Nantes in France

A quick flight from Shannon, Ireland with a near full body cavity search from a rather dedicated airport security agent and I was in mainland Europe. Apparently, first aid scissors that fall within the approved list of items allowed on a plane must not be in your bag, but pulled out and placed in the clear quart bag, even though every other security screening has waived me through without problem. Respek my authoritay!

You’re probably wondering where Nantes is and why I would go there instead of the obvious destination of Paris. Well, it’s in the west of France near the coast and there are two reasons. The first, though less important, is because the flight was €11 (≈ $16). The second is that I wanted to spend time with Hayley. Most of you won’t know who this is because I have only mentioned her by name once before, a few of you may know because I’ve talked to you directly about her, and others may make the connection from my posts about Southampton since vous êtes intelligent comme ça.

She invited me to stay with her family for a week in the countryside of the Pays-de-la-Loire region. Obviously, being in a rural area versus an urban one is going to change the experience greatly, but there are stereotypes around the world and the French-American relationship has always had nightmares attached to it for me. This is probably mostly due to the Paris tours us Americans like to do. Not being able to speak the language, I had tons of anxiety about heading to France. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience though. Everything: the cheeses, the wines, the food, the beautiful landscapes, and, best of all, the welcoming nature of everyone I met was incredible. I haven’t been to Paris yet, but I’d like to think most of the French are cut from this mold. Even if Parisians suck, I’m not going to take it out on the rest of the country. My favorite thing about France so far is Camembert cheese. I dare you to try it!

You can’t do much to learn a language in a week’s time, but I definitely wish I could have walked away with a bit more. No problem, I have taken it upon myself to continue studying and trying to learn the language even after I leave. It is a beautiful tongue that has incredibly difficult pronunciations, at least for me. You try and say ‘rue’ properly to a French person. The week went by far quicker than I would have liked as Hayley toured me around the coast. Oh, how I missed sunny, sandy beaches. It wasn’t an easy departure and I wanted to stay for months.

2011 Europe - Nantes