Crowley welcomes French visitors

By Shantelle Breaux

NEWS EDITOR

CROWLEY – Crowley recently received a family of visitors from France, courtesy of a friendship which began 18 years ago. Sandrine Loth came to Crowley as an exchange student when she was 24 years old, and stayed with J.C. and Suzy Webb and their children.

The student exchange “Was a very rich experience,” said Loth. “You live with one family and see the way they act every day....It was a marvelous experience. I was very lucky to be hosted by Suzy and J.C. We’ve become friends.”

“She was just like one of our kids,” said J.C.

Since then, the Webb’s have been to France twice, but Loth had never been back to Crowley until now.

When the Webb’s youngest son became engaged to be married, the Webb’s sent an invitation to the wedding to the Loth family, thinking that there was no way they would actually come. But they did, and Loth’s husband Thierry, a civil engineer, and their children Nicholas, 7, and Alexandra, 4, are getting to see what she did when she came.

“What I like most (about Crowley) is the friendly people; the kindness of people,” said Loth, a lawyer, speaking very good, although slightly accented English. She said she also enjoys seeing all the old homes in Crowley’s historic district.

The Webb’s have been keeping their visitors busy since they arrived. In addition to their son’s wedding, the Loth family has been to see the alligators at the Château Des Cocodries in Jennings, have had a boat ride out on the Mermentau River, have seen Le Petit Chateau de Luxe (The Small Luxury Castle) in Mermentau), and have toured Crowley City Hall. Sandrine also spoke at the Tuesday meeting of the Crowley Rotary Club. The Webb’s have plans to take them to New Iberia to see the Tabasco Plant, to Midland High School to watch a game, New Orleans, and they also plan on taking them to a lot of restaurants.

“We trying to give them a bit of Southern cuisine,” said Suzy Webb.

“What I love about Louisiana is that people still try to keep alive a little bit of the French culture,” said Loth. “ They will try to speak a little French. It’s a great thing.”