Ambialet
& Barcelona

This trip
celebrated the ten-year anniversary of our study abroad program in Ambialet,
France. Our trip began, though, with three days in Barcelona, Spain as the
group immersed itself in the culture, cuisine, architecture, and rich history
of the Catalonian capital.
After
leaving Spain and two quick sightseeing stops in Carcassonne and Toulouse, it
was on to Ambialet and the Le Prieuré, the 14th century monastery
that has been converted in living and learning spaces for Saint Francis University
students. It became home for the next week as we set off to the local area to
explore everything that the Midi-Pyrénées area has to offer.
Highlights
from the local area included a trip to the Saint-Juéry market, sightseeing in
Albi’s old city and the Cathedral of St. Cecelia, a gourmet lunch at le Château
de Salettes, a tour of the historic castle Château de Mauriac, kayaking along
the Tarn River, and an evening blues festival right there in Ambialet. And
those are just some of the adventures from that week!
Our time in
Ambialet concluded with a ten-year celebration to commemorate the University’s
time in the village. Over an outdoor picnic with live music alumni mixed with
local French residents, demonstrating the strong connections we have with the
village community.
As our trip
came to a close, there was still time for one last adventure. The group made
the pilgrimage to Lourdes to visit the grotto where the Virgin Mary appeared to
Saint Bernadette. Some bathed in the spring water while others explored the
basilica and town. It was an excellent way to end our alumni travels!
We’ve offered alumni trips to Ambialet before and plan to do so again in the future. If you want to experience all that southern France has to offer, be sure to join us on our next trip to Ambialet!
To see photographs from the trip, click here to visit the full album.
