We welcome our new friend

Yanli Muhs, who I am writing about in this post, arrived to France on last Thursday from Guilford, Connecticut. She is only 17 and can amaze you with her ambition. Yanli is going into her final year of high school which she will spend abroad in Rabat, Morocco. Besides that, she is a founder and leader of a registered non-profit organisation empowering young women in Jamaica called Poetreef Summer Term. They organize 2-weeks summer camps during which girls have a chance to enhance their self-esteem and learn how to overcome social issues.

Yanli came here to realize a 4 week volunteer program. She is helping with some cleaning works and a website creation at the moment. It is good to have Yanli here as she is a great company to us all.

Spending time together in south-west France

In general, our free time passes on walks to Brossac and bike rides among vibrant French countryside. On rainy days, playing a 1985 version of Monopoly is also a good idea. Just after Yanli arrived, we decided to visit Angoulême – the closest city from Brossac. We spent whole Saturday there, visiting museums, restaurants and local shops, while practicing our French and gaining a truly unique French experience.

Monday at La Giraudière is a market day so we visited the market town of Chalais which is 8 km from here. Chalais closes it’s main roads to accommodate this traditional market and the crowds of locals and tourists. This again was a great time to practice our French as we purchased some of the local delicacies consisting fromage, saucissons and crêpes. We also participated in the French pastime of sipping café at the local cafés whilst taking in the local gossip.

Yesterday, we took part in a picnic hosted here by the commercants de Brossac at the local lake l’Etange Vallier. It was also a perfect opportunity to participate in French culture and overcome language barriers.

Prior to Yanli’s arrival, I have already visited the wonderful coastline of this region of south-west France and several plus beaux villages de France which I will be blogging about in the near future.

This weekend coming, we are planning to take a longer trip and visit “la ville rose” – Toulouse. I look forward to updating you how everything went. Be sure to follow us on this blog and Instagram, where I will post some cool new photos soon.