La Giruaidiere interns and volunteers create a braderie which is to be open on the 14, 15 and 16 July. There is also a website located at https://brossacbraderie.com/ whereby you can inspect benfore you buy you can also click pay and collect those items which you have been searching for.
Products will initialy be available under the following catorgories
Brossac Braderie is situated at La Giraudiere which is just one kilometer from the village of Brossac. Brossac is in the department of the Charente which inturn is in the region of Nouvelle Aquitaine in the South West of France. The Braderie is probably one of the first online brocants, or braderies, in France. The first website for Brossac Braderie is published in English as we have an international following. Fo the benefit of our local community A French version will be published soon.
I am glad to be typing this in front of a computer! Although I have spent the past 10 years sat in front of computer screens daily doing my linear algebra homework or adjusting pension calculations, for once, using a computer actually feels like a break! This is because I have just graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and I am taking a few months to escape from the rushed working life commonly found in Ontario, Canada and exploring around Europe!
I have spent the past few weeks in hostels around England, Scotland and France meeting so many incredible people and I have made it to my current 3 week volunteering stay at La Giraudière. Although I have only been here for a few days, I already feel as though I have learned so much! Below you can see a flawless example of “tree lopping” (a term I learned this week as well). It seems to be similar to pruning a tree but not the exact same. The photo on the right is a picture of the amazingly bright night sky that I took at 3AM the night before! Amazing that the stars even show up on the camera; it was certainly worth the wakeup!
Trees that have been lopped by Josephine and I.
The beautiful night sky (3 AM).
I also so far have poorly attempted to strim the lawns here (had to restart a few times due to my lack of expertise) and have mowed the lawns for a bit as well. More activities can be seen below! I had a fantastic swim in a nearby lake with fellow volunteers Marian and Josephine and have enjoyed the summer heat to the fullest. All of this has been a massive difference from the online internships and co-op positions I have had over the past few years, and I am super grateful to be able to say I still have two more weeks here!
France is major on re-cycling so volunteers are encouraged to recycle when possible. During my stay one project was to clear 25 years of building waste materials which were were either re-used or recycyled.
Preparing metal and plastic to separate them and prepare them for recycling / disposal!
I will have to attempt to cook for everyone tomorrow as well so please please please wish me luck! I will try my hardest to keep my new friends alive but if there are no more blog posts after this, then it most likely will be due to tomorrow’s meals.
Preventive measures include physical or social distancing, quarantining, ventilation of indoor spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, hand washing, and keeping unwashed hands away from your face. The use of face masks or coverings is recommended not just in public settings but also on occasions at La Giraudiere. These precautions will help to minimise the risk of transmissions between our group.
You will be an group that as arrived from different points of the globe, you will be living and working together, so it is very important that we take more precautions than we would normally in our home environment.
Hand Gel
Within each apartment hand gel (gel hygiène mains) is provided and it is recommended that you use upon entering and leaving the appartement. Similar you will find hand gel within the Kitchen areas, project room and at each of the computer stations.
Wearing Masks
There are no strict rules as to wearing a mask at La Giraudiere but we do have occasions where it would be recommended to do so and these are;
If sharing a computer station
When working in a close vicinity to each other
When travelling in the bus or car trips.
When preparing/serving food
Remember that it is up to you we only make recommendations as regards Corvid prevention.
Here is hoping for a Covid free season at La Giraudiere. This post will be updated as any changes come to light as regards to the Covid 19 epidemic
We received our first volunteer for the 2022 season. Veronica is from Spain, from Madrid to be exact. Veronica is presently living near Paris in France, close to Disneyland. In this post she describes why she volunteered and what she hopes to do and gain during her volunteering holiday.
First volunteering Holiday
This is my first time volunteering during my holidays and one of my main reasons is to improve my English and meet some new people. At La Giraudiere I am immediately improving my English by writing this blog so… Here I am ! Ready for a new challenge ! Being the first to arrive is a little daunting but you soon become at ease and start enjoying the fresh green countryside of Brossac.
Veronica Arrives at La Giraudiere
Making the decision to volunteer
I didn’t want to travel too far to practise English, but at the same time I wanted to meet some new interesting people doing something useful. I googled ” volunteering to improve English in France” and I found this incredible place.
First I read the whole La Giraudiere’s site, I was fascinated by the way Paul had coordinated people to build this wonderful place. I read every word, I saw every picture and watched each one of the videos that I found. The decision was taken, I wanted to go to La Giraudiere.
A long-awaited answer
I sent the form completed on the 20th of March and I was very nervous because a week later I had no news. Ten days later I received an email, it was from Paul, he said that he sent me an email the day after I completed the form. How embarrassing! I was waiting for his response and I didn’t realise that it had gone into my spam box. I responded to him immediately explaining what was going on and confirming my visit. Fortunately everything was okay and we were in touch until my arrival.
On my way to volunteer
Two days before the trip I began feeling bad and the next day I woke up with a horrible cold. ” I can’t believe it ” I thought, ” I’m never sick and it has to happen today … what bad luck !” . I emailed Paul saying I will arrive two days later because of the cold and he responded to me that it wasn’t a problem.
I finished preparing my bags and put them in my car, I took a bottle of water and I put La Giraudiere in the GPS . I was ready for driving.
There were many roadworks but I didn’t care, I was very excited to arrive at La Giraudiere. Most of the trip I spent singing any song that I heard on the radio, actually I say “singing” but this sounded like a cats fight. I stopped twice, one to have lunch and the second one for a coffee so I finally arrived at 7pm.
English teacher Alison with Spanish Volunteer Veronica
The arrival at La Giraudiere
Paul called me around 6pm and asked me if I would want to have dinner, I responded yes! so he was waiting for me with dinner ready … So cute !! First he show me the apartment where I’ll stay and I put my suitcase inside. We had dinner and talked for a little bit .
That night I slept like a baby and the next day when I open the bedroom window, I took a breath looking at that lovely image and I told myself that it was the beginning of an incredible experience.
As of, April 7, and until April 21, young people living in Erasmus+ countries can apply for one of the 35,000 free travel passes offered by the European Commission. In a statement issued today, the European Commission has announced that DiscoverEU, which allows 18-year-olds to explore Europe mainly by train, is opening the first round of applications for 2022.
According to the European Commission, this year’s round will mark Discover EU’s entry into Erasmus+, and for the first time ever, it will be made possible for youngsters from Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Turkey to apply for the passes.
TGV Train
“With this change and through the exceptional funding under the European Year of Youth 2022, 70,000 travel passes will be made available in 2022: 35,000 in the application round announced today and another 35,000 in an application round foreseen for October 2022,” the Commission notes in a press release issued regarding the opening of the application period.
European Union Opens up the first round of Applications for Free Travel Passes for Young People.
It also states that eligible to enter are applicants who have successfully completed the selection quiz and are born between July 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004. The winners will have the opportunity to travel throughout Europe for up to 30 days during the travel period July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
Commenting on the opening of the application period, the EU Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said that those who turn 18 in the second half of the year would be able to apply in the October round for the free passes.
DiscoverEU gives more opportunities to travel to young people than ever before
“DiscoverEU gives more opportunities to travel to young people than ever before. With the European Year of Youth, we celebrate youth. We owe this to an entire generation that could not travel for the last two years. Good luck to all,” the Vice-President said.
To increase the learning of the DiscoverEU experience, Erasmus+ National Agencies will facilitate meetings and information meetings to prepare new travellers for their journey and to create a learning experience with colleagues.
Train station La Rochelle
The European Commission has also announced that DiscoverEU aims to promote discussions on sustainability, culture, and European identity, through these meetings.
In addition, participants who have disabilities or health problems will be able to accompany them during their journey.
The European Commission, by encouraging sustainable rail travel, also makes exceptions for those who have difficulty reaching continental Europe to begin their train journey. To make this possible, special arrangements have been available for young people from more remote regions, counties and foreign territories, remote areas, and islands.
For more information visit Free travel passes for young people compliments of EU at https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/
To read about the train service in the Aquitaine region visit Trains in Aquitaine
