April 4, 2022
Study abroad in France '22 - Day 4: Aims et Vin
by Alessio Passalacqua, senior, management
On March 8, which marked the fourth day of our study abroad trip, we had a very eventful day that allowed us to immerse ourselves in French culture.
Our day started at the University of Tours, where we met with French students who all spoke English. We much anticipated our meeting with the students as we were looking forward to interacting with French people who were our age. At first, we were a little nervous, but that quickly went away once we began speaking to one another. We quickly related to one another and shared cultural differences and similarities. We talked about music, food and what we liked to do for fun. We were from different parts of the world, but we all enjoyed life’s simple things, such as going out with friends. This interaction gave me a similar feeling when I met my relatives in Italy and Romania.
Since we were leaving Tours the following day for Paris, we, unfortunately, could not spend time with the French students outside of the classroom. Still, we exchanged contact information and social media, and many of the students told us to contact them whenever we returned to France. Everyone on the trip was grateful to have this experience.
Once we finished at the university, we headed to a winery outside of Tours. The same family has owned the winery since the 1950s. It was amazing seeing the passion behind this family’s craft being passed down for generations. At the winery, we learned about the growing process of the grapes, the different types of grapes and viewed the machines used to ferment the wine. After the tour of the winery, we all began tasting. In addition to the wine, we were also given an assortment of cheese and bread with different spreads to pair with the wine. It was amazing seeing the dedication that this family puts behind their wine and the pride the French have for their wine. This type of pride reminded me of the passion a Texan would have for their barbecue or my family’s passion for Italian food.
After leaving the winery, we closed the night by going out to eat in the beautiful downtown area of Tours. It is not a well-known city for American tourism, but that is a good thing. You get a much more authentic experience being in Tours and interacting with the friendly locals.
After spending time in Tours, I could visualize myself living here for an extended time.
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