To say that my week with Camille exceeded my expectations on all counts would be a gross understatement. Where do I begin?
It was Camille’s smile that somewhat bewitched me and piqued my interest in an immersion stay when I first ran across her Facebook page. Every week she lured me in with new photos of seemingly delighted students. Her home. Historical and gorgeous sights around Bretagne. The coast. A multitude of French tour guides and friends. Vinky. Food, glorious food. It was too much. I had to sign up.
Accommodations
From my very first step into Camille’s charming home, I felt welcomed and comfortable. Her home is spacious, immaculately clean, and filled with light. My bedroom was quite large, with a work desk area and ample storage. I unpacked and moved in as if it were my own.
That first night, when I dropped into bed, I was immediately soothed by a sumptuous mattress and an abundance of pillows and cozy linens. Through a window in the slanted roof, the starry night sky further enchanted me, then lulled me to sleep.
I had my own private and very large bathroom with a lounge worthy deep tub where I relaxed almost every evening. Fluffy towels were plentiful, and I was pleased to find organic options in Camille’s selection of soaps, lotions, and other bathroom toiletries.
The details don’t stop there. Camille was careful to stock her kitchen with the foods and drinks that met my breakfast needs. My morning routines are vital. She prepared fresh, delectable meals every day, and I was truly pampered. We shared lively and interesting stories at the table or in the living room warmed by a sparkling fireplace. It was easy to like Camille. She absolutely knocked it out of the park.
Lessons
I think the operative phrase for Camille’s lessons is “individually tailored.” Our class time was structured around me. Specifically me. The French that I was speaking and the French that I might speak.
Camille quickly identified my learning style and how to best meet the objectives that we outlined together. Improvements happened immediately and I made progress daily. She kept thorough and precise notes for me and effectively encouraged me to speak only French.
Nobody was more surprised, or more delighted, than I was to discover that I could speak French so well. Camille pushed me. I welcomed the challenge, and my confidence, a crucial component of speaking a foreign language, grew. This was the principal goal for my immersion stay and I was completely satisfied. She found the conversational French in me and she helped me get it out. Ten out of ten.
Tours, Excursions, and Other Activities
A private tour was arranged for me with the fabulous and informative Ana. What a great idea, to send me off on my own to speak French with someone new. With Ana’s individual speaking style, pitch, vocabulary, and conversational speed, I was immediately challenged and exposed to more French.
I had a very enjoyable day that included an interesting maritime museum, a fish breeding pond, and the cathedral of Saint Ives, all on a breezy day in the Paimpol area, topped off with a stop for an espresso and more French, French, French.
Perhaps the crowning jewel of my immersion trip was a two day excursion to Saint Malo, Mont Saint Michel, and Dinan. Was it the sing alongs in the car, the lesson about mistletoe, night play in a cemetery? Could it have been the exquisite meals, the sights, or the history?
The invigorating walks through important medieval towns, over cobblestone alleyways, and up, up, up the ancient steps of the Abbey of Mont Saint Michel? I can’t really say.
What I can tell you is that Camille and her friend Jean Loup were tour guides, docents, and history lecturers of top shelf variety. The thoughtfulness and attentiveness that they showed toward me was outstanding. Their unique touch transported me into new worlds. If I sound a bit dramatic, it’s simply that in their company, this trip perfectly checked off a long anticipated journey to Saint Malo. That Mont Saint Michel blew my mind. And that I was emotionally and intellectually sated.
One evening, Camille and Jean Loup invited me to attend a play at the local adult community theatre. Jean Loup was performing, and Camille whipped up a beautiful and delicious appetizer feast for all the actors backstage. What a treat to experience Paimpol like a local. Fair to admit that Camille gave me a synopsis of the play beforehand, without which I’d likely have missed at least half of the delightful production.
The days were filled with activity, and I was grateful for Camille’s enthusiasm and the discipline with which she kept me on task. Even on day one, after two long days of traveling, there was a sturdy walk in the brisk air along the coast in Paimpol. With views out to wind turbines in the sea and peaks over the walls of the Abbey at Beaufort, it was absolutely breathtaking and fun.
Of course, this walk, and another along a more violent and rocky coastal region, were all the more enjoyable in the company of the friendly and mischievous Vinky, pup extraordinaire.
Friendship
This is indeed an unexpected category for my review, but likely the most valuable.
Though Paimpol, and perhaps the whole of Bretagne, are enchanting, make no mistake, this program for me was about Camille and the truly lovely people with whom she surrounds herself, whom she shared with me for a memorable week that passed too quickly.
The most surprising gift of this adventure was to bid a heartfelt “so long” not just to my talented teacher and hostess, but to someone whom I now call friend, and whose smile I hope to see again one day.
Merci,