Mon. 3/31-Tues. 4/1
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Final few hours in France, and we were tortured
So the last few hours in Paris were torture–we left the internet cafe to arrive at the station a couple of hours before our train was to depart, and it was horrible. I finished Educating Esme (Heather’s book) and almost cried from the cold once I had nothing left to distract me.
Passed out on the train and finally arrived in Marseille to be greeted with rain. Took the metro to one stop away–no one regretted it: we were cold, tired, and it was raining. We saw Frannie in the hotel lobby, went up, hung out for a bit, showered, then passed out for four hours or so.
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Port, mad goats and MASH–blast from the past
So we went to go see the port and though it was rather gloomy outside, it was such a beautiful setting. Marseille has an old, small-town feel to it, almost like it never left the past and doesn’t ever need to. There are small restaurants, fruit stores, tiny supermarkets (not so super.), bakeries, and little clothing shops. All so small!
As we left the pier, we saw three goats–a mom, a dad and a baby. The dad goat walked toward us and we got frightened, and then he sped up a bit and I was so completely frightened, but remembered (or made up) the fact that running means fear and they’ll chase you or some such nonsense, so I didn’t run! Very proud moment for me. Scary stuff.
We went back after doing a bit of food shopping, ate three loaves of bread and two bags of pasta with sauce for dinner.
Played True Love and MASH for the remainder of the night and watched BBC news because it was the only English-speaking channel–nice though because I felt rather disconnected from the world as we travelled.
MASH results: Turns out Catlett is marrying all three of us girls and turning out 50 children. Craig is marrying Princess Jasmine. Frannie is a prostitute.
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American accents, Edmond Dantes, THE CHATEAU D’IF!!
We went back to the Port the next morning and it was just gorgeous outside. Saw a guy chopping up eels and selling the pieces. We ate crepes and paninis (I got a sugar and banana crepe–delicious!) at a restaurant by the port. Our waiter there asked where I was from.
“I’m from the U.S.–the States,” I replied.
“The U.S.!” he exclaimed. “You are American?” To which I nodded. “Your accent does not sound American!”
“Oh?” I laughed. “What kind of accent do I have?”
He shrugged and shook his head. “Oh, I don’t know. You speak well–enunciate. Other Americans say, ’seeyou.’ They put words together–slur.” He turns to Craig. “You sound American.”
Hahahaha! He was so funny and friendly. I was very flattered! And the crepes were delicious.
We went back to the pier and took more pictures. Figured out which little island thing held the Chateau d’If and rejoiced when we realized which one it was! So exciting! Also funny was on the way to walking to the pier, we saw a boat named the Edmond Dantes! And it cruised all the way to the island!
Took some silly pictures and tons of pictures of the Chateau d’If!
