France
Living and Learning in Bordeaux: Independent Stay and Study
Program No. 23313RJ
Make Bordeaux your home for six weeks and immerse yourself in French culture, history and cuisine as you explore the city on your own and join experts on educational field trips.
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
45 days
44 nights
19 meals
5B 9L 5D
1
In Transit To Program
In Flight
4
Aquitaine, Historic Bordeaux
Bordeaux
6
Language Class, Café Get-Together
Bordeaux
13
Language Class, Café Get-Together
Bordeaux
15
Language Class, Free time
Bordeaux
18
Independent Weekend, Free Day
Bordeaux
20
Language Class, Café Get-Together
Bordeaux
22
Language Class
Bordeaux
At a Glance
When you think of Bordeaux, chances are that wine comes to mind. You wouldn’t be wrong – this intoxicating city is the wine capital of France, where rolling vineyards are fueled by the River Garonne. However, Bordeaux is so much more than a viticulture hot bed. As the world’s largest urban UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s teeming with architectural gems from 18th-century limestone mansions lining sun-dappled streets to the Roman ruins of a 3rd-century amphitheater. While living in your own hotel apartment, explore Bordeaux like a local as you weave your way through the city’s countless museums and meet the locals at beautiful bistros. For an added experience - you will learn to “parler français” in daily language classes and study the intricacies of the region’s wine and cuisine!
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to two miles per day during scheduled activities. Some field trips require walking up to three miles. Use of public transportation (tramway, bus).
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Learn to speak French as you take up residence in a conveniently located hotel apartment.
- Each week includes a group gathering at the local cafe, during which your local host will help you plan your free afternoons and weekend.
- Enjoy a cooking class, food excursions and conversations with culinary artisans as you discover the tastes of Bordeaux.
General Notes
Our “Living and Learning” programs give you the experience of living in a foreign country independently. Included: an apartment; a local, full-time Group Leader to support you; a few meals; five language classes per week; a weekly expert-led field trip; a weekly cafe social; one weekend-long excursion to the Basque Region, including hotel; a city handbook and public transit pass. Due to the special nature of this program, we regret that we are unable to match solo participants with roommates.
Suggested Reading List
(11 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Living and Learning in Bordeaux: Independent Stay and Study
Program Number: 23313
Tasting French Terroir: The History of an Idea
This book explores the origins and significance of the French concept of terroir (the specific taste of a particular place), demonstrating that the way the French eat their food and drink their wine today derives from a cultural mythology that developed between the Renaissance and the Revolution.
The Basque History of the World
Popular author Mark Kurlansky offers an engaging portrait of the seven provinces of Basque Land, discussing everything from language to culinary heritage and seafaring traditions.
The Food & Wine of France: Eating & Drinking from Champagne to Provence
Behr seeks out the best of French food, in encounters from Champagne to Provence, to tell the stories of French artisans and chefs who work at the highest level. He shares what he learns from these experts on French traditions and how to best enjoy this food.
Camembert: A National Myth
Camembert - delectably fragrant, creamy-centered, neatly boxed - is the most popular and most famous French cheese. Originally made by hand in the Norman countryside, it is now mass-produced internationally, yet Camembert remains a national symbol for France, emblematic of its cultural identity. In this witty and entertaining book, Pierre Boisard investigates the history of Camembert and its legend.
Edible French: Tasty Expressions and Cultural Bites
French food-related idioms are explained and delightfully illustrated in this playful meditation on the French language.
My Life in France
The touching and famous story of Julia Child in France, where she learned to cook and fell in love with French cuisine, all in her own words.
F is for France: A Curious Cabinet of French Wonders
An alphabetized catalogue of quirky French culture and history tidbits.
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook
This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
The Cave Painters
In this tale of art, paleontology and discovery, Curtis introduces the masterworks of cave art in France and Spain, visiting Altamira, Lascaux, Les Trois-Freres, Cosquer, Chauvet and others.
French Wine: A History
French Wine is the first synthetic history of wine in France: from Etruscan, Greek, and Roman imports and the adoption of wine by beer-drinking Gauls to its present status within the global marketplace. Rod Phillips places the history of grape growing and winemaking in each of the country’s major regions within broad historical and cultural contexts.
South-West France: The Wines and Winemakers
South-West France is a wine lover's paradise that cultivates an astonishing array of grape varieties, many that grow nowhere else, and produces a fascinating assortment of wines. In this book, Paul Strang covers the South-West with enthusiasm and keen expertise, providing a history of its wine industry, including a near collapse and unlikely rebirth, and introducing readers to a region that seems to defy globalization.
