Living the French Life

My last day in Balogna, I took a day trip by train out to Ferrara. I went with a couple uni students I met at my hostel that were going out there to start study abroad programs. The town was really nice with a real university feel to it. I checked out the main castle in the center of the town which was fairly impressive. Wandered around a bit and had pretty much seen all the sights. I headed back to Balogna and got in touch with a couple of girls I had met my first day in Balogna. They had just moved into university residences. I met up with them in town and we ate at an Italian buffet, the same one I had been to the previous night. All-you-can-eat Italian food plus any drink you want for 7 euros! We went out after to a few bars and had a great time. I caught the last bus back to my hostel, barely made it! If I had missed it, would have either been a 7km walk or sleep on the street.

The next day, I packed up and headed to the train station. Vincent had convinced me to head to Paris for the party! I found what I think was the cheapest way for me to get there, so I hopped on a train direct from Balogna to Paris for 100 euros. Not too bad, cheaper than a last minute flight. The train took 10 hours, but I watched movies on my netbook, slept, and saw some incredible views of the French and Italian Alps, especially near Torino (the Winter Olympics city). Got into the Gare de Lyon in Paris really late, so I found a hostel to crash. Woke up and trekked out to Marne-la-Vallee, a Paris suburb about 30 mins away by train. Got off the train and was staring at Disneyland Paris. It looks pretty impressive, though a far cry from the real Disneyland. After an annoying hour trying to get on the internet to look up Vincent's phone number (I forgot to write it down), I called him and he swung by to pick me up. We headed back to Clemont's house, in this tiny French village called La Houssaye-en-Brie. That's the town where all 14 of the French guys I stayed with at the villa in Portugal went to high school. Many of them still live there, and they know everybody in town. Vincent and I stayed at Clemont's, along with Clemont's cousin Pauline and her friend Julie.

When I arrived on Friday, there were a bunch of guys already setting up the party. I jumped in to help, setting up multiple tents, building structures to hold up several tarps (the weather sucked, rainy and windy), preparing food, helping the DJ set up equipment, etc. There was a lot to do! It took all day, but I definitely started to realize this party was going to be crazy. People started showing up at 8 or so, the DJ was awesome (Fabien, a guy I met in Portugal), and everybody was dressed in 'French' clothes. Meaning, those funny hats, white shirts, red handkerchiefs, etc. I was wearing this silly fur jacket, looked ridiculous. There were probably 150 people that came by through the night, and I didn't get to sleep until it was light outside. I saw a lot of the friends I met while in Portugal, they were all very glad I made it to the party. I'm pretty sure I was the only person at the party who wasn't French! Took a lot of great pictures and met just about every person that walked in. In French culture, you introduce yourself and shake hands or kiss every single person that arrives. I have gotten used to it by now. I am really enjoying the French way of life and have made many great friends.

I didn't wake up on Saturday until 5 pm!!! When I did, I immediately started helping prepare everything for the next party! More food and a new DJ. The weather was a lot better as well, though still kind of cold. That party was a lot of fun as well. Many of the same people, yet a whole lot of new ones as well, probably 200 that night. All in all, I had a blast and am really glad Vincent convinced me to go. Originally, I was only going to head to the party if Cameron did as well, but he decided to stay in London, and it sounded like too much fun to miss. I spent the next 3 nights at Clemont's place with Vincent and the girls (Pauline and Julie, aka Ginger and July). Clemont and his dad really took care of us. We had fantastic homemade French dinners each night. Sunday night we drove into Paris with several friends to an Australian bar. One of the guys is going to Aus in 2 weeks, and 2 others are meeting up with him soon. They are all going to be gone for a year and were very happy to practice their English with me, and at the Australian bar as well.

On a side note, all of the conversations taking place about where we are going or what we are doing are in French obviously. I usually have no idea what the guys are talking about, they speak way too fast and use too many words I don't understand. It is also really tiring to listen to all day long, often my brain needs a rest so I kind of tune them out. Vincent and Clemont also have a very bad habit of not informing me what in the world is going on. They pretty much have me on a 'Need to Know' basis and they don't think I need to know anything until 5 minutes before we have to do it. Most of the time, it is pretty funny because I am always surprised when they say, 'Alright let's go!' and I don't have a clue where we are going and have to get ready in a hurry. Sometimes, when we have to catch a train and I have 2 minutes to grab the laundry I just finished doing and pack my whole backpack, I wonder why they didn't tell me 10 minutes earlier!! Then I yell at them and they yell back at me 'Stupid American!', but it is all in fun.

On Monday, Vincent and Clemont informed me that we were going to go to Le Duplex, one of Paris' best nightclubs. Then they asked if I would mind driving, so they could both drink! Well of I course I don't mind, but driving in Paris sounded pretty scary. Not only is the city really busy and the streets are confusing and the drivers can be crazy, I can't read much on any of the street signs. And 2 drunk French guys providing terrible directions wouldn't help. I drove Clemont's old Renault, a beat up thing he bought for 100 euros that actually drives pretty well. Everyone in the car (besides me) was already drunk and we were blasting the electronic music they always listen to. Fortunately, I got to follow the car in front of me for about half the ride to Paris. But it was nearly 1 AM and they were doing roadwork on the A4, the main highway. So when the road closed and Clemont yelled at me to pull alongside the car in front as the car exited the freeway, it didn't work out so well. From then on, I was on my own with Clemont and Vincent both yelling directions in drunken French and bad English. It was pretty damn funny and I was sure we would get lost. We did, several times, but finally once we got into Paris I saw the Arc de Triomph. I asked them where the club was and they said right next to it! The traffic circle where the Champs Elysee meets the Arc de Triomph is the biggest one in the world. 12 different streets all meet at the roundabout, which is basically its own highway! The circle can fit about 15 cars wide!!! I had no idea I was going to have to drive on it. Fortunately, it being 1 AM, the circle was not incredible busy (though still quite a few cars). Somehow I navigated onto it, did a complete circle because the guys were confused about which street to take, and then crossed 12 lanes of traffic in one swift manuever to exit at the absolute last second. The girls were screaming in the back, but I was in control so it was hilarious! I parked, snapped some photos of the Arc and the traffic and we met up with our friends and got into the club.

I can see why the club is one of the best in paris, it was packed on a Monday night!! It was expensive, so probably a good thing I wasn't drinking. We got a private area with bottle service, meaning 150 euros for a bottle of Absolut vodka. Despite being sober, I had a great time and we all danced a bunch. Mostly electronic music with some American hip hop thrown in. I always make fun of the guys when they sing along to the English lyrics yet have no idea what half of the words mean. About 4 AM some of the guys and girls started falling asleep on the couches, everyone was still very tired from the weekend. So we called it a night early and I drove us home. Back around the crazy circle and down the Champs Elysee, along the Seine with all the main Paris sights flying by, onto 3 different highways, and somehow got us home in one piece an hour later. 5:30 AM, Clemont and Vincent were hungry, so Clemont cooked breakfast while Vincent and I went back through the backyard to the chicken coop. We were trying to be really quite, but Vincent was drunk and scared, so I fended off the cock with a stick while he stole about 8 eggs, laughing the whole time.

On Tuesday, I woke up to 'We are going to the castle in 5 minutes, get ready!' So I went with Clemont and the girls to Vaux le Vicomte, one of Louis XVI's amazing chateaus not far from Clemont's village. We didn't go inside, just got tickets to the gardens which were incredible. Similar in style to those at Versailles, we walked through them for 2 hours with amazing views throughout. It was pretty incredible and a great place to relax after several big nights in a row. We stayed in Tuesday evening, just enjoyed a nice meal some of Clemont's extended family. Went to a neighbor's house and drank a lot of good wine. I am definitely starting to learn more French, I can't hold a conversation by any means, but I recognize more words. I can even ask some basic questions and understand the answers, though my accent needs a lot of work. Sometimes I know how a word is spelled and I say it several times, yet they stare at me blankly. I swear sometimes they know what I am saying, they just pretend not to to spite me for having an American accent!

Wednesday was to be my last day staying with Clemont. We woke up relatively early and I caught a train into Paris with Vincent and the girls (Clemont had to work). My sister Lauren had just gotten into Paris, but unfortunately we weren't able to meet up (tough to communicate, I don't have a phone and hers didn't work). We went to the modern art museum called Centre Pompidou. Spent a couple hours there, some of it that weird 1970s sexual video art (like at Tate Modern in London), some of it really cool and bizzarre, but the best was the Matisse and Picasso collections. We also saw the Royal Palace and the Louvre's 'repository' museum or something like that, where they keep a lof of art for sale. Afterwards, Vincent had a date with the bartender we met at the Australian bar (that is a funny story in itself), so I took the girls to that big cemetary I had been to before, then to the Jardin du Luxembourg, which was absolutely beautiful. Clemont got off work early, so we had to hop back on a train out of town so he could pick us up from the station.

Wednesday evening, I packed my stuff in a hurry and went back to Marne-la-Vallee with Vincent. We said goodbye to Clemont and the girls, and I bought a 12-25 year old discount French train card. Then Vincent and I got tickets to Nantes!! We took a 3 hour train ride to Nantes, where I am now! Nantes is in Brittany, well, right next to it, on the west coast of France. Vincent's parents live here, and he is going to work and start uni here in a week or so. I am staying with him at his parents' place. They are both very nice and have a really cool place. They are taking care of me as well as Clemont and his family did. I am unbelievably grateful to Clemont and Vincent for taking me in like they have. I hardly pay a dime for accommadation or food. My only expenses are public transportation, entrance to museums, and the occassional drink at a bar (though even most of those get paid for by one of my friends here). I suppose I should feel a bit bad for mooching so much, but Vincent and Clemont both love to travel, so they know what it is like to be on a strict budget. They have both travelled all over the world and have been in similar situations where they have met people and stayed with them free of charge. And of course, they both know that when they come to Seattle eventually I will take care of them!

So, here's my plan: I am going to stay here in Nantes with Vincent until Sunday evening. We are going to explore the city today, check out the nightlife tonight. Either Friday or Saturday, I hope to take a day trip up to St. Malo and Mont St. Michel (sorry we didn't go there Roxanne! So close to it now I can't miss it!) On Sunday, I will fly to Dublin. I've already been there, so why Dublin? Well, there aren't a huge number of places you can fly to from Nantes, and taking a train would take a long time and be fairly expensive even with my new discount card. I found a fairly cheap flight to Dublin, and I can fly to anywhere in Europe from there. Plus, my friend Lisa who I met in Lisbon offered to let me stay at her place in Dublin right off O'Connell street!! She lives with I think 6 roommates and has a spare couch, so it should be a lot of fun! I will stay there a few days, then fly to Germany! In Germany I am hoping to stay with some friends in Hanover. I met Marlene and Lisa in Galway, Ireland at the beginning of my trip. We have kept in touch and they have asked me to visit. I will check out Germany a bit until the 23rd of September, when I plan on heading to Munich for Oktoberfest! I will meet up with Cameron there, and Lauren as well (friend from Spain and Portugal who was in our apartment for La Tomatina).

So the next couple weeks of my trip are looking pretty sweet! I have friends to stay with and places to go! It sure is nice meeting so many people on my travels, and Facebook is great for staying in touch! For example, I met a Swiss guy at that Australian bar the other day in Paris. Talked to him for maybe 20 mins or so. A day later, he found me on Facebook and now I have a place to stay in Geneva whenever I make it out there! The internet connection was bad at Clemont's house, hopefully it will be good where I go in the future so I can post more often. Stay tuned for pictures!