The festivities started for the ILCF students before Decemeber even began, and beautiful Annecy was their host.
On November 23rd, the ILCF students, along with French and international students from ESTRI and ESDES, experienced an unforgettable day in the city dubbed « the Venice of the Alps », Annecy.
Upon their arrival, the students explored the charming streets of Annecy which offered its delicacies and local specialties, with the famous Annecy Lake as the scenery.
Later during the day, the activities evoloved into an immersive experience at the ever-so magical Menthon Saint-Bernard Castle, that had completely transformed into Santa Claus's Castle for the holidays.
A guided tour, lavish festive decorations and lights engulfing the castle allowed for an idyllic setting and enriched the experience for those who attended. The decorated castle accompanied by the Christmas market and an outdoor ice-skating rink just beside it completed the whole package, making this a trip to be remembered.
To many ILCF students, this was also a great opportunity to finally connect with other students outside of their usual entourage on their campus, specially with French ones.
All in all, it was a great introduction to the Chritmas spirit, discovering Annecy while building frienships.
Here below, you can read what a few students who had attended had to say about their experience (their quotes have been shortened for the sake of readability, but have not been gramatically corrected nor rephrased) :
- The trip was very relaxing, and I had an amazing time. Visiting the castle and experiencing the beauty of Annecy was unforgettable. The Christmas atmosphere in the city was wonderful, and the local food was delicious. Thank you to the university for organizing this event—I can't wait for more activities like this!
- It was so much fun and well-organized! I hope there will be more opportunities like this.
- The event organizers were kind, punctual, friendly, and creative. They also made an important point on the cultural differences, and made everyone, especially international students, feel very welcome.
- I want to thank the animation team for this incredible experience. Everything was so well-planned, and I even made new friends.
- It was fun! I made a French friend. Thank you so much!
Further information
Deux écoles tournées vers l’apprentissage des langues et cultures étrangères ne peuvent que se rencontrer. C’est de cette évidence qu’ont vu le jour au premier semestre 2017-2018 deux rencontres d’étudiants entre l’ESTRI et l’ILCF.