Smashing the French. Language, that is...

So I'm sitting in my room in the studenty youth hostel thingy. The room's pretty basic (Holland Hall girl coming through) but nonetheless I do have my own functioning bathroom, it is furnished, and my bed is made. Plus I have my homemade millionnaire's shortbread - WIN.

It's Friday 28th, and I left Wednesday morning. It's been quite a couple of days!
WEDS: Took the Eurostar successfully to Paris (despite getting pulled over at security at Ashford due to my washbag containing a penknife and nail scissors), then crossed Paris to Montparnasse using le Metro. Let's just say that by the time I got to the platform for my train to Tours, I was rather sweaty, red in the face, and had my feathers generally ruffled by lugging a HUGE suitcase (plus heavy rucksack and Waitrose bag full of stuff that wouldn't fit anywhere else PLUS wearing my winter coat coz it wouldn't fit either!) up and down countless flights of stairs - where on earth were the escalators??? They're a perfectly good invention. What I particularly like is when one has the choice between stairs or escalators, and if one is without luggage they can spring up the stairs like a gazelle and feel very smug when they beat the escalator's passengers to the top. The awkward bit is then waiting for your companions on the escalator to arrive....
Anyway, I arrived in Tours on a bright, sunny afternoon and set off in search of my hotel. After getting a bit lost and already a bit tired, I decided not to try and map read any more and instead I accosted a young mother and her child (thinking they fitted the profile of someone least likely to A. bundle me into the back of a white van and drive off, wheels screeching or B. just ignore me as I bleated 'excusez-moi') who helpfully showed me the way and tried to bolster my spirits by telling me I was not far off.

I had a nice conversation with the hotel owner, had a shower, and once feeling refreshed, set off into Tours armed with a better map which actually showed some places of interest on it (see below).  

Cathedral Saint-Gatien

Hotel de Ville

A beautiful large town / city which I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around, and where I first began to Smash the French language. I first of all bought a French PAYG SIM card (which runs out after a certain amount of time here - the more money you pay, the longer it lasts). But Suzie Smasher of the French did not stop there, oh no, she went on to conquer the SNCF 12-25 rail card too.

THURS: After staying at a teacher's house for the night, she drove me to the Lycee where she worked, situated in the town where I shall be an assistante d'etrangere francaise (please 'scuse the lack of squiggles) for the next seven months: Romorantin. I was introduced at the Lycee, and at break wandered down to the College where I met my future colleagues and was given a whirlwind by a bubbly and extremelyfasttalking secretary.
And then I got a lift here, to my unhomely 'home' (well, for at least the next month) where I further dominated the language to the extent that I was complemented, and I managed to buy some lovely much-needed internet.

FRI (today): I had lunch at the college which was nice - only €3.20 for a hot meal, a salad, a yoghurt and a piece of fruit (plus unlimited water). I know where I intend on eating my main meal - ridiculously yummy patisserie pastries can fill in any gaps!!
Lunch with Valerie and her family tomorrow, then off to Orleans on Sunday for my Journee d'Accueil!!
A bientot.