I spent an unforgettable week with Marion in late February and early March, 2022,
including the wine option with Mélie. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. First,
Marion is a very skilled, creative, and talented teacher of French. She tailored the week
to my needs and goals, which I appreciated very much. I really enjoyed all the
conversation around breakfast and lunch, aside the wood-burning stove, and strolling in the beautiful countryside near her gorgeous home. Throughout, she used a combination of corrections, word games, prepared questions, written exercises, and discussions of readings to help me improve all aspects of my French (but especially conversation, as that was my requested focus).
Marion's house, a recently renovated stone farm house, is beautiful, comfortable, and
perfectly designed for the language immersion experience. I stayed in the attached
apartment for students, which is a quiet bit of heaven. The view from the living room
over the Beaujolais countryside, including flocks of sheep meandering on a distant field,
is stunning. The apartment has its own entrance, well-furnished kitchen, and
comfortable living space. Outside, the only sounds are sheep, goats, cows, and many
birds singing. I did not want to rent a car, and that worked just fine. Marion was happy to
pick me up from the nearest train station, and it was easy to walk into Ouroux (the small
nearby village) less than a kilometer to purchase provisions for dinner. I also chose an
excursion with Marion early in the week to a nearby market (delightful and colorful!),
which allowed me to pick up some things to supplement dinner. Meanwhile, it was
liberating to not have a car, and to simply enjoy long walks and runs in the countryside,
where there were many miles of trails to explore. (On the other hand, a rental car would
be important for you if you want to explore further afield on your own in the afternoons).
The wine option with Mélie was fabulous! Mélie is a wine professional, with substantial
experience and knowledge of wines across France, and also with a passion for wines of
the Beaujolais region. For me, it was really fun to learn and practice speaking with the
French vocabulary of wine tasting and wine-making, while learning a great deal about
how to properly and thoroughly taste wine in the French manner, and to learn all about
the character and production of Beaujolais wines. Dinner with wine pairings on the first
evening was delightful, and the subsequent evening tastings were carefully designed,
educational, and stimulating. Our excursion to the wine trail and tasting room at
Chiroubles was super cool--great views over the Beaujolais wine region with
educational signage (and Mélie's interpretation) along the trail enabled me to learn a
great deal about the geography of the region and how it influences wine production, and
it was perfect to end the walk in a wine tasting room with the option to try some wines
and purchase some bottles. Overall, I highly recommend the wine option with Mélie for
anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of wine, trying the wines of Beaujolais,
and/or improving their ability to speak about wine in French.
Finally, I will just say that Marion and Mélie are simply delightful human beings of the highest caliber, with whom it was really easy and rewarding to spend this week. This
immersion experience is highly recommended, and I hope to return one day myself.