On Monday we visited le Mont Saint Michel where we were given a guided tour of the Abbey. After this, our guide took us along the bay to encounter some quick sand and we were taught how to escape it.

On Tuesday we explored the historical centre of Rennes and in the afternoon we made our way to Fougères castle where we had a guided tour and were able to try out some weapons such as swords and axes! It was quite fascinating learning about the history of the area and how they protected themselves during battle.

On our third day we joined our partners at school to experience the life of a French student. Following this, we were greeted by their Headteacher who welcomed us with drinks and snacks. Soon after we were able to get some lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon with our host families.

Thursday was a day for both the French and English students so we visited St Malo and had some free time in the town. Luckily the weather was beautiful, so we could admire the beautiful scenery that surrounded us on our boat trip to Dinard. In addition to this, we stopped off at the beach to play a ball game and relax.

We spent our day in St Aubin du Cormier on Friday. It was a sports morning so we started off with an orienteering race around the park then went back to the school to play Gaelic football. As strange as it was, it was very entertaining and loads of fun. Subsequently, we had our lunch and headed off to the town hall, where we were fortunate enough to meet the local mayor. A while after we went back to the school to see that our exchanges had set up a mini party for us with drinks, snacks and music. Once we had our refreshments, we said goodbye to our friends and left with our exchanges.

Saturday was our last day in France and the time had flown by. It was our last chance to spend some time with the family or go out with friends so we made sure to make it count because on Sunday, we had an early start to head back to England.

Overall, it was an amazing opportunity as we got to experience the French culture and practise our French speaking skills as well as boost our confidence and make new friends.

- V Hunt