My First Day in France

For those of you who wondered, I did manage to get here to France with a minimum of fanfare or strife. Little Man and Sally (the cats) were subdued and well-behaved through the airport check in, etc., and I had no trouble locating them in baggage claim at Charles de Gaulle airport. It was a feat to load them, my three suitcases, my giant purse, and my duty-free cigarettes on board the luggage trolley by myself, but I prevailed and exited baggage claim into the waiting arms of my husband, Patrick. I saw him and knew at once that I had come home. The picture above is moi sitting on my own letter in the CDG parking structure. Seemed appropriate.

We jumped into our tiny car after wedging in all the luggage (didn't need to strap anything to the roof, thank God) and headed to Patrick's best friend's house outside of Paris. Fred was incredibly hospitable, and after sitting for a few in his charming back yard, Patrick and I headed to the train station to take a trip into the city in order to have lunch and change my American dollars into Euros. And so, only a few hours after arriving in my new country, I found myself on the Champs-Elysees, having a croque monsiuer sandwich and an Orangina in a crowded sidewalk cafe on the most famous avenue in Paris. Our waiter was the very antithesis of the rumored Parisien service class - he was friendly, open, and jovial. We ate, we drank, we soaked up the sun, we eavesdropped on the neighboring tables (all of whom were so close to us that it seemed we were all just one big group). My favorite was a man about four or five tables away, comfortably sipping a tiny cup of coffee, chain-smoking cigarettes, and reading Le Monde. Ah, I thought. This is Paris.

The money changing took a little bit - we investigated a few different options, and then we were back to le Metro to take a subway to another station and then a train back to Fred's. The trip took only about 40 minutes - can you imagine? And the town Fred, Karine, and his two kids (Adrien and Ava, both as cute as the dickens) live in is as nice a little suburb as I have ever seen ... complete with 17th or 18th century castle/country manor on the outskirts. Whew! I had a nap before dinner, and then Patrick's brother Pascal and his stepbrother Alex joined us, and it was time for a delicious dinner of steaks and rice, followed by a cheese course that made me swoon, and a wonderful and refreshing fruit salad to round out the meal. I was stuffed and exhausted, depsite the nap. The cats were roaming our bedroom, and with the kids coming in occasionally to pet and play with them, I think they were well-contented, as well.

My first day was a success. I tried to keep up with the French flowing around me, but I must admit, the jetlag didn't help my attempts at speaking in any way. I think I managed to seem like I at least caught the gist of most things, but some of it was simply beyond me ... thank goodness for Patrick and his translation services.

Next morning, we departed from Fred's to have lunch with Patrick's grandmother, Loulou. She is a fantastic little lady who introduced me to her cat (Reinette) and gifted us with a painting of a lady in a white dress with a parasol that will undoubtedly now hang in our bathroom (it's that sort of picture, but I love the gesture). She lives in a 4th floor walk-up right outside the city, and given that she is 87 years old, I was and am very much impressed that she managed to get up and down those stairs every day - I was breathing hard after the second flight! We ate Moroccan food at a nearby restaurant and while Patrick was parking the car, Loulou and I had a most unsatisfactory conversation, albeit a most well-intentioned one. She speaks no English, and my French is fairly rudimentary - you can imagine. I thought she must be exasperated with the communication difficulties, but Patrick told me later that she told him I was both "adorable" and "formidable" - both of which are definitely compliments. I think she is a wonderful lady, and am overjoyed to be a part of her family. We'll see her soon, when Patrick's brother gets married. Yay!

And then the trek to La Canourgue, my new home. It took a bit more than six hours, give or take, and part of that was in darkness - we didn't get out of Paris until about 5, as we had an errand to run at Orly Airport, which took longer than expected. The traffic was (dare I say it???) worse than Miami. Mon Dieu! But the toll road we took was so well-cared for and picturesque that I didn't really mind, once we got out of Paris proper and were really on our way. The rest areas are unbelievable! Clean and well-lit bathrooms, areas to walk your dog, picnic tables, gas stations, and convenience stores that go way beyond what's really "convenient" - all sorts of prepared sandwiches, fresh fruit, beverages, candy, and foods/products native to the region you're traveling through. The French even do rest areas with style and panache.

Finally, at about 11:30pm, we rolled into La Canourgue. I'll have to post pictures later on - tomorrow is market day - but I can't describe the charming-ness of this place. The native stone buildings (of which our house is one!) - you just don't see this kind of history in The States. I collapsed gratefully into our bed and slept the sleep of the just. The cats immediately went into prowling mode and have explored all available nooks and crannies (although Sally's exploring has been largely confined to underneath each of the beds, I will admit). Sadie, our dog, was obviously grateful to be home (though not so glad to figure out her days of cuddling with Patrick in our bed were over).

And so here I am. Struggling with the language, but glad to be doing so, and getting acquainted with this small tourist hollow in the mountains, where I will be living for the forseeable future. I think I will grow to love it - I already am captured by its charm and relaxed aura. The weather has been marvelous so far, and a short hike yesterday showed me the entire region, spread out in rolling hills with yards and fields marked out like a giant patchwork blanket. It's here I'll stay, and gladly.