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.

Tuesday 6th May

English class! Well, more of a how was your holiday, here are some questions i’ve translated, and come to a gathering at 5.00pm for wine and cake. It was nice seeing some of the art students again though, even if briefly. After the short meeting Mary, Grace and I (Liz is in bed ill), went and sat by the river. It was boiling today and sitting by the water seemed to make the air cooler - or not. There was no wind at all so the heat was like a blanket. We are all a lot browner tonight. When we started to feel dizzy from the heat we went and and had a diabolo (lemonade and grenadine) in a cafe to cool down before heading over to the art school for the tea party. It was lovely. Lots of students we knew were there, Patricia and Christine. There was wine and beer and loads of cakes, biscuits etc. We had bought two meringues, five crispy cakes and 12 croquettes ourselves. Christine gave us a little present of black cat brooches and said we must go and have a cup of tea with her before we go. We will go tomorrow and take petite cadeau. As we were dispersing to go home we gave Patricia a thank you card and a present of chocolates I had bought this morning from my nearby chocolate shop. She loved them, and said we must keep in touch with her. Then this evening we had a night at Graces listening to music, eating cheese and bread and playing the guitar with the windows wide open. Back home I had front row tickets to a Muse concert. It was being played loudly in the flat opposite, and with their window open and mine I could hear everything.

Monday 5th May

Went to Cafe Cheri this morning, and met Mary and Liz. Liz has a sore throat. Then I went back to the flat and tried to do some work. I couldn’t concentrate so I ended up listening to podcasts and having a nap. My head was feeling all groggy, almost like a migraine. It could have been the weather. It was really warm and humid - the air felt heavy. At about 4.30 I decided that some fresh air might do me good and set out on a mission to find some jeans or other trousers. One pair of mine have just died. The mission didn’t go very well. Found some perfect jeans but they had them in the wrong sizes, so I ended up buying a top instead. It will be really nice for the summer. I wish i had my floppy linen trousers ad flip-flops here. Thats what I need in this heat. Back at the flat I had a light tea of veg and fruit and settled down to watch ‘Erin Brockovitch’ - oh yeah, i bought a new dvd too, and went to bed at 10, which is the earliest night yet in Rouen.

Sunday 4th May

We had decided to go and visit the Monet Gardens at Giverney today, and had arranged to catch the 10:09 train. However, Mary and Grace went to a barbecue at Guilliums last night and didn’t get home until 7.00am. Grace was up in time but Mary had slept through her alarm, and we couldn’t get hold of Liz at all. This meant we missed the first train but undeterred we bought tickets for the next train, and nearly ended up somewhere far away because the ticket lady had heard us wrong. Then we had a hot chocolate sitting outside (it was very hot again, not so sunny but really humid), and caught the 12:00 instead. It was 40 minutes to Vernon, where we hired bikes from a jolly cafe owner, who gave them to us cheaper, and we set out on the short ride to Giverney. We got lost at first, and missed the cycle path we were meant to go on and ended up heading up a really steep rock path in a wood. At the top of the path we came to a road and headed back into Vernon to start again. I’d seen a sign for the museum earlier so we followed this, but it also didn’t seem right as it was on a main-ish road. Half way there we found the right cycle path. We had probably cycled straight past the entrance. 10 minutes later we arrived in Giverney and decided to have a spot of lunch before going to the gardens. Mary chose a B+B who did lunches. It was a beautiful place. A really old house surrounded by a beautiful garden, complete with a stream and bridges, 3 peacocks (two which were white) and two wallaby’s. Mary overheard some aussies saying ‘D’you think thats a kangaroo? No, I think its a wallaby mate’. We had a lovely lunch of homemade salads sitting at a little iron table on a gravel courtyard overlooking the stream. We could have stayed there all day. However we had come to see the gardens so headed onto the car park and chained up the bikes. The queue was ginormous for the Monet stuff so we left it for the time being so we had an ice-cream and had a look in the American Art Museum. It was actually just nice to be out of the heat and in a cool building. By the time we came out, the queue for the Monet gardens was much shorter and we went in. Its very beautiful. One side is very formal, with little paths amongst rows of flower beds. And the other is quite tropical looking, with the lily ponds, bamboo trees and japanese type bridges. It was definitely my favourite of the two. After this we headed back to Vernon and lazed on a grassy bank on the edge of the Seine. Our train wasn’t until 8.45 so we had a while. At about 7.15 we took the bikes back to the cafe and had a drink and some chips before catching the train back to Rouen. Back in Rouen we all went home to drop of our stuff and we rang Liz and we all met up by the Cathedral for a walk along the river. Its very beautiful in the dark and it was so warm still. I didn’t even need a jumper. An hour later, Liz was hungry and hadn’t eaten so we went to QUICK (like a McDonalds), which wasn’t very quick and she got some food, and Grace, Mary and I got milkshakes and we went back to my room for an hour looking at photos and chatting.

Saturday 3rd May

Morgane told me that the art school was having an open day so Mary and I went to check it out this morning. Liz and Grace had gone on an impromptu trip with Mika to a house party in Paris last night! On the way there I passed some english woman who said while looking at the Gros Horloge, ‘it’s a bit like Chester isn’t it dear, only french stylie’. That made my morning! The open day was basically like any other day at the art school. Students working in their studios etc, but there were lots of people wandering about and a drinks stall in the courtyard. We had a quick look around and then decided to go and have a drink and a bite to eat, so we went to a cafe in the little square near mine and I had a Croque Madam and Mary had a cheese salad. Did I tell you it was amazingly hot and sunny today. The paper said it was going to be 23 degrees and I think it was. I ended up actually burning my shoulders. After lunch we walked down to the river and spent a couple of hours sitting in the grass sunning ourselves. And guess who appeared out of no-where. Roller boy with the foot fetish. Because he had already seen my feet (‘Ah, oui, L’hotel de Ville, non?), it was Mary’s turn. It was funny watching the change in her expression from ‘this is not too bad’ to ‘Ok, this is getting very weird’ just as mine had probably done. After a while we made our excuses, and went to a cafe to get another drink followed by a little bit of shopping. Then we went back to our separate flats to have a bite to eat and a shower, and met up again at Le Melville where we went to see ‘The Darjeeling Limited’. Yep, for the second time, but it was just as funny. And now i’m back at the flat, writing this blog having just done some guitar practise, and will probably try and finish watching ‘Howard’s End’ later. Its only taken 3 days!

Friday 2nd May

The weather was beautiful today. Really warm and sunny, so I did my chores, photos at FNAC and water from Monoprix (which took ages because the girl on the cash desk was learning), and then took my sketchbook and sat by the river, doing some work while watching roller bladers, cyclists and passers by. When I felt like I might get heat stroke, I went back to the flat for a bit and played the guitar, and then took my book and sat on my wall in the square. The kids were there again with the tiny dog, which nearly got run over by a van. Back home I had supper and then got settled with a cup of tea and began to watch ‘Howards End’ again. This time I managed to get about half way through when Morgane knocked on the door and said would I like to join her party. The film would have to wait! She had about 10 people there, some who i’d met at the last party and some who I recognised from the art school. One, who i didn’t recognise but goes to the art school, did an exchange to Norwich last year so we had a chat about city. At 11.40, the new neighbour came and knocked on the door and said could we turn the music down because they were trying to sleep. They are probably the only ones asleep at that time in the whole of Rouen. I also had a nice chat with Morgane and she told me about the trip to New York. Apparently they went into the Apple store drunk and one girl was sick on the security mans shoe. They blamed it on a dodgy burger! I finally gave up trying to stay awake at 2am, but I think the party continued for a while after that.

Thursday 1st May

Only 15 days till I go home. Half of me is happy and half of me is sad. I’ll miss my room, even if it was awkward, I will miss living on my own and the laid back culture, and Cafe Cheri, but I will be happy to see everyone again and not have to think about what i’m saying all the time. So, today I woke up late. Not surprising really and tried to do some critical studies. Then I ventured out thinking i’d pop into FNAC and print some photos and check my emails at Cafe Cheri. Ha, forgot it was a bank holiday. Yep, on a thursday, how weird is that? Everything was closed. However I remembered the power boats so I had a wander down to the river. Woah, I think everyone in Rouen was there. The quays were full of people, food stalls and fairground rides, and the two bridges were covered in people. On one bridge there was a big screen and a commentary was being played out over a big speaker. I got there at the right time and saw the end of the race, which was 24 hours round and round the island. I don’t know who won but at the end all the team members sat on top of the boats and did a slow lap waving flags and with everyone clapping. Then, because I had my laptop with me I went to Flunch, which was open, and checked my emails over a fruit salad. Back at the flat, after getting soaked by a downpour, I settled down to an evening of art. At 9pm I decided to watch ‘Howard’s End’ and had just got settled with a cup of tea when Liz phoned and said that they were going to the cinema at 9.30, would I like to join them. So I gulped down my tea and headed into the night to meet Mary, Liz, Grace, Mika, Charlie and Timotei. The film, we found out, didn’t actually start until 9.55 so I could have had a bit longer at home but oh well. We saw ‘Iron Man’ which is basically across between Transformers and Power Rangers, where a man who is very technological, creates a suit of iron and tries to save the world by ends up fighting his buddy instead. Apparently according to Charlie it was quite funny, but seeing that it was in french I didn’t get most of the jokes - will have to watch it in english. Outside the cinema we said goodbye to Mika and Timotei and Grace decided have a piggy back ride on Liz. It was all going well until they both fell backwards, Liz landing on Grace and Grace hitting her head on the pavement, ouch, and then laughing hysterically. It was time to go home!

Wednesday 30th April

Started today doing a lot of work. Doing more if the photo book and reading some critical studies texts. All morning though, I could hear an annoying buzzing sound which to me sounded like the speed boats you get on Oulton Broad. At lunchtime the others phoned and asked if I wanted to join them shopping so off I went out into the rain - yep, its raining again. After a little wander, and a bit of decision making outside Claire’s Accessories about ear piecing we went to the Tarte Tatin for a spot of lunch, forgetting we were going out to supper later. Apparently while I was in the toilet, Mary and Liz had dared Grace to put whipped cream on her face - and she did! Very full, we had another look around the shops before realising the time and rushing home to get changed. We all met at Grace’s at 6.30 (well, Mary and I did) to help clear up and get out glasses etc. After the meal we were coming back to Graces for a little party. Mika, who was meant to arrive at 7 eventually came at about 7.30 and we went to meet Charlie and a friend I had met yet lauren (?). Mika told us that there was a 24 hour speed boat race on the river - so I was right about the noise! We had supper at an Italian, where I think we made most of the noise, mostly made by trying to teach each other how to pronounce french and english words properly. Back at Grace’s, after I had attempted to talk to Lauren in french, some more people arrived. Timotei, Henri, and Jean-Philippe (J-P) who brought along a friend, a cousin and the cousins girlfriend, and it was basically an evening of guitar playing. Liz, Mary and I eventually left at about 4am, leaving Grace with Mika and J-P who were still playing the guitar. The power boats were still going so I decided to walk to the river and have a look. All the lights are so pretty on the river at night, the bridges turn blue. Couldn’t see the boats very well but I could see their lights and it was pretty noisy. I really like being out so early in the morning. Eventually got home at about 5am, to find party going on in the flat below - nice!

Tuesday 29th April

Went in to the art school again this morning, and did some more of my sketchbook, then I went home and started putting all the photos in to a home made book. My problem is that I still have over two weeks left and there will be photos from then so I can’t actually finish it until I get home. In the afternoon I took a rip to Cafe Cheri and guess who was also there? Yep, Mary, Liz and Grace. I checked the weather and Saturday is meant to be hot and sunny again so we might go and visit Monet’s Garden at Giverney. After leaving the cafe I went to Hotel L’Europa to book Dad a room for when he comes to pick me up. O can’t believe its so soon. The man on the desk remembered me from my visits to see Mum and Grace when they were staying there. Then it was back to the flat for a spot to eat and more art work while watching Donnie Darko (very weird) and La Dolce Vita (which was also pretty strange).