EuroTrip 2005

Nice is Nice!

I've arrived in Nice! My last day in Toulouse was actually quite nice. The train schedules weren't working out for a late day trip so I decided to head to the capitole and relax in the park. I read a little, ate some lunch and bought a french dictionary in hopes of improving my language skills! I was taking notes, writing phrases, and looking up words. A man sat down next to me on the bench and proceeded to roll a cigarette and read a book. After about 30 minutes, he said something to me in french. I said, "Pardon? Je ne parle pas francais tres bien..." He said, your sentences are not all right. He then proceeded to help me correct them, helped me with my pronunciations and even helped me with some slang. We talked for quite a while, about where he had travelled, the places he loved in France, etc. After a couple of hours though, he had to leave. Shortly after an old man sat down and asked me where I was from, told me all about Toulouse and his favorite parts of France and he sat with me until the sun was going down. I had to start going to the train station so we said our goodbyes, he was very nice. All in all, I had a great last day in Toulouse. Meeting the people during my travels has been a far greater experience than any of the sights I have seen. I still had a 4 hour wait for my train, so I went to a restaurant, ordered a glass of bordeaux and read about Italy (which will be my next destination after Nice). Finally it was midnight and time to board my train! I was sitting next to a man named Mikel from Bordeaux on the train, who was heading to Florence for a few months. We had great conversation and for only 21 years old, he has an amazing perspective on the world. He has seen a lot, very well travelled. We exchanged information and he offered to show me around Florence or Rome when I get there! After the 7.5 hour train ride, he had some time to kill so we went for some coffee near the train station. Another new friend I've met along the way. So far, this trip has been more than I hoped it would be. It's raining in Nice today but I will try to post some pictures in the next couple of days. I will more than likely make a day trip to Monaco and St. Tropez while I'm here. I will talk to you all soon!

posted by Donna Weeden @ 2:43 AM