Practical Resources in Vire

Laundromat
Unfortunately, we can’t do our laundry in the school so we must do it in town. There is a self-service laundromat in the center of town on the street with “Sandwich Lady” and La Mie Caline. It is rather expensive. As of 2009, the prices were 3.20€ and 3.80€ for a 6 and 8 kg washer respectively. The dryers are 1.20€ for 15 minutes. You can also buy detergent packets for 0.90€.

Post Office
Near the main circle, on the spoke that goes up hill, on the left. Look for the yellow “Poste” sign.

Cinema
Only 5 minutes away from the high school is the cinema! It’s below the theater (you can’t miss it, a huge modern building). There are 2 screens, and they play a variety of French and foreign movies. The majority of the films played are either in French, or are dubbed into French which can be annoying. If it’s dubbed, it will say “VF” (Version Française) in the description. Movies that are in the original language with subtitles will either say “VO” (Version Originale) and sometimes “VOstf.” When going to the cinema, tell them you are a student and you will get the reduced price (5.60€ in 2009). They never asked us for student ID.

Weather
It is Normandy after all, so it does rain quite often. In the fall, it is quite nice. The temperatures are moderate (50-65F, or 10-19C). In November it gets quite dreary and rainy. The days also shorten very quickly in the fall. At about the darkest (end of December), the sun rises around 9:00AM and sets around 5:00PM. It is strange teaching your first and last classes in the dark! It basically rains a lot in the winter. We were lucky though, it was relatively dry in February. By about mid-February you’ll notice the days getting longer very quickly. In March it starts getting warmer, and by April there are leaves and flowers and it’s beautiful! The weather tends to be erratic… going from sunny and warm to rainy and cold, back to sunny and warm, back to rainy and cold… over the course of approximately an hour, no joke. It only snowed twice, both times just a light dusting. The second time, the local bus services were all cancelled and parents didn’t drive their kids in, so there was hardly anyone in the school.

Banks
Pretty much every bank that exists in France has a branch in Vire. See the separate post about banks and money.

Bowling
Yes! There exists a bowling alley in Vire, called "Vire Bowling." The words for "Strike," "Spare," and "Open Frame" are exactly the same as they are in English. Watching French people bowl is quite a spectator sport in itself. There is also a bar and restaurant (brasserie-like restaurant) in the bowling alley. There are 12 lanes, and the prices vary depending on the time and day. The most expensive time to go is Friday and Saturday nights, where it cost 6€ per game per person plus 1.50€ for shoe rental. Going mid-day, games are only around 3€ each. The bowling alley is on the other side of the tracks from the train station (about a 20 minute walk from the school).

Gyms
The French do not value gyms as much as Americans do. There is one gym in town, and it is attached to the bowling alley. The prices are rather expensive. The long trek without a car did not seem worth it to us. The walk there and back is almost as good a workout.

Pool
There is a public swimming pool in Vire! It is adjacent to Parc de l'Europe. It's an indoor pool and has a waterslide! We intended to go there, but never made it. You have to pay to use it each time or to have a monthly/annual membership. Like the gym, it's not very cheap. It's about a 15 minute walk from the school straight down the hill.