Discovering

Bordeaux wines are the specialty of this region. During my stay, I had wine courses and I visited wineries in the area of Saint-Emilion. These two activities were offered by the tourist office. I did not like wine but definitely learned to appreciate it.

I also enjoyed discovering the culture of other people who came in Erasmus like me. In my class, there were many different nationalities; Australian, English, German, Mexican… I found it very interesting to learn about other lifestyles. This made me a more open-minded person. I realized that there are different ways of thinking and approaching things. Thanks to this half-year abroad, I got some points of comparison to judge our lifestyle in Belgium. Mexicans are the most open people I’ve met in Bordeaux. They are very friendly and welcoming, they want to get to know you and they are always ready to party.

For us Belgians, France is certainly our first holiday destination. In my case, I often spent my summers in the south of France. But to live in this country has taught me to know it better. During 4 months, I had time to visit this country. I began with the surroundings of Bordeaux as Arcachon, where I visited the Dune of Pyla (the biggest dune in Europe); Cap Ferret with its beautiful lighthouse and also Lacanau where I learned to surf.