We've been trying to send news sooner but been delayed trying to upload photos and getting good internet access so here goes:

Hanna wrote about her first week:

It's been our first week in France and so much has happened in what seems like so little time. Paris was quite an experience and Avignon was just the same. Avignon is such a wonderful little place. It is actually quite large, but has that well-known "small-town" feel. It is so beautiful there, just the perfect little French town. Montpellier, where we are now, I'm still getting use to. I love my host family, a house full of girls, 5 not including me. there is a lot of shopping here, and our school is great. All of us are in the same class, and we're accompanied by a girl named Stephanie from England. She has a very interesting accent when she speaks French. Everything is so beautiful in this country.
Au Revoir, Hanna Burke

From teacher Nancy Jones:
Since we have been in Montpellier, the girls have been attending class every day and we have planned excursions in the afternoons. One of them was to the city of Nimes, a roman town with the best preserved coliseum outside of Rome (picture attached). It is quite overwhelming when you realize it was built in the first century B.C. It is still used today for concerts and bullfights during festival days in the summer.

The other picture here is of us visiting a local high school's English classes. It was quite an experience trying to talk to kids their own age about all different subjects and of course explaining what "island" life is like. What a challenge on both sides. We had so much fun, we were invited back for another day with the upper class which included eating the traditional King's cake, juice and coke. We now have permanent friends to keep in touch with.

Friday ends our 2 week stay in Montpellier as we head for the Chateau country and our second home stay with local high school kids. We are all looking forward to attending a "real" high school.
We'll be excited to return and share the rest of our adventures!
A Bientot!