Bonjour Mes Amis - Most of the information in here will be from my personal experience taking the 7-month pastry course (3-months school pastry + French language classes and 4-month internship). If you click on the link above it says "...to become a certified chef". That is a lie, you'll be a certified cook. Chef status is earned in the kitchen.
I took the course in 2014 so I assume a lot has changed and the school is still operating and growing so they are obviously doing something right.
The School: Gastronomicom International Culinary Academy in France
Location: Agde, France / Le Cap D'Agde
*Big nudist/naturist town during the summer. I was there in winter so I didn't see anything.
Location: Agde, France / Le Cap D'Agde
*Big nudist/naturist town during the summer. I was there in winter so I didn't see anything.
Current cost for 7-month pastry program: 9800€ (not including accommodations)
Application Process (my process might differ with the current process):
1. Apply online.
2. Shortly after their office will email you regarding deposits and student visa requirements.
3. Wire transfer first amount (entire tuition or certain percentage of tuition + enrollment fees) to guarantee spot for upcoming or future intakes.
4. School will FedEx enrollment papers needed to apply for a French student visa.
5. Schedule an appointment to visit the local French consulate.
6. Attend appointment interview and bring along copies of required documents. (side note: make sure your passport doesn't expire for a long time; over 2 years at least)
6. Receive visa.
7. Quit your amazing* job or take a really long leave.
2. Shortly after their office will email you regarding deposits and student visa requirements.
3. Wire transfer first amount (entire tuition or certain percentage of tuition + enrollment fees) to guarantee spot for upcoming or future intakes.
4. School will FedEx enrollment papers needed to apply for a French student visa.
5. Schedule an appointment to visit the local French consulate.
6. Attend appointment interview and bring along copies of required documents. (side note: make sure your passport doesn't expire for a long time; over 2 years at least)
6. Receive visa.
7. Quit your amazing* job or take a really long leave.
*If possible, I would suggest applying for the visa ASAP at least 3 months prior to departure (the maximum allowed, I think) just in case of hiccups. Appointments to the consulate were hard to come by so timing is important.*
Agde Station (not my photo)
Arrival - Book the TGV High Speed Rail from Paris Gare De Lyon to Agde for around 100 Euros. The trip is about 4 hours. Try to book a couple days in advance and for a midday arrival. Email the itinerary to the school as soon as possible so they'll be able to send someone to pick you up. There are slower trains + transfers available, but don't be weird.
Odalys - The residences; not all apartments are for students (not my photo)
First Day - Same day as arrival from the train station. Typically held on a Saturday to have the weekend to get situated before classes start. Check-in, pay for accommodations, school uniforms, insurance, and any other balances. Go to apartment, settle in, and meet new roommates if you have any. I let the school know beforehand that I wanted my own room and paid extra for it; the other smaller bedroom in the apartment had two small and separated beds that were shared by my other two roommates, Paul (Ecuadorian) and Jerome (French).
I think that night the school held a soiree and we got to meet the other students and staff. Some students were there for a couple months already because they were part of the year long program.
In a couple weeks after arriving, the school sends the students off to Montpellier on a weekend for the OFII (Immigration Office) meeting and medical check-up. If I remember correctly, it's to officially declare that you're in France and to validate the visa stay. Montpellier is a pretty cool city and I hope to go back.
Student demographics: ages 18-35, American, English, Filipino, Singaporean, Thai, Chinese, Russian, Australian, Canadian, Swiss, French, Guyanese, Ecuadorian, etc..
Cool kids
Classes and Life Outside of Classes - My typical day involved a couple hours of beginner French classes in the morning, then lunch, then in the afternoon 20-30 minute walk to the pastry kitchen at a different location and spend a couple hours there. The cooking / cuisine class facility was at the same location as the residences so it was convenient for those students. Since then it looks like both pastry and cuisine classes are consolidated into a new upgraded building a bus ride away.
Whatever we made in class and whatever leftovers we had we could take home and eat. One of our roommates had his own car so he was able to take us to the bigger supermarkets outside of Agde and to McDonald's (my home away from home). There are plenty of smaller markets walking distance or bus ride distance.
Every weekend was a party. Either just drinking a lot or going to someone else's apartment to drink. Some people took day trips to Paris or other cities. The beach and boardwalk were a 10-15 minute walk away. Because of the winter season not a lot of shops and restaurants were open, but there were quite a few including a club we frequented a couple times. There was a kebab shop by the beach that was really good. Also a lot of dog poop around town because no one cleaned after their pets.
My room; unpacking.
I'm never in focus
sad
French class
French class level 2 (not my class)
Eva - French language teacher
Another French language teacher
Megan
Take home macarons
Take home breads
burger
ceviche
Montpellier
Montpellier Aqueduct
Montpellier
Recipe from recipe book
Fridge fully stocked
Bags of sweets from class
Favorite kebab place
Kebab again
Carcasonne
Cleaning the apartment
Last day
Leaving for internship
Best roommates
Culmination: The Last Days of Classes - Weeks prior to graduation, we were given notice to create our own dish for the graduation cocktail party. I needed to have ingredients and diagrams to hand to the chefs for their approval. Small serving appetizers (amuse-bouche and mignardises). At this event you'll also receive your French language certificate. A cuisine or pastry diploma is not given until the completion of the internship and a written report in French is sent to the school by the intern.
For my dish and since I'm from the USA I made a brownie, but with a fancier name:
Brownie-Avocat, Coeur a la framboise.
Brownie-Avocat, Coeur a la framboise.
Post cocktail party proposals.
Domaine de Chateauneuf
Mon stage / My Internship - April to early August (~4 months)
Domaine de Chateauneuf (photos from link are not a 100% representation of when I was there; exterior looks the same) - City: Nans-Les-Pins - small town in the south of France. The hotel & restaurant is adjacent to a golf course and surrounded by trees and grass. 20-30 minute walk to the center of town. 10-15 minute walk to the bus stop to go to the bigger town, Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume.
I was fortunate enough to be placed with my roommate from the school, Paul. It worked out well since he was a cuisine intern and I was in pastry and he spoke better French than I did. Staff house was separated from the main hotel & restaurant. I shared a bedroom with Paul. A washer and dryer was in the basement (looked more like a cave and it was dark). The kitchen was a 3 minute uphill walk.
In the pastry kitchen, I was supervised by the chef and sous chef until the pastry chef arrived in June. The current work week schedule was posted on the wall in the break room on the Friday before. On any given day I was in charge of making bread, mignardises (bite-size desserts), making fruit platters, and preparing pieces for the full size desserts.
Maitre d - Baptiste
Lise
Louis-Maxence
Lorene
Chef Mercadier
Clement
moi
Sous chef - Matthieu
Nans-Les-Pins city center
My window
On normal weeks, I got one full day off and two half days off. On the best days I got two or maybe more consecutive days off and made trips to Cannes, Avignon, Aix En Provence, and Toulon. On single days off I made trips to Marseille. Trips were both solo and with some of the staff / friends. But for most days / nights we just hung out, drank beer and ate pizza in our rooms.
Avignon
Cannes Film Festival 2014
Marseille
Toulon
I was planning on leaving my internship two weeks in because I did not get along well with the sous chef. He was a bully and condescending, made the original maitre d resign, and kicked my roommate for looking him in the eyes when told not to. But I had a conversation with the chef / owner, Chef Mercadier, and he convinced me to stay. The experience has helped me deal with bully managers at my current position.
I miss that place a lot. I don't intend on visiting since it's currently under new ownership and Chef Mercadier and his family are no longer there. Overall, I had an amazing time and I'm glad I was able to experience what I experienced, both at the school and at the internship. You guys should go and make sure you make your baguettes straight.
Kitchen stuff
mes souvenirs (my memories)
minus the chef