Train Strike

Thursday 19 June

Last night I was asking Julian about the food in Normandy and what I needed to try. I wake up to a note saying that if I want to have a real Norman breakfast I should put Calvados in my coffee. I don't intend to actually do it, it's 9am after all, until I find this mug... Leftover from an America theme party Julian threw. So now I HAVE to. 

#america

I need to take the 12:15 train to Bayeaux then the bus to Colleville and Omaha beach so I left the flat at 11. I get to the station and am very confused because the departures screen is only showing trains starting at 14:15.  I ask an attendant and discover my train isn't running because of the strikes, and the trains start running again at 14:15. Well, that's not going to work because I need to be at the Calvados distillery by 2:30 for my English speaking tour. I decide to postpone the whole plan until tomorrow and hope the trains are running by then. I consult my map and see that I'm near the hippodrome, so I head there. If anything it will be a nice place to study the map and decide my route. 

Lucky for me I got there in time to see a warm up and a race!

I have no idea who won, but I could hear yelling so it was an exciting finish. Also, it looks very uncomfortable to ride that way but what do I know. 

I then start walking aimlessly through the city. 

Is it just me or are all these churches starting to blend together?

Place de la Résistance 

I got sucked into Château de Caen for 4 hours. It's free to walk around, you just have to pay if you want to go into the museums, so of course I had to walk everywhere and see every angle of the ruined castle. 

I finally tear myself away and head to the cathedral across the street. 

 

I go up a street filled with shops and end up near some impressive looking buildings. 

I soon realize that it's Town Hall, where Julian works, and L'Abbey-aux-Hommes, where William the Conqueror was buried. 

I take a look at my map, and see a very large green space by the Abbey aux Dames. Ahh grassy shade. (It's over 80 and sunny again) It's so far away... My feet hurt... But it's only 4pm and I probably won't have another day in the city for sightseeing. *sigh* I can do it. 

Just some kids playing soccer around some ancient ruins. 

Finally I make it!

Yay. Shade. I enjoy an hour with my feet in the grass, then get a text from Julian saying if I meet him at the town hall he can drive me back to the flat. It's a deal. I quick pop into the supermarket for some food, then meet him under the American flag in front of the town hall. 

Once at the flat we change and go to his friends house for a dinner party. Everyone was incredibly nice, and I entertained myself by trying to understand the French spoken around me. I understood the general conversation. Sometimes. haha Julian had to be my translator. All of a sudden it was midnight so we all said goodbye. Checked online and it said that the train strikes are over, so I'm optimistic for my adventure tomorrow.