Crazy Day

It truly was. I started out the day by meeting two friends at a pool over on the little island. It was ten euro to get in, which was dumb, but it was a reeeeaally swank pool, so hey, for a one-time thing I figured it was okay. And it was all very pretty and we swam for a little bit, then got out to lay out in the sun. We'd been in our chairs for about twenty minutes before one of the pool employees came over and asked to see our receipts. We were a little confused, like maybe they thought we snuck in, so we went to get them. But he shook his head and said that he had meant the receipts for the pool chairs....another 5 euro! Finding this ridiculous, we gathered our towels and things and put them in the locker room, then just stayed in the pool the rest of the time. But after a couple hours I had to head back to the house to change, pack up my potato salad, and make it to the bus station.

We took the bus to the small town of Carpentras, only about half an hour away, where Monsieur Patris met us at the stop. He's the current president of the French/English Alliance here. At the stop we had our picture taken for the local paper. After that, he showed us around the city for a couple hours, stopping by a cathedral, a book store with an art exhibit in the back (the artist was actually an 89-year-old Ohioan), and a converted chapel that was housing a photography show. Then we divided ourselves up among a few cars and were driven to his home outside the town.

There awaited us a big porch festively decorated with American and French flags. Inside the house were several people, including one American high-schooler, a few English couples, and some older French people. Except for the one other American, it was us students and then Frogs and Brits ranging 40-90. Despite the age gap, it was a lively time. Everyone was excessively friendly and hospitable, and the food was delicious. My real American potato salad was a big hit.

They set it up so all 5 tables had 2 American students each. My friend Amanda and I were seated with Madame Patris' parents, an elderly couple that had been married 54 years! We were later joined by another couple, maybe in their fifties, and the husband was a real talkative guy. Very funny, too. Between he and the Patris' son, Frederic, there were plenty of jokes and banter. As the night wore on, everyone got more and more crazy and funny. My friend Chase had brought along his guitar and we students treated everyone to a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner (primarily led by me, I have to admit...I know all the words). Then we attempted the Marseillaise, the national anthem of France, but thankfully that's when the Frenchies took the lead because hardly any of us knew it. After that, we had about an hour-long sing-a-long, French songs and American songs alike. The Beatles, the Eagles, Aretha, even a little Lady Gaga. It was so much fun! Just one of those moments you wish you could film and keep forever. I know I'll never forget ten American students and twenty-odd French and British adults singing along to Simon and Garfunkel, mumbling the words they don't know and belting the ones they do. It was truly a wonderful night.

Tomorrow we're going to try a different pool, and after that I might think about starting the homework I've been putting off all weekend.

Love,
Natalie