A visit to Nantes

This weekend the roomies and I went to stay with the Brit Roommates grandmother. She lives in Nantes, a city about an hour away, and is pretty damn adorable.

The ticket from Sablé to Nantes is 20Euro return with my 12-25 reduction card, which I think is pretty steep for an hour’s ride.

For some reason my cell didn’t work when I texted the Brit, so me and Spanish roomate kind of showed up randomly. I really need to figure out EuroTexting thing because I think another one of my messages didn’t send and I don’t know why. (out of 3 Texts I’ve sent total!)

The grandmother used to be an English teacher so she speaks English, obviously. Her house is super cool I wish I took pictures. She has been painting since she retired, so about 15 years. I think most people in France retire at 60 (another post!) and she is really good. A lot of her paintings have boats and harbours in them and they decorate all her walls.

Her garden was huge and sprawling (another result of retirement I assume) and it was great to look at it from the kitchen while eating Nutella Crepes- a staple of French cuisine of course.

We got there about 12:30 on Saturday and spent a few hours shopping. Or rather, I separated from the boys and browsed all the stores I have been missing. I love Euro Chain Stores! Etam, Berksha, H&M, Pimkie are all so awesome and well-priced. Don’t even get me started on the amazing lingerie stores-Canada only has La Senza and Jacob lingerie and it can be hard finding good stuff. In Europe they have a bunch of competitors and everything is cheaper and more varied. Most of the chain stores, like Etam, have their own spin-off lingerie store. Like the creatively titled Etam Lingerie.

I didn’t buy anything because I don’t have any money, but I get almost the same satisfaction by browsing. Anyone else like that?

We ate lunch at a sandwhich shop, but they didn’t have anything vegetarian so I got a quiche, which turned out to be not-so vegetarian as it had ham in it. So I duitfully picked out the ham like the good little Jew-girl I am.

I was dying for a Kebab store, and as France is filled with Muslims you would think there would be more Kebab shops. About 10 min after the quiche I, of course, found 4 Kebab shops in a row.

The buses in Nantes were cool because they had a big electronic screen that told you when the next bus was due. It’s way better then huddling against a printed schedule like in Toronto.

We chilled at the Grandmothers house and I went on facebook FINALLY and watched the latest episdoes of The City (yay!). Then we ate the aforementioned crepes.

We went out to the boardwalk in Nantes where there are a row of really cool bars and clubs. French girls lived up to their au natural repuatation and narry a cleavage line was in sight, much to the dismay of the roommates.

British roommate especially noticed a difference in the way that British and French girls dressed, but that is a whole other post. Suffice it to say that British girls dress essentially in lingerie while out and French girls dress like they are going to a bank.

That night I slept in a HEATED room. The grandmother turned the radiator on to a ‘2’ and I cranked it up to a 5. For the first time I woke up comfortable without a freezing nose. Superb!

We made our way to the train station after a breakfast of a chocolate Crossaint and a massive mug of coffee, according to French standards judging my the grandmothers reaction when I told her to fill the mug to the top.

Then we got on the train to Sablé.

I love train rides on a sunny day, when you are all warm and comfortable with your ipod and a book and you would be fine if the train didn’t stop until dinner.