Benodet

15/07/12 - 20/07/12

Well, what a week it has been. It's been good for my mind, body and soul and finally I feel a little more revitalised! I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about certain things and certain people but I've come to realise that it's just all part of life. You can mourn the loss of a friend as much as the loss of a lover and both can be equally as difficult but...c'est la vie. 

I had a lot of 'quiet' time in Benodet which at first frustrated me because I wanted to keep myself busy so my thoughts wouldn't wander...(fear of silence I guess) but eventually it became easier and the feeling of loneliness soon turned into the feeling of independence and...freedom even. So, I pulled myself together a bit and although I'll openly admit I've got a long way to go, at least I'm finally moving forward instead of a hundred steps back.

So anyway...after a long but pleasant 5 hour journey I arrived in Quimper. Mum and Dad were on the platform when I arrived and I dived into a huge welcome hug from them both. We headed back to the car and to the campsite which was about 15 minutes away in the lovely little seaside town of Benodet. 

Unbeknown to me (at least until later) Mum was actually worried I'd be disappointed. Yes, we haven't stayed in a mobile since I was a kid and yes, since then we've had some pretty luxurious holidays BUT  what Mum didn't realise was that this was all I wanted to do. I was so tired of Paris, I just needed the countryside, some sea air and the simple life and that's what I got :-) For most of my holiday my phone was switched off and we spent a huge portion of the trip cycling, walking and exploring Britanny. 

I will probably have to do several blogs for this vacation (as it's a little long) but let's start at the beginning. As I said I arrived in Benodet around 5pm and although I was a little tired after a long weekend I was happy to go for some dinner and a little coastal walk to see some of the town. We decided on a little bistro that my parents had passed in the next town along called Fouesnant. From the outside it looked like a simple French Bistro with a traditional French menu but inside it was pleasantly surprising. It had a kind of Cuban theme with old pictures, a juke box and a refurbished wireless radio. 

 The little wireless radio

 The interior of the restaurant

It took us a while to decipher the menu (there was a lot of strange fish dishes and something called black pasta) but finally we decided to take a chance and order some food. I ordered veal, dad ordered some kind of white fish and mum ordered scallops. I couldn't believe it when the food arrived, this bistro didn't seem to be anything special but the food was just...incredible! The black pasta that mum and dad were a little hesitant about turned out to be delicious, we think it was made with vegetable oil but we are still not sure. *(Ilana just told me that black pasta is normally with squid ink - merci my encyclopedia d'information). Either way it was just divine. My veal was cooked perfectly and had a 'foristiere' sauce which had wild mushrooms in it. To.die.for.com. And of course I took pictures of my food, as we Martin's do...

  Mum's scallops and black pasta

 My veal, mushroom sauce and frites

After our delicious meal we came back to the camp site. It was around twilight when  so we decided to go for a walk along the coastal path. Our camp site was really close to the beach so we were able to reach it quickly and easily. It was a little windy but we still enjoyed the view and nosied at some very expensive houses right on the beach. 

Mum and dad xxxx (below)

The promenade by the beach

All in all a very good first night, now let's see what the rest of the week holds...

Je pars en vacances

15/07/12

This vacation could not have come at a better time. I'm exhausted, mentally and emotionally and I can't wait to have a huge hug from my parents. Yes, I'm 23 years old and I need a calin. 


I also burnt my eye with my straighteners on Friday so I look like I got into a fight this weekend (nice, very nice). It looks like it's going to scar too...ouch. Right above my eyelid too...excellent! Note to self - be more careful in future especially when using hot irons!

I planned on sleeping for most of the journey but the view is too beautiful. I think the Frenchies on the train know I'm a 'tourist' because my face is stuck to the window like a chlid looking in a sweet shop window. I also can't stop reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Most of you have probably seen the movie (myself included) but seriously, read the book, I couldn't give it a higher recommendation. I finished it today with tears in my eyes, it's such a moving book. Life in 2012 sometimes seems difficult but  after reading what life was like for a black person  in Mississippi in 1962, the book just renders you speechless. The prejudice and racism people were forced to face was just unimaginable. It really gives you both perspective and a new education. So...pick up a copy asap!

Lastly, I'm so excited to get to Quimper that I really can't sleep. I've spent most of my time scribbling away in my notebook (which is what you are reading now...the typed version anyway). I'm looking forward to switching my phone off and detaching myself for a week, sometimes technology gets the better of us! I can't wait to see my parents and get back to basics (the sea, the countryside and our bikes!) 

I had recently started to feel a bit like a little fish in a big pond and this week is about getting the balance back. I'm not saying I want to be a big fish but medium sized would do nicely, so as not to feel completely overwhelmed by the city of Paris.

Bastille Day

So surprisingly after a pretty rough morning Bastille Day finally became one of my happiest memories in a long time. 

After cancelling the pre-arranged picnic on the Champ de Mars (thinking the weather would be bad) the sun shone ALL day. It was very windy though so we had lunch at Ilana's (lovely pasta merci a Ilana et Kelvin) followed by the yummiest and cheapest (only 8 euros) 'grillee aux pommes' from the bakery in Belleville. Anyway, even with the sun shining we stuck with the decision of avoiding the Champ de Mars, hearing from most of our French friends that it would be horribly crowded and full of 'cons.' So finally we decided on a free ballet that is offered at the Opera Garnier every year..

We arrive an hour and a half early (thinking that would be MORE than enough time). Oh...how wrong we were. We found the queue on one side of the Opera house and slowly started to follow it round to find the end of the line...around ten minutes later we were still walking. At this point I just started to laugh, I couldn't actually believe how many people there were. The problem was huge tour buses had dropped groups off outside who had obviously just come for the free ballet (as they were all full of oldies on a retirement day out). The queue reached all around the Opera house, all four sides were lined with people, at least five people deep. We were at first happy to queue until we asked one of the workers if we would get in and she clearly explained that although we might get in to the building "vous allez voir rien" (basically you'll see nothing). So pop went that balloon. 

Alors...time for a re-group. We were kind of in my area with the Opera being so close to my work so I had a brainwave after remembering Ilana nor Rachel had been on Printemps terrace before. It was beautiful (comme toujours) and I was happy to be there with my good friends. 

The idea was then to go to Pont Neuf to see if we could get a good spot to watch the fireworks. However after walking to Concorde and deciding to explore a bit (the staging was still up after the Military Parade) we found ourselves at Pont de la Concorde. After walking down onto the quai Ilana and Kelvin discovered this great little spot with enough room for all of us to sit AND have pizza with a great view of the Tour Eiffel. 

After more than a few beers, 2 pizzas and around 3 hours of waiting the fireworks finally began. Although Isabelle said she thought the view from the Champ de Mars was better (because the fireworks are either side of the tower) I was just happy to have a great view, great friends and not to be pushed and shoved around by some moody Parisians. 

The fireworks were beautiful and after a very mixed year which has included falling in and out of love, more than a touch of heartbreak,  a new job, a new apartment, new and old friends arriving and leaving and much much more they helped to summarise my feelings for Paris. I found myself feeling that even now, after everything Paris still has a part of my heart. It's not all tarnished for me. 

I don't know if this is a sign of the end or a new beginning but all I know is  I'm still here and I'm still fighting, Some things are worth fighting for. 

Gay Pride

The month of June has been full of changes for me. After a rollercoaster of a year I am finally beginning to move forward with my life. I can already see a few of my friends rolling their eyes (with good reason). I know you all know I've said this many (many many) times but now, really, it's time to start a fresh. So...here's the update.

A few weeks ago I went to Gay Pride which was both a new and interesting experience for me. I was a little nervous because I've never even seen a gay pride before let alone dance in one! But really, I had a great time. Everyone was in costumes holding huge flags and wearing wigs on their heads. I think my favourite moment had to be Dave catching a balloon and screaming "BALLOOOOOOON" with delight before realising that it was, in fact, a blown up condom. Poor Dave and he couldn't wash his hands for ages either...

I have to add a little note for the boys there, I'm so glad I met these two utter crazy people. They've made me open up to new ideas (some ridiculously stupid) but they've also made me lighten up and not take life so seriously, for which I will be eternally grateful. "I'm going to spike my gavina!" and "Don't you think the moon is just so....AWESOME." Coolest guys ever.

We also managed to find a semi secret location by the Seine where you can sit without being surrounded by du monde and a great place on the quai at Bastille. It pays to have friends who grew up in Paris.