After a nightmarish taxi ride to the station it was easy to find my platform and validate my ticket...less so to walk to the final (18th) carriage with all my baggage. After a small disagreement with the luggage rack I found myself in my seat in plenty of time, sitting opposite a cat.
The change was somewhat more eventful...knowing I only had 10 minutes to change I almost cried when I realised the train had stopped before the station whilst another left late...this left me with a mere six minutes. I’d like to tell you what happened after this but I’m not entirely sure I can...I seem to remember a very steep ramp which I sort of fell down with my bag, and then another huge set of steps upto the platform...the next thing I remember is the delightful friendly face of the sncf man as he grabbed my case and shoved it onto the train as I and it left the platform. And so somehow, I made it.
On arrival I was picked up by Céline* and taken back to her house to meet her family and have, a very long, lunch. We discussed various children’s book with her adorable daughters, music festivals, theatre and food. At the table I provided hilarious entertainment to her two daughters by simply placing my bread on the edge of my plate instead of on the table itself and by talking ‘comme une suisse’ aka slowly.
The afternoon was another small disaster as I had no access to the toilets or kitchen – and even now I have no kitchen. My room however is very big, there is lots of storage and the bed is fairly comfortable. Yet I am told this is only temporary and that we are to be moved into a small house during the next two weeks. Céline* took my on a quick tour of the town, and to buy groceries, I also became a member of the library and tried the local cheese in the fromagerie.
On the walk back to ma chambre I almost stepped on a slug and so like a true girl exclaimed ‘ew slug’ in English...at which point Céline* got very excited and began to explain that she had seen an English film where the word ‘slug’ is used in a colloquial sense to express ‘s’embrasser’ – this puzzled me somewhat...when do we use slug to express any form of affection? In then dawned on me on what Céline had heard was ‘snog’, as I explained her mistake she found it highly amusing, as I’m sure will you.
The change was somewhat more eventful...knowing I only had 10 minutes to change I almost cried when I realised the train had stopped before the station whilst another left late...this left me with a mere six minutes. I’d like to tell you what happened after this but I’m not entirely sure I can...I seem to remember a very steep ramp which I sort of fell down with my bag, and then another huge set of steps upto the platform...the next thing I remember is the delightful friendly face of the sncf man as he grabbed my case and shoved it onto the train as I and it left the platform. And so somehow, I made it.
On arrival I was picked up by Céline* and taken back to her house to meet her family and have, a very long, lunch. We discussed various children’s book with her adorable daughters, music festivals, theatre and food. At the table I provided hilarious entertainment to her two daughters by simply placing my bread on the edge of my plate instead of on the table itself and by talking ‘comme une suisse’ aka slowly.
The afternoon was another small disaster as I had no access to the toilets or kitchen – and even now I have no kitchen. My room however is very big, there is lots of storage and the bed is fairly comfortable. Yet I am told this is only temporary and that we are to be moved into a small house during the next two weeks. Céline* took my on a quick tour of the town, and to buy groceries, I also became a member of the library and tried the local cheese in the fromagerie.
On the walk back to ma chambre I almost stepped on a slug and so like a true girl exclaimed ‘ew slug’ in English...at which point Céline* got very excited and began to explain that she had seen an English film where the word ‘slug’ is used in a colloquial sense to express ‘s’embrasser’ – this puzzled me somewhat...when do we use slug to express any form of affection? In then dawned on me on what Céline had heard was ‘snog’, as I explained her mistake she found it highly amusing, as I’m sure will you.
Being left on my own for the first time wasn’t easy, it’s very easy to suddenly feel very alone and a very long way away from anything. However I’m feeling much brighter after a good night’s sleep and am looking forward to spending yet another meal with Céline* and her family, including her Italian father, so I’m told.
a bientot!!
No comments:
Post a Comment