I caught the train from Bordeaux early in the morning, and it was nice to see the sun rise as I made my way to the station. I got a little confused trying to find the right platform, as I could only see signs to platforms A, B and C when I needed platfrom 8. Eventually I asked a passerby for help. Unfortunately they were lost themselves, but they did manage to point me in the right direction, as that was were they had come from. I didn’t feel so hopeless once I new even French people were getting lost.
It was a nice train ride, lots of pretty countryside to watch from the windows. I think we caught the outskirts of Angoulême and Poitiers, and from what I could see they appeared to be quite pretty towns. I think I would enjoy a visit to both or one of them if I get the chance during my stay here.
When I arrived in Tours, it was cold and wet. It also happened to be the start of the lunch hour, during which it would be impossible to collect my keys. I heaved my bags with me over to a little sandwicherie to buy a baguette for lunch, then I lugged them back to the train station to eat. A while later, I took the tram to Sanitas – the university residence at which I had to hand over my paperwork and pick up my keys. It took a little while to make sure everything was in order and I was very glad that the woman helping me was so patient and willing to make sure I settled in well.
Keys in hand, I then caught a bus to take me to my own résidence. I took the lift to the first floor, turned the key in the lock and opened the door. I was met with a small but well kept apartment. I was suprised at how reasonably clean everything seemed to be, considering that this is student accommodation. I was able to unpack my suitcase fully for the first time since leaving Australia. I was glad to have sheets from home to make the bed with- although this highlighted the fact that I had no pillow.
I went down to the nearest shopping centre (thanks google!) to buy a few essential homey things: dishwashing detergent, sponges/clothes, a frying pan, a bowl, spoons, forks, hand soap, the list goes on. I ended up making two big trips- one for house things, the other for food. Having equipped myself with all the most basic essentials, I went to bed, sleeping soundly enough that I wasn’t bothered by the fact that the supermarket didn’t sell a single pillow.
The next day, I went to enroll at the university. After filling in the paperwork, I was invited to pick and choose from items left over from students leaving Tours last semester. I gained a grater, a saucepan and lid, a plate, some knives, cooking utensils and best of all, a decent pillow. What more could you want?
The Great French Adventure 