Weekends as a volunteer at La Giraudiere

Fete de la Musique volunteer trip to Barbezieux

Here at La Giraudiere, volunteers are lucky enough to have a long weekend to relax and explore the local area. The typical working week is Tuesday to Thursday, and my Friday arrival meant I had a long weekend to settle in and chill out before the real volunteer work started on Tuesday.

Fête de La Musique

The Fête de la Musique, an annual celebration of music, took place on Saturday 21st June. This national day of music saw cities, towns and villages across France come alive as they hosted an array of live music and festivities.

As a volunteer at La Giraudiere, I had the opportunity join in with the celebrations and take a trip to a local town called Barbezieux. About twenty minutes drive away from Brossac, Barbezieux is one of the larger towns in the area.

We arrived about 8pm, and the streets were slowly filling up with music lovers, young and old alike, waiting for the fun to begin. Many of the bars, and some restaurants, had live music stages or DJs which played until the early hours of the morning.

From live rock bands and performances from the local music school, to line dancing and sets from some great groups, Barbezieux’s Fête de la Music had something for everyone. When we first arrived there was even a Zumba class taking place in front of the church.

Line dancing during the Fête de la music volunteer trip.

There was plenty to eat and drink too. You could grab a bit to eat from a local vendor, before grabbing a seat or squeezing onto a bench at any one of the long tables to eat and drink, chat and meet new friends.

There was such a great atmosphere throughout the whole town. The Fête de la Musique was a great experience for a volunteer at La Giraudiere.