full amount of attention from the whole team here at LG that it so deserves!