French Hospitality, I like it

Trip Start Apr 05, 2008

Trip End Jun 05, 2008

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Flag of France Nantes, France
Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Woke up at 4am, I kid you not, to the sound of my room-mate wrestling with what seemed like hundreds of plastic bags. This goes on for about an hour, and not matter how many times I say excuse-moi or cough it continues on. I get back to sleep around -am then wake up at 7.30am for the free breakfast. This is compiled by the fact that people were running up and down the hallway squeeling until about 1am.

I'm not too fond of Nantes! I get an email from my host, we have been communicating like secret agents and he noticed that my couchsurfing profile had changed to show I was in Nantes last night, hmmm my plan to sneak into the city and acquaint myself with its layout whist getting some solitude has been foiled. We arrange to meet up for some lunch and he offers me to stay tonight if I like, I will see if I can get a refund from the Youth Hostel but I don't like my chances

Isle de Machines - Nantes

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I purchase a Nantes Card which gives me public transporet for 3 days and entrance into a whole lot of places so that will save me some and fill my days in. I meet Cyril at Mediatecque station and we go have some lunch, what is supposed to be a quick 30min meet up turns into 1 1/2 hours and he is running late for work. He is a mix of geek, funny and entertaining. I think he will be a good host. He invites me over for dinner to meet his flatmate and some of her friends even if I am not staying the night.

I then head off to visit The Machines of the Ille de Nantes; Iti a laboritory and exhibition hall where artist/machinists make giant mechanical animals, its quite magical. There is also a giant elephant which you can ride but unfortunately the elephant is not working too well so all I see is the elephant walk past and I cannot have a ride. I go to the law courts then walk along the river.

When I get back to the Youth Hostel I try to get a refund, but they will not give me one; merd, merd, merd! I ask if I can change my booking to another day or to another hostel, the answer is no! So it looks like I am staying there the night

A machine at Isle de Machines

. I cant beleive the inflexibility. There is no one in my room and it is not as if the hostel is booked out; there would be barely 10% occupancy. I head out and over to Cyrils house.

His flatmate is nice she has 2 friends coming around for dinner and we have a yummy home cooked meal then wine and cheese, so very french.

We then go to the loungeroom and talk music and he emails for me in French the ebay guy who now wants to sell me his computer. We think it was a fake bid so I tell him I will only go up to 300 euros and pick it up on the weekend upon inspection. We chat some more and before I know it; it is after 11pm so I have to get back to my youth hostel;

Wish you were here - Penny