Daily Life in Tours
Homestay
My assigned homestay was a three-story house to the southwest of the city center and about a 20 minute walk from the Institut de Touraine. I had my own room on the third floor and shared the bathroom with another student that lived on the same floor. My room faced the street and was a great and comfortable space for a little siesta after my classes. My host mother lived on the second floor and shared a bathroom with another student on the same floor as her. My host mother was a retired scientist and a very active woman. She took English and dance classes, preformed in a choir group that is set to release an album in the Fall of 2025, and had been hosting students from all over the world for many years prior to my arrival.
My School
My French class were held at L'Institut de Touraine, located about 20 minutes walking from my homestay and closer to the center of Tours, France. Our classes were taught solely in French by a French professor and held on Monday to Friday from 9:00AM to 12:20PM with a 20 minute break at 10:30AM. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, following our lunch break, we had mandatory activities. I chose to participate in the Cinema activity on Tuesdays where we watched French movies and the Chanson activity on Thursdays where we listened to different genres of French music. On the other days of the week, there were optional activities that we could participate in or we had nothing to do in the afternoon.
The Food
Tours had many different types of cuisine available in the city, from fast food to gourmet, French cuisine to Japanese. During the weekday we purchased our own lunches, but with so many options, we did not have to stick to just one type of cuisine and could explore others if we wanted. Moreover, with menus that at least included an entree, a drink, and a dessert, it was easy to find lunch for under 20 euros. For breakfast and dinner during the weekday and breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the weekends, we could eat with our host families.
