Meet Global Grant Recipient, Daisy Vu!
For a few weeks this summer, Daisy participated in the Global Seminar: French Connections in Bordeaux, France where she studied current events and issues in France and learned about the city of Bordeaux. Read about Daisy's experiences below.
Going to Bordeaux was not only a beautiful experience but also a very enlightening, enriching one, where the city showcased French culture and history without the cosmopolitan glam of cities like Paris. Something that attracted me to the city of Bordeaux, aside from the wine, was its history, which was proudly and gorgeously displayed in its churches and architecture. The first full day there we did a sightseeing walking tour of the city, seeing landmarks such as “La Grosse Cloche” (the fat clock), St. André Cathedral, Miroir d’Eau, Opera House, Monument aux Girondins, etc. I loved the stained glass windows of the churches, the ornamentation of the buildings, and the overall gothic and romantic style of architecture. It is all reminiscent of the 19th and 18th centuries, providing a stark contrast to the newer American buildings that I am used to seeing.
Specifically, St. Andre’s Cathedral was definitely a main attraction, with it being right next to the “Hotel de Ville" or town hall and its largeness. Its stained glass fixtures, huge organ, and worship memorabilia stood out at first stroll through. After the first day, I came back another 2 times with different people from my group each time. On the second visit, we paid 2 euros to go into a special museum area that displayed relics, a reliquary, and religious artifacts. I was in awe of how cool and old they were, some dating back to the 15th century.
Another historical point of interest was the Musee d’Aquitaine where Bordeaux and France’s history is long and deep, stretching so far back, from prehistoric times to now. It was interesting going through time with prehistoric landmarks and fossils, Romans, feudalism, slave trade, French Revolution, Napoleon, and contemporary history.
Within class, we learned all about French culture utilizing American perspectives as a point of contrast and comparison. Subjects of interest included wokism, feminism and gender, identity, pension and protest, and race. It was really fascinating how the French and Americans have similar views of secularism, freedom, and equality, but enforce or try to achieve the same goals in different ways as a result of their differing histories and perspectives. This is striking especially when talking about identity politics and race, in how the French don’t like to track or talk about race in order to maintain equality and liberty, which is jarring from the American perspective in which not talking about race is racist in itself, as it would be seen as marginalizing racial inequality.
On another hand, wine is a huge part of culture in France! Bordeaux, known as the wine capital of the world, hosted “La fete du Vin” which is known as the wine festival over the weekend, and it was a really fun experience! There were many types of wine to try, from the reds, merlot and sauvignon, the whites, sauvignon Blanc and sémillon, and the rosés, and many professionals there to teach about the regions and what differentiates each. At St. Émilion, we hiked all the way up to the town, getting a first hand look at the vines of the vineyard and castle. Another highlight of the trip was an excursion to Chateau Olivier, where we saw the winemaking process up close while learning about what it takes to run a quality vineyard, from the equipment, acreage, and grapes. The most educational wine experience though was the wine tasting class in which we learned about what to look for in a wine and how to identify the main characteristics with what it looks like, how it smells, and how it tastes.
Overall, I really loved Bordeaux! Not only just because of the city and it’s beauty (historically and aesthetically), but I loved it because of the people I met there. The CU Boulder group was full of some of the most interesting, kind, funny, and cool people I’ve met with such diverse experiences and point of views. I feel like we bonded as a group and I can happily say I’ve made at least 19 friends on this trip. Additionally, the local people I’ve met were so kind and generous, especially the service workers who engaged in speaking French with learners and gladly answered questions about their life and France. I already miss Europe and France and am super grateful to be able to go on this trip, but I am glad to be home in Colorado!
We're glad you had such an amazing trip, Daisy!
