(May 27, 2022) Tours, France
In my pre-departure blog, I mentioned some of the activities and learning opportunities I am looking forward to in and around Tours, France. My first week in Tours was spent settling in my apartment, and the city. I chose to live in an apartment alone as I had already had the opportunity to live with a French family during a previous language-learning trip to Vichy. Below is an image of the view from my apartment. It was a simple studio apartment, conveniently connected to the cinema. While I haven’t visited the cinema yet, I think it will be yet another fantastic opportunity to improve my French listening skills.
I took some time after classes this week to walk around Tours and grab some pictures of the tourist attractions. On this list of things to do was to spend time in Place Plumereau (image below). It is at the centre of the Old (Vieux) Tours and was a flower marketplace in the 13th century. Now, both locals and tourists enjoy this area as it is close to the university, so locals often go here for an after-work or after-class aperitif. The beautiful old timber-framed houses (now restaurants) were built in the Middle Ages!
The first time I visited this square, it was more bustling than the image above, so it took some courage to speak to the waiter in French and ask for a table for dinner. Naturally, he noticed I was English-speaking right away and started speaking in English. From my previous travels, I know that this would be my biggest challenge– having the opportunity to speak in French (without someone switching to English). I have been trying to speak in French with locals, but in their view, I am sure they view switching to English as a friendly/kind thing to do. I hope, with time, I will be able to carry on conversations (or at least be able to speak in French with servers and staff throughout the meal)!
During my first week, I made it a priority to go on after-class walks around Tours. Here is a picture I took, just before sunset, of the Basilique Saint-Martin de Tours. It is a Neo-Byzantine church, built in the 19th & 20th centuries and located 2 minutes (walking) from the Institut de Touraine!
In terms of my French classes, I had some logistical difficulties the first couple of days. I was placed in a lower-level French class than I expected, and it took a lot of coordination with the office to make sure I could move up to a more challenging level. This was frustrating at first, but once I was able to change classes on the Friday of the first week, I was very happy with my instructor and the creative pedagogy that was used in the new class.
– Emma Jackson, Master Student in Global Affairs and International Peace Studies