Septembre à Saumur

Language I have been apprehensive about my language abilities in the preceding months. The last time I had spoken French on a day-to-day basis was at Christmas, and that was just for 10 days. But it’s not been an issue. People obviously know from my accent that I’m not French, but they recognize immediately that I understand, so they don’t speak any differently to me. I actually had to ask Pierre-Yves to not speak slower as it made it more difficult for me to understand. I really only had to deal with the translation step while I was traveling. By the time my friends met me at the train station in Saumur, that was gone. It’s hard to describe what this is if you haven’t ever experienced it. Something just switches in your brain. Some say it is a click, but for me, it is more subtle. It’s like I don’t hear words in French and think of their equivalent in English. I hear French words and understand the concepts. When speaking, I just speak. I am certain that I make many, many mi...

 Many of my days here have proceed in a similar fashion as this day. First Thursday There is nothing hurried about my time here. I awoke, showered and prepared my small breakfast. I read until noon, then ate my lunch. After, I rode my bike into the center of the city to do some shopping. I went to Monoprix. It’s like a small upscale Target. I went there for simple things like soap and shampoo. I’m sure these things are cheaper at Leclerc, but they are easy to find in Monoprix, and I have a loyalty card. I also went to Carrefour, which is a small grocery store. Again, probably cheaper at Leclerc, but easier access. Really, I went there for the cheap wine. Whereas, I would never purchase an $8 bottle of wine in the US, an €8 bottle of wine is certainly not going to taste awful nor give you a headache in the morning. That evening, Theirry, my host (I hesitate to call him my landlord because it’s not like that) rang my bell. We are trying to get me onto their wifi. He tried a b...

  Early days Things started slowly, which was fine. I was a bit jet lagged, which is unusual for me on arrival in France. Usually, after hitting the ground running, I sleep a long night and wake up in French time. Luckily, Marie Odile and Doris had made provisions for my breakfast including coffee, milk, brioche (in this case, sliced bread) and jam. I had a good breakfast. Claude brought his electric bicycle for me to use. When he lent it to me in the summer of 2023, it had represented freedom for me. I was no longer tied to the schedule of the bus system. Don’t get me wrong. The bus system (like in all of France) is incredibly efficient and very inexpensive. There’s a bus stop 10 yards from my front door. But having the bike was like having a car without the hassle of parking and fighting traffic. Bike lanes here are clearly marked, and unlike Madison, they actually lead to places you want to go. And cars respect your right to be on the road. Genviève in front of my house ...

I’ve decided to do a blog of my month in Saumur, France, rather than a long series of Facebook posts. In that way, I can include my thoughts as well as tons of photos. I’ll try to give each section a heading. That way, one does not have to read every word. Although it has taken a bit to get reliable internet, then to find time to download my photos.  Departure I flew French Bee, a French discount airline recommended by my friend Isaiah. Without realizing it, I booked myself into their version of first class. When booking, they asked me if I wanted meals, I said yes. They asked me if I wanted wine, I said yes. They asked me if I wanted to choose my seat, I said yes. They recommended their Premsmart class, $719 round trip from Newark to Paris – a steal! Imagine my surprise when I found that I was in the first boarding group and was offered champagne! I just had to get myself from Indianapolis to Newark. I first chose Spirit. That was cool until they changed my destination from Newar...