I made it to France. Just after the border I stopped and had a lovely meal at a restaurant/farmhouse to celebrate.
I spent my first night in France at a lovely campsite just south of Lille, and my second in Preux-au-bois, a beautiful hill town in Northern France. I particularly enjoyed visiting the local patisserie/boulangerie and strapping a baguette to my bike before biking up to the campsite for a dinner of baguette, fresh roadside strawberries, fromage frais, and belgian chocolate. Fantastic.
The next day I decided to detour out of my way and go to the Matisse museum (not the museum referenced in the title of this blog) in Cateau Cambresis. It was a quiet museum, and I enjoyed some pieces of the collection very much. The best part, however, was how lovely the desk staff were. They dealt with my stumbling French graciously, accepted my two panniers (with drying socks strung along the outside), tent, and even offered to charge my ipod behind their front desk. Above and beyond the call of duty I say.
In fact, Cateau Cambresis (or the area thereabouts) contained some of the nicest people I met on this trip. After leaving the Matisse museum, I went across the road for lunch. The blustery wind made for good conversation as people chased after napkins and maps and menus while trying to remain sitting outside. Within a few minutes I met a lovely couple, and one of their mums. The couple, having only been married two days before, offered up a room in their mum's house where they were staying until they went back to their home in Lille (this was all within 10 minutes of beginning talking to them). They were off to clean up the reception hall from the wedding festivities (not allowing me to help), and pointed me in the direction of a Lace Museum in Caudry (where Kate of The Royal Wedding got her lace for her wedding dress). They handed me instructions for how to get to their home, and went on their way. In fact, I had to run after them to introduce myself and ask their names :)
Cut to me, Mary Crooks, going to a lace museum. In fact, Le Musee des Dentelles et Broderies en Caudry was really interesting. The pattern design that goes into each piece of lace is beyond what I'd ever imagined. These days it is done on the computer, but originally a designer made a sketch with math paper, which is somehow codified onto these cards, allowing a machine to create the pattern linking the threads. Who thinks of these things, really.
One more feather in my "knowledge of how things are made" cap. Amazing.
Upstairs they had some lovely examples of fashion using Caudry lace. Big names, and probably more exciting to those who know about these kind of things, it was still interesting to see the different styles and patterns, and reflect on the process that brought these dresses into creation.
I then biked to my new found friends' house, and had a fantastic dinner out on the porch, attempting to follow the conversation--to varying degrees of success. I got to see photos from their wedding, and in return I painted them a small picture of my house in New Zealand (offering up my parents' place at some unknown time in the future in return for their hospitality). My first bed in quite some time was very much appreciated. Can't complain about French hospitality at all! And, in the morning they sent me off with breakfast, a map of a bike route avoiding major hills, and lots of ideas for new destinations.
I spent my first night in France at a lovely campsite just south of Lille, and my second in Preux-au-bois, a beautiful hill town in Northern France. I particularly enjoyed visiting the local patisserie/boulangerie and strapping a baguette to my bike before biking up to the campsite for a dinner of baguette, fresh roadside strawberries, fromage frais, and belgian chocolate. Fantastic.
The next day I decided to detour out of my way and go to the Matisse museum (not the museum referenced in the title of this blog) in Cateau Cambresis. It was a quiet museum, and I enjoyed some pieces of the collection very much. The best part, however, was how lovely the desk staff were. They dealt with my stumbling French graciously, accepted my two panniers (with drying socks strung along the outside), tent, and even offered to charge my ipod behind their front desk. Above and beyond the call of duty I say.
In fact, Cateau Cambresis (or the area thereabouts) contained some of the nicest people I met on this trip. After leaving the Matisse museum, I went across the road for lunch. The blustery wind made for good conversation as people chased after napkins and maps and menus while trying to remain sitting outside. Within a few minutes I met a lovely couple, and one of their mums. The couple, having only been married two days before, offered up a room in their mum's house where they were staying until they went back to their home in Lille (this was all within 10 minutes of beginning talking to them). They were off to clean up the reception hall from the wedding festivities (not allowing me to help), and pointed me in the direction of a Lace Museum in Caudry (where Kate of The Royal Wedding got her lace for her wedding dress). They handed me instructions for how to get to their home, and went on their way. In fact, I had to run after them to introduce myself and ask their names :)
Cut to me, Mary Crooks, going to a lace museum. In fact, Le Musee des Dentelles et Broderies en Caudry was really interesting. The pattern design that goes into each piece of lace is beyond what I'd ever imagined. These days it is done on the computer, but originally a designer made a sketch with math paper, which is somehow codified onto these cards, allowing a machine to create the pattern linking the threads. Who thinks of these things, really.
One more feather in my "knowledge of how things are made" cap. Amazing.
Upstairs they had some lovely examples of fashion using Caudry lace. Big names, and probably more exciting to those who know about these kind of things, it was still interesting to see the different styles and patterns, and reflect on the process that brought these dresses into creation.
I then biked to my new found friends' house, and had a fantastic dinner out on the porch, attempting to follow the conversation--to varying degrees of success. I got to see photos from their wedding, and in return I painted them a small picture of my house in New Zealand (offering up my parents' place at some unknown time in the future in return for their hospitality). My first bed in quite some time was very much appreciated. Can't complain about French hospitality at all! And, in the morning they sent me off with breakfast, a map of a bike route avoiding major hills, and lots of ideas for new destinations.
Fingers crossed you continue to have wonderful French hospitality. I'm encountering many French backpackers that are telling me NOT to go to France because the people there are rude and unfriendly. Bugger!
ReplyDeleteI really have so far. I think as long as you really try your best to speak some French, they are perfectly happy. Seems to me that the language aspect is their big issue? How are you doing?
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