Holly Ryan
During the camp, I met many young people from France and other countries. Every day at camp was packed full of activities such as sailing, meeting the mayor, celebrating the French national day, and visiting amusement parks. I also had the opportunity to present myself, my country and the R&F Lions Club to over 50 members of the French Lions Club. During camp, we also met with the Leo club in Les Sables D'Olonne. They were incredible people and joined us for many of our excursions. It was wonderful to see the passion of all the Leos for the Lions Club.
When at my host family I had some time to reflect on the camp and catch up on lost sleep! I stayed with a wonderful host family that made me feel like part of their family. I often went on trips to explore some of the more traditional French culture and learn about the everyday life of a French family.
The nationalities of the camp members were all European, which is unusual for these camps. I met people from Finland, Poland, Romania, Norway, Italy and Turkey. Whilst I was there we met with the Lions Clubs from Les Sables D'olonne and La Rochelle. The Leo's Club was based in Les Sables D'olonne as well. During the camp, we visited La Rochelle, Īle d'Yeu (an island off France), Puy de Fou, and Maillezais. The activities we did during camp consisted of sailing boats made in the region, visiting the Puy de Fou amusement park, having a tour around the city (Les Sables D'olonne and La Rochelle) and other points of interest such as the Abbey. The Leos organised a treasure hunt, laser tag and a beach trip for us on two of our camp days.
In the evenings we all cooked together and often took turns making our favourite dishes. We also learnt how to make French crepes and had a French cheese and wine-tasting night.
Lions International Youth Camp and Exchange Programme 2023
