Categories: Learn French, Loire Valley
On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Rowena Sjovall, a Bootcamp alumna who spent a full month in Tours attending language school, then used her free days to explore Loire Valley chateaux on her own. If you've ever wondered what it's actually like to combine serious French study with sightseeing, this episode has the details.
Listen to this episode ad-free
A Month of French Immersion in Tours
Rowena signed up for a four-week course at L'Ecole Clé, a language school she'd scouted on an earlier trip to Tours. The placement test put her in a B2 class, taught entirely in French, no English allowed. Classes ran Monday through Friday from 9:00 to about 12:45, plus extra sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for roughly 20 hours a week. Add homework on top of that, and it's closer to a full-time job than a vacation activity. But she explains why she loved it!
The class size stayed small, capped at eight students, which meant a lot of speaking practice. Some of her classmates were preparing for the DELF exam; others were there for work. Rowena wasn't studying for a test. She just wanted to get better at French, and she told me it took her about a week and a half before her ear adjusted to the pace of real spoken French.
Renting an Apartment and Living Like a Local
Instead of a homestay, Rowena rented her own apartment near the school, using a landlord contact the school provided. She shopped the Wednesday and Saturday markets, bought a rotisserie chicken quarter for three euros from a neighborhood boucherie, and cooked most of her own meals. No car. She got around Tours and the surrounding area entirely by tram, regional bus, and train, which, she pointed out, works just fine once you figure out how the system works.
Exploring Loire Valley Chateaux
Since Rowena had already seen Chenonceau, Amboise, and Clos Lucé on a previous trip, this time she went looking for other Loire Valley chateaux. In Loches, a well-preserved medieval village, she learned about Agnès Sorel, mistress to Charles VII, whose portrait as the Virgin Mary scandalized the court not because of the nudity, but because it depicted a mistress wearing a queen's crown.
At Azay-le-Rideau, she found a quiet walking path behind the chateau and joined a free guided tour, offered in French, which she recommends even for non-fluent speakers because it puts the site into historical context. The fortress at Chinon was a highlight: it was the favorite residence of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (Henry II died there), and it's where Joan of Arc came hoping to meet the Dauphin. At the Château de Blois, birthplace of Louis XII, she heard about the assassination of the Duke of Guise, ordered by Henry III, and Catherine de Medici's final days there.
Angers and a Detour to Guinguettes
Rowena also made a day trip to Angers to see the Tapestry of the Apocalypse, a 14th-century series of panels illustrating the Book of Revelations. Her advice: sit with it. The colors and details only reveal themselves the longer you stay in the room. She wished she'd stayed overnight instead of rushing back with her class group.
Along the way, she stumbled on guinguettes, the seasonal riverside gathering spots that open every May with music, pétanque, and simple food and wine. They're common all over France in summer, not just in the Loire Valley.
Would You Take a Month Like This?
Rowena's takeaway: a month was worth it, but she'd do five or six weeks next time if she could. Her advice for anyone serious about learning French is straightforward: find a small-group program, commit to real immersion, and use your days off to actually see the region you're staying in. Between the language school and the Loire Valley chateaux she managed to fit in, it's a model worth considering if you have the time to give it.
If you enjoyed this episode, sign up for my free newsletter at joinusinfrance.com/newsletter for weekly updates on what's happening in France.
More episodes about the Loire Valley
Table of Contents for this Episode
#JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #LoireValley, #LoireValleyChateaux, #FrenchChateaux, #Tours, #LearnFrenchInFrance, #FrenchImmersion, #VisitFrance, #FranceTravel, #ExploreFrance, #FrenchHistory, #Chinon, #AzayLeRideau, #Angers, #FranceBucketList, #SlowTravelFrance
FOLLOW US ON:
Discussed in this Episode
- Tours
- L'Ecole Clé
- Loire Valley
- Vouvray
- La Scaletta
- Villandry
- Chenonceau
- Amboise
- Clos Lucé
- Loches
- Azay-le-Rideau
- Chinon (Fortress of Chinon)
- Château de Blois
- Angers
- Tapestry of the Apocalypse
- Rochecorbon
- Fontevraud
- Dagobert
- Le Chien Fou
- Les Gens Heureux
- Moom Thai
- Rue Colbert
- Biocoop
- Les Halles
- Place Plumereau
Subscribe to the Podcast
Apple YouTube Spotify RSSSupport the Show
Tip Your Guides Extras Patreon Audio ToursIf you enjoyed this episode, you should also listen to related episode(s):
Read more about this episode
TranscriptCategories: Learn French, Loire Valley