Oceania Bouguenais

So decided to stay a second day in Nantes....hotel was in fab location, but loads of bars right outside the hotel, thank goodness for double glazed windows!

Went to the local saturday market this morning, geez, i love the french markets. took us about 20 mins walking around just to figure out what to eat.

Off to see the chateau this afternoon then maybe to a soccer game (Nantes vs. Nimes) this evening.

Chateau ...

... about being locked in the toilet on the way into the room?)...

Mike, glad to see Chelsea are keeping you happy. I still think you'll be trophy-less come May 2010.

Gaz, thanks for the kind words.

Funny thing happened in Nantes tonight. I was enjoying a fruity crepe (no!! I said CREPE) in a local establishment with Jamie when a couple of heavy-set geezers marched past us. In fact they were so hard looking, they reminded me of a couple of sorts Gary ...

... closing for the season. Fortunately on our way to the campground we say a riverside park area that allowed ‘camping cars’ to spend the night - and it was packed! Deciding that if campervans could camp then so could we (not that we had any other choice). Camped out at a picnic table we awaited dusk to pitch the tent. I knew it would be hard to beat last night’s dream campsite!

In the meantime ...

... and monsters on display. They all have the style of a Jules Verne story (he came from Nantes). The craftmanship is wonderful and the detail is incredible. We will return in 2014 as they are building an enormous tree with plants and a ride on mechanical herons. Much better than Disney.

We are going south tomorrow to La Rochelle.

... 2nd, 2009 So for the last two days of school before break, I figured no one would want to actually learn anything so I didn't plan much. I gave them back their tests and explained how the American grade system works. In my two CM2 classes, the kids did fairly well. I think I had 2 Fs and a few Ds, but the rest was A, B, and C. My horrible class got pretty much all Ds and Fs. They couldn't believe how bad they did. I could totally ...

... t understand it. I actually kinda knew about the movie because I had read an announcement about it, but I was thinking it would be in the afternoon. I was looking forward to seeing this movie too, so I didn't care too much. It was two hours where I didn't have to talk. The movie was Azur et Asmar, and it was cartoon I'd heard about a long time ago. It was actually really good and I was getting really into it. Then I checked my watch and realized that I had about ...

... married anymore. Anyway, she tries to get him to PAC her. He finds out once who she really is, but she comes back like 5 months later or something and gets him back. It was a really funny play. I was so proud that I could understand it. I understood everything except for when they made references to people I didn't know or the girl was yelling. Other than that I was good. The theatre was called the Little Pocket Theatre of Nantes. And it really was small. It ...

... lives right next to Moulin de la Galette, which is where Renoir painted one of his most famous paintings. I can't think of the exact name right now, I'll add it later. But Renoir is my favorite painters, so I was so excited to see that place. She also lives down the street from the Moulin Rouge, so we got to see that a couple times too. It was so cool. Caitlin is Lauren's friend from like 7th grade or something, and she's so sweet. She and her roommate Leah went to ...

... day ever was that my class from hell was actually really good. I don't know what it was. The one kid who is SO awful, Mikaël, is now turning out to be my favorite student. He was so great today. We played games and stuff last time and they all begged me to play it again. I'd actually planned on doing that anyway because it worked out so well, but I made it seem to the kids like they were earning it by being quiet. So we played the game and all went well. It was wonderful ...

Back in Nantes and my life here can finally get started. I was pleased to discover yesterday morning that I can understand the majority of what is going on on the radio. The most random thing I heard - an interview with that classic Frenchman Gerard Depardieu began. Depardieu mumbled and grunted for a bit, and then said he was depressed. 5 seconds later, he said he wasn't depressed. Then I had to leave for school. Very ...