We arrived at Chez Flo as strangers and left feeling we had made lasting friendships. Flo is a wonderful teacher and she and Dawson are generous and kind hosts – we had a very special time with them. We loved staying in their beautifully renovated and very peaceful gite and walking around the Brittany countryside.

 

Flo is a deeply intuitive teacher, she quickly assessed my level and responded perfectly to the goals I had set; she extended me when I understood a facet of grammar, yet was patient when I struggled to master a point. Classes seemed to whiz by, and they were a wonderful mixture of grammar lessons, local history, current events, debates, poems - everything felt personally chosen to reflect my interests.  Although we stayed with Flo so I could strengthen the many weak points in my French, the lessons were just one part of the incredible experience we had. We feel so lucky to have stayed with a “real” Breton! Flo’s knowledge of local events (from her experience as a councillor), her understanding of the village history, and her family’s deep roots in St Jean Brevelay meant we had personal insights into local French history that we would never otherwise have had. The excursions to Carnac, the château de Suscinio and the Musee de la Resistance were exactly what we wanted to do, and we got so much more from the visits because of Flo’s knowledge.

 

For the time we stayed with Flo, we felt part of the family – Flo is an extraordinary cook, and our shared meals were special experiences. Our final meal together was especially memorable: galettes prepared by Dawson, Flo’s entertaining husband, shared with her parents (who had brought their home-made cider (made from apples from their orchard!) to drink with the meal) and followed by far Breton we had prepared with Flo. Dawson’s galettes were excellent and, after the meal, he gave us lessons - we are on the lookout for a Billig! Thank you for a wonderful experience, Flo and Dawson; we hope to see you again in the future (and if you are ever in New Zealand, please let us know).