Hello again!

It feels like ages since I wrote, net access has been harder to come by for the past little while. I am now in Paris, having since my last entry at Essaouira been back to Marrakech, through Marseille to Castelnaudary and on to La Ferriere before arriving here by train yesterday in the evening.

So, to finish up on my Moroccan experiences: Essaouira was probably one of the most relaxing weeks of my life. We fell into a routine very rapidly which involved waking late, either going out for breakfast or having something simple at home, making it to the beach at around 11am, swimming a bit, sunbaking a bit, wandering to the fish souk and picking a fresh fish to have cooked on the spot (if not going to the butcher and the vegie souk and buying ingredients for an awesome tagine), wandering the other souks a bit on the way home for a siesta and then in the evening either going back to stroll the beach or watching the sunset over the ocean from the ramparts or again wandering the souks and finding something good for dinner. I could and did get used to this very quickly!

On our last day in Essaouira, we went and bought a 30L bucket which we then took to the port where you can buy fish off the boat. We loaded this bucket with so many fish, and then packed it with ice from a nearby cart so that it would stay cool for 2 1/2 hours in the boot of another taxi collectif. This would have been easily $250 worth of fish at home, and we paid about $30 if you include the bucket. "The family" back in Marrakech were very appreciative as fish is hard to get there and is never fresh. We had some that night with delicious spices, as well as more bread and olives and salad and so on. The rest went into the freezer.

I spent a good three hours of that night incapacitated as I had henna applied to both hands and wrists and both feet and ankles, palms and soles included. The designs are so pretty, and it was such a lovely time up there on the terrace chatting with everyone via gestures, pidgin Arabic (mine, very limited), pidgin French and translations courtesy of those who spoke both languages.

The following morning I was up at 3am to catch the red-eye to Marseille. This was the first time that I actually needed the full 2 hours before the flight to get through all the queues, etc. C'est le Maroc, or so I am told. Flight was good, and I was able to stretch across three seats and sleep a bit.

From the Marseille airport I caught a shuttle to the main station and bought my ticket to Castelnaudary. With three hours up my sleeve before my train's departure, I decided to go and look for an internet cafe so I could notify the Connoirs of my arrival in France. There wasn't one in the station and I was advised to take the 10 minute walk to the CBD where I ought to be able to find one. About 50m along the route, my 30kg of luggage and I decided to take the quick way down a flight of marble stairs and slid the length of it. Ow! I have bruises all over my legs and up one side of my torso, of a shade of blue I have never seen before in a bruise. Still, if that's the worst of it, which it appears to be, then I'm lucky. Following this experience I decided to post a few kilos of stuff home so that next time it happens it won't hurt as much.

I saw little of Marseille, but enough to convince me that it is worth a return trip. Ditto Provence in general, some very beautiful scenes flashed past the train window.

I arrived at Castelnaudary station in the early evening and was met by Jean-Yves and his new dog Maia (to fill in those of you who don't know who this is, I stayed with Jean-Yves, Mimie, Mikael and Aurelie when I did my exchange in France almost 10 years ago. Following a divorce Jean-Yves is now living in the South of France, while the rest of the family has stayed in the West). It was good to see Jean Yves again, and I stayed two nights in his appartment. We took an excursion around the surrounding area on one day and saw the citadel at Carcassone as well as driving up the Black Mountain for a view towards the Pyrenees and a look at an old Chateau in Saissac and an Abbey in St Papoul.

The following day I caught the train again, this time up to La Roche where I met Mimie at the station and we drove to La Ferriere. It was great to see Mimie and Mickael and Aurelie again, too, and to see what has changed in a decade (not a lot, in fact). The house is still more or less the same, and Mimie's home grown vegies and her cooking are still excellent! Ten years I have waited to again taste mojettes vendeens, and I was not disappointed.

I also caught up with two of the friends I made while at high school during my exchange, Vanessa and Freddy. Both were well and it was good to see them, too.

Yesterday I was again on the train. I arrived at Montparnasse at 6pm and was at the appartment I have rented just after 7pm. It is lovely, charming, and in a great (if steep) spot in Montmartre. Have had a few walks around the area last night and this morning and love it! Today I am going to just walk around Montmartre and see the Basillica and the Place du Tertre and walk the length of Rue Lepic. Tomorrow I have planned myself a market tour, and another one on Monday. There is so much to see and do (and eat!) here - is a week enough?