FRENCH COURSES IN MENS
MENS is the market town for the Trieves; a wonderful plateau of rolling
farmland and forests surrounded by the mountains of the Vercors and the Ecrins.
This is real France where you are unlikely to hear English spoken.
Stay at Prefaucon farm, or with a local family -
Homestay, discuss life & politics and farming
and 'Europe', and enjoy the atmosphere and live music in the cafés.
The
Trieves Plateau is home to France's most important "green" centre
- Terre Vivante - and the ethos of organic farming and green building permeate
the region.
Dates available in MENS:
French courses are available June to October, when it is (usually!)
sunny and warm.
Activities available in the Trieves include:
Sports: walking, mountain biking, horse riding,
wind and kite surfing, paragliding, and via ferrata are all accessible
and great fun.
Craft courses: on offer here include pottery, watercolour
painting, furniture painting, organic cookery, medicinal plants and
felt-making.
Cookery & French lessons are available for specific
dates. See our page on French
Immersion courses.
For background information see the websites of Terre Vivante
www.terrevivante.org,
and the local tourist office www.trieves-tourisme.fr
Where
is MENS ?
Just 50 min south of Grenoble.
–Lyon St Exupéry is our nearest international airport.
–Grenoble airport has daily flights from London. Check the airports'
websites for the latest destinations. Flights are sometimes seasonal
– Chambery for example has many winter flights, but few outside
the ski season.
Grenoble St-Geoirs, GNB, 1.5hr. (www.grenoble.airport.com)
Chambery 2hr. (www.chambery.airport.com)
Lyon St Exupéry, LYS, 2hr. (www.lyonairport.com)
We can meet you at the train station at Clelles, 15min from MENS
by car. Or at Grenoble railway station, which has good connections
to all these airports. These transfers are included in the course
price.
Your accommodation during
your French course in MENS:
Prefaucon farm
Prefaucon Farm is a working sheep farm with100 ewes. Christophe and
Laetitia welcome guests and cook very good local food, fresh from
the garden. Jean-Louis is the farmer and part-time gardener. From
their vineyards he makes his own Trieves wine, and a very nice walnut
wine.
Do visit their website www.atamanta.com
Homestay in MENS – with a local family
We have a range of local families who are delighted to welcome you.
They include the local potter, a retired businessman, and a nurse
and her physiotherapist husband.
Depending on your interests and language objectives we try and match
you with an appropriate family. Our host families all love the contact
with students from other countries; and are passionate about this
region, their work, and local food.
