A trip to Algeria

 by Elisabeth Piazza and Joëlle Troussier (level B1)

In October 2024, we went to Algeria for 11 days.

We visited Algiers and different districts, the center, the port, the Casbah. This "white" city with its beautiful buildings also contains a very beautiful park The Jardin d'Essai ... and interesting museums.

The bay of Algiers

Jardin d'Essai

La Grande Poste

We also discovered the Roman ruins of Cherchell and Tipaza.

Tipaza

Then we flew to Béni Abbès where Father Foucauld built his hermitage.

We discovered a small part of the north of the Sahara passing through Timimoun, El Golea and Ghardaïa, the most important city in the M'Zab country. 

Ghardaïa

Ghardaïa

We were able to explore several oases and palm groves, walk in the dunes (you can even do Telemark and sledding there!), share tea, see superb sunsets...

Along the way, we admired the Ksours which are ancient abandoned fortified Berber villages.

We enjoyed a very warm welcome in the oases, having lunch with the locals...

We were part of a friendly group which allowed us to accept the police presence and the unexpected in order to adapt to local life.

Nice trip!

Visit to the hydroelectric power station Grand'Maison

 by Michèle Garlaschelli, Marie Pierre Jardillier, Robert Jacquemoud.

A handful of curious students who also have English lessons with our teacher Melanie Brumberg, decided to extend their scientific knowledge of the production of electricity, (a green and clean energy).

What would we do today without electricity?

Actually, very few things.

We live in a region where this industry was born. It was invented in Grenoble in 1869 by the French engineer Aristide Bergès.

We are lucky to have the most powerful hydroelectric development in Europe near Grenoble. It is located in the Eau d’Olle valley in the cities of Vaujany and Allemond.

Nothing could be easier than spending the day in this magnificent mountain district “Les Grandes Rousses”.

There we visited the EDF Hydrélec Museum which adjoins the Grand’Maison hydroelectric power station. There, the different stages, show the development of electricity from its discovery by Volta to the present day.

After a lunch at the “V” restaurant in Vaujany ski resort, we visited the Grand’Maison hydroelectric power station.

 Figure 1 Verney reservoir 

GRAND’MAISON

On 12 October, we went to Grand'Maison, the most powerful hydroelectric power station in Europe. We met Robert who organized the museum visit, the lunch and the power station visit with his son.

It was great! 

Two dams for a Pumped Energy Transfer Station (PETS)

The water in the upper Grand'Maison reservoir is turbined by the downstream power station to produce electricity and then stored in the lower Verney basin.

It is pumped back up at times when the demand for energy is lower

The Grand'Maison dam is located at 1700m.

The Verney is located at 770m.

Both are 'gravity' dams made of earth and rocks.

                                   Grand'Maison                                

Grand'Maison dam is 550m long, 140m high, it can store 140 million m3 of water. The power station is located 900m below, it is made of 2 plants with 12 generating units: external plant with 4 pelton turbine underground plant, 70m below, with 8 « reversible » units (turbine and pump).

 The Verney dam is 430m long, 42m high, its reservoir has 14 million m3.

In just 3 minutes, Grand'Maison can produce a power of 1,800 MW, the equivalent of two nuclear units.

Figure 2  High voltage substation (400kV)

Figure 3    Reversible engine room (turbine or pump)

Figure 5     Ball valves / underground power station

 EDF HYDRELEC MUSEUM 

In the Morning we visited the EDF Hydrélec Museum. Very interesting with many interactive animations, educational modules, and multimedia devices.

All is very accessible and there are visits organized with schools to show the children how electricity is produced.

They were many pictures and history about the beginning of industrialization since the 19th century.

The museum presents a collection of 450 instruments used since the 19th century.

They were also small machines we could test which showed how to produce electricity with solar energy for example.

There was also a model of a hydroelectric power station showing the way of the water between the two dams, Verney and Grand’ Maison, and how electricity is produced and transported to be used in each house!

In the basement, there is a room where old hydroelectric turbines of all types are presented.

A video shows the speed and strength of the water in the river when the dam opens the floodgates and release water.

The river presents an apparent calm and suddenly, in less than 5 minutes the level reaches 2 meters high.

so it’s very dangerous to bathe or stay on the edge of the river because we never know when the floodgate will open.

 

RESTAURANT LE “V” VAUJANY 

We leave The EDF Hydrélec Muséum with regret, there are still so many things to discover. It’s time for lunch. We have to go up to the village of Vaujany located about 7 km away (1250 m above the sea level). We are expected at the “V” restaurant (“V“for Vaujany).

We are happy to discover a village that is a little sleepy. The excitement of the summer period is over and the winter one has not yet begun. From the terrace of the restaurant the view of the valleys below, of the Eau d’Olle and Romanche is magnificent.

It’s time to sit down to eat, the day is not over yet! We are greeted by a  lovely staff. Over a gastronomic meal the exchanges are going well. The atmosphere is friendly and warm.

The last sip of coffee swallowed, we must remember to go back down to the valley on the banks of the Eau d’Olle in order to continue the technical visit of the Grand’Maison Hydroelectric power station. And now it’s time for active pedagogy with our guide!

 

 

UIAD in the race with 2024 EKIDEN

 by Pierre Grange (level B2)

Do you know EKIDEN?

Of Japanese origin, the EKIDEN is a relay race of 6 runners.

The first EKIDEN was organized in Japan at the beginning of the 20th century.

For many years, the principle of this race has developed in Europe and particularly in France, in many cities.

Now, the distance of an EKIDEN is the equivalent of a marathon - that is to say, a little more than 42 kilometres.

EKIDEN is always a great popular success. Many sports clubs participate, but not only.

The vast majority of teams are made up of members of companies or associations.

EKIDEN 2024 was sold out, with 650 teams of 6 runners, or no less than 3,900 athletes!

This year, Grenoble organized its 15th edition, and the UIAD presented its team for the third time.

Since you don't change a winning team, five of the six runners of the 2023 edition were participating this year.

The UIAD 2024 team: from left to right: Sylvie, Chris, Pierre, Anne (our new runner) and Philippe (our captain), (Glwadys is absent on the photo).

For the first time, the UIAD had a stand at the start area of the race. It was an opportunity to present the association and its many activities to the public.

Thanks to the volunteers, present on the stand: Babette, Caroline (and her faithful Cooky!) and Philippe Buchy (absent on the photo).

We even had a supporter of the Italian football team! (Philippe WITH's grandson).

Sunday october 6 was the D-day for the dream team of the UIAD.

To remind you, the race took place in Grenoble, in the EUROPOLE district, near the Oxford Bridge.

There were a lot of people. More than 3900 runners registered!

The members of each team had to run relays of 5 or 10 kilometres.

For my part, I was registered to run a 5-kilometres relay.

The day of the race, the weather was cloudy and windy with some rain at the end of the race.

I tried to live up to my teammates who are all very good runners.

On arrival, we even improved the time of last year by 9 minutes! We could be proud.

I shall keep very good memories of this event.

It was a real pleasure to be together and for us, of course, the goal wasn’t to win.

We all had in mind what the Baron Pierre de Coubertin said, about the Olympic Games:

'The most important is to participate'.

And at the end, like many runners, we said to ourselves: 'See you next year!’

Here are some photos of the ‘UIAD 2024 dream team’:

1st relay in joy between Sylvie (627.1) and Chris (627.2)

 

Our second ‘Londoner’ runner : Chris.

What a style! He could have starred in 'Chariots of Fire'!

 

2nd relay between Chris (627.2) and Pierre (627.3)

Our fourth runner : Anne

 

3rd relay between Anne (627.4) and Glwadys (627.5)

Our fifth runner: Glwadys, always smiling!

 

And our Captain Philippe (6th runner) to finish our EKIDEN.

Running in the rain!

 

A visit to the Clik Gallery

 by Minouche Jonquères

For our last English course of the year, we visited the CLIK Gallery, a new space for photography, events and a coffee shop, too. We got to know the owner, Suzanne Porter who is a photographer - and she’s English!

It’s an amazing place where you can admire lots of photos and have a cup of tea or coffee with English cakes (such as brownies or lemon drizzle). 

The exhibition changes every month so you can see the photos of a variety of photographers - professional and amateur.  In April there were the buildings of New York and currently you can see beautiful photos of the Yukon by Denis Palanque.

Another June event is a competition for professional and amateur photographers everywhere in the world. The public can vote for their favourite photos and the winners will be exhibited in September.  It’s open to everybody.

One of the upcoming events is ‘A Trip in South East Asia’.

Photography courses are also proposed to improve your photographic skills: a street art photo walk, a photo walk in Grenoble’ , ‘Nightscapes’, and on and on.

So, if you  are interested in photography, want to practise your English, have a cup of tea and cake, visit CLIK – it’s just opposite UIAD Gambetta! 

https://www.clik-gallery.com

Yum yum!

Here are a couple of photos taken by Edwige Brun and Ginette Bassini of the end-of-year goûter in Mary Drouard's B1 class.

Cake and conviviality - what's not to like?

Humanitarian Mission in Madagascar

 by Marie-Line Martin, retired nurse (level A2) 

During two weeks  I went to Madagascar, not on holiday but to take part in a humanitarian mission. ARMADA is a French association which organizes six times a year, on four different journeys, some medical consultations with a team of general practitioners, pediatricians, gynecologists, pharmacists, dermatologists, dentists, physiotherapists and nurses. We went from village to village by boat because there isn’t any road, each time to the same place so we always followed the same patients.  

When we arrived in the villages, the people were happy to see us. I did a lot of burn bandages for domestic accidents among children. There are a lot of children with malnutrition, I taught  mothers, or grandmothers when the mother is dead, to make and to give bottles with infant milk and to make some hyper-caloric porridge.

We did a lot of malaria tests and treatments, infections of all kinds, injuries, scabies, dermatological diseases....We evacuated several sick people, malnourished children, a woman with a serious malaria crisis, another woman with a huge dental abscess who had to be operated, suspected appendicitis...  

It was a great experience, very testing,  and I hope to return next year. 

Chaucer in the UIAD English Department

by Philippe With (level B2)

What a strange idea to suggest an event about Geoffrey Chaucer who was born in 1343. A couple of friends living in Oxford, that I hosted at home, wanted to share with me their passion for the Middle Ages and the famous author, Geoffrey Chaucer, known in England as the “Father of English poetry”. They spoke to me about his famous work, written before the Printing Press invention The Canterbury Tales and his characters, 29 ordinary people doing a pilgrimage and telling stories to pass the time.

I suggested to English teachers, with more or less success, a lecture in English with a bilingual PowerPoint. In the association Alliance Grenoble-Oxford, we met Jonathan Fruoco, professor of English literature when he came, few years ago, to speak about Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Jonathan Fruoco is an English teacher in Chambery and professor in Paris-Nanterre and he was very glad to speak in Grenoble (his hometown) about the Middle Ages.

But, I  thought that the topic was a bit difficult for students in English Department and I suggested a new idea, a sketch performed before the lecture. I wrote the script for four characters, G. Chaucer, a clerk, the innkeeper and the Wife of Bath. It was taken from the General Prologue when pilgrims are gathered in the Tabard inn of the innkeeper Harry Bailey. With the help of Rosana Delon, one of the English teachers and the delegates network, we found four people as actors with texts and nine extras. Different people brought costumes, like Michael who helped us very much.

After only one rehearsal, to explain the staging of the show, we presented it in a joyful mood.

It’s always a very difficult exercise for English students from different levels to understand totally a lecture in English. The room acoustics weren't very good, there was noise in the corridors and the speaker was sitting at his desk with a deep voice. But we can try to understand main ideas, helped by the bilingual PowerPoint or some groups of words or listen to the music of the English language.

And now, we can study one of the Tales. The most famous is “The Wife of Bath” in which a young knight is accused of raping a young lady of the court. The Queen spared his life with one condition, after a one year trip he will have to answer this question : What is it women desire ?

Isn’t that a very modern question ?

This lecture was organised with Alliance Grenoble-Oxford and on their website : www.grenoble-oxford.org, you can find :

_ The entire PowerPoint by Jonathan Fruoco

_ A photo gallery

_ The Youtube video of the sketch performed by 13 students