[Sundae]

Just as an aside, when I was at school in France we were issued a block of cheese automatically with lunch. At the time I found it revolting. I've wondered about it since, but I wrote in my diary that it tasted of nothing apart from dishwater. So I guess it was a local cheese that you had to get used to. I might even like it as an adult (I was 15) but I was a cheese lover even then.

On the same trip I was offered a glass of wine (with or without water) at least half the evening meals. Not when it was just me, the student and her mother, but if they had people over in my honour, or if we went to other houses in return. I was used to this because we were offered half glasses of wine at celebrations at home. One glass was just a ritual thing. I never felt any affect.

What I loved most was being a person of interest. At school, in strangers houses, in the tiny village shops. Everyone dug out their rusty (or better) English to speak to me. And I was treated as if I was 5 years older than my supposed host (student). They thought of me as quintessentially English because I wore skirts and was pale with red cheeks.

I was nauseous with homesickness to be honest.
But it was an extraordinary time.