DAY THIRTEEN

I had the first good night's sleep since I have been here. The normal escalator, etc sounds were there, but they were not disturbing, more like comforting.

It is cloudy and will probably rain sometime today so I am taking my umbrella with on my adventure.

I am off to the friend who lives in Chatou - I think the spelling is correct..... I am quite excited to see a bit of "outside Paris" and look forward to seeing her as well.... and to speak some Afrikaans again....will post later again with photo's....

I think the trainride is about 40 minutes or more so that in itself is an adventure for me.

Last night was such a warm event with the Finns and it really is an eye-opener how the other people do things and react to things - sometimes more than a pleasant surprise.

Got the trainride under the belt and then the tickets didn't want to work again....an old lady was so kind as to try and help me but lucklily my friend and her husband could advise me.




We took a ride through the most beautiful neighbourhood.... Vesinet she said is an exclusive neighbourhood just outside of Paris and we drove through it .... it looked like small Chateau everywhere... some were even boarded up for the winter.... how lucky can one be to have a place like this and just to live there in the summer?



We walked for a while in the suburb of "St Germain en laye where one of the Louis' were born.... and where there were a huge "castle" type of building.... we will keep the buildings and the experience around them for when our mutual friend comes for a visit in April....she loves architecture and we will definitely have a look at all the things then.... and walk a bit in the wonderful gardens which resembles the Versailles gardens...

We roamed the small cobblestone streets and around every next corner is a picture waiting to happen.... I wonder if people here still notice it? Had a croquet monsieur at a brasserie.... there is a difference between restaurants, brasseries, and cafes.... I was so glad that I was in good company who could explain these things to me.... how should this Afrikaans woman know all of that?

A visit to a friends' house was what the doctor ordered today - we had some tea and madeleine cakes and we talked a bit - about this and that and she did some sewing while we chatted away.... the two dogs lay at our feet and completed the homely feeling.....



Amazing how much you can miss home.... for the things that home offer, serenity, calmness and quiet and the people you love and know.... I still see this as an adventure, flying past at a huge speed, but an adventure never the less.....

She dropped me off at the station.... and again the tickets did not want to work.... I had to jump the turnstiles....yes with my heavy backpack with all my stuff I did not want to leave at the studio today..... they are doing pestcontrol.... and I thought it best to take my documents with me..... paranoid? Perhaps.

I stopped at Monoprix for supper - and walking back chose a new route.... past "Village St Paul" - a small courtyard in the centre of buildings.... it seems there might be something happening there at times....will walk through there again.... and then came past the beautiful medieval Rue de Sens building.... took a photo will visit soon.... saw light in one of the shops underneath the Cite building.... I think they make frames or something similar there.... interesting...... and lights in some of the annex rooms.... looks warm and inviting.