any of our more memorable exchanges have been
with Europeans. Initially we thought it would be difficult dealing with exchangers from
places like France and Germany due to the language barrier, but to our delight (and
embarrassment) we discovered it not to be a problem most of the time. Europeans are much
more fluent with English than we are with their languages. Where many of the foreign
Homelink members are teachers and professionals, they frequently speak excellent English.
In
the past few years, we have had fantastic exchanges in Friburg Germany, Cap d’ Agde
France, and are presently arranging swaps in Nancy France and Paris.
The U.K. has been a favored destination of our overseas swaps, having enjoyed many
never to be forgotten excursions to places like Orkney Islands Scotland, Wales, and many
other location around the Kingdom. Our most memorable swap there however, was not in a
house at all, but rather on a sixty foot long narrow-boat on the incredible canal system
in England.
For over three weeks, using Silsden as our home base, we explored the countryside
surrounding the Shropshire and the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canals. Eating many
sumptuous meals in local pubs on the canals, as well as cooking in the boat’s galley,
enabled us to bring home another ten pounds we hadn’t brought with us. The fall
weather was superb, and all in all it was a fantastic adventure.
We were in Cap d’Agde on 9/11, and we can’t praise the French enough for how
they helped us to get information in an area where little English was spoken. Aside from
that, the area is a wonderful spot on the Mediterranean.
