Yesterday I woke up, once again, at 5 am. I didn’t feel very well - too many milk products the day before. I ate some dry cereal and tried to go back to sleep - which I finally did around 9. Today I needed to hang around the flat, because Alain’s mother was having a dishwasher delivered at 1. I didn’t know what time she’d be here - and I didn’t want Razu to freak out and try to run away. By 1:30 the whole operation was finished (and Razu was thoroughly freaked out and hiding under the bed) and Alain offered to take me to the school and then drive me to the city center (I wanted to go the Festival du Loire). The school is really cool. It’s a very modern looking building with a lot of glass and these very interesting shapes and structures inside. I’m excited to get to work in such a cool building!
The festival du Loire was a lot of fun - there were all kinds of vendors and restaurants set up as well as live music and a ton of boats on the river. I walked around for a while and then decided to go and find some water and more minutes for my cell phone. Just at that moment my mom called and we talked for a long time. I had been feeling a little overwhelmed and a bit lonely - but afterwards I felt 100 times better. During our conversation she looked up some internet cafe’s for me - and found one located in a mexican restaurant - which I happened to be standing very near to. So after our phone conversation I headed out to find it - turns out it’s on the coolest street in the city! This little street was just full of cool restaurants, shops and bars. There were all kinds of people out and about and I immediately felt the magic happen. Before I didn’t know anything about this city - just the commercial areas and the suburbs -- I was starting to wonder if there was anywhere young people hung out -- but there it was! An adorable little street that felt like France with all kinds of people happy to be alive!
Afterwards, I went back to the Festival to get some dinner. I had spied a place earlier that served moules frittes, but it was too late to get lunch. They weren’t serving the food yet, so I walked around for a while and listened to some music. I bought a CD for 4 euro - the guy told me that he had made too many and needed to get rid of them. He even drew me a picture that says “Viva America!” By the time I got back to the moules frittes place, I noticed that they had hung a sign that they were full for dinner - apparently you needed a reservation (who knew? a reservation for a restaurant at a festival?). I decided to settle for a crepe and catch the bus home. While in line, I met a very nice lady. She started talking to me after someone had tried to cut in line - except I couldn’t understand her at all (she talked too fast). I told her that I was American and spoke a little bit of French - and we had a nice conversation in half english and half french. She told me that she thought the Orléanais were a bit rough and much preferred Paris! She understood my French and I understood her English, and I felt a lot better about my speaking skills. When she left she wished me goodluck and her little daughter came and said - after much hesitation - “goodbye” with a very sweet smile.
I’m liking Orléans more and more by the minute!
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