Final three English-filled days in France

Chaumont Château

On Monday, I had a super-busy morning putting postcards in pigeon holes for my favourite three college classes, buying stamps and sending letters to friends back home, and buying a traditional French lunch for my parents who arrived at noon. We immediately tucked into fresh French baguette, pork pate, duck mousse pate, ham, and three types of cheese. The weather was a delight to behold, so we then made our way to Chaumont Château which was complete with lovely gardens and stables.

In the evening, we dined in the restaurant of the hotel where my parents were staying. I had a tiny salmon quiche, followed by steak, followed by a crumble. Delish. The waiter needed to cheer up, however. What greatly amused me was his announcement, upon the serving of our main course, of 'Good following'. This perfectly highlights the problem of literal translation. In French, you would say 'Bon appetit' at the start of the meal, and 'Bonne continuation' (which he translated as 'Good following') for each following course. Someone clearly didn't pay attention when their English teacher gave that lesson...

Interior courtyard of Chaumont Château, with a view
across the valley behind us.

On Tuesday, the weather was foul and disgusting. I checked out officially at the MAJO (since the following day was a bank holiday), and received a weighty envelope full of my leftover housing benefit and my deposit. Too bad, France, this money is going into Italy's economy in a few weeks, not yours! After depositing the loot at the bank (and feeling relieved it was no longer my responsibility), we went to Langeais Château.

Langeais Château is a medieval château, and as such is the last example of a château built in a fortified-castle style before the change of fashion and the new preference for châteaux in the style of a stately home. We ate our boulangerie lunch in the car, before braving the rain to make our way in to the château. It has thick stone walls, and you have to go up some steps and across a small drawbridge to access the 'house' part. You can walk all along the battlements of the château and look precariously down at the drop beneath you, if you fancy it! We had hoped to go and see Ussé Château later on as well, but the weather was simply too disgusting.

Langeais Chateau in the rain.

Mum and Dad dropped me at home where I had two hours to sort myself and my remaining luggage out before we went out to a crêperie for dinner. It was the same crêperie as I had visited with my American biffle, and it didn't disappoint. I ordered exactly the same crêpes as last time I had visited. Why try and improve on perfection? It was a lovely way to end my last-ever-full-day-in-France-for-my-Year-Abroad, and shortly afterwards I was snoring away in my bed, with strict instructions to be ready to leave the house with all my stuff at 7.45am the following morning.

Wednesday morning dawned, bright and spring-like. In my infinite wisdom, I had accidentally set my alarm clock for 8.30am, not 7.30am (clearly too much cider at the crêperie), but thankfully God woke me up in a state of shock and panic at 7.30am. I managed to get dressed and lug everything downstairs in time for the arrival of my parents and the car that would be taking me home. We left at 8am on the dot after I had put my house keys through the letter box of the MAJO's office. I knew I wouldn't be returning, but somehow it didn't feel weird. It felt right.

Bye bye, Romorantin house.

Four hours of driving later and we were having a boulangerie lunch before seeing the Bayeux tapestry (which actually isn't a tapestry, it's an embroidery) and its museum. The 'tapestry' has narrowly avoided destruction several times in history, and is quite lucky to still be in existence!

A short drive later and we were queuing for the ferry. We had a cabin again, and had dinner in the ferry's restaurant which was very good! Mum and I shared a prawn cocktail starter, then I had sole in a delicious sauce for mains, then Mum and I shared a chocolate and passion fruit trio of desserts. They were incredible!
Off the other end at Portsmouth, and an hour and a quarter later I was walking in the front door of my HOME!!! and being greeted by my favourite boy, Alfie, my brother and my Grannie. I couldn't have wished for a better welcome.