Wednesday started off with everyone carrying on with their projects. The garden was designed, the terraces were weeded, the Chateau addition was planned and wood was chopped for the wood burning stove in the kitchen. After a quick lunch, we all packed into the vans for a thirty minute drive to the village of Niaux. In Niaux, we toured the caves known as the Grotte de Niaux. Inside the Grotte de Niaux caves, we saw cave paintings of horses, buffalo and other animals from the Cro-Magnon era. The cave paintings were breathtaking and the inside of the cave looked like something out of this world.
The entire team walked to a neighboring town called Aston, where we had dinner at Auberge d`Aston. Daniel, the owner of the restaurant, gave us a memorable experience. We were served cassoulet, which is a traditional dish of the region. The dish consists of duck, local sausage and white beans. During dinner we sang French songs which we had practiced in our French class before coming to France. Daniel brought out a guitar that we passed around and we sang our favorite songs.
– Brett Eisch
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We started the day with delicious coffee and croissants. The group split up and began to work on their projects. Some members were outside and others were inside. Everyone had a chance to express their imagination and creativity. After about two hours of work, the group had a quick bite to eat and then headed to Grotte de Niaux, an important prehistoric cave system for a tour. Being at the Grotte de Niaux was incredible. The caves had so much history. There was also graffiti on the walls that was drawn in the 17th century. It really was incredible how carefully the symbols were drawn. We finished the tour just as the sun breached the clouds. The view was intoxicating and seemed to be a relief for everyone considering we were experiencing cold and rainy weather for the past two days. The group then headed for a church and graveyard for more beautiful scenery. We walked around and could not put our cameras down. As American tourists with no knowledge of the next time we’ll return, or even if we’ll return, we wanted to capture every moment. And who could blame us? France is beautiful! After the group soaked up the beauty, we went back to the Chateau for a special celebration! The Chateau owner, Karina had a birthday today! We gathered in the kitchen and sang to her. Karina was surprised and the cake tasted delicious. After we finished and conversed a little bit, the group went back to work. Everyone is, and has been, enjoying themselves today, but the fun was just getting started.
The group had a special night planned at a local restaurant, owned by Daniel. I’d heard many stories of how welcoming it was, and could hardly contain my excitement. The group ate, laughed and sang late into the night. After we finished, we thanked Daniel for his songs and food and went back to the Chateau. The walk home was a perfect way to wind down, and everyone made it home exhausted but happy.
– Ryan Bouck
