In search of Osu

At breakfast the first morning at the B&B by Mont Saint Michel I heard the couple at the next table talking and realized they were Americans. I said "good morning". Then I remembered something Monique had mentioned. She wondered why Americans always ask someone where they are from--even other Americans. The thought had barely formed when the woman asked "Where are you from?" I had to laugh and told them what Monique had said. None of us have any idea why we do that..... Their names were Jolene and Jim and there were from California. BTW.



The second morning I decided I needed to do some laundry to get me through to the end of the trip. Jim and Jolene had used the laundry in the next village the previous day so I went there. The local farmers were protesting the low cost of milk (set by the government) and they had the supermarket entrance blocked off with farm equipment. They were also giving out free samples of milk. Unfortunately the laundromat was close to the supermarketand I had a hard time finding a place to park. People just parked where they could and went on into the supermarket. Worse for me, they had also blocked the entrance to the gas pumps. Gas is usually cheapest at supermarkets. I was trying to figure out how to buy soap when an Englishman, who looked to be a few years older than me, offered to give me some of his. We started talking and I learned that his name was Kevin and he had moved to the area from England a couple of years earlier. He said it was the best thing he'd ever done "even with this" (nodding towards the blockade). He had bought an old barn for 7,500 Euros (about $10,000) and was in the process of renovating it. He thought he was just buying the barn and a little plot of land, but when he went to sign the papers learned that he also had a piece of land next to the barn and 5 acres of ancient wood behind it. He is doing all the renovating himself. He described his plans and said he expects it will take another couple of years.



Bought gas at another station--paid 49.68 Euros for over 3/4 of a tank.



Then I went to a local restaurant for lunch, having the bad luck to arrive at the same time as a bus of Japanese tourists. I should have gone somewhere else, because lunch took a lot longer than I had planned. Didn't feel so bad about my poor French when I heard a woman ask for two of something using "dos".



One more toilet tale.....I went into the toilet at the restaurant and headed for one of the stalls. When I came out and was washing my hands I realized there was a Japanese man at a urinal on the wall to my right. I noticed there were two urinals. I had heard that sometimes men and women share the same bathrooms in France, but had never run across it before. The man discreetly took care of his business and that was all there was to it and we each went on our way.



That is one thing I really like about Europe, people are more open about bodily functions, including sex. They are just considered natural, a part of life, no big deal. I don't imagine comedians have whole routines based on them either. By making things "dirty" or taboo we give them more importance than they deserve.



I could just imagine some American mothers running out of the toilet, screaming and covering their children's eyes.



My friend Gina in Germany works at a video store. We went by there one day and I admit I was surprised to see a section of X-rated videos, along with all the normal videos. She explained that no one under 18 is allowed in the store. None of the customers seemed to be shocked, if they didn't want an X-rated video, they just didn't go in that section. Gee, that makes sense.......



I finally headed off to Portbail, which is on a pennisula north of Mont Saint Michel. I was trying to find Osu. She was the childhood best friend of a British friend of mine, Nancy, who died a couple of years ago at age 88. Osu and her late husband had lived in France for many years. When Nancy developed Macular Degenration I started writing to Osu for her and continued after Nancy's death. Osu was 91 the previous week and I hadn't heard from her in a while, so I honestly wasn't sure if she was still alive. She is extremely deaf, so calling her was really out of the question. In one of her letters she mentioned that she still enjoyed her evening cigarette and whiskey...and that she still drove a little.



On the way to Portbail I made the mistake of exiting into a Granville instead of going around it. At least I saw the route to the casino where I hoped to stop on the way back. Then I got to Coustances and it went downhill from there (I know you are shocked). I was supposed to take the small D2 road towards Portbail, but could not find it for anything. I stopped at a bar and went in to once again ask for directions. There were only two people in the bar, they didn't speak English and my French was pathetic, but they were so nice. They did draw a map, so off I went again. I never could find the road and had decided to just give it up and head back to Mont Saint Michel. Wouldn't you know it, on the way back I saw the D2. By now it was 4:30, but I thought I was so close I had to go for it. I called Osu and got no answer, but I though I could at least leave her a note. I was relieved that I didn't get the French equivalent of "the number you have reached is not in service", which to me would mean that she had died and her number disconnected.



Once I got toPortbail, which was much larger than I expected, I still had to find her house. I have seen photos of it, so I know it is not in town. She converted one side of an old Normandy barn. I stopped and went into a shop to ask for directions. Again they were so nice and drew a map. Off I went, sensing success was close at hand. I knew her road/lane was a right turn off another small road. I went down the road for a while, but never saw her lane. I turned around to see if I had passed it. I saw an old woman in her front yard and swallowing my pride asked her for directions. In a flurry of French I gathered that I needed to go past the chapel and it would be to the right after that.



You know, I wish I'd taken photos of everyone I asked for directions.........



I managed to finally find her house, wth the help of yet another woman who walked me to her house. It turned out that Osu's barn did not face the lane. Her half is fartherest from the lane and the only number showing is for the other half. Whew! The woman gestured that Osu is very deaf so I should just go in and shout for her. Which I did! She finally heard me and gingerly came downstairs, wondering who this strange woman was in her house. She was speaking French so I wrote a note that I was Judy from Texas, Nancy's friend. Ahhh! She invited me to sit down and we talked for a bit. She was thrilled that I had come by to see her. I didn't stay too long, as it really was hard to carry on a conversation since she is so deaf. I also wanted to make it back before dark. But I am so glad I went.



I found a more direct route on the way back, thank goodness, and it only took about half as long as going.