A Weekend Full of Wedding Festivities and Welcoming New Volunteers
The team at La Giraudiere doubled over the weekend as we welcomed two new volunteers: Dan, a reitred judge, and Grace, a solicitor. Now we have quite the international group, with four different nationalities represented. Paul’s unmistakable West London accent, Grace’s lovely Irish lilt, Dan’s soft New Zealand intonation, and my own (somewhat less melodic) American drawl are now ringing through the halls of La Giraudiere. So far, we’ve all been getting along swimmingly!
Congratulations to Julien and Jessica!
When Dan arrived on Saturday, fresh from several weeks of studying French in Bordeaux, he and I decided to spend the entire evening communicating only in French. We successfully prepared an entire dinner without wavering from our goal. Our efforts resulted in new vocab for both of us, including congelateur (freezer) and les œufs brouillés (scrambled eggs). Dan’s great respect for the French language is evident in the way he takes care to ensure that every sentence he utters is grammatically correct. Always eager to share his vast knowlege of the language, he prefaces his mini lessons with “Sorry for playing the professor…” He needn’t apologize : his insights are always much appreciated. If you need a word or phrase in French he will drop everything he’s doing to look it up for you (and will probably throw in the etymology andan example of how to use it in a sentence.)
The moment Grace got to the La Giraudiere on Sunday morning she set about fixing Dan’s glasses for him, and she’s been on a roll ever since. Whether making coffee, cycling, learning to play petanque, or exploring the weekly market at Chalais, she demonstrates her boundless energy and enthusiasm. She appreciates everything and everyone; taking in each new experience in with unfailing optimism (as long as she gets her morning cup of black coffee!) She truly has a gift for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Even when the usually sunny Southern France began pouring rain, she said “In Ireland we say, we need the rain to cleanse our souls.” Her hearty laugh seems to improve every joke.
On Saturday night Paul attended the wedding of Julien, his former apprentice and good friend of La Giraudiere, and Jessica. After a late night (we didn’t hear his car return until around 3 am) Paul regaled us with tales of the party games, the five course meal, the free flowing drinks. The newlyweds were kind enough to invite us all to a post-wedding lunch the next day. We showed up as everyone was good-naturedly cleaning up after the remnants of the previous night’s party. We were invited to eat a delcious lunch as well as to imbibe with various beverages: punch, vin (rouge et rosé), champagne, and pineau, the grape-based aptertif that is made right here in Poitou-Charentes. It was a great opportunity to meet some new people and practice our French. Félicitations to the happy couple! We are so glad we were able to participate in the special occasion.
Check out our Facebook page for more pictures!
Check La Giraudiere page for information about the volunteer program.
