This year, at the instigation of Jean-Jacques Delmas, ARIV members have taken action to welcome foreign students, as ‘Back to school’ time has arrived.

They met in late afternoon to help them settle down, show them Nancy around and shops where they will find what they need.

17 students gathered to go and see the sound and light show and have a drink on Place Stanislas. They come from Guinea, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, Brasil, Japan, China, etc.

Said one student : “I walked 30 km through Nancy to discover the city.”
Jean-Jacques called on ARIV members to give useful things to them, like plates, mugs, glasses, cutlery, etc. A microwave oven was provided to Lesha, a science student from Ukraine who was here last year and is going to stay till 2020. He enjoys living in Villers-les-Nancy.

If French families are ready to invite a student for a meal, or give out kitchenware, they should visit ariv.org or go to the Associations Forum on September 8 in Les Ecraignes.

Oerlinghausen mayor Dirk Becker and his wife Petra visited the JMP Botanical Garden. Remi Saxe’s comments were duly translated by Elisabeth Cambray.
Laurence Werner joined us, and so did Villers mayor François Werner, for an outdoor, informal, relaxed lunch.

Another rewarding moment for ARIV and the foreign students gathered for the 2018 barbecue.
Because the weather forecast said it was going to rain, we all found shelter in Annick Grand’s house. We enjoyed a wide variety of tasty treats, including Leisha’s spicy Ukrainian marinated meat. Delicious mixed salads and several orgasmic desserts made everyone ecstatic.
We just cannot wait till next year’s edition !

Twin cities for 30 years

We took part in the celebration,from May 10 to 13, as guests, together with BRAVO and members of the city council. Mayor François Werner with his wife also went to Oerlinghausen for the occasion.

Our German friends showed how good they are at welcoming and entertaining guests and we want to thank them sincerely for those unforgettable moments of sheer friendship and sharing, which strengthen our vision of the European Union.

Thursday, May 10

The bus left Villers at 7.45 am and reached its destination at 5pm. Mayor Becker was awaiting us in the new Heinz-Sielmann school cafeteria for the traditional “Kaffee-Kuchen”

Friday, May 11

10.45am visit of Detmold open-air museum then lunch at Sauerländer Dorf restaurant

5pm Official celebration at Heinz-Sielmann school cafeteria

7pm Music night and dinner on city square

Saturday, May 12

10.45 visit of Detmold old city, including workshop of a stringed-instruments maker

3pm visit of Hermann monument and walk through the forest Teutoburger Wald

7pm dinner and music with artist Camille Estherri

Sunday, May 13

9.30am photo session of group before leave-taking

Pictures

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For the foreign students who live in Villers-les-Nancy ARIV organized a guided visit to discover the Ecole de Nancy artistic movement, which is part of Art Nouveau. Some 20 people gathered on the occasion, including 7 students and 2 children. Sunny weather made it possible to enjoy the museum gardens, too. A dedicated guide highlighted and explained the unique pieces of art work we are so proud of.

Museum website

Vice-president Elisabeth Cambray arranged a gourmet tea after the museum, at the Brasserie Flo downtown, a present-day example of the elegance of Ecole de Nancy.

All 5 senses were thus satisfied, thanks to ARIV and its president Annick Grand.

LA GALETTE DES ROIS is a pastry traditionally eaten on Twelfth Night in France

On Saturday, January 20, we had a jolly good time at the Galette party organized by ARIV. About 40 of us gathered in Le Placieux, including foreign students eager to discover this weird French tradition.

The Mayor and his wife dropped in, as well as Marie-Claude Deluce, Pierre Baumann and Jean-François Trassard.

François Grand shared some historical light on this tasty French ritual before we indulged in the delicious Galette and hot chocolate , provided by Maison Musquar.

Several kings and queens were appointed and it was a first for most of them. Not everyone can become a king or queen, you see, so the new sovereigns will have special memories to share.
See you next year !

Annick Grand presided a smooth, well-planned general meeting that ended with a meal.

The guest star, once again, was Beaujolais Nouveau.

Some 30 students and members of ARIV gathered to share food and drinks in a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Marie-Claude Deluce and Jean-François Trassard from the city council took part in the fun. We do thank them for their support. Pierre Baumann from Conseil Départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle joined us as a friend and neighbor.

Thank you to all who made this moment possible and thus contributed to widen our horizon.

Did you say Raclette Party ?

Yes we did ! As our Ukrainian friends were about to leave Villers-les-Nancy, they had not tasted yet the famous Raclette. Annick, our President, just could not imagine they would go before experiencing this milestone of French gastronomy.

In spite of the sweltering weather, and breaking with tradition, when she suggested “what about raclette ?” we all said “go for it !”

 It was a lot of fun and we are now planning a barbecue in… November maybe ? Will you take up the challenge?

Thanks to the ones who planned and organized the party. Thanks to our guests.

We went to Epinal by bus to visit the Musée de l’Imagerie, which offers plenty of explanations and demonstrations.
François Grand grabbed the microphone to be our guide for the day and to translate Annick’s words into several languages, including English, Ukrainian, Lorrain, etc.

We were much impressed in the museum by a number of unique machines that illustrate the specific know-how of that period and that part of France.

We then shared lunch and went on to Lunéville. We showed our friends the Palace of Stanislas and its picturesque gardens, as well as the city.
Thank you to the people who planned and arranged the event, thank you to the lively band of students for their playful and studious company.

Next meeting is for Fête de la Musique in Parc Madame de Graffigny, next weekend.