November 7, 1997

Receptionist travels to England for education and adventure

by Hilarie Eldridge, Intern in the Office of Public Affairs

If someone would have told 57-year-old Denise Gremillion 20 years ago that she would study at Oxford University in England this past summer, she would have probably thought he or she were crazy.

Twelve years ago her daughter told her about a program called Elderhostel International, a program offered to adults 55 and over. The program, offered through universities around the world, allows adults to take noncredit enrichment courses and live in university quarters, while absorbing the culture of the country they choose. After hearing of this wonderful opportunity, Gremillion, a receptionist in the Office of Academic Enrichment, "tucked it away in her internal computer" of things to do later in life.

When the right time came for her to take a trip, Gremillion did some research on Elderhostel and found her own "dream vacation"- a trip to England in which she could study at Oxford University for 10 days. The thought of studying at such a prestigious university, one which only accepts students earning 4.0 grade point averages and conducts class on a one-to-one basis, swelled her with pride.

This past July, Gremillion and her friend of 35 years, traveled to England with a group of 100 people from around the world.

There, she studied Gothic art and architecture. Gremillion said Oxford was an excellent town to study this particular subject, since there is an abundance of examples of Gothic art and architecture. Classes included a combination of lectures and walking tours to view Gothic architecture.

Gremillion described her stay at Oxford as "something out of a movie or fairy tale-the way a princess would live. The residence halls were elegant suites, the dining hall was grand, complete with fine china bearing the university crest, and the campus was nothing less than beautiful."

After the 10 days at Oxford ended, Gremillion was not ready to return to The Big Easy. There were still many things left to see and do. Prior to the trip, Gremillion heard from a friend that tourists are welcomed to stay at various convents in the area. She wrote several letters and decided to lodge for an additional 10 days at an Anglican convent's lovely guest house.

This convent housed the Little Sisters of the Poor, a home for the elderly, a home for adolescents with incurable diseases, and had seven suites for guests. She had her own room, kitchen, and dining room which opened into the garden. The convent was beautiful, with a magnificent church, an English garden, and a vegetable garden where the sisters grew their own vegetables.

After a somewhat tranquil trip, things got a little hairy. The two friends rented a car with a stick shift-left-handed stick shift. This did not stop them. Denise took the job of driver and her friend, Linda, took the role of navigator. They requested the smallest car, so that merging into 70 mph traffic wouldn't be as tough. They also requested one with the best gas mileage, since gas was $2.60 a gallon. Surprisingly, Gremillion witnessed no car accidents while driving on roads where everyone is cruising at 90 mph.

After about four days and many detours, the complex English road system was mastered. "There was only one sign to remind us which exit to take. If we missed it or took the wrong turn, there was no turning back," remembered Gremillion. Having patience and a sense of adventure was essential and enabled them to discover places they never would have seen. Gremillion is proud to say that she drove a total of 1,250 miles across the English countryside. Not bad for driving a left-handed stick shift on the "wrong" side of the road in a completely different country for the first time.

Overall, Gremillion was overwhelmed with the sheer splendor of the country. In her three weeks traveling, she never came across litter. Not only does England have street sweepers and sidewalk sweepers, but it has people paid to clean the phone booths every day. Gremillion was enchanted by the English traditions and the preservation of everything, old and new. She was truly amazed by its "idyllic way of life."