All by myself, I left to France. My entire journey took about 24 hours, as expected. My flights were quick and easy. The gate I arrived at was immediately next to my gate for France, which was very convenient. Despite my usual aversion, I ate by myself at a restaurant. Wanting something light to fill me, I ordered a salad. As you can tell from the photo, I couldn't resist the fries (which I should have since they were frozen). I've noticed that a salad that isn't tossed in dressing is not a dressed salad. I find that salads should be evenly coated.
I arrived at 7:45 in Paris. The excitement didn't start there because I waited in line for an hour for passport check followed by a trip to find the train. Once seated on the train, I finally took a second to relax and check in with the family. I woke mommy and daddy up from their deep slumber to keep me company. Eventually I realized that I didn't speak French in the TGV with french announcements. I asked daddy to search for me. I was finally at ease.
half way through the trip, a young (french-speaking man) booted me out of his seat. Now I know that there were assigned seats on the train. After a slow 4 hours, I arrived in Montpellier. In Montpellier I went to the information desk to ask where to go next. A girl waited in front of me and also asked how to go to Agde. I followed her and asked her if she was attending Gastronomicom. When she said yes, I was so excited to meet my first classmate. Her name was Tiffany and she was from the Philippines.
While we waited for the bus, I bumped into my neighbor and his daughter from the TGV. He was Moroccan, but lived in Belgium. He became my personal translator for the last leg of the trip. What was supposed to be a quick 30-minute trip took over an hour and a half. My new friend pieced informed me that there was an accident that left a major traffic jam on the tracks. Instead of 4:30, Tiffany and I made it around 5:30.
Once in Agde, I lugged our suitcases up the stairs. We bumped into two more English speakers - Victoria and her mom, Jennifer. I whipped out my phone to call Lise. She and Stephanie quickly made the way to the station to get the four of us. Shortly after i made it, my roomate Erica joined me in the apartment.
As the sun was slowly setting, I met the others for a stroll on the beach. I wore my typical beachware, which was not sufficient for the chilly French air. The lady at check-in recommended a restaurant on the beach, Mangos. We walked with our feet in the water until we reached the restaurant. I ordered the tomato-mozzarella-pesto panini. It was a light dinner, perfect for a long day of traveling. I also sipped on "El Trinidad" (Prosecco, white wine, lime juice, pomegranate and lots of ice). It was light and refreshing, my new favorite cocktail for the beach.
When I came back, I unpacked and crashed on my bed until morning. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
Note: Mid- September in Agde needs a cardigan. If you get cold like mommy, you'll need a parka.
Feeling
Anxious to start
Exhausted
Dehydrated
Cold- need a blanket!