Vacation!

First of all, sorry for not posting, it's been a heck of a two weeks.

So for the past two weeks I've been on vacation, even though it doesn't really feel like it. Vacation started two weeks ago today, and my host family and I kicked them off with a five hour car ride down to a district called "La Loire" which has a lot of castles, and I mean a lot, like it's famous for its castles. SO that happened. We then spent the next few days exploring castles and parading by car from castle to castle. (It's much more amusing than you'd think.) AND CASTLES CASTLES CASTLES. Then that evening we stayed in a really rustic hotel with a tiny room and exposed wood beams and french windows and it was really cozy and nice. Although I just HAD to be stuck next to the window whose blinds didn't close properly. (I didn't sleep much) But what are you gonna do right? Suck it up and bear it. Of course, the unofficial motto of the Rotary Youth Exchange Program; suck it up and bear it. So that's what I did.

The next day was spent driving to another district that's called "Le Gers", in which my host family has bought a new home and will be moving there at the end of the school year. We pulled into this tiny garage, which was super impressive to see in a van cause there was literally less than three inches in between the side mirror and the garage door. Then out pops this man, named Bernard (a family friend) and he immediately starts poking fun at Benji and everyone else. He's the kind of guy that you're never bored around, but I don't find that out till a little bit later. So after everyone gets settled in we sit down for lunch I believe, and just talk for a while. It's nice seeing old friends catching up like that, you know? I think it's really cool.

The next two weeks were spent either at Bernard's house or La Charmoise, which is my host family's new house. There were a couple things that were unexpected, like having the moving truck be too large for the alleyway of trees, and therefore having to trim all the trees that made up the alleyway of about 300-500 meters long. All I can say is it's a good thing that the movers came a day early because that took a while. The next day I felt like the stereotype of Canada, because I had on my new hiking type boots, rolled up pants and a plaid shirt, and was working the whole day lugging that lumber up the alley to the enormous bonfire we had going. (Stereotype here being lumberjack, in case you didn't get the reference. It's no big deal if you didn't, I'll admit that the description was kinda vague.) But that was one thing that happened, and it was kinda funny and unexpected and such. So yes. What else.

OH I went to the largest sand dune in Europe. The "Dune de Pyla" I believe. That was fun, I ran halfway up it and then I collapsed in the sand because it was a really huge workout. But it was much more fun than anything else. It was really quite amusing running back down once you reach the top. But more amusing and beautiful than that was when you reach the top and look to your left, it's sincerely the most breathtaking thing I've ever seen as of yet. But I'll let you discover that for yourself, because it needs to be seen first hand.

Yes, I do believe that's all from my two week vacation. There was a lot of time spent in a nearly empty house, and a lot of bonding time with my host brother, and yeah it was a good time. Relaxing too, because I needed to relax and that was good.

UNTIL NEXT TIME MY FRIENDS.