On February 9, 2024 I left for 14 days by direct Flixbus from Prague to Avignon. On Saturday morning I arrived at the bus stop, where I was picked up by a visiting mother, Barca, who brought me to her home where I met her children, Sasha and Milan. They both welcomed me warmly and together they showed me around the house. I shared a room with Sasha, who was really nice to me.
On the day of my arrival, Barca took me for a walk around Avignon in the afternoon and showed me where everything was, which I really appreciated. When we got back, I also met Barca's husband Pierre and we still managed to see Sasha's dance performance in the evening at a theatre near Avignon, which was really impressive.
On the first day of school, Barca drove Sasha and me. I attended the Frédéric Mistral high school, which was connected to the second grade of the primary school where Sasha attends and where Barca teaches. In France, high schools and grammar schools are only three years old, so students graduate a year early. At the same time, two other Czech girls, Bětka and Maruška, attended the same high school and are in France for a year as part of the Un An en France program. They showed me around the school, showed me where the classrooms were, the toilets, etc. On the first day I had only four classes, which is not usual, because in France the school is usually from 8 am to 5 pm. But although it was a very short day, it was also quite busy. I didn't understand a single word of the lessons. The only thing I took away from it was mathematics. In the afternoon I went for a walk around the city and the surrounding area.
The next day and every day after that I saw a great progress in my understanding, I was getting used to French and everything was easier. I spent my days in a similar way, either going out with Barca and Sasha or with the girls. Other times I walked alone, as I had a long school day most of the week and little time in the afternoons.
It's definitely worth mentioning the canteen, where I liked just about everything. They don't choose lunches here, they just sign up and then scoop up what they want. They have a variety of appetizers to choose from - especially a variety of salads. The cafeteria makes soup in the winter time. For lunch, students can choose from a meatless dish, meat or fish. They can also take as many pastries as they want and dessert, which is usually fruit or yoghurt.
In France, I was absolutely thrilled with the PE class. Students always choose a sport for one semester, which they then do for one two-hour period a week. I just had badminton with a great teacher who was passionate about the sport. I like that the students choose a sport they really enjoy (badminton, football, basketball, athletics, swimming, ...) and although they don't try everything (as it works in Czech schools), I find it much better to choose something you enjoy and dedicate yourself to it for a longer period of time than to struggle in all disciplines.
What was very surprising to me were the toilets, which were one for the whole school, and you still had to go outside and walk across the whole courtyard to use them + there was always one toilet for the whole floor (10 classrooms), which was not always unlocked. But from what I've noticed, the French don't snack or drink much at all.
When I talked to Beth and Marushka, they told me that the first 14 days (the time I was there) were probably the hardest, and they had to get used to everything. Also, it's a pretty short time to form some friendships that could last for years, so if your goal is also to meet new people, travel the country, really see every inch of the city, 14 days is a very short stay indeed.
In conclusion, I would like to say that going to France was a great decision and I am very grateful for this opportunity. I left so curious about the whole of France, their culture, the teaching, the whole of Avignon, being with another family, and the French people. I was able to experience all of this even in 14 days, which is almost unbelievable to me, and I was still able to improve my language and understanding. If I had the chance to go to another place, another country again, I wouldn't hesitate for a minute.
We asked...
01
Why would you recommend your classmates to participate in the Erasmus+ programme and what advice would you have for them?
I would recommend Erasmus+ mobility to absolutely everyone because it is a great experience, you become more responsible, improve/improve your language and gain a lot of experience. At the same time it's stepping out of your comfort zone, you're going into the "unknown" but believe me, it's worth it. If you are more of a homebody and don't like to leave home alone, don't hesitate to go for at least those two weeks, because anyone can do it. Even this shorter time was a big shift for me.
There's not much I would recommend, as each of these mobility trips is very individual. Perhaps just prepare yourself linguistically beforehand, a sufficient vocabulary doesn't hurt either. Don't be scared that you won't understand native speakers at first, you will in time. Above all, do your best to speak as much as possible when you are abroad, because nothing will move you more than starting and developing a conversation yourself.
02
What were your first impressions upon arrival to your family and school?
I felt really great after arriving to the family because everyone welcomed me warmly, always helped me with everything, showed me everything and were really very nice to me. When I first arrived at the school I was really excited because it reminded me a lot of a typical American high school, which is something I always wanted to experience. At first I didn't understand at all, but as time went on I started to understand what they were talking about in class and it made sense to me.
03
How would you describe your typical day?
I got up first in the morning because the French like to sleep in. I had a great breakfast and went to school. I either drove with Barca or walked. The school was less than a 20 minute walk from the house and took a beautiful path across the Rhône. The views were absolutely breathtaking, as the sun was just rising and illuminating the Avignon Papal Palace as I walked in the morning. At school, my first two classes were mostly two hours of history, Czech, maths... For the big 20-minute break, everyone goes out into the courtyard, which is enclosed between the buildings. The bell for class doesn't signal the start of class, rather it lets us know it's time to get up and head to class. After another two to three hours without a break, I had lunch. Food is very important in France. No phones are allowed to be taken out and there are no clocks anywhere, so everyone eats undisturbed. In the afternoon I still had either some two-hour classes or I was free. In the afternoons I always went for a walk around Avignon, either alone or with someone, because you just can't get enough of the sights and streets. My favorite time to go back was at sunset. After that, I just did my schoolwork, whether it was Czech or French. We had dinner around 8pm, another typical thing for southern France. Dinner there is generally longer than in the Czech Republic and also everyone always eats together. In the evening we watched movies together and I went to bed around 11:00.