Tuesday found Porter’s visiting Saint-Malo, a coastal town in Brittany with origins in Roman times. Monsieur Février of the Lycée Saint Martin called our students’ attention especially to the walled city’s unique place in World War II history: Allied Forces mistakenly believed the community to be harboring the German military, and thus advanced a structurally devastating attack. Nevertheless, the beautiful town persists, and attracts many tourists during the summer months (fortunately, not so many right now).

Porter’s students and their hosts:

 

View of ocean from Saint-Malo, taken by Nancy Zhou (’18).

 

Monsieur Février delivers lessons:

 

Next, our hosts took us to Mont Saint-Michel, a small island that is home to a breathtaking abbey dating back to the 6th century, as well as smaller structures with similarly striking historic, stone architecture.

The Porters’ students and our hosts at Mont Saint Michel Abbey:

 

Lunch with hosts. Porter’s students (seated on bench) from left to right: Lillian Parrotta (’18), Shushu Fang (’18), Gaelen Carroll (’18), and Carmela Daponte-Smith (’18).

 

Lyrik Garyk (’18) gives Maddy Tamms (’18) a lift at the top of one of the abbey’s many staircases.

 

Monsieur Février continues his lecture inside the abbey.

 

And finally: the whole group, including our amazing French faculty hosts Mme. Marie Bodin and Mme. Siran Thomas (bottom left) and Monsieur Février (second row back, farthest right), on the steps of the Lycée Saint Martin.