It is amazing to me how jam-packed every day becomes here!
Friday, after Hanna got out of class, we decided to go explore a shopping mall that is situated on the outskirts of Nantes. Now - before anyone accuses me of wasting a second of my precious time in France on a shopping mall - let it be known that we knew this would give us a chance to see more of the city, and these past few weeks I have been on a present hunt for Jonathan and my mother's birthdays and thought a European mall would be an interesting (though, as it turned out, fruitless) place to search.
The mall is at the very end of tram line 1 so in getting there we traveled out of the beautiful and charming Centre Ville, where we live, into the shockingly stark aesthetics of the suburbs. They are full of mid-rise apartment buildings - plain windows, drab colors, clothes drying on the balconies. It was a bit of a shock, how near these apartments were to us, but how they seemed much more befitting a third world country than the suburbs of an extremely romantic and beautiful French town.
The mall was not terribly different than an American mall, other than that the prices were higher and there were fewer bathrooms (this is a fact of Europe that I am gradually becoming accustomed to). In the mall, we found a store that was very similar to a Walmart: huge, expansive, encompasing all genres of products and cheap. This was good because I've been holding out on buying some essentials because I can't afford them in our neighborhood.
The thing that I will probably remember first and foremost about this little materialistic excursion however is that I saw, for the first time in my life, a woman wearing a burka. It was in the Walmart-esque store in the arts and crafts aisle. There was a baby sitting in her buggy and her husband was standing next to her, dressed completely normally, while she wore black from head to foot with only a thin strip missing for her black eyes. Her husband was looking at her and smiling as he spoke in Arabic and tried to decide between two types of markers or something trivial like that. Hanna and I walked by, both dressed adorably, of course, and I with a slight slight midrift, and I couldn't help but wondering if she hated me, for my freedom, or if her husband hated me, for my impudence, or if she was at peace with her situation and pitied me for my lack of understanding. Mostly though, I know she probably is envious of young girls who don't have babies and mean husbands who make them prisoners in burkas. And it really gave me the chils, walking past her, and I teared up a bit as I did so.
Anyway.
Then we took the tram back home, met up with our friend Horace Hobbs of Austin, Texas, for some crepes. They were magnificent! And I had the best cider I've ever had ever. Afterwards we walked around in a kind of wandering manner: to St. Clement, and past the art museum, past the carnival that is next to the Chateau. Then we went back to the Bouffay district, where we had a few drinks: I tried a white martini and did not much care for it. But there was very lovely ambience in the square: two men played Gypsy guitars and it was so terribly European and wonderful.
Then I had to use the restroom, couldn't find one because its France, finally found one in a McDonalds, and then GOT LOCKED IN THE BATHROOM AGAIN. That makes two Fridays in a row. And before anyone thinks its because I was inebriated or just stupid, I can promise that both have been totally legitamate and not my fault. The second time though, there was an Asian man who came out of the men's side of the restroom who was also locked in there with me. He freaked out, but now that I'm becoming accustomed to it, I very cooly said that we would get out and not to panic and then eventually the door, which was electronically operated by code only, decided to cooperate and let us out. It wasn't half as bad as the other time.
Saturday: Hanna and I walked to the Jardins des Plants and tried to take a tour of the Green House but we were there an hour before the first tour, so we opted instead to go to the Musee des Beaux Arts, which was right next door and had free admission. It is a very beautiful building, and had both an incredibly modern and intriguing exhibit by Ernesto Neto on the first floor (see below) and lots of old, beautiful and more traditioal permanent installments upstairs. So that was really wonderful.
Then Hanna and I tried to go find lunch, but forgot, as we have many days previously, that lots of French restauraunts close at 2 o'clock. Hence, instead of having a meal of oysters, which we had wanted, we had cold sandwhiches and oranginas from a street vendor. This was still very satisfying.
Then I went shopping for Jonathan's birthday present(s)!
For dinner, Hanna and I went in search of Le Petit Broccoli - a restauraunt in the Bouffay that our Sewanee French Professor, George Poe, recommended and sent us 20 euros each to enjoy. Sadly, it had closed, so Hanna and I went in search for an equally nice restaurant and found La Mangeoire near by, where they offer three course dinners for 17 euros. It was delicious and interesting, and Hanna and I had enough left over to split a half bottle of pink wine from the Loire Valley which was thouroughly satisfying.
Then we walked home and I spent the night in Hanna's room because my family is out of town for the weekend.
Brief thoughts:
1. French waiters are either very friendly and understanding that we speak slow and strangely - or - as was the case last night - they are snippy.
2. Despite the fact that I'm eating much richer food than I eat at home and am drinking far more alcohol (though I'm being VERY responsible and not at all excessive), I discovered yesterday that I have so far lost about two or three pounds. So Huzzah! I love how much I've been walking and I wish it was as easy to walk this much stateside.
3. Though it might seem that I am not economising, I am. I recently figured out that for my lunches throughout the week I am spending a paltry 1.90 euros a day, which is an entire euro less than the cafeteria (which I was told falsely would be the best deal.) For this 1.90 lunch, Hanna and I make a delicious spread of: salami and bri sandwhich on baguette, French yougurt of some sort (French yougurt is far tastier than American yougurt!!), delicous juice of varying types - this week was Pineapple Mango - and an orange. Balanced and delicious! Hanna and I, I can assert confidently, are spending far less than the average IES student, and have a policy of scrimping and saving on weekdays so we can relax and eat and drink what we please on the weekends. So far, this seems to be a good policy.
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