Madison-Blake Bachelor recently returned from a long quest to study and explore the city in France.
Blake, six fellow students and one professor pursued a travel program at the University of South Alabama or the US Office of International Education. They attended his six-week summer program at the Center International d’Etudes Francaise at the University of Burgundy (Université Burgundy).
At the University of Burgundy, you can learn French from beginner to advanced level. Blake has met students from South Korea, China, Venezuela, Austria, Ukraine, Japan, Iran and Tunisia.
Studying in France was a top priority for Blake. His mother and grandfather speak French after he lived for a year in the 1980s. Blake started studying French in high school and in college he earned his one of two degrees.
“With family ties and years of studying the language, it has always been a dream of mine to travel to France to immerse myself in the culture and gain first-hand experience. Taught in 100% French by a native speaker I took a French course in college,” said Blake.
Blake lived in downtown Dijon in north-eastern/central-eastern France in the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region. Dijon, the region’s largest city, has a population of about 150,000 and is about 1.5 hours by train from Paris. The plain landscape is near the mountainous Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
He lived in a host’s house that accepted international students. “She made us all feel very comfortable. She lived in a French house and it was so much fun to be able to converse with French people outside of the classroom and continue to develop my skills. ‘ said Blake.
Blake attended classes throughout the week, but spent two days in a “culture class” focused on the French lifestyle. He learned about French gastronomy, 2022 culture and the history of Burgundy.
“In my free time, I loved exploring the city. Dijon has a great history and still has many monuments and buildings (most importantly the Palace of the Dukes, where the Duke of Burgundy lived). Plus, I’m a big foodie, so I loved going to restaurants and trying as many French dishes as possible,” Blake said.
He enjoyed escargot, boeuf bourguignon, souris dagneaux (lamb shank), creme brulee, croque monsieur (grilled cheese and ham), and crepes. The bakery and pastry shop always have fresh baguettes, croissants and pain au chocolat. His favorite dessert was macarons.
“France is obviously famous for its food, and many of the famous French dishes come from Burgundy, where Dijon is located. I attended a class in . . . making Dijon mustard in Dijon!” said Blake.
Over the weekends, students visited numerous cities and villages in five French regions: Paris, Lyon, Provence, Alpes, Côte d’Azur and the Occitanie region on the Mediterranean coast. In just six weeks, Blake has explored much of France, with its mountains, big cities and beaches.
Blake was amazed at the efficiency of public transportation in France. Access to public transportation was available even in smaller cities than Madison and Mobile.
“With multiple bus lines and two large trams running through the middle of town, we could be anywhere we wanted to go within 10 to 15 minutes,” says Blake. Even in Paris he didn’t need a car.
“Another surprise is the sheer scale of all the historic buildings. I have seen many pictures of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral and other famous places, but these magnificent I couldn’t believe the structure was built at least 100 years ago,” Blake said.
Blake’s favorite experience was living downtown, within walking distance of monuments, restaurants, cafes and bakeries.
Blake’s brother, Brett Batchelor, was a member of the University of Montevallo golf team. After Brett graduates in 2021, he works as a producer at 104.5 – The Zone Digital in Nashville, Tennessee. His parents are Mike and Heather he is a bachelor.
A US senior, Blake will graduate in December as a dual degree student in International Business and French. Blake and his fiancé are getting married in October.
“I plan to pursue a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration with the goal of working full-time at a university,” said Blake. “I would like to work in the field of student success and international education.”
