Monday 6th March: 26 students along with Ms Earley and Mr Cunnane travelled to Ressins in France to begin our annual School exchange. We arrived in Lyon Airport and were met by our French teachers Ms Severine Briday and Ms Dominique Frankwoski. We arrived at the school at 6pm where we were welcomed and introduced to the 26 French Students who would travel to Ireland on the 22nd of March.
After we settled into our dorms, we had dinner in the school canteen. Following dinner, we played games in the Foyer before going to bed.
Tuesday 7th March: early start at Ressins, we were up and showered before 7am as breakfast is served at 7:30. Classes begin at 8am and last 1 hour. We met our French pen pals and were given a tour of the school which includes a working farm. After a short break, we had an orienteering activity. Lunch begins at 12 noon and lasts 2 hours. After lunch, we went to classes and prepared for our trip to Lyon the next day. Today’s classes involved working with our French Pen Pal and speaking in French. We also visited German and Spanish classes. Dinner takes place at 6pm. Afterwards we went to the Foyer (a place where the student hang out; watch films, play games, or listen to music). We also had to complete our nightly French homework that Ms Earley had set for us.
Wednesday 8th March. We travelled to Lyon. Where we visited the Musée de Confluences at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone Rivers, a modern, interactive and interesting place to visit. Afterwards we had free time to buy our lunch. In the afternoon, we travelled into the centre of Lyon and visited the Old Town, this was followed by some “light” shopping. We returned to Ressins for our dinner at 7pm.
Thursday 8th March: this day was “French Food Day”. In the morning, we participated in History, Geography, French classes. Throughout the experience, we were paired with French students and expected to use the language. In the afternoon, we were split into three groups. Group 1: helped prepare the dinner for the whole school. We had to prepare a starter, main course, and dessert with guidance from Chef Nico. Group 2: cheese tasting. This group researched 7 different types of French Cheese as well as tasting them. Group 3: learned about meat production at the school as well as learning the French words for various cuts of meat, how to identify them and how to cook them. Each group rotated and got to emjoy the full experience of French food at Ressins.
Later that night we had a French/Irish party in the Foyer, where we were entertained into the late hours of the morning!!
Friday 9th March: in the morning, we travelled to Charlieu: the local town. Here we visited an old Hospital and Maison de la Praline. We also received a short tour of the town from one of the teachers at Ressins. Before we returned to the school we went to a local café for coffee and to taste the praline (a famous pastry).
In the afternoon, we had sports in the school followed by us packing our bags and heading home to our French families for the weekend.
Over the weekend some of us went shopping, played sport, went to football games, went horse riding, and ate loads and loads of French food.
Sunday 11th March: we returned to school at 7pm and settled back into our dorms for our last night and to prepare for our early start in the morning.
Monday 12th March: we had to be up showered and ready for breakfast at 6am as we depart Ressins for our journey home at 7am. We took a TGV from Lyon to Paris and flew home arriving back in Ballinamore at 9pm.
We had a long but enjoyable week in Ressins, we experienced food, language, music, singing, education but above all else we experienced friendship. We made very good friends and can’t wait for them to arrive in Ireland on the 22nd March.
