Josh and Rachel Take a Trip

Our adventures in Normandy actually started the night before. I chose the apartment we stayed in because it had wi-fi and a washing machine. Our trip was two weeks, but we only packed for one, with the intention of washing and reusing. Washing and reusing is a great plan if you can: A) read how to operate the machinery in a foreign language, and B) use context clues and deductive reasoning to execute what you’re able to decipher.

First things first: we had to figure out which machine was the washer and which was the dryer. We had a tense moment where soap almost went into the dryer, but we got ourselves straight just in time. We got our clothes in the right machine, put soap in what we thought was the appropriate drawer and turned the foreign dial on. I know we were doing something wrong because the digital timer read 192. Was that minutes?

It was. Thankfully, it did the job, but with two loads of washing and drying and then packing to do… yoy. The dryer also 2.5 hours to dry each load, so we didn’t sleep much with all the gonk-gonk-gonk of the machine. The night was long.

I can’t complain much about the apartment set-up, though. It gave us little in the way of the support that a concierge at a hotel might offer, but it gave much more in other ways. We were able to dine in a couple times, which was nice. We were able to do our laundry at no cost, even if it was difficult. The bathtub with sprayer, or “shath” as Josh lovingly referred to it, was a challenge but also got the job done. The apartment also allowed us more room than a hotel (in my price range anyway) would. Above all, it was a little home away from home:

We’ll miss it.

Not just the apartment, of course. After getting over our initial terror of the hustle-bustle of the city, Paris really began feeling comfortable. What appears as chaos is actually a smooth running machine. The whole city operates on a system, and once you understand the system, you can flow along with the locals.

I had heard that Parisians are rude - it’s untrue. Things move fast, and as a foreigner you are not a part of the city’s smooth-moving routine. Your lack of knowledge of the system creates an inconvenience and delay. They are rarely rude about it, even if they aren’t overly friendly. We met several people that offered smiles and directions.

Many people did speak English, which was comforting, but there were a couple people that didn’t at all. In a food/retail setting, you can get your point across with basic French. Even fumbling with the language is appreciated, and a polite “Parden me, but do you speak English, I only speak a little French,” went a long way.

I wish I’d had more time to shop, to sight-see, to wander and explore. I wish I’d had more time to eat, to drink, and learn/practice more of my abysmal French. I wish I’d bought shoes.

We’ve already discussed returning to Paris, and we miss the city. Josh said it was beginning to feel like home… but this thang ain’t over yet, kids. Now we’re off to Normandy…

But first, here’s one for you mom:

Yep, she’s a teapot. We found her in our apartment. Ain’t she a beaut?