Tuesday 6/2

This morning we traveled to the Fourvière Basilica, a very old building whose construction began in 1872. On our tour we learned that the reason for its creation was from the mayor of Lyon promising to build a large church for Mary if Lyon was spared during the Franco-Prussian War. The original shrine to Mary next to the towering basilica is much older, dating back to the Middle Ages. Traditionally, a gold coin, now a medal, was presented every September 8th to honor Mary. This tradition began during the time of the Black Plague, 1643, when the aldermen promised to honor Mary every year in this way. 
     In the afternoon I went to the elementary school down the road with Austin, Troy, and Andrew. It was surprisingly fun spending time with the younger kids, despite none of us fully understanding them. Jack and Griffin went in the morning, so they didn't go to the Basilica, but they said their experience at the school was as fun as ours. I was in class with Austin, where we listened to them recite poetry and rehearse a dance. In our classroom, the kids were about 9 or 10, but they recited French poetry from memory well individually and said two stories in English as a class. -Dylan