Introducing Blois

So today I went to Blois. It's a large town about 40mins drive north west of Romo, and I took the bus to get there (getting up at 6.30 in order to get the bus from the train station at 7.30). However I think it was definitely worth it.

In Blois I met up with two English girls and one American girl who are primary school assistants there, and they showed me round Blois. It makes Romo look minuscule  Northern and southern Blois are separated by the Loire river (left) and we stayed in the northern section.
First of all we went to the market which was happening that day in the centre of town, and it was HUGE!! It took ages to do a circuit, and almost every foodstuff imaginable was on sale, not to mention clothing, shoes, bags and books.

Then we ventured into a children's toy shop to look for teaching materials. It was those wonderful and commendable toy shops that barely sell anything that needs batteries i.e. PROPER toys which use children's imaginations and develop more than their ability to spend hours staring at a screen. Anyway, in this lovely little shop there was a lion which, whenever he was touched, would roll around on the floor, laughing. I found this hysterically funny. When the lion had stopped roaring with laughter and rolling on the floor, I bent down to pick him up which prompted him to start the charade again. I was caught in a endless circuit of trying to touch him to turn off his battery, and setting him off every time. In the end the French shopkeeper had to intervene.

The four of us spent the rest of the day 'brochery' shopping at the Office de Tourisme (my new favourite made-up word, meaning going to the OdT specifically to raid its free leaflet section systematically and without mercy); looking at the façade of the chateau (my first chateau!) which comprises of several buildings built at different points between the 13th and 17th centuries and as a result the architecture changes with the different sections - see wikipedia for more info, it's certainly not what I did, ahem... moving on...; and hunting down a patisserie and returning to a flat to savour our purchases while watching The Great British Bake Off. Perfection.

A slight down point was that today it decided to start raining. Not serious rain, just a consistent spittle as if to say 'Suzie, you've been here one and a half weeks, you've settled in perfectly well, and as a result we're going to stop giving you constant sunshine.'

It's true, I have settled in far better than I thought I would. Much of this is due to the lovely former Spanish assistant who has introduced me to all her friends here at my accommodation, all the friendly teachers who have chatted with me during lunch and been patient while I've stammered along, and that I've had so much help with all the bureaucracy from various people. A certain bank EXCLUDED from this praise for reasons it knows only too well, and which are too laborious and tiresome to go into here ever. One lesson has been learnt at least - don't choose a bank based on its name.

Tomorrow I might venture to wash some of my clothes here for the handsome sum of €5 and I may indeed attempt to experience my first French church service. Wait out for that story....