Parler….parler…..chat…..parler…..connect……parler…..chat……on and on it goes….
Here’s a news flash for you….I love to travel! I love to see new things, experience new cultures and marvel at the wonders of the areas that I am visiting. But for me, equal to seeing the “things” along the way, is meeting the people as I go along. I have told you about a few of them in my past blog posts.
I seem to connect with interesting people wherever I go. Sometimes I find them……and, sometimes they find me. On this trip, it has been a good mix of both. But, regardless of how I find them, people just seem to be comfortable telling me their stories, no matter what the situation. And, somehow, I just can’t turn away. I like to hear the stories (although, I have to admit I have heard some stories over the course of time that I could have done without. HA!). Tony, my friend at the winery where I work, says people share information with me because I always ask questions. It’s true. When people start talking, I start asking questions. And, before I know it, I have made a connection.
At the beginning of my sojourn, I didn’t need to make an effort to meet people. I had a nice start, thanks to my San Luis Obispo “coach”. Then, I started the classes at the school. There, we were a “mélange”of people trying to learn to speak french. We were in class together everyday in a very intimate learning situation. How could you not meet people and connect?! But, now, after the classes are over, it’s a little different. It takes a little more effort to connect. So, I have put my networking skills into play. I’m happy to say that it’s working! I have met some pretty interesting and amazing people in the last few weeks from all over world. And, I’m kind of impressed with myself for having made the effort to find them.
I’d like to tell you about the nice people I have met here in France “on my own steam”.
My first encounter took place on the day after Thanksgiving. After about two almost solid weeks of wind and rain, I decided that I needed to treat myself to a really nice meal. So, I got on the internet and in my usual research method checked out the reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp. After some research, I decided on a restaurant named “L’Alcove”. It was highly rated on both sites and not too far from my apartment. So, I called and made a reservation.
It took me a minute to find it. It is in an old section of town on one of those narrow, winding streets that are so common here in Aix en Provence. After I entered the foyer of the restaurant, I carefully made my way down a very tiny circular staircase into the dining room. It was a challenge on par with mounting the stairs in some of the old castles I have visited in my time here……especially challenging for those of us with eye issues. But, I made it, got to my table that was in a room with about 10 tables and sat down.
In a few minutes, a woman came in and sat at the table behind me. She turned around and, en français, asked me she could join me. Of course, I said “yes”. Before we knew it, we were talking, en anglais, about our common experience at the IS Language School (she was just finishing up) and our home country of the United States. My delightful dinner companion was an attorney from Manhattan who, like me, has a fascination with the french culture. Over a wonderful…and lengthy…..dinner of foie gras, veal with mushroom sauce, and of course, wine, we compared notes on a wide variety of things from learning french to retirement to the holidays and beyond. On parting we exchanged email addresses so that we could stay in touch and she could find and read my blog. What a nice dinner surprise!
My next encounter was even more surprising. I mentioned in an earlier post that I had begun exploring the small towns outside of Aix that I could get to by bus. On one of the days, I visited Puyloubier in the heart of the wine region. I was too late to do any tasting and, so, thought I would go back the next day at a better time during the day. Sadly, it rained the next day and I didn’t feel like tramping around in the rain to do wine tasting. (This was before the purchase of the quirky rubber boots!) So, instead, I stopped in at Adrian’s coffee emporium to have a coffee and work on my blog post.
It was mobbed! There were people everywhere. They were all Americans who were cruising the Mediterranean and had stopped off for a guided tour of Aix en Provence. We chatted (they were very interested in what I was doing here)…..and then the tour guide joined us. I told her what I was doing in Aix en Provence and mentioned that now that my classes were over, I was looking for someone to practice my french with. Maybe she knew someone who might be interested.
After a bit of thought, she said, “What about me? It’s now the off season for my business and it’s very slow, so I have time. I want to improve my english. Maybe we can help each other.”
Deal!
She and I have met twice since then to practice. Of course, as we have been talking, we have gotten to know each other a little bit. We find that we have a lot in common with our love of travel, food and wine and also our interest in languages. Yesterday, she took me out of Aix for lunch, to tour some of the local wine country and to visit Ventabren, one of the small hill towns, which was just beautiful. Even she was amazed at how lovely it was with its Christmas lights in full force. She had never been there at Christmas! Hard to believe!
I have to throw this in as well. I had a very adventurous lunch at this cute little local restaurant we went to. I had something called “poulpe”, better known to you as “octopus”. It was done like a “beef bourguignon”. I can say without a doubt that I would not have tried this had I not been with my new friend. Octopus…..hmmmmm…But, it was delicious! I’m glad I had the experience!
We chatted along and before we knew it, it was dark and we needed to part. But, what a great afternoon. Sadly, this will be my last opportunity to spend time with her. But, we have exchanged email information and I am certain we will be in touch. She, too, is interested in doing an immersion….but, in the United States to improve her english. Who knows, maybe she will be our next visitor for the guest house!
I found my next group of people on the internet of all things. In San Luis Obispo, we have an internet organization, called “meet-up” that connects people with common interests. I wasn’t sure, but I thought they were at least a national organization. So, I went to my trusty lap top and started to search for a “meet-up” group, or something like it, in Aix en Provence.
Much to my surprise, I found a group of people here who are doing a “language exchange”. About 15-20 people meet on a weekly basis to talk to people who are trying to improve either their english or their french. They were meeting at a cafe in town that I knew, so I decided to try it out. I have now gone several times and have met people from Germany, France, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Romania…..and the list goes on. Most of them are in France for work. But, some are here just because they wanted to live in France for awhile. Most of them are trying to learn english, but a few are english speakers that are trying to learn french. It’s quite an eclectic group…and the conversation is rousing at times!
I had coffee today with one member of the group who writes novels. We met at a little book store here in town that caters to an english-speaking clientele. They sell her books translated into English from German. They were on special today, so I bought a few. She signed them. (Some of you will be getting a copy for Christmas. I thought this was fun!) My German friend would like to do a language immersion in the United States to improve her english. We talked about her renting our little guest house in California for a time. We exchanged information. Maybe she will be the second visitor for the guest house! Who knows!
I realized at the end of my day today, that during this french “immersion”, I have “parlèed” and chatted with more people from more places than I ever dreamed possible……and, I made a few friends along the way……Some will be friends for a day and some will be friends for a longer time. Either way, I have benefitted from meeting all of them and the memory of their smiling faces and helpful chatter will be stamped in my mind for a lifetime!
Travel With Betsy 
Leave a comment