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An unforgetable week in Wales Families for  French Students !

During their journey in Wales to discover Welsh particular culture and to improve their english, French students from Clos Maire High school in Burgundy were warmly welcomed in their host familly at Colwyn Bay. They shared their lifes the evening after a day of interesting visits. Three of them have accepted to share their experience with Davies family by discribing each evening:

Sofia, Eloïse and Elisa

First Day

Eloïse :«I can remember both anxiety and exitation whereas we were waiting to meet the host familly in the bus after the day in Chester.» Elisa: "After a full day in Chester, with rain and wind, we finally met our families. I was so excited, but at the same time a little bit anxious, because I always had bad families when I went to United Kingdom younger». Sofia «We met our new host family: A woman and a man, around 45 y-o were waiting for us: Me, Elisa and Eloïse; They welcomed us and the man asked if we wanted help with ours suitcases. They came with two cars, one is owned by the woman and the other one was owned by the man. They introduced themself, their names were Karen and Marc. I went to Karen's car (which had only 2 seats) and Elisa and Eloïse went to Marc's car. Eloïse: «Elisa and me sat in Marc's car. He naturally began the conversation by asking us how was our travel, how much time we crossed the channel with the ferry and if we enjoyed Chester. He introduced us the city of Colwyn Bay and described and showed several places like a private school.»Elisa: «We spoke about Colwyn Bay's everyday life, and especially about the director of the private school, who has lots of properties in Colwyn Bay.» Eloïse: «Marc has lived in Colwyn Bay since his childhood. He likes this city but he didn't hide us that it was better before because it became to much touristic. He would like to buy a house in Chester with his wife Karen. Personnally, I think it's a great project for them because we met with my classmates a so pleasant medieval architecture in this city that we could forget a little bit the tiredness we had!»

Sofia talked to Karen in the car, Karen asked a lot of questions about Sofia's family and her hobbies. Sofia: «So, I returned the questions. Karen and Marc have two children but older enough to live elsewhere. They have a son and a daughter. Their son is currently studying at the university in Manchester, and her daughter works for Energy, the famous company. After that, Karen asked me if I like the cinema, and Karen said that she loved it a lot, and that she watched a lot of movies, and series (and one of it is french). Once arrived, they showed us our bedrooms. We had the choice: they suggested us 3 different bedrooms and she asked us where we prefered to sleep. So we chose, and after settling on, we spoke in the living room with our new families». Eloïse: «We visited their house before having dinner together and got to know better: Karen is an esthetician, she has her own beauty saloon in her house, and Mark is working in the building.» Elisa: «During the dinner, we talked with the couple, of many things, our hobbies, our studies...» Sofia: «They were very funny, Karen loves watching the famous tv reality «big brother» but Marc finds Big brother very stupid, so they were very funny when Karen replied «nooo it's not silly Marc, I love that!». and Marc said «oh come on, what's the goal of that!». Elisa: «"Big Brother", is a serie with celebrities in a house, it's the same as "Secret Story" in France». Sofia: «Karen talked to the other students she hosted. She had australians, Russian, Chinese and also French students. They told us little stories about their hosted's journeys. Karen and Marc have got a cat: Daisy. She is a big, big cat who does nothing all the day but eat. Karen and Marc said everytime «oooh daisy, you're lazy, lazy daisy». Eloïse: «Karen showed us how Daisy enjoyed going to a little box which had an opening to put her paws out and to try catching a toy which was hanging by a string and holding by Karen.» Sofia: «Karen showed us a map of Europe and asked us where Beaune was. So we showed her where it was. After showing ourlselves (in our private shower might I precised), we decided to go talking to them again or staying a little bit more with them to enjoy our trip as much as we could. So we went there, and we watched tv with them, and we laughed a lot. Marc was very nice because he wanted to watch sports channels and when we arrived in the living room he put big brother!!! Karen explained us what was the point of this tv reality and who was each of the candidates. After that we decided to go to sleep. A long time for resting was expected. » Eloïse: «we didn't miss anything and we slept delighted.» Elisa: «That was a great first evening.»

Second day

After a fascinating immersion in the Beatles city, known as Liverpool:

Sofia: «The second evening was cool. Marc went to picked us where the bus was supposed waiting for him. He said he was very busy and he appologized for beeing late. He said that he didn't have the time to eat for lunch because of his work. That's funny, because he is working with a man in Liverpool and we went to Liverpool the same day. Karen was not here this evening because she went to the London Grammar Concert at Manchester with her sister». Elisa: « London Grammar is a young band with a 19 years old singer. Karen's sister was also hosting students (Roxane,Lucie and Clémence) . » Sofia: «We thought she was very lucky to go seeing this band. In the car, Marc asked us what we wanted to eat and we said that Karen prepared Salad and Pizza (when she asked if it was okay to eat that the morning). Marc said that Karen has just prepared the Salad so he needed to make the pizza.» Eloïse: «So before we had dinner with him, he pretended being afraid to cook that made us laugh because he just had to follow Karen's instructions: heat up the pizza and put the salade already made by Karen on the table» . Sofia:«Girls and I went to our bedroom while he was «cooking». We spoke together about our day. Marc called us to eat and we set the table.» Eloïse: «Although Marc was embarrased about his simple dinner, I made clear that it was a great meal» Elisa: «Marc told us little anecdotes about the journeys he made in USA. » Eloïse: «He went to Los Angeles, with his friends and Karen where they enjoyed beaches, and he compared US and Uk accents». Elisa:«He said that life is really cheaper in the United States than in England or in France. He also told us that Karen and him already came in France, especially in Nice, and in a little village near this town. They want to buy a house in France. Sofia: «Marc loves golf and he likes to play golf with his friends He especially likes the landscapes there are each time he goes play golf» Eloïse: «He wanted to know if we like more France than UK and I sincerely answered that I prefered UK, because, to my opinion, I think that the cities have uncommoned architecture which conserved print of history like Chester.» Elisa: « After dinner, we took a shower and we watched "Big Brother" with Marc. He explained us that he didn't understand why Karen watches this serie. He finds it totally silly and he doesn't undersant th goal of that. He thinks that the celebrities that are in this serie just play a role and are very vulgar. » Eloïse: «Unfortunatly, we didn't see «lazy Daisy» this evening» Sofia: «She had to stay outside because she try to jump on the table to take food on it» Elisa: «Marc punished her» Eloïse: «I can add that now she is known as the «naugthy girl», or the «naughty lazy Daisy».

Third day

Eloïse:« The last evening, we had  a lot of fun with Karen.» Sofia:«When we arrived at Karen and Marc's home, Karen showed us what great application she found. She told us that she made researches about Beaune and Burgundy with this application and she told us that she loves the landcapes and that it seems amazing». Elisa:"On this last evening with our host families, we didn't see a lot Marc, because he was going to play a game with friends.» Sofia: «He told us that he played billiard every thursday» Elisa: So we spent the evening in the company of Karen, and it was really funny ; » Eloïse: «So Karen invited us to speak together in her beauty saloon». Eloïse:«The atmosphere was relaxing She took us to her beauty room and she put London Grammar, because she wanted to show us what kind of music they do». Elisa: «I didn't know her and it was a great discovery» Sofia: «I really appreciated this from her, the fact that she brought us in her beauty saloon to speak with us, because she didn't have to, but I think Karen is a great woman» Elisa: «She put a really relaxing musics and we talked about films we wanted to see, or films we have already seen. Karen was very kind. She really wanted to know more about us, our lives.». Eloïse:« She said that she would like to watch La vie d'Adèle, that make us have a debate on explicit scenes that might be present in this movie and the difficult condition of the shooting for the actress.» Sofia: «I was very impressed because I didn't know La vie d'Adèle was known even in UK. She said that she was going to watch this movie in the theatre the next week!» Elisa: « We also took pictures of us 4, and it was really funny. »

Sofia: «We went to dinner, and Karen cooked pasta and really delicious breads. During the dinner, she put a music channel, and when we finished we danced aroung the table. It was very funny because she wanted us to have fun. When we take a fruit salad as a dessert, we went to take the whipped cream, and she tried to put it on our faces. Unfortunately for her, she didn't sucess, so she gave us the whipped cream directly on her mouth. Aha » Eloïse: «Like Karen made us discover London grammar we decided to made her discover Stromae, a famous singer in France.» Sofia: «We put Papaoutai and Formidable». Elisa : « She didn't know Stromae, but I think she was happy to discover the kind of music we listen » Eloïse: «Finally, we went in the TV room to watch the redifusion of the grammy award» Elisa: « Karen brought us chocolates. »  Sofia: «The chocolates was very cute because it was hearts chococolates»

Eloïse: «she showed us several things like the strange musical frog which moves and sings when we clap  our hands, but also the portrait of her son made by his exgirlfriend or photos of all the familly.» Elisa: « On TV, there were the Grammy Awards, and we saw Daft Punk won everything. We were very proud because it's a french group. After this evening, we had to make our suitcases and we didn't want to leave because the family was really kind, and Karen said that we could come back when we want, even with our parents. It was a very good journey. Our host family was really, really nice. It's the best family I ever had»

Sofia, Elisa and Eloïse finally remember with regrets the last moment with this nice host family, Karen and Marc Davies