The project (in English)

We are a French school group of 26 people planning to go for a cycling ride through France, Ireland and England in May. We are apprentices specialised in masonry, painting, and building technicians at the “Maison Familiale de Saint Gilles Croix de Vie”, a training centre in building construction (mostly).

We think it’s a very good experience:  riding bike across a country enables to discover landscapes and meet people, see the changes in climate, landscape, local industries, farming, architecture, flora and fauna. This way, students can experience that riding across another country is worth the effort and that it is a good and stimulating) means of discovering new countries, cultures and languages. Besides, bicycle is an ecological means of transportation, which is important to us.

26 people will take part to this tour across France, England, Wales, Ireland and Jersey Islands:

-          21 students (between 17 and 20 years old),

-          5 accompanying adults: Tony (who works with us (cook), Christelle (as a student last year, she came to Spain  with us, and as she enjoyed much the experience, she volunteered to accompany us as a accompanist during this new trip across Great Britain :-), Charlotte (Bruno’s sister works as a translator), and Julien and Bruno who are teachers the apprentices at the “Maison Familiale de Saint Gilles Croix de Vie”. Julien teaches masonry, Bruno teaches sciences. 

Usually, the means of transportation used for scholar trips is bus, or train. We do prefer bike. Last year we completed a bicycle tour across France and Spain with 22 students (among which, 2 girls). You can visit our blog about this trip to Spain here:

 www.voyage-etude-2009.kazeo.fr

The students are interested in architecture as they learn masonry, painting or building technology. That's why we would be very interested in visiting “low energy houses” or “renewable energy maintenance buildings”, as well as local (historical) architecture in the surroundings. Yet, we will probably be in a hurry (we have planed to do many (too many) things (and miles :-) in so little time...) and the visit cannot take too much time.