Chateau Chenonceau

Parents are here, had my last day of class, and we visited an amazing castle today!  Just wanted to share some initial pics of my last beautiful week in France.  Details soon to come.

Easter in France

I had a wonderful Easter with two fellow ECCers, Ken and Adrienne! I went through a training with Adrienne last summer, so it was fun to reunite in France as we are both in language training now.  It was really helpful to talk with Ken about preparations for Congo - he worked in the Northwest region for 20 years! Ken and Adrienne are living in Lyon now, and will eventually be moving to Marseilles (the South of France) to work with the immigrant community there.

It's been fun to welcome visitors here when spring is in full bloom!

Ken and Adrienne took me out to authentic French cuisine.  It was a great day to sit outside, French style.  I ordered foie gras and duck, proud of myself!

Saturday evening before Easter we attended a candlelight service at a charismatic Catholic Church in Angers.  It was special to share this experience with Ken, Adrienne and all my classmates.

Sunday morning Easter service at the Cathedral in Angers.

For Sunday lunch, the Director of Mission Langues, Willy, and his wife Maria prepared a Colombian meal for us! Coconut rice, grilled salmon and fried plantains.  So delicious!

In France, forget the bunnies - it's all about chocolate chickens! This one stayed in tact for about a week until our chocolate cravings got the best of us.

Celebrating with my Vietnamese and Portuguese friends.  It was really special to have such an international celebration!

Ken and Adrienne brought me my very own chocolate chicken, complete with the french flag painted on the tail.  Behind that is the Easter card I received from Sharon Johnson at WCC.  So wonderful to have friends near and far remember me on these special holidays!  Hope you all had a wonderful Easter celebration, and thanks again to Ken and Adrienne for a great weekend!

"La Tante"

It was great to have my Aunt Pam here with me in Angers for two weeks! She was fondly referred to as "The Aunt" and quickly became part of the Mission Langues family.  Some pics of our time together:

Visiting the Castle in Centre Ville

The famous Apocalypse Tapestries are inside.  They were created during the period of the Hundred Years War between France and England during the 14th century.  Influenced by that war and the book of Revelation, the images are pretty grim, but fascinating.

One of our favorite days was the market in Angers.  Aunt Pam came just in time for all the beautiful spring flowers!

A stop on our bike ride along the Maine and Loire Rivers.

We rented bikes for a day and had PERFECT weather! I insisted on helmets, although I'm pretty sure we were the only ones wearing them.  The French look cool when they ride their bikes, but what if they get in an accident?!  

Waiting for lunch at a local brasserie.  Notice the table setting - only one fork and one knife.  Good thing we're family and don't mind sharing:)

Enjoying the feast.  Salmon, steak, homemade fries and tarragon sauce, so delicious!

It was so special to have my Auntie share life with me for a few weeks.  Thank you for a wonderful time!