So there i was sitting there minding my own business......then one of them started to look at me a bit pecular........i didnt think much of it cause it was such a nice sunny day out and i was in public.......little did i know what he had in store for me......i say he only because i could not tell the gender from 'his' face.......i looked away and continued eating my sandwich.......but just as i looked away i saw his acompliss also eyeing me from the other end of the park.....i knew it was his acompliss because they were in the same dress and both had taken this intrest in me.....well that was it i needed to leave i was fearing for the safty of me and my meal.......just as i had nonshulontly gathered my things i saw a third member of the party and they had conviend all of a stones throw away from the east side of where i sat........i stared sweating.....what was i going to do......how was i going to escape......they began to cirlce around me and a forth and fifth joined them......should i scream out......maybe i should blow my wissle that dutko told me to leave at home that i brought anyway......or should i just run.....how could this be happening to me......not in france......AHHHHHHHHHHHH........with one swift movement i stood up.......and.......they flew away......damn pigeons.....you cant get away from them not even in france.......so the main goal of that was cause i thought it was funny and would make a funny story as i sat there in the park watching the pigeons inch their way closer to me looking for a hand out.....a sub thought was maybe i could give mom a bit of a scare.........i am doing well though.....

So i should start where i left off last time in boulogne......well that morning i woke for breakfast and had some fine bread and jam along with brand X total......that is a pretty standard breakfast bread jam coffee juice the cereal was a bonus......some hostels include breakfast others charge a few bucks to include it.......steve and i chatted over our gormè meal and then it was time to pack the bags......this again was post-a-really-long-night with no sleep.....so as i am packing steve has no clue what he is doing and asks if he can try to hitch out of town with me......hummmmm......what am i gonna say no......next time i think i will......this time i simply had to endure the company........so checkout is at 11 i am ready to hit the road around 1030 but steve is not.......so i go check the route of our exit and such........well i come back and he is just about there and putting his pack on when his chest strap breaks.......ummmmm.......and he has it set in his mind he will fix it then......after a bit of no such luck i suggest he should sew it......he asks if i have i sewing kit.....course i do i am a boy scout....can i use it he asks.......of course u can..... i think; we will never leave......i go down fix my posting on this site and return to him fumbling with the needle and thread......in fact i was gonna give him one of the needles and some thread and take off but he decided to give up and leave.......finally at the stroke of checkout we are off.......i think i was just cranky after no sleep, after being in that town 2 days, and after having a ineffienct prior day........alright we are off.....cool so it is nice traveling with someone who speaks the language.....questioning is so much easier especially when it is 'which road should we stand on to hitch out of town to go to here'......i dont even know where to start with such hand signals.....so ok now for some cardboard......ah a box over in that parking lot.......as we are cutting it a couple of french guys start yelling.....prolly some not so nice words.......again good to have a cunuck......he explained us and all was well......alright almost to the thumbing spot......well as we are walking i start thinking though we are going to 2 different places it will still look like we are together.......and with his huge bushy hair he may not have been regarded as the choice hitch-hiker.......we tried about an hr in one place and then continued to a better location and another 1.5 hrs there......notta......just wasnt happening.......maybe it was the french, maybe it was too many of us......maybe my sign was sloppy.....maybe it just wasnt happening......so a la gare it was........the day was gorgeous and definatly the best day of my trip as of yet.....the sun was blaring and clouds were few.....we began the hike back from where we had started......i wanted out of this town and my pace reflected so......steves reflected i dont know what.....maybe his heavier bag......in fact i know it must have been heavier cause he had a huge sleeping bag and a bunch of other things i had not brought....he as well as man other hikers seem to carry their daypack on the front of them kinda to balance off the weight.....i am not partial to this cause it is hot enough with the pack on the back let alone having one in the front restricting air flow.....on the plus side it keeps your valubles in front of you and is easy access to guidebooks and such......either way i felt like i was the only thing keeping us going........he also had to stop for water and chips and it was just so clear we had different expectations for our journeys.......money did not seem to be any object to him and that kinda bothered me......who knows....i wanted out......at the train station i looked frantically for the nearest town to not-boulonge and south and hopefully west.......rouen (best bet) was not happening again today.......next best choice amiens......good enough basically just south but it still satisfied the not-boulonge quota.......steve was off to arras and was kinda running around trying to find out about his train and the tracks and a switching trains deal.....i needed food.....we parted without a goodbye and i felt bad but it was kinda him that left without a goodbye in search of his train.....well whichever i needed some food and a seat......purchased a ham sandwich and all was well.....well by sandwich i mean i piece of french bread and some slice of ham on it but it was food......then steve appears thinking i had left as well......i suppose a proper goodbye would be had.......we had the final meal together and parted properly......excellant......

so my thought was i wanted to spend nothing on acomodations........i wanted to be out in my tent sleeping in the outdoors of france......so when i got to amiens i went to the map......now maybe Erin can back me up on this but i clearly stated to the security gaurd 'ou est nous' as i pointed to the map......where are we.....no go......aight......ou est la gare dans le carte.......where is the train station on the map.....no go.....finally the nous sont ici..... we are here with a confused look on my face......that did it he figured out my dilema and point out where we were on the map.....my point....well even the bit of french i do know and know it is correct or at least some of it still can be hard cause of the pronounciation......even with words that are the same in french and english i would think would be easy to ask about but i still get puzzled looks......so though the french is coming back to me it is not coming out right and so makes for some intresting meetings......anyway....ok what is the best bus to take to get as far out of the city as possible in the shortest amount of time......i get on the bus ask how much and i get a number i cannot remember.....holding out my hand full of change and i think he takes about 60 cents.....risky but my goal was to get out.....it was 7 i was not stiking very good to my idea of find a place to stay early in the day.......so i get off and start hiking.....poles out and all i was on a mission......the day is still gorgeous and the sun was actually still really high for such a time of day....as i am walking it goes from stores to homes, to apartments, to subarbs, and finally farm land......ah the beauty......it was such a nice area and exactly what i wanted......this is what i would do every night......get into town by train out by bus and walk to a nice spot.....but i still had to find a campspot......so as i am walking i am finding a good number of posiblities but nothing perfect.....nothing that was out of the way, not seen from the road, and not seen from whoevers land i would be on.......i walked up into some field to check out a spot and a am greated by about a half dozen rabbits running every which way......good but if farmer brown come out and walks around in the morning there is no hinding my tent.......this land though good was just not gonna hide me......and i couldnt chance it and had to ask for some permission.......so i keep going to some houses i see in the distance......they look like nice little farm houses.....the road i am on is really similar in size to route 4......so as i get closer these house are like talcott mountain houses in burlington.....huge, beautiful, expensive, eeek........how was i to ask permission.....besides all of them had gates that were shut and some even brandished dogs....even multiple dogs......i was dead, this idea was dumb and i was gonna have to sleep in the road......sigh......but i would figure something out and if nothing else just go back to the upper field and chance it.......but then some hope......an open gate.....ahhh and the lady is even outside......i could do this......excuse-moi maddam.......she didnt here me......i couldnt do this i should run.....but i gave it another go.....pardone maddam.......and she turned around......i approached hoping my treking poles didnt look too intimidating and blithered out some lines i had been practsing for about 2 miles......i had visions and thoughts of paul achison saying 'benoit zero', and me saying 'french, i will never need french'......i think my request went as follows......Je n'ai pas l'hotel mais j'ai un equipement de camping j'utilise ici pour camping.......something like i dont have a hotel but i do have camping equipment may i use my caming equipement here.......now i knew a lot of that was totally wrong and possibly not coherant but i was hoping the idea would come across and all would be good.......after a slight hesitation probably only because such a request does not get made ever she agreed.......my new word of the night was merci.....i was so happy......i had land to sleep on.....then her daughter had come outside to see what was going on and we did proper introductions......so they invited me in while they unpacked the groceries......anna-charlette was the girls name and she was 18.....her english was quite good.....she was going to be studying economics-business-philosophy-etc.....kinda tbd......lots of good stuff......currently she was touring france taking tests to see which university she would be going to.......her mother was a teacher of kindergardeners, sort of, but they had 2/3 yrs of some schooling before that.....her mothers english not quite as good but still pretty good and communication was not that hard......they quickly invited me to dinner and i was hesitant only cause i didnt want to be too needy but accepted my of their generosity.......her father was not yet home but would be eventually and they assured me it would be ok with him and that he was an open minded man......so per annes mother we set the table and were to go out to the garden (the yard) and it was clear that ann got to play hostess to my arrival because of our age similarity and her english skills........we chatted a bit about the french and US and economics, health care, our families etc and her mom brought out some wine for me.....again hesitant but i accepted as i also didnt want to be rude turning anything down.......so then came time to start dinner as dad was not gonna arrive for a little bit still.......so we started into a lovly meal and about halfway through it seems dad was home......and i guess it was gonna kinda be a joke on him to come out to the table (outside where we were eating) to find me there, cause neither of them budged to go tell him...... they even grinned when i asked again if it would be ok my staying there and joked that no he was a monster......eek it was like i had to do the asking part all over again......he came to the door quite supprised at my presense and i stood up quickly to greet him again in some broken french and it was not nearly as reherssed as the first time.....in fact when i said my name it came out as benoit my old french name.......and last summer i found out that that name is also a brand of homosexual product, so the first thing that shoots to my head is oh no what have i just said to this man......all was good though anne finally intergected and explained my presence and he sat down to eat.....a bit baffeled but all seemed ok.......we talked a bit all of us and then the ladies left us to talk a bit as well......he was an engineer and all i can think is dutko and that this guy is really smart and i feel like i have to gain his approval being the man of the house.....it is wierd but that is the feeling i got from the house that it is still really traditional with the man of the household kinda thing.....just little cues throughout the evening but at the same time it was clear it was not because his wife was the one to allow me to stay without even asking him......anyway the evening went well and at this point quite late as well......it was prolly 1030 when we finished dinner.....we sat in the living room and exchanged stories and pictures a bit but i was getting beat....though again it was still light out which was messing with my mind......so when i asked about seting up my tent they said i could stay inside because the other sister would not be home that night.....hesistant but yeh that sounds good to me......shortly after i brought my bags upstairs.......anne kept asking how she could help and being polite as ever and all i wanted to know is what i could do for them......i had cut the tomatoes at dinner and helped to set the table but that didnt exactly own up to a nights boarding......her sister we had actually talked about out in the 'garden' seemed to have been in a bit of trouble or a sore subject because she was off with her boyfriend apt shopping......So i didnt ask about her, but anne they were quite proud of and told me all of her accomplishments.......they were proud she is off to university soon and that she belonged to the local town council, and her mother especially always commenting on how proud she was and gave that proud mother look.......i was showed to my room and there was a guitar......oh a guitar.....anne had asked me to play before so i picked it up and played the only european toon i know they all know....wonderwall......the guitar was not perfectly in tune, no capo, missing the high e string, and i figured they had been so generous i shouldnt tourture her with my singing......she lisitened and sung along a bit and i had gotten a bit of guitar in so all was good..... and then it was time for bed.......as i sat there sure my eyes would shut the momment i hit horizontal but i was so excited by the days events that i could not fall asleep....it had been a good day......though this prolly only lasted 2 minutes it was a great feeling indeed.......in the morning they were again more then graciuos.....i had a bit of breakfast and a shower and it was time to move on.....her dad was already gone but i said goodbye to them we exchanged addresses and off i went......and again no pics.....i know.....bad ben.....but i was thinking ok at least i will get one of the countryside as soon as i top the hill but about 1km up they caught up with me in their car......seeing as though they were headed to town they might as well give me a ride too.......wow excellant no walking.......they told me a bit about the cathedral in town it being the 1st one built in france.....i was almost gonna ask to get a picture but when they pulled over there was traffic and they dropped anne off first so i would have to rely on my old memmory for this experience....

i clearly had to check out the cathedral.....it was in fact huge.....all in french so i didnt learn much of it but the details and such were incredible......continuing on i purchased a great tuna sandwhich for just 3 euros and sat down in the park and had the forementioned pigeon experience......then on the walk back i was held up for real.....sort of......this guy came up mumbling something in french and i replied je ne parle pas francais so instead he made a gesture with his had like he wanted food and then made a gesture with his hand as a gun......now i am on main st in this gorgious old town with tons of people around......i dont think he was gonna be shooting me let alone owning a gun.......i just walked away and made sure he didnt follow........so no matter where you go there are still pigeons and homeless......it was sad as i thought about it but there was nothing i was gonna do......anyway train to roulen.......roulen is the death place of the famous joanne d'arc......but being a tuesday the free memmorial was closed......however the guidebook actually describes the museum which is across the street as corny but in english.....i expected nothing out of it and was willing to risk 2 euros to possibly further my knowledge......corny as it was, it was in english, and i did now know the story of joanne d'arc....i actually have a good outline of the story to paste in the journal so i will not bother telling you and you will have to google it if you are so inthralled......since roulen had not anything else to offer (well i am sure it had a ton but i didnt have time to spead....like a catherdral of its own) so i continued on to caen......at the train station i made a mistake.....i had already bought my ticket and so walked in and didnt know if i should head toward the tracks or to brouse the numerous stores but i clearly gave off that lost tourist look which i so avoid and i noticed a man looking at me......i headed out to the main area to wait for my track number......i then noticed the guy clearly surveying my and my bag and did not feel comfortable about the situation for real.......i took up a spot in the middle next to a fence where i could see everything around me......he was clearly eyeing my belongings and walked back and forth and past me a few times......he looked clean cut but dressed in informal wear......i had him pegged in my mind as a pickpocket after my run in with the finger-gun guy and after readig some crazy stories online and in a certain 'backpacking europe' book.....so i became skeptical of all people at that moment........then i noticed him following another backpacker and he saw me looking at him doing this......now i could have played this all out too much but whatever i was quite glad to know i was aware of my surroundings........for all i know maybe he was undercover security.....either way i didnt chance it and as he was looking away i made for my track which was posted finally......the train ride was good i dozed off a bit now and again.......upon arriving in caen (side note to those traveling ever in their life buying ahead of time is such a good idea......u know when your train is, you dont cut it close when you have to wait in line and the train leaves soon it is just a good idea......i have done this and it has clearly helped my i the planning of these last town train rides and the days activities)......

so caen......i arrive and think about hiking out of town but first i think i will try the auberge de junesse, youth hostel.....i used a crazy bathroom at the train station first though, which is this room that was all wet.....oh and you have to pay 30 cents first to get in.......there is a hole in the ground that you do everything in......there is a bar on the wall that helps if u need number 2 but i dont know how.....it looked more like a helping bar if you were handicapped.......luckily i only needed number 1........so i use it, wash up and get out and upon leaving the entire place gets decontaminated with a shower......i wonder how well it works but it was cool in its own way.......i get the complicated directions from the cabby to the hostel......on my way i think i am on the right track but i ask anyway.......a son mother couple were just coming out of the laundrymat and i ask them......they know very little english but my french was enough to get across i needed the hostel......they try to explain but i didnt know that much french so they say we drive you.......cool......and this actually happened earlier in the day asking a lady where the train station was.....she couldnt get her idea across so instead she turned around and walked me to point me in the right dirction.......after the night stay in amien i think all assumptions of rude french must be from paris or something cause i have yet to see it.......so at the hostel a sign claims it is full.....and i had already asked the cabby before about camping and the campgrounds were far away.......might be another night of treking and camping along the road if i could find a spot......but i asked about ofther hostels first and it seems there was one spot left......brilant........i had a home for 10 bucks.....went to the room and saved 2.50 cause i had a sleeping bag and didnt need to rent sheets.......the showers are anoying cause it is the hose deal and they are small and kinda sketchy but i cannot complain for 10 bucks a night.....also supposidly hostels dont allow sleeping bags for fear of bugs and such but do allow you to bring a sleep sheet (sheet sew in half) but who is to say that doesnt have bugs.....who knows it wasnt an issue here so whatever......after my shower a japonesse guy comes in.....cannot remember his name for the life of me.....but yeh he speaks a bit of english but mostly french as it is his second language.......at first he says he is touring france on bike and i am thinking he is in the tour de france.......i mention it a bit and he is confused.......then it clicks he is just touring around france on a bike.....that makes more sense......i made some tea and had PB and jelly.....another roomate came in who was an older frenchman who spoke nearly no english......it was intresting listening to the two of em talk cause i picked out a few things in their conversation but just their gestures said a lot.....the guy was hard of hearing and was on vacation for 2 weeks he was just leaving caen tommarrow and myself and the bike guy had yet to see the memorials....the guy seemed a bit old for the hostel as he didnt fit in and just seemed a bit peculure but yeh to each his own......shortly after he offers me a ride to the normandie memorial i was going to today.......a bit hesistant but i had no other excuse so sure......we agree on 930......he goes to early bed and so i bust out the flashlight and sort through paperwork and such and then fall asleep......amazingly as he is falling alseep he starts to snore and i think oh great but he gets up goes tot he bathroom and not another peep out of him when he returns to z land.......in the morining we all get up proptly which was excellant and have breakfast.......he gives me the ride earlier cause i was ready and i think he felt forced to leave but i just didnt want to be late for him....he semed quite anal as he had everything just so and everything he did was done in a meticulous way........he drops me at the memorial and i thank him........the memorial was great cause it is in english as well and really well done......it is also quite pricy and so touristy.......so many american kids who were completly unapretiative, rude, anoying, cluttering.......i really hope i wasnt like that......it has been quite a grey day but i thought that was appropriote for the experience up until the sky opened......rain again......but serious rain this time......sigh.......but i got to see the whole history leading up to WWII and then all the interworkings of D Day.....there was a movie without words depecting the landing which was done really well....amazing what they can show without words....universal language......i also found they had a nobel prize exibit that no one was in so that was really nice to see......and i went outside to see the american memorial as the skies were not looking pretty......i wondered the whole time if i saw grandpa joes face if i would recognize it.....i wondered how many of these people were known and if they knew they were part of this place....reading some of the letters it was quite moving and fairly unimaginable what all these soldiers went through....so after 3 hrs at the museum i felt i should head out, a lot out of frustration as to how crowded it got......but i got to see the movie while there was no line and i had seen most of the museum....it is one of those plces you could spend a few days reading everything and still not see it all.....in fact i felt like one of the few that was reading things cause the kids just walked through talking about how they got to sit next to sally on the bus or how cute jimmys hair was today....frustraiting....i even remembered to take a few pics......but to find this one cyber cafe in town i am so wet......it had started raining a bit before i left the museum so it had picked up to a good pace by the time i got there.....normally walking is cool with me but considering the conditions a bus ride would be cool.....though i had the pack cover over the backpack and the gortex rainjacket on the shorts were still getting wet and i cannot stand the rain when i am not prepared to get wet.....the buses are easy to understand and figure out except for which stop to get off of.........the drivers are sometimes helpful and sometimes too busy.......so there was still a bit of walking and i am so wet right now......i had to dry off before venturing more......i am warm though thanks to synthetics and actaully pretty dry after 2 hrs of typing......so with that said i should be off with mont st michel in the future pending the appropriote trains/buses are around........also the pic above is a normandy pic which is again appropriote.......aigh til later