New Hotel

Room to myself. TV. Own shower. Free shampoo, towels, a window which opens. Two star Hotel.




LUXURY.



Actually it was kinda creepy for a while ‘cause the whole place seemed to be abandoned apart from the reception downstairs so I was wondering if I was setting myself up for a Psycho experience. I haven’t actually seen Psycho but a childhood upbringing on Gary Larson ensured that I understand the basic plotline. Accidentally agreed to breakfast though which is setting me back and extra 16 Euros :/ but if I take loads then I shouldn’t need to buy anything else tomorrow or (sigh) Friday, quand je vais retourner à la belle Ecosse.



Yesterday I saw two films: Les Petits…somethings, I can’t actually spell the word (ooh, that’ll look good on my British Council Report >.< )and Tourne. As if my various encounters over the past few weeks have not made this clear; the French are way too obsessed with sex and naked women. Or maybe we are not obsessed enough. Who knows. Either way, that’s what a lot of their movies seem to be about. Les Petits Thingies (ooh-er) was a pretty good shout, sad beginning but it picked up. Tourne (French for “tour”) has possibly put me off burlesque for life. I’m sorry, but I will never find a chubby woman with a face an inch thick and false eyelashes pulling tinsel out of her arse in any way sexy. On the other hand I had to love the film – it was half in English, hurrah! Ok, maybe that defeats the purpose of me being here but fuckit I was tired and in no mood to chat in French. I do love the actor in it though, I forget his name, Mathieu something, but he was in Les Derniers Jours du Monde as well and he’s bloody brilliant. And sort of attractive in an oldish could-be-my-French-uncle sort of way. Ok. Maybe that’s just me? I bet a bunch of people have just googled him and are like “Roisin, wtf, he’s got a ‘tache for christ’s sake” They may have a point. I don’t know.



Only had a couple of experiences over the past couple of days. One was when a guy stopped in front of me in his car when I had earphones in.



Me: “Sorry, not interested”

Guy: *says something I can’t hear over music*

Me: “I said I’m not interested”

Guy: *Says something else*

Me: “Oh for Christ’s sake” *takes earphones out* “What?”

Guy (in French): “Do you know the way to the shopping centre

Me (thinking): “Oooh this is embarrassing. I thought he was chatting me up and he’s actually asking for directions” (spoken, much friendlier, in French) “Yeah it’s just straight ahead and on your right”



(short pause)



Guy: “Would you like to go with me?”





……………….*facepalm*



The beggars here are really weird. This old guy in a wheelchair asked me for money and I felt really bad not giving him any…that is, until he justified it with “I need it for cigarettes”…wtf? I’m not gonna give you fag money! There are also little kids at the train station who claim not to have eaten for 2 days. I told them I’d give them 5 euros cause I was feeling generous…only for them to inform me that there was a minimum donation of ten euros. What? They’re beggars! They can’t just slap a minimum donation on! In Glasgow, our beggars are happy with their 20p. You also get Romanians going up to British tourists with signs written in very bad English telling them about their 3 starving children who don’t have a home…ok, so, why did you write this in English when you’re staying in France…? So many scams.



Moving on, it was Bastille Day today which is the French national day. Went to the park with the lovely German girls. I finally know their names – Alessandra and…ok I only know one of their name’s but the other girls is really difficult and ½ ain’t bad. Ok, you’re right, I’m a terrible person. They are very sweet though.



We were planning on going to a massive picnic which was meant to be on at the tete d’or, only to find the park closed for the day. No one knows why…so we spent 4 hours literally doing nothing, lying in the sun. Well that’s a lie, we did film ourselves dancing about to Katy Perry and talking Spanishfor 20 minutes. Ooh the larks. Then we got a bottle of wine and some ham and cheese crepes from Monoprix…I swear, I am actually gonna miss monoprix. It was the only supermarche open today and it was a total lifesaver since I’d lost my water and almost got bloody heatstroke. And damn did I need a glass of wine! Not to sound like a complete alchie or anything but sometimes you just need a drink. Crepes too. Oh my god I am going to miss crêpes. So mere et pere (au bord de la mer XD ) had better get used to me making them for myself during the day and putting non sweet fillings like chicken in them because they taste amazing anyway. Mmmmm I could go a crepe right now…but that’s tiredness talking.



Anyways, we went up to the old hostel, wine and crepes in hand and watched the fireworks. It was pretty spectacular, standing next to the river with the Basalisca(SP) looking like a castle, with the fireworks as well, it looked like the old opening for Disney films. Gorgeous! Then went for a walk after but it was raining and everyone seemed to be heading home apart from kids setting off fireworks in the main square, which was just scary and brought up memories of all those anti playing-with-fireworks ads which come on tv from October the 1st onwards. So I’m back at my hotel now and ready to sleep in my lovely bed, big enough for two but only sleeping one yayyyy XD no one’s getting MY sleeping space. Sheer, undiluted luxury. Now all I need is a bath…