France/ In Clisson, an association has forged 30 years of cultural ties with Romania
The Romanians arrived in the Vignoble thanks to the Clissonnais association last Thursday. French people welcomed them for four days. A real cultural exchange.
On Thursday July 27, 50 Romanians arrived in Clisson to visit the Nantes vineyards. The event was organized by the Amitié France-Roumanie Sisesti-Pays Clissonnaisassociation, chaired by Denise Merlet since its inception in 1993.
After a bus journey via Budapest, Vienna and a stop at the Eiffel Tower in the City of Light, the Romanians met up with their Clissonnais friends on Thursday July 27 at the town's media library.
"The Romanians impressed me with their kindness".
For every three years, the trip is first made by the French, then by the inhabitants of Eastern Europe. For the first time, Chantal Galerne and her husband open the door of their home to the Latin people:
Now that I'm retired, I've been able to take the time to help out and offer my hospitality. I used to make a donation to the association.
Chantal Galerne
For the retired woman, the love and discovery of Romania stems from a long trip across Europe in a camper van.
"The landscapes are magnificent, but it's above all the Romanians who have impressed me with their kindness. Every time we met new people, they tried to help us on our journey.
A French teacher in Romania
In Romania, Ioana Bud teaches French in the north of the country, not far from the Ukrainian border, which has been at war with Russia since February 24, 2022. She joined the association in 2009:
"I'm really happy to be back in Clisson. We're all going to be able to get together again.
As another French family explains, this meeting is more than just a cultural exchange between two European Union countries:
"I've been to Romania ten times. On our side, we host the bus drivers. They've really become part of our entourage. We've even flown out to attend weddings," confides Joseph Rochais, a Clisson resident for 47 years.
30 years of existence
The association has been in existence in Clisson for thirty years. The idea was born just after the fall of the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, who had ruled the country for 45 years. Initially, the aim was to bring humanitarian aid to the Romanian people.
"We left France with medicinesclothes or shoes. But in 2000, the government asked us to stop providing humanitarian aid, as it was no longer of any use.
Relations evolved and we moved towards a cultural exchange between France and Romania. We try to enrich each other with music and local customs," adds Denise Merlet, president of the association.
She tells us that Romanians have long been marked by the long period of communism in their country.
Heritage tour
The program for this visit from July 26 to August1 includes a visit to the Musée du Vignoble in Le Pallet, and a tour of the submarine base and the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyards in Saint-Nazaire. But also a dance performance by the Cercle Celtique Olivier de Clisson.
"We've prepared a whole tour for them during their stay here, and we're really happy to be able to share moments with them," Denise assures us.
For the next few years, the association has begun to create a partnership with a secondary school in the Sighetu woods, near Sisesti. French students will be able to do a work-study program in Romania, similar to the Erasmus program between European universities.
Denise concludes by saying: "I'd like to thank the commune of Gorges for their assistance to the value of €150, and the commune of Clisson for their logistical support.
Multumesc in Romanian.
Source: actu.fr/pays-de-la-loire
