Tuesday 13th May

Started the day with what I thought would be a quick trip to Cafe Cheri to sort insurance. Ha, I ended up being there for 3 hours, and having a cafe frappe, a diabolo and a croque monsieur. And then when I’d finally sorted the insurance nothing came through in my email to confirm it, so I waited as long as I could until the laptop ran out of battery. Looks like i’ll be going back tomorrow. I then popped into to FNAC to print off some photos and buy a french dictionary for my work, went to the art shop to buy PVA but they didn’t have any (I don’t think france uses glue!) and then headed for the art school to collect the girls paintings. I first got Grace’s which had been taken off the wall and chucked on a pile of stuff and then went to the attic studio. The two finished paintings came off the wall nice and easily and I rolled them up and tied them with a piece of string. Then I tackled Mary’s big painting which was slightly stuck to the wall but came off without too much effort. Finally it was Liz’s big painting. It took about 15 minutes to get off the board. The paint had gone through the fabric and acted like a glue. There was another student working nearby and he must have thought I was crazy tugging this painting off the wall. Eventually it came off, and with only a couple of tears and I rolled it up with bits of board still stuck to it. Then I had to get back home. I had my bag, my laptop, 5 rolled up paintings, an i-pod dock, a bag of paints and the stuff i’d bought from FNAC. It was trés interessant, and I had lots of funny stares as I walked home. I spent the evening doing some more work, sorting out washing (I may as well head home with some clean clothes) and started packing. Dad arrives tomorrow evening - that seems so weird.

Monday 12th May

Well, I think todays entry will be a little shorter than yesterdays! My first job of the day was to collect Mary and Liz and Grace’s paintings from the art school which they hadn’t been able to do because the school was closed on friday. And guess what, the door was locked again. I am trés confused and hope that it is open tomorrow. I can’t think of a reason why it would be closed. Feeling a bit bewilded I wandered home, intending to walk past the Melville to see if there were any films on I wanted to see. Halfway there a man, who looked a little lost, came up to me and babbled away in french. I just thought he was asking for diections so said ‘je ne comprend pas, je suis anglais’, and he then proceeded to ask me why I was in Rouen (why does that always happen). I said I had been studying here for three months and added that I was leaving tomorrow because he seem a bit stalkerish, and started to walk towards home. He followed me and then he said in a mixture of french and english ‘I am 26, quel age a tu? Café?’ Oh dear god, how to get out of this one. ‘Non, merci. I have a lot of work to do’. ‘Where do you work?’ Yep, a stalker. ‘Pardon, I must go, au revoir’ I said and briskly walked towards Cathedral square and the crowds. I never did find out what was on at the cinema. Later that day, as I was doing some work, Dad sent a text saying I needed to sort insurance for the car asap and so I headed out to Cafe Cheri. It was closed too. Very strange. Maybe it was a bank holiday I didn’t know about? Anyway, not to waste a trip outside I went and sat in my little square and read a book in the sun for about 45 minutes, before home, tea, work and bed.

Sunday 11th May

Check in for the girls flight was at 8.50 so we had an early start. We checked out and had to wait 20 minutes for the next shuttle. We got talking to two texans who had spent the week in france. Eventually the bus arrived and we were heading for the airport, where we found the easy jet check in and the girls got in line. They were at the desk for ages and Grace chucked me this green gel stuff that she couldn’t take on board (I still don’t know what it is). Both Mary and Graces bags were overweight so they had to pay charges. While I was waiting, two horrible americans who looked as though they were quite rich and didn’t care about anyone but themselves, had a go at the airline man about how their flight had been closed. Well you should have gotten to the airport on time you stupid americans. I gave them an evil stare as they walked past! After the girls had finished checking in, we said good bye and they went through security. I, on the other hand, headed towards the RER and my day out in Paris. The day didn’t start too well. It turns out you can’t use the normal metro tickets for getting into Paris so I had to queue in a long line for the ticket machine. And then, when I got to the front it turned out the card machine wasn’t working and you can’t use notes and I didn’t have enough change so I had to queue again at another machine. Luckily this one accepted cards and armed with my ticket I headed through the barrier and onto the RER. My first stop was a walking tour of Montmartre which i’d found in my guidebook. It started at Blanche metro station where I saw the Moulin Rouge (a bit disappointing) and wound its way through the beautiful cobbled streets, and staircases to the Sacré Coeur and the amazing view over Paris. My God it was busy though. I practically had to push my way though the hoards of tourists to the steps and I made my was down to the bottom, avoiding all the salesmen selling tacky tourist souvenirs. Today was boiling (about 28’c) and I realised I hadn’t had anything to eat (it was now about 1pm) so I had a delicious ice-cream to cool me down before heading to Abbesses Metro station (with the famous sign above it) and to Gare St Lazare. No, I wasn’t going home yet but wanted to check that the trains were running. Yep they were, phew, so I bought a ticket for 8pm ce soir. My next stop was The Grand Boulevards, which my guide book had said had some nice shops, especially ones which contained old books which is what I need for my project. Unfortunately I forgot it was Sunday so there wasn’t a lot open. Oh well, it was nice to see a different bit of Paris. After this I caught the metro to the Arc de Triomphe and had a wander down the Champs-Élysées. By this point my feet were killing me and after a look at them I discovered I had aquired several blisters - nice. It was time for a rest. A minute later I was sitting in the first Starbucks i’d seen in France eating a Croque Monsieur and drinking a cafe frappucino. You may ask why I didn’t go to a proper french cafe. The truth is I feel a lot more comfortable in somewhere I recognise when sitting on my own, and many of the smaller cafes were packed anyway. What did get me annoyed is that after I had ordered in french, the waitress answered in english - is my french really that bad?! After the grateful fuel stop, I walked a little further down the Champs-Élysées to the next metro stop, and headed to St Paul where I had read about a Photography gallery. I nearly didn’t go because of my feet, but i’m glad I did. It was a lovely gallery set on 4 floors and had two large exhibitions by different photographers. It was also lovely and cool. Then I got back on the metro and took a trip to the Centre Pompidou. I didn’t bother going inside, the queue was ginormous, but I think the outside looked very unique and interesting. The square surrounding it was covered in sunbathing people eating ice-creams and I considered joining them but then I saw a sign to Halles and I followed that instead. At the Forum des Halles I stopped of at a cafe for a refreshing Diabolo and to rest my feet, and then it was on to Église St-Eustache where I sat in the sun for nearly an hour, watching kids play on the massive stone head outside the church and in the water feature. Not sure that is such a good idea though as the water seemed very icky. I decided I had done enough for the day and headed back to St Lazare where there was another Starbucks (I hadn’t seen it last time I went to Paris) and so I had a bagel and a cafe glacé while doing some sketching. Then it was back to Rouen. In france you have to put your ticket in a yellow machine before you board the train. Usually the machine will make a whirring noise and the date and time will get printed on the ticket. Mine didn’t make any noise, and when the conductor came round he noticed and looked at me quizzically. ‘I did it, but it didn’t work’ I said in english, so I could pretend I was new in france if need be. He then looked at me in way that said ‘I will let you off this time’ and proceeded on his way. I don’t understand why you put it in the machine to start with. They still punch a hole in the ticket on their way round. Anyway, after an eventful day I finally got home, nursed my feet, spoke to mum who rang, and headed for bed.

Saturday 10th May

Had a fairly quiet morning, packing for my one night away and reading. Got a downer when Grace rang and said there maybe only one car going and so I mite not be able to join them. Luckily for me, there was no way that they could fit four people and all their luggage in one car so two had to be taken. At 2.00, the girls came over and dropped a few bags off that they couldn’t take with them, and we all raced back to help Grace finish tiding the flat before Martin and Stan arrived at 2.30. At about 2.20, Kevin arrived to collect the key but we weren’t ready and he had to catch a train so Grace arranged to drop it through his letterbox. 15 minutes later we were sitting in the cars (Liz, Grace and I in Martin’s car and Mary and the bags in Stan’s), on the way to Paris. It took about an hour to get to the holiday Inn. Well it did for us anyway. Stan and Mary got lost. While we waited we checked ourselves in and after Mary had arrived took all the bags up to the room. It was a lovely room with two double beds, a tv, and a big bathroom. Then it was back downstairs to Martin and Stan and we went to look for a cafe. There was nothing open, and it was a saturday. Very weird. We did pass a big wedding though so came to the conclusion maybe everyone was there! So after saying goodbye, and giving them some petrol money we went and relaxed before heading back down for some supper an hour later. Oh, and dad rang, he’s found a sliver seicento in good condition so I should have a car when I return. It was a very posh supper to. The hotel restaurant had silver cutlery, white table cloths and waiters in jackets. We drank posh white wine which was place in a stand on the floor ice bucket, and Liz and I had stuffed chicken with potatoes and asparagus which was in a tempura batter, while Mary and Grace had a large bowl of salad, a cheese plate and some frites. The restaurant didn’t actually have any vegetarian main course. We decided not to have a dessert at that point, as we very stuffed, but thought we might order it on room service later. Instead, we went and changed and head to the fitness centre in the hotel and spent a good hour in the whirlpool and sauna, before heading back upstairs and watching half of ‘The Island’. It turned out we were all exhausted and couldn’t keep our eyes open so switched off the film and went to sleep pretty early at about midnight.

Friday 9th May

This evening we were invited to a leaving party the boys were throwing at Guilliums house. Someone forgot to tell me that the time we were meeting had changed so I arrived at Graces two hours early, only to walk home again. It was back to Graces at 9.45 and at about 10.15 we walked over to Gus’s house, getting a little lost on the way. Never mind, its good to be late to your own party! There were about 20 people there, half I knew. half I didn’t, wine, couscous, music. One girl was very drunk and ended up falling into the bushes. Then we found out that there were no trains running tomorrow, so we had no way of getting to Paris. Luckily Martin and a guy called Stan came to the rescue and offered to drive us to Paris. Grace left before us, she hadn’t even started packing, at about 2.15, while Mary, Liz and I stayed on, before we all and leave because the neighbour had complained about the noise to the police - oops. We had a very eventful walk into town. Mika and his friend Alex decided to try flying and do piggy backs on each other and there were a few tumbles. Mika ended up cutting his hand. Then two others proceeded to climb into a cardboard box and walk down the road, then they ripped the box and pretended to protest about something, and then Mika decided to put a another ox on his head. It was eventful. And at the same time, Me, Liz and Mary kept trying to say goodbye bye to Mika but he wouldn’t let us and kept running away. Eventually we agrees to walk to the river and say goodbye there, so me, Liz, Mary, Mika, Charlie, Gus and a nameless one (sorry really bad at names), walked down to the river, and sat in a playground, which was occupied by a homeless man who asked if he could have a cigarette and the nameless one had a chat with him. It turns out he has lived in quite a few countries. At about 4.30 we decided to go home and we walked back towards my house. At the square we got stopped by some drunken holiday makers, who were speaking french but could have been from africa. They showed us there bum wiggling dancing and we ended up in a ‘where is Brian?’ conversation. ‘He is in the kitchen!’. We finally made to to my door at 5am.

Thursday 8th May

Got woken up at 9.00 this morning by a disco going on downstairs. Seeing that I didn’t get to bed until 6.15am yesterday I was not pleased. It was like having my laptop music on as loud as it will go and place right by my ear. The problem was that it was too hot to close the windows so I just had to put up with it. Actually its happening again right now while i’m writing this. Oh God, they’re playing the same music as well. Maybe i’ll have a who can play their music the loudest contest! There we go, i’ve drowned out their music with a bit of the beach boys. Only problem now is that I cant hear myself think. By jove, I think it worked - they have turned it down! Well after properly getting up at 12.30 I have done some washing, started my essay and done some more sketchbook. Damn now they have turned it up again. I think in a bit I will take my book and go and sit in the sun while its still in the sky. I’m getting a nice watch mark! AHHGGGHHHH, TURN IT DOWN!!! I think I need to get out just for some peace and quiet!!

Wednesday 7th May

Started today with an early trip to Cafe Cheri where we booked the Holiday Inn at Charles De Gaulle airport for saturday night. The girls are have an early flight home on sunday and so have decided to go to Paris the night before and I decided to join them and then have a day in Paris on Sunday. See a bit more of Paris before I go home. So, after Cafe Cheri, we had a quick look in the art museum and then moi and Mary had an appointment with Patricia to look over our french talks. It went well and she said we are welcome back anytime if we want to come to Rouen again. Most definitely. Grace, Liz and I then spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the island playing cards and sketching. As part of their assessment the other girls have to exhibit their work in some way or another and so it was decided that a private view/leaving party hosted at Grace’s would be the best thing to do. So, this evening we all put up their work, got some nibbles and wine and had a gathering of people including John and Annabel (who we met at the Go! Team concert), Mika, Charlie, Timotei, Martin, Morgane, another Timotei, Lorraine, and Kevin. It was basically another guitar night, punch, beer, and a very late night. Me, Mary and Mika finally went home at about 5.30am, leaving only John and Liz still there. Walking home, I think the sun was actually rising and the birds had started singing.