#44 - Samedi 26th

marche

(walking)

"Meow, meow" to get me out of bed eventually. Set off for the market at a lazy 11:20, bike issues again, something like vous discardez - has Anne's yearly membership run out?! (I tried four other stations... so something's not happy!) Set off walking... so its not a thirty minute walk, a lovely walk though it was, made it into town (without getting lost) an hour later (don't worry sun cream well applied)... post office, finally sent the cards... but I was really confused, I mean the woman understood "je voudrais envoyer errr England" so it was all going well, then two of the staff were chatting and a customer too... one of them looking at me... oh they must have spoken to me... "pardon?" "Pardon?" he repies and wiggles his glasses at me... very confusing... then they all start tapping their glasses - have I got food on them or something, it wouldn't be the first time.... so i start to take my glasses off saying the word 'glasses'... anyway - they wanted to know the english translation... I mean they could just have said, "Qu'est ce que le mot pour 'lunettes' en anglais?..." 

And onto the market! Firstly for the tomato man again, look at the photos - my absolute heaven, I'm such a tomato monster... managed to ask for quatre noir and six more... He obviously recognized I was foreign but didn't remember me from last week until I said Newcastle... he didn't try and talk after that! My babies tucked safely under my arm - I have no regrets spending six euros on tomatoes! I was handed a bag when I tried to ask for aubergines and courgettes at the next stand, despite pointing too- oops.. The price was good though! Messed up nectarines though and had to ask for some more....Flowers - when else will I be able to buy myself some beautiful field fresh flowers? The little old woman was adorable too but language was an issue.. she helped me choose five strands of these big colourful flowers (see photos). Amazing guy standing in an orange t-shirt with a battery recycling box on his chest (Dad... job for retirement? Take your recycling skills further?) 

Garlic was surprisingly difficult to find... on my hunt I spotted this mysterious vegetable... now I did ask 'Qu-est ce que c'est?' (what is it...) I still couldn't tell you, possibly 'pattison'? but that seems an awfully english name... any ideas? Explored the inside areas, saw a dead, plucked chicken/bird with its neck broken - I didn't want that. Tempted by these tubs of fresh yoghurt you get a little pot of - but they wouldn't survive the heat. Sampled some jams (i love rhubarb) and treated myself to a slice of baklava and some tomato gallete - which looks completely different to what I thought a gallete was.... Also I have no idea how to spell it, as I'm sure you've noticed...

 

University library

market all cleared by 3pm!

Wandered for a bit, Rennes is gorgeous - definitely a place you can just wander. Managed lunch out at the 'creperie' I think it was called... egg gillete and a lager... not a big fan of the gillete... watched a couple as the man outside the shop ate his sandwich and his partner spent ages in the shop... I later realised I think she owns it... A table next to me had the most adorable family, two boys and a little girl - so, so cute, Dad was playing games with the children. Managed to ask for the bill and tried to give a little tip, but the woman watching over me told me to stop - I had enough, well I could count haha.. "pour vous..." 

Anyway, wool shop across the road & I tested the bike situation again... no luck. BUT: I HELPED SOMEONE IN FRENCH. She asked how to access the bikes, I basically explained I have a card but you can buy them at the orange stations - go me! - I did later reflect that she also probably wasn't french but she thanked me and all was good. Ambling around to find a razor now... not in pharmacies surprisingly... my fantastic mime of shaving legs gave me a clear answer 'no' Tourist information also enjoyed the question (however not the mime) telling me 'a supermarket'... anyway I now know where three supermarkets in town are. I also bought a map in english for 20cents, absolute bargain and asked what to see, plenty of museums - including a science one!! Ate my baklava in a park watching an English family take photos of the son, I'd predicted they were English... Set off on the long walk home, I was stopped, someone told me in french that my flowers were beautiful - I had to use the I'm English thing again...but she translated nicely. A few minutes later a runner shouted, (i think) "joyeux fleurs" - how nice, I think... Bikes still not happy I tootled along (sun cream had been reapplied in the cafe - spot the English woman...) coming across some graffit art being painted - of snoopy, I'm quite excited to see the finished article later! Flowers slowly limping and the tops theatening to snap....

Home, the door was already open.... I had locked it...., hadn't I? Anne's mother was here - just what I wanted after a good few hours of sweaty walking. She's lovely, she speaks in French only, which was challenging and apparently I'm not understandable when speaking in French, despite me being sure I have the right words formed up there... she stayed for a coffee and we chatted quite well, she was really nice, after a bit of discussion, she wrote it down eventually - we're meeting up on Tuesday night for galettes in town again - how lovely. I actually think having someone who will have to speak in French but clearly will be good for me, she had a lot of patience! 

A nectarine and four tomatoes suffered from the journey. 

Spoke to Pete and had a very short run, shower time - used my new razor (I can understand why the French apparently don't shave mind, that was difficult to find!), also managed to get my soap stuck down the drain... its still there... but the drains had been smelling - maybe its a good thing? and get shampoo in my eyes - oops! Shop for eggs, bread and wine.... Home, quiche, (I'm getting better Rosie, but still not as good!) tomato and feta salad, tomato gillet and wine... also cut into the mysterious veggie! Singed up to the bikes myself for a bargain 5 euros for the week, all set to cycle into town for the parliament light show... rocking my sandal tan lines... maybe I should have gone for socks and sandals...?