Yes, I know I've only had five days here and that's hardly a reference point, but today, everything worked.
Turns out I won't start school till Thursday due to Olivier's crazy schedule, what with doing uni and working at the same time. So this morning, I explored. Olivier drove to the IUT (a uni near Vaucanson, my school, which I still haven't seen) and walked from there to town. Tours is magical. Many of the streets are cobblestone and the houses are so picture perfect, with their petits balcons and every so often one built in the old style of the area, with exposed beams and wooden shutters.
I meandered into town, through St Symphorien and Paul Bert, my favourite residential areas and where I wanted to live if I could find a place there. Across the Loire River via a little island. I found myself back in Cathedrale.
I checked out the for lease signs around the place, more to get an idea of which companies are for which areas. I meant to buy a French phone plan today, and quite timidly went into a few shops- nothing. Too scary! I was meeting Olivier at his mother's house in Rue du Commerce at midday, so my walk was around two hours. Two wonderful hours of taking in the city. I found Place Plumereau,which is filled with bars and people drinking even at 11am. Mostly coffee, but still. Seriously, I am not kidding, this place is postcard central. Forgot to take my own photo, but here. Had a coffee- espresso, because it is so so so much easier to order and it comes with a square of chocolate in most places. Bought a pain au chocolat- they are about $1 here, when at home the are at least $3. Brilliant.
Located Jacqueline's, she lives right on Rue du Commerce, next to a museum that is being renovated right now- used to be an old hotel, but no one has stayed there for years and years. I learned all about it during lunch. Early as I was, I leant against the wall to read. I had been there for about five minutes when a man's head popped out of the upstairs window and called out my name.
Enter, Jean-Pierre Bigot and Jacqueline Roger. We had a wonderful lunch, the four of us. May have eaten my weight in cucumber. I listened to them talk, mostly, throwing in a few comments myself. In all, it was just really relaxing. I cannot recall how much I spoke, maybe it was less than I think, but I felt today like it was a real breakthrough. Jacqueline speaks very clearly and was simply extraordinarily nice. Her house is gorgeous, a small apartment, but in the centre of town. I tried to stress how much I liked it, especially when she showed me their 'terrace', the small garden on the rooftop (they have to climb out the windows to reach it, there are no doors).
Set up my bank account after lunch. Again, one of those situations where I know I could have done it myself, could have understood (eventually) all the bank jargon and the twists and turns, I had all the paperwork that was needed and it is relatively similar to applying at home. However, Olivier's presence sped it along, I could double check my translations with him, he could explain better what my situation was and the account and fees that I would receive. They had accidentally spelt my name: NIKY DONELY on my initial application, which required me to fill in a load of extra forms, of course.
Olivier went off to uni and I wandered down to Rue Emilie Zola, one of the main shopping streets of Tours. Went into Sephora, H&M as well as a few pharmacies. And it was here that I discovered another vital difference between Australia and France. They do not have conditioner. Seriously, the sell 2 in 1. Or if they do, it's hidden away some place weird on the shelf and called 'after shampoo'. It's like spoons for spreading jam, just unexpected and not something I had come across anyone saying. Also, the sunscreen that I bought was about $3, which is less expensive than they would have you believe it is. It does, however, smell like liquorice, which is not entirely pleasant.
Went back to old Tours and the up market district. Window shopped at Gucci, Hermes and Dior. Actually browsed and talked to sales assistants in Lacoste (!) and Petit Bateau. While Tours is probably the size of Hobart, with a population about 50,000 more, the stores here are incredible. They are building a tram line around the city that probably won't be completed until after I am finished here, but it looks to be very beautiful as well.
Returned to Jacqueline's, wrote the blog post for the day before and then promptly fell asleep holding the biscuit that she had offered me. When Olivier arrived, I had been out for half an hour. Zzzzzz
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