In A French Way

This morning I was woken by a herd of french gentlemen who thumped into the house for a bachelor party. They were rather surprised by the sight of a sleepy blonde Americaine but luckily my look of utter exhaustion saved me from having to do more than yawn, nod and say "please fetch me toast."

This morning was marked by shopping at eurodif and poking around Zara and Pimke. Bought a snazzy new pair of shoes and socks. I've been living on five pairs of socks, which has been difficult. But I survive. It's a been a new skill, learning how to make so few socks work with so many pairs of boots. (Look at that bizarre blonde girl, she wears boots in the summer. She must have very weird feet.)

I digress.

Went out for drinks (just OJ mom...) with three new friends at the jazz fest in Nantes. Jazz is not quite how I like to kick it but lemme say, this stuff they jive to here is pretty snancy.

One of these friends also happened to be Jeremy Clarkson's babysitter (Mind blown). I ate a "sausage sandwich" american style... A hot dog with french fries on it. Hot dogs are so classy when you eat them with a baguette bun.

There are these random dudes who are these robotic mimes and beep and move around when you give them money. This led my Canadian friend to say that "The mutes are everywhere!"

Mimes honey, Mimes.

Nantes was the birthplace of Jules Verne, the famous writer of science fiction. Nantes wastes no room in making as many Verne-related jokes as possible. Saw a boat called "Finding Captain Nemo" and the University network is called the Nantilus. It cracks me up. But then again I'm a nerd.

Other notable sightings were a man with shoes like a praying mantis... The only way I can think of describing them. Fav of the evening was a couple standing in line at a mussel (moules) stand. Only the old guy was dressed as an old woman, and the old woman as an old man.

(Friend points at something and laughs)
Me: What are you laughing at?
Friend: There's an old man dressed as a woman and a woman dressed as a old man over there.
Me: In a transexual sort of way?
Friend: No, in a French way.

Maybe that's what happens to couples in France of a certain age. Cheap thrills.