Journey Through France

Goodbye, Ambialet !

2009-05-23T14:55:00.001-07:00

We Came, We Ate, We Conquered !

2009-05-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

Oh, no! Say it isn't so!

One last report from Ambialet before we head to the Toulouse airport tomorrow morning and head back home. I will blog one last time from the U.S. with a summary of this wonderful alumni trip. We spent this morning visiting Roquefort and touring the extraordinary settings of the famous cheese cellars. We walked through the caves, learning the history and process behind the world renowned Roquefort cheese.

Another lunch that blows the Food Channel out of the water, followed by a visit to the Millau Viaduct, a major modern marvel in the Midi-Pyrenees as the highest/tallest bridge in the world that spans the Tarn Valley.
Officially open in 2004 and now known as the Gateway to the South, the Millau Viaduct is now the shortest route between Paris and the Mediterranean coast. To say it is an "impressive" work of art and engineering just doesn't do it justice.

We end our trip with sadness to say goodbye to Ambialet - our adopted sister village to Loretto, Pa. And more so, to say goodbye to Tim Perkins, who has spearheaded this International Studies Program for St. Francis with great success.
It is clearly evident to the alumni who have attended this trip that Tim's resourcefulness and know-how is truly making an impact.

More to come later this week in a summary of our trip. Watch the St. Francis Alumni magazine for a feature on Ambialet and the program. Tomorrow will be a travel day, but the blog will finish upon our return.

We end with thoughts of Eric, our lovable tour guide, teaching students in the future about Ambialet and St. Francis University. He loves to talk of history and legends and we imagine him one day telling the International Exchange students this story:

"Legend has it that in the month of May, in the year 2009, a group of alumni and friends made a Pilgramige to the village of Ambialet from the United States. They group was known to have attended St. Francis College/University of Loretto, Pennsylvania. The story goes that this group had their last meal in France, somewhere outside of Millau, and pleaded with their leader, one known as Mr. Timothy Perkins, "Please sir, do not make us eat anymore - we cannot take another bite of the delicious French food you are forcing upon us." But Mr. Perkins showed no mercy and the group was forced to eat more food, drink more wine, sample more cheese and eat more fine French desserts. It was rumored that the group was seen rolling down one of the deep gorges and did not return, but sought refuge in France, setting up their own culinary asylum near Ambialet known as "the Alumni Time Share in France."

Day 6 (is it Saturday already?) Roquefort and the Millau Viaduct

2009-05-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

Day 5: A Great Day in Toulouse!

2009-05-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

A great day in Toulouse - we were told it that the city is known as the "Florence" of France. We reunited once again with tour guide Eric Crema as he showed us Saint-Sernin Basilica; the Capitole - now city hall; the beautiful banks of the Garonne River; and the Eglise des Jacobins with its famous "palm tree" structure.

We are sad that the end of the day is also Brother Shamus' last day with us as he leaves one day ahead of us back to the U.S. tomorrow. The week has been absolutely incredible and Tim's ability to plan, then turn on a dime and come up with a new plan is simply amazing. Our dinner tonight at Le Taverne was bon apetite to the utmost! Especially when the dessert "chariot" cart was wheeled out - Fr. Benjamin and Tom knew that nothing could top that!

One More Time - This Beautiful View! See us on top of the mountain!

2009-05-22T02:29:00.000-07:00

2009-05-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

Voi La !Check out my new French hat!

2009-05-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Day 4: "We Ride - We Eat!"

2009-05-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

The new name of our tour group is: We Ride, We Eat - as that seems to be our daily mission! Our nearly 3-hr. bus ride today took us to the Midevil walled city of Carcassonne - an amazing fortress that displays mastered engineering skills dating back to the 1650s. How in the world could something like that be built without modern machinery? Our pictures are worth a thousand words!

Our week is going too quickly and we try to fit everything in. There is so much to see and do!

Art has now earned the title of the poster boy for Rosetta Stone with his "phrase a day," even if he did bring laughter in a French gas station when he tried to explain that he was not buying gas, only snacks (what else?) and his phrase came out as "I do not have gas!"

Our group collectively represents a span of four decades spent at St. Francis in Loretto and we have Tom (with his narrative voice) and Laura Kennedy as educators, Beth Woods, class of 1990, a physician's assistant, Jeanette Bakon, '81 and Art Cantrell, '79 as our business people, Brother Shamus as the eternal optimist and recruiter for our university, and Father Benjamin as a natural historian who was also able to translate Portugese from the Franciscans in Albi for us. Then of course, we have Tim Perkins leading the way as the jack-of-all-trades.... he cooks, he negotiates, he translates, he teaches, he navigates.... there isn't anything that Tim can't do! We have also had the pleasure of his 9-year-old daughter, Sophia's company! Like father, like daughter - not only has Sophia entertained us in the evening with her "death-defying" tricks, she's also took charge with telling our bus and cab drivers how to get back to the monastery! Great job, Sophia!

Two days to go - can't even think of leaving Ambialet yet. We are already brainstorming for the "Alumni Time Share" here !!!

2009-05-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

A day in Albi. Look at the tiny doors we found for Jeanette and Joann (sorry, Tim!)

2009-05-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

Day 3 Continued - Albi

2009-05-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

Bonsoir from Ambialet -

After our morning adventure (still amazed that we managed to climb that high bell tower), we visited the Cathedrale of Sainte Cecile in Albi, yet another awe-inspiring attraction, followed by yet another great lunch and tour of Musee Toulouse Lartrec. Here is what we've seen so far, making up for Day 1 when I did not have all of the information:

Chateau de Mauriac; Chateau de Salettes where we had the "meal of all meals" (and lunched next to a very famous actress who shall remain nameless until our return to respect her privacy); Conques; Rocamadour; Gaillac (along the Tarn River); Saint Michel; Notre Dame de la Dreche; Cathedrale Sainte Cecile and the Musee Toulouse Lartrec - museum of the famous painter.

For those of us who went to college before the days of "foreign exchange" programs, this is as close as it gets - making up for it now years after we've graduated. This program is putting our beloved St. Francis on the global map and it has been heartwarming to be recognized here in this region of France as the alumni from St. Francis of Pennsylvania! And the similarities of Ambialet and Loretto are many.

Personal achievement for the day: Art, Joann, Jeanette and Beth opt out of the drive up the mountain to the monastery and decide to take on the challenge of hiking up the path !

2009-05-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Day 3 Notre Dame de la Dreche

2009-05-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

I am going to blog twice today because the day took place in two parts. We began with morning Mass at 8:30 at Notre Dame de la Dreche in Albi (Tim has described it this way: If Ambialet is like Loretto, Albi is like Altoona.)

So we partake in a beautiful French Mass - no need to know French to understand... singing and praying take on a universal language. We are welcomed by Pere Francisco Alberto and meet Pere Jose Maria and the other Franciscans and tour the church and museum. A highlight is climbing the high bell tower and Jeanette hitting the keyboard and playing the tune of "My Country Tis of Thee" as it echoes through the town of Albi!

2009-05-20T10:27:00.001-07:00

2009-05-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

Day 2 at Conques and Rocamodour

2009-05-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

As Brother Shamus (correct spelling this time) said at the end of today, "This is the best day I've had in a long time," we can all agree. Another full day filled with a trip to Conques, then the holy pilgramage site of Rocamodour. Both had breathtaking views that seemed to be scenes from books or movies - the scenery can't be beat. And our host, Tim Perkins, keeps surprising us with gems of places to eat with weather that seems to have been specially ordered just for us. It doesn't get any better than this. We have seen plateaus and gorges, mountains and valleys, structures that made us shake our heads in wonder. Today with tour guide, Eric Crema, we saw the statue of Santi Foi and the original black Madonna, the holy stairs and altars and buildings built back in the 12th century. As Fr. Benjamin said, it has been a week of "firsts" for all of us. Jeanette, with the perfect French name, has all of the French language that she studied long ago coming back to her. Art gets an "A" for effort as he's learning phrases, the main one being, "J'ai faim" (what else but "I'm hungry" of course!) All of our personalities are coming out and meshing quite nicely. Fr. Ben loves to "perform" for us... if only he had a microphone; Beth Woods and her mom, Maureen have added a nice touch to the trip as a mother and daughter spending time together; and Tom and Laura Kennedy are the perfect ambassadors from St. Francis - a great example showing what good stock St. Francis students come from - carrying that throughout a lifetime like so many of our alumni do. And for those who know me - you won't believe it, but I have tasted duck liver and gizzards this week!!! Quite a first !

Brother Shamus was away from us today, making arrangements with the first international student from France to be on her way to Loretto in the fall to study at St. Francis. And Tim gets another round of applause for not only a great day, but a wonderful meal to end the night outside on the courtyard patio again. St. Francis has found a GEM in Tim and we are thoroughly enjoying our time with him. Last night I looked out my window and saw the stars as if someone turned on a set of tiny twinkle lights in the sky - you have never seen anything like those lights in the sky.

Bonsoir for now -

Day 1/Making Our Way

2009-05-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

The end of a full day and let me first say this: If you contemplated going on this Journey through France with St. Francis alumni and friends and you didn't take advantage of the opportunity, kick yourself now. And if you have the opportunity to go the next time that this adventure is offered - MAKE SURE YOU PLAN ON IT! And I say this after only one day into the trip!

Tim wasn't kidding when he said we'd have a full day. We left "The Priory" (aka monastery as it is known here in Ambialet) at 9 a.m. and did not return until 7 p.m. We toured the amazing Chateau de Mauriac that has been beautifully recreated by artist Bistes, followed by a "numerous course" lunch from a "several star" restaurant nearby that can't even be described.

We toured Abbaye Saint Michel and another museum also renowned for its wine judging events, climbed the old watch tower from the highest point and ended our day with a dinner outdoors with a picturesque backdrop. Everyone has retired to prepare for another big day tomorrow as we head to Rocamadour, so I am unable to get all of the spellings and official names of the places we saw today, so I'll let the pictures do the talking and catch up tomorrow with more facts.

It has also been fun getting to know all of our traveling mates... Laura Kennedy, formerly Laura Christie from the class of '68 told us all about the protest she took part in during her SFC days... thanks to her and her friends, the females at St. Francis are able to enjoy wearing "pants" - something forbidden back in the 60s !!! Thanks Laura!

Signing off after a great day where the main expression from everyone was "WOW!"

2009-05-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

2009-05-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

2009-05-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

2009-05-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

Landed safe and sound in Toulouse after a 7 hr. flight from Dulles International and connecting flight in Paris. Our group of alumni and friends consiting of Tom and Laura Kennedy - class of 1968, Art (79) and Joann Cantrell (81), Jeanette Bakon (81) Beth Woods and mom, Maureen, Father Seamus and Father Benjamin met up with host, Tim Perkin and set out for the Franciscan monastery in Ambialet. The road ascended up, up, and up, then continually winding in an "S", just like the Loretto Road from Ebensburg or Cresson, magnified 10 times, until we reached our remote site of Ambialet. The breathtaking scenery is beyond words as we viewed the mountains, sharp cliffs and valleys of every shade of green imaginable. Photos cannot do justice to this storybook setting that stands still in time. After a long day of travel we came together to tour the monastery and gain insight into its history, followed by a great meal and time spent getting to know one another over wine, cheese, bread - more wine, cheese and bread, and did I mention... wine, cheese and bread. Everyone crashed by 10 p.m. to prepare for a full schedule tomorrow morning.

Ready to Go !

2009-05-14T04:19:00.000-07:00

In two days, a group of St. Francis alumni and friends will leave from Washington, D.C. and head to the Franciscan monastery located atop the mountain village of Ambialet, France (not quite Loretto, Pa. !)

Join us and follow along on our fun-filled and awe-inspiring adventure as we explore the southwest region of France!