Sunday 30 May 2010

A big oops!



I missed my train from Rennes to St Brieuc.

Pascal was cutting things fine when he left home but there was a 10 minute discrepancy between the internet confirmation I gave him and the time on the actual ticket. What a quick trip from St Aubin du Cormier to Rennes. Cars and lights were against us, there was no parking to be found.

The two of us dashed across the pavement to the Gare de Rennes. On the departure board my train was no longer to be found. Disaster. No more trains that could connect with the bus from St Brieuc to Rostrenen. "merde! merde! merde" was buzzing in the air.

Poor Pascal had to drive me all the way to Plelauff in the centre of Brittany after dropping Axel off at his mother's. It doesn't pay to treat the french transport system casually because, as I've said before, it doesn't wait one second for you and it's always on time.

So I'm back in my little room at the  Centre, about to work on an activity for tomorrow. I will also check out the times for travel to Rennes for next weekend, the last time I will see and spend time with Pascal and his son. I feel rather sad about that. They are wonderful people who have opened up their home and friends to me. I feel I am beginning to know them and I'm very fond of them. What you find you eventually lose, it seems. I hope they will remember me kindly. I'll try to take more photos next weekend for my 'memory bank'.

I've lost quite a bit of weight, despite Pascal's cooking. Maybe it's the conditions at the Centre. They are not atrocious but they are not easy. I notice that many french people who are older than 30 are usually quite trim. I've never seen anyone here over-eat or over-drink. The meals are simple and very modest. Health is considered. Plates are not loaded and there are not a lot of courses although cheese is usually offered.

Over the weekend I played a french card game and watched another. I ate a yummy home-cooked galette and a pork steak thingee, pasta and a french coffee. All very down-to-earth and normal.The weather continues to be disappointing so I'm hoping it will improve for my last weekend in Brittany.

1 comments:

Defogger said...

Wonderful to catch up on whole weekend of Frances' adventures. I wish you very well with your second shot at the Beginner's lesson, and I am not surprised at the sense of being home you have experienced. You ooze French, even if you have never been there, and nothing else gets you so excited. An oops seems to be in order, and you were blessed with a recovery that was possibly a blessing in itself, once the cursing subsided. How's your health? I wish you every success.

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