Friendly people and coincidence, a great mix!

It’s vacation and magically I managed to sleep until 1:30 today. I don’t think I’ve been able to sleep in that late without the aid of heavy partying the night before in quite a few years. After the initial shock of what time it was, I managed to get myself out on the town to run the two errands I needed to take care of before departing for Switzerland tomorrow. I made sure to leave the apartment well after lunch time when everything closes down until 2pm. Surprisingly however, as a walked around town all the shops, restaurants and offices remained closed. I’m pretty sure that November 1st isn’t a religious holiday and even if there was a strike today, only the governmental offices would be closed. Feeling a bit defeated, after a tour around town, I started walking back home. Along the main drag, I ran into a lady with her 4 year old daughter and just as I passed we met eyes as she exclaimed her disappointment in everything being closed. Slightly annoyed myself, I asked her if she knew why and she simply explained that it was the 1st of the month. So I guess all in all there’s a reason why I slept till 1:30. I’m really starting to get this French mentality thing! After talking for a few minutes, my blatant anglophone accent caught her attention, asking me if I was English. I explained, that in fact I was American. Turns out her 17 year old daughter, one of 4 was going to study in the States next year. We talked a bit more and after exchanging names, I gave Dominique my cell number, telling her or her daughter to feel free to call if they had any questions about the States. She in turn invited me over for a future cafe. These little things are what I love about France. I have rarely had a negative encounter with a French person. For the most part, all my encounters unfold like this one, leaving me with numerous future dates for dinner and coffee. *Note: After speaking with my past host mom, I found out that November 1st is a national day for remembering the deceased and visiting their graves. That would explain all the closings.