25th of July
Anne-Laure and Eric, her boyfriend, are working so I’ve got all day to myself.
My grandmother got a computer a couplfe of weeks ago and is now just as badly addicted to internet as I am.
I start talking to my mother on Skype but she can’t hear me so she talks and I write. Meanwhile my granny goes online and starts chatting with me. So I decide to introduce them to the Skype conference.
That of course gets a little chaotic cause my mum is still talking to me over the phone so my granny doesn’t understand why I’m answering on non-asked questions.
And even though she’s doing really well with the  computer and even got a webcam she still doesn’t write very fast. So it’s mainly my mum and I writing and every now and then there is a sentence from my grandmother referring to something we said 5 minutes ago.
It gets really out of order when I hear my mums mobile ringing (remember, I’m still on Skype „phon“ with her) and it’s my aunt calling. So we try to get her to join the conference but for some reason it’s not possible to invite her. The confusion hit its peak when my granny gets thrown out of the conversation and can’t find her way back, my aunt doesn’t know what the hell her privacy is (which she needs to change to join us) and my mum doesn’t know is she’s supposed to type or talk.
We decide to give it a new try another time and go offline.

After that I get myself ready and go for a walk. I rather just walk through cities instead of visiting museums because that way you get to know the life-style of people.
After two hours or so I finally find the Eiffel tower. (which is really just around the corner) I take a couple of pictures then the camera runs out of battery and I go back home.
Anne-Laure and Eric arrive as well and shortly after that two of their friends. We order pizza and play poker. As we are, for once, not playing for money I of course decide to win. Second round Eric beats me which is obviously pure luck. Haha.
The friends leave and we go to bad.

26th of July
One of Anne-Laures friends is staying in Paris for the weekend so we explore the city together. We manage to basicaly see every attraction.
The Notre Dame, the Louvre, Champs-Elysee, the opera and much more. After a nice lunch we go for a boat tour. At first I wanted to do one of those open bus tours but as they are about 30€ per day we decide to take the 10€ tourist boat. We spend 1 hour and 10 minutes on La Seine and see pretty much all you need to see in Paris.
It’s a wonderful city and the boat trip was definitely worth the money.
After that we go and meet Guillaume, Anne-Laure the second, Lili and Claire. It’s so good to see them again and it really doesn’t seem like they have left Sweden seven months ago.
We buy some alcohol and sit down on the gras in front of the Eiffel tower. On our way there Braki and one of his friends joined us. It’s just so great to be back in „the old group“.
Time passes by and everyone is starting to get a wee bit tipsy. Two guys pass by, one of them is getting married in a couple of days so they are both wasted and the „groom“ is dressed like a weirdo.
He wants to get as many kisses from girls as possible but when he reaches us he has to cope with Braki first.
Braki makes him take off pretty much all his clothes plus wig and puts them on himself. Good old Braki. How much I missed his silliness.
As it starts raining later on and we start running out of alcohol we go back to Anne-Laures place and have some chit-chats there. At 1am everyone is so tired (and drunk) that they leave. Not before they wake up Lili who passed out in Anne-Laures and Erics bed.
It takes us ages to finally get Eric and Guillaume away from the playstation but we manage round 2am and pass out.

Thank you so much guys! I had a great time and will miss you so much!

 

 

 

                 

I’ve got proper internet access again and will try to update you guys.
I also managed to finally upload pictures and put them at the end of each article.
I’ll be leaving Derby soon though and am not sure how often I’ll be able to write after that as I will have to use internet cafés mainly.
Enjoy!

21st of July
In the morning Guillem and I go to the station where I take the bus to Andorra to meet James.
The three hours ride goes by fast as I’m sleeping nearly all the way through. I really try to stay awake cause it’s just beautiful outside but my eyes just won’t stay open so I finally give in.
James picks me up with the car and it turns out that Andorra really isn’t that nice. Just like everyone told me before.
So we go to Pas de la casa instead where James has to buy some stuff. From Andorra to Pas de la casa it only takes you about 20 to 25 minutes and it is pretty much on the same height but for some reason the temperature changes from about 25°C to 10°C. And I am in my shorts and flip flops.
Fortunately we don’t stay for very long and drive to James place in Gaillac which takes us about 2,5 hours.
Gaillac is pretty much on the countryside. James closest neighbours are quite a bit away and the place is just gorgeous. With the view over the fields and a swimming pool outside.
I’m very happy to finally get out of those big cities and to have some relaxed days in front of me.
After dinner we drive to the „main“ centre of the city where they have big fire works and a, what we would call it, village party that night.
The fire works are actually really nice and after that we meet some of James friends and go for a drink.
They speak some English but not to me that night, so I have to wait till the next day.

22nd of July
After breakfast James and I take the motorbike to meet his friends. This time it is a real motorbike but it is also James…. so I’m slightly scared. He tells me he will be careful and won’t drive too fast so I calm myself down and give it a try.
Well…. let’s just say he doesn’t drive as slow as he promised before but there is pretty much no one on the streets and as it is the countryside and not the city I am not scared. -Well, apart from the few times I jump up in the air because of the holes in the street. -
We meet his friends and I get the possibility to change into a car but I’m quite liking it by then so I stay on the deathbike.
Off that thing I have to face another fear of mine because we are all going canoeing. Once in the canoe it turns out to be great fun and we are having an awesome time.
Five canoes – the three boys take one each, James and I are in one two man canoe and Mathilde and her cousin (?) who is eight are in another one. The weather is great, the water is really nice and the three hours pass by way too fast.
We take the bike back home and at the end of the evening we are both exhausted and sunburned.

23rd of July
James and his father are both working so I’ve got the house to myself.
I talk to some people on Skype and get things organised for the rest of my trip. James comes home for lunch but leaves again after half an hour. I take a swim in the pool and sunbath for a while. Not very long though as my legs look really bad from the day before.
Funny how I spent such a long time in Italy and Spain but then get tanned and sunburned in France.
James and his dad come home some time around 7pm and we have really spicy – really sweet chicken and Kaiserschmarrn for dinner.
Second one is obviously made by Nina even though I have to tell the men to leave the kitchen (a couple of times) because they just don’t trust my cooking.
In the end they of course like it and I am pleased.

24th of July
James and I get up early and drive to the bank he works at.
There we have breakfast and then drive to the train station. I have to get the train to Toulouse and then to Paris. It’s all organised. The train leaves at 10.37 and arrives in Toulouse at 11.04 and the train to Paris leaves at 11.24. All I need to do is buy the ticket.
Because the first one is a regional train I only need to buy the ticket to Paris. But when we arrive at the station (20 minutes earlier) the guy there doesn’t know how to reserve a seat for me.
23 minutes later I still don’t have a ticket and the train is already waiting for me. I get on the train in time but need to buy my ticket in Toulouse. The train is late so I know it’s going to be really stressful. The guys at the station told be before that there is an English speaking person at one of the desks wo that’s where I have to go.
But when I finally find that person he tells me I have to queue at the normal desk cause he’s only in charge for short distance trains. By that point there are about 30 people queuing and my train is leaving in two minutes. So of course I miss it.
When I finally get to the desks and find someone that speaks English the next train is booked out and I have to wait 4 1/2 hours in Toulouse.
Slightly annoyed I leave my stuff at the statino and wander around the city. I get myself something to eat and drink and make my way back to the station. Finally on the train I’m exhausted and immidiatly fall asleep.
Time seems to pass by more or less quickly untill we get stuck in Bordeaux.
There is a fire on the train tracks and we spend at least half an hour there. That of course I only find out because I find a lovely English speaking lady on the train cause the announcements are only in French.
The train ride continues, we get stuck again but then somehow get to Paris. An hour later than planned.
Instead of 5 1/2 hours it took me 13 (!) from Gaillac to Paris.

I meet Anne-Laure at the subway station. She is having dinner with some friends at that point and we decide to go home to one of them to have a drink.
After that straight home and to bed.

 

I wont have internet access until the 10th of August.
Sorry but you will have to live without my interesting life for a while.