Chapter 11: Mordeaux - The end of the Road.

The next morning I awoke with a start to a text message from Anna, letting me know she was online so we could video chat. We chatted for some time, while I lay in my bed and soon I rose to open the blinds to my first sunny day in Europe. When I hung up with Anna, Mary and I went out to the second market area in town and had a brunch of a cheese and meat plate.
After which, Mary finally bought herself a beanie which she knocked down from 5 to 3 euros, "But I have only 3 euros. I don't even have 50 centimes!"
"Oh, okay."
"You're sneaky." I said as we walked away. Mary showed me her school and the beautiful old church next to it and then we walked down to the giant park nearby - once there we saw ganders of geese and flocks of swan and ducks and I thumbed my ring and though of Anna.
After here, we trammed across town to find me some new pens (which I write with now, ho ho) and Mary a scarf - which she never ended up buying. On our way down the road, I bought a couple of Super Cookies for 2 euros. Seriously, these things were like the size of my face. We turned off Rue St Katherine onto a side street, just exploring before we hit the cinema at 17h30.
"I like exploring the city with you," Mary said as we walked down a small cobblestone street, "I discover new places, even for me who lives here!"
Pretty soon it was time to catch the train to the cinema to see "L'Emmerdeur" - the closest description to which is a French version of "The Odd Couple"...if one of them were an assassin and the other suicidal and emotional. I know. But it was pretty good. We left there hungry and we decided to get some dinner, "I know a place." she said. We caught the tram back and began walking and soon, Mary grimaced, "What's wrong?" I asked.
"We're at my place," she said, "We went the wrong way. We were supposed to go 2 stops that way," she said pointing behind us, "but now we have to travel 4 because we came 2 this way." So we did. We reached the finance offices and a fork in the road, "Which way do you think?" she asked.
"Let's take the left." So we did and soon found the restaurant.
It was a racqulette specialty house, but with a stupid policy that only the person who ordered the racqulette can eat it, and anyone caught sharing in it would have to pay full price also, so our evening consisted of me and Mary finding creative ways to sneak her racqulette while the waitresses backs were turned. Beside us sat an older couple, who were obviously a little drunk, but also very obviously in love as they held each other's hands across the table the whole time and when the food was gone they kissed the hands, and they'd giggle.
"I love seeing that," said Mary, "you can tell they are young in their head and very in love. It's very sweet."
"Yeah," I said, "may we all be so lucky at that age."
Along with our meal we ordered a cocktail called a Green Day, made with blue curacao, orange juice and liquer. It was tall, fruity and delicious.
After we paid for dinner we walked home, the cold wind against our uncovered faces, walking off the intense amount of cheese I had just injested, "I think my soul is covered with cheese." I said as we walked, and we laughed.
We climbed the cold, stone steps up to Mary's apartment and I called Anna for a while. Mary, too, called her boyfriend and ended up angry, so when I hung up with Anna, I went to comfort her. She was in the living rroom, curled on the couch eating chocolate. So I gave her a big hug and we walked about it for a while and watched "Les Experts" - or CSI translated into French. I soon packed my bags and we hit the bed, to wake up in 4 and a half hours to get me to my train station.

- from The Journal December 21st 2008.