The French are friendly

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I feel like I should start off on a postive note. The French are friendly. There is this stereotype that is known by Canadians, Americans and possibly other people of other nations that French people are rude. Especailly when you utter the words "speak English?". I have not come across that. Of course I have come across a few disgruntled sales associates and ticket vendors but lets be honest, that happens everywhere. I do attempt to speak a bit of French with the usual "bonjour" or "ou est...." but as soon as they start responding I do tend to have to say "vous parlez Anglais". I still have about a week left in France so my opinion may change but so far so good.

Another note to make: I have found where the Canadians hide: in Nice! Through out my travels in Europe so far I had come across many Japanese, a few Chinese, and some Americans; But no Canadians. That all changed as I was getting off my train in Nice. A Montrealer saw me put on my backpack and saw my bright red and white Canadian flag patch. I chatted with him and his buddy for a few minutes before I set on my way to the hostel. About half an hour later as I was waiting for the hostel shuttle bus to pick me up from the supermarket stop I started talking to this girl, Jill. She was from Kelowna, BC. From then on the numbers kept growing. Once in the room we met two more Canadians (Albertians) who introduced us to even more Albertians (four more to be exact). I know I travelled to experience new culturals but it was so nice to be able to talk to people from my own culture. We had fun comparing winter and snow stories and saying what we missed the most (mainly surrounding food items) from home.

Which brings me to my next point: travel buddies. My whole time in Nice I was always hanging out with someone or had plans to hang out. The first night some of us Canadian girls, Jill, Amy, Carmen and I went into town and walked around. We walked along with main square and meandered our way over to the beach to walk along the boardwalk. The next day we went back into town to experience the wonders by day. While grabbing lunch, at a proper french bakery I might add, we started talking to an American guy, Sam. He ended up hanging out with us the rest of the day and actually managed to switch hostels and come stay at ours. In the evening, I was dwadling on the internet and once I got downstairs there was no room left at the table with the Canadians and no free chairs elsewhere to be seen. The hostel was a bustling place and so if you snooze you lose. I went upstairs as I waited for my food and found a spot at a table with this random American girl, Martha. We started talking, her friend Matt joined us and Sam came too and volia: new friends. We ended up talking the evening away over a couple of cheap bottles of wine and a pack of pringles. The next day the Americans and I continued our adventures in Monaco scoping out the big yachts and expensive cars.

Tuesday was an adventure. As luck would have it, the French train company had decided to go on strike. The strike was to start that evening at 8pm. With a strike limited trains run leaving reservations void and travellers in a sticky situation. Sam had gone to station to find out if he could switch his ticket for that day to the next. There was only one train the next day and it was full. This prompted me to ask about my train ticket reservation for Thursday where I was told it was cancelled. Oy vey! The best option was to get out that day. So I made a quick decision and cut my time in Nice short and went to Paris.

If only it had been that easy. After grabbing my lugguage, lunch and chilling on the rocky beach with Martha and Matthew Sam and I boarded our train to Paris. The train didn't move....there was a delay of two hours because of an accident and/or something to do with wires. A delay meant we wouldn't catch our connection in Marseille. So back to the ticket section we trudged. Actually Sam went came back and then we went together to book. We stated our problem and after a lengthy deliberation in French they issued us new tickets for a new, direct train to Paris...phew!

It was so good to have someone with me when dealing with such a situation. If I had been by myself I would have been a lot more stressed and indecisive. I also wouldn't have boarded a train that was supposed to arrive in Paris at midnight because being a girl alone, that would have been too sketchy and unsafe for my taste. It was nice to have someone to watch the lugguage when having to do the simple thing of going to the toilets. Because it is no fun having to put your backpack on the wet and stinky bathroom floor. Most of all it was comforting knowing that if I got stranded in Marseille or even Nice, that at least I wasn't stranded alone.

Two days in and I am back to being on my own. At first it was little wierd and sad not having someone to bounce plans off of. I also felt a little nervous/on guard at first but that may also be the de-caf, but still too caffienated coffee, in my system that I had this morning. But once I went outside to grab dinner, I got back into the flow of things. I floated around the grocery aisles trying to find items that would entice my tastebuds. I found a shop to print out all the rest of my bus, train, ferry and plane tickets. I visited a few different pharmacies trying to find contact lense solutions. And I just walked down the streets scoping out the area which will be home for the next four nights.

So that has been my time in France. I have one more week here seeing the many sights of Paris and the beauty of Brittany and then I ferry over to England to visit family, which is the last leg of my Eurasia adventure. I can't believe its nearly over.

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Comments

[Heather]

I enjoyed your France post. I have always wanted to go there. My blog is looking for travel photos. If you have the time, email us some at [e-mail] or check us out at dirty-hippies.blogspot.com Continued fun on your travels, Eric

[Mom]

Je suis tres jealous!
Sounds so idyllic - enjoy every moment!