21st November

I’m going to make a hat this afternoon! Can’t wait!

I spent the morning pottering and writing and then set off in good time to drive to Joués à Tours. Less than a 15 minute journey but it was the first time I’d driven in over a week, and the first time here, so I felt a little nervous as I set off. I was also worrying already about parking when I got back here again- but more about the dreaded parking later!

I got to where the satnav said I needed to be with 10 minutes to spare but I couldn’t see anywhere that looked like somewhere you might make a hat! I know! It sounds like another Lindy Hop/Harry Potter moment doesn’t it?! I’d parked outside a nursery school and, as I was wandering about feeling lost, the lollipop lady appeared. I asked if she could help me. She couldn’t but she asked another lady who was passing and, between us, we realised that where I needed to be was the house we were standing almost right in front of!!! I thanked them for their help and asked if I could leave my car where it was but they said no, I needed to move it, as that area was reserved for parents of the children at the school. They pointed out though a car park across the road that I could use.

I went to get back in the car and noticed something on my windscreen- right at the bottom in the corner. It was a parking ticket! 25 euros! I didn’t have my glasses on so couldn’t read all the details but I was just amazed that in the 5 or 10 minutes that I’d been parked where I shouldn’t have been someone had given me a ticket- and I was standing only metres away!!!

So this means, of course, that I arrived at my course late and extremely flustered! I needn’t have worried about my tardiness though because both Chantal and her husband Philippe are extremely chilled and laid back- and very lovely:)

I told them about the parking ticket. Philippe looked at it for me and told me it wasn’t from today but from several days earlier! The 16th- and whilst the car was parked in the square where I’m staying. So it must have been stuck to the windscreen since then. I guess now is as good a time as any to explain about the parking here. So here goes………

Before I booked this place I enquired about the parking and the reply I got was positive- so here I am. However, it’s not as positive as I had thought. There is no parking exclusive to the property and all the parking on the square I am staying on is paid from 9am to 12 midday, then 2pm to 6.30pm every day except Sunday. Parking starts at 1euro90 for an hour and goes up to 25euros for 3 hours!!! I know!!! You can pay at the machine or by using an app called Whoosh! (name includes the exclamation mark) and apparently what most people do is pay for 2 hours (3euros80) and just keep renewing it via the app. There is some free parking behind the building I am staying in but it really belongs to the surrounding apartments and all of the spaces have a barrier that, if it’s raised, means you can get into the space.

So I’ve been parking on the square outside the apartment, paying 2 hours, setting the alarm on my phone to remind me when 2 hours is up, paying again and so on! The day in question- 16th November- I checked the app and, as I already knew, I had paid as usual, none missed, no gaps. When I looked more closely at the ticket there was an extra digit in my car’s registration number so I emailed the company straight away, before I started making my hat, and so far (I’m writing this on the 28th) I haven’t had a response. However, I have had a couple of random refunds of a few euros here and there from them- but also some payments to them taken out of my account when I haven’t been using the parking- and in a different location! It’s costing a fortune to park anyway- I’m actually trying not to add it up! Not very satisfactory to say the least.

Anyway, back to today’s main event. I had the best time 🙂 Pascal is a very talented lady. She is a graphic designer but also makes these stunning hats. Her workshop is a warren of Aladdin’s caves- full of fabric and ribbon and sewing machines etc etc. Wonderful! She makes the whole process of creating a hat look so easy. But it isn’t! It’s very labour intensive and clearly a labour of love too.

We found we had lots in common- fashion, music, all sorts. We kept stopping to try and make each other understood and to look at things on the internet or in the workshop. We sat and stitched and created whilst listening to some lovely Parisian 1940’s style music and I thought to myself “wow- who’d have thought I’d be doing this?”

We lost so much time chatting that I didn’t get finished so I’m coming back again tomorrow to finish of my lovely hat. No photos until it’s done!

I had a quick drink of coffee with Chantal and Philippe and then, having said “au revoir” with kisses on both cheeks I set off home.

I spoke to Will on the phone this evening and to Amy. I had a chat with Charlotte K on FaceTime and then read some of this lovely book that Chantal has lent me. So all in all, parking ticket aside, it’s been a really lovely day 🙂

Bonne nuit 🙂