26 - 28 mai

Jeudi, 26 mai

Aux Armes, les citoyens!

I’m getting ready to go shopping when I hear a loud-speakered voice in the distance, probably another march of strikers, probably in the Place d’Armes. There are a couple of very loud bangs which may be gunshots. The chanting continues. The march is moving and it sounds as though they’re heading for the boulevards. Ah well, best go and get the milk, then. As I get ready, I see them heading past the end of the street opposite so grab my camera as well and head out.

Further round there are more marchers

And then they’re gone and I fetch the milk.

Vendredi, 27 mai

Je trouve des marcheurs encore (et enfin)

I want (and need) to take some exercise classes while I’m here, for social reasons as well as fitness. I was there early for Jogging Valenciennes’ second session of the week so went over the road to the other stadium (very flash – track, tiered indoor seating, pole-vault area) to ask about classes. The response was, in essence, that there weren’t any yoga or similar exercise classes there and I should ask at the Mairie. As I went back I bumped into a group of Nordic walkers so asked about that, as it had been on my list. Bingo! Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6.15 so will be there next Tuesday.  

I’ve decided to walk round every street in the town (in approximate alphabetical order) and now have a list from the Tourist Office, so today have been to the two that have numbers for names, the 127^th and 327^th army regiments. I’m not sure why they are the only two to be commemorated in this way but hope to find out. 

I called at the Post Office on the way: empty today, so no long queues of potential strippers and no “looks familiar” woman, who I’d decided was the secretary from Engrenages/Spiral, a French detective tv series we watched a couple of years ago. 

Very lazy day, reading The Girl on the Train, then a swift trip to the butcher, where fortunately the customer in front of me was buying what I’d been thinking about but didn’t know how to ask for it.  Rabbit stew tomorrow night, then, so I have moral support on working out how to use the oven. 

Samedi, 28 mai, 2016

Nous avons deux cartes de loyauté

We have two loyalty cards. The first is for the supermarket. There are two within easy reach, both Carrefour, so it seemed to make sense.

The second card is for the wine shop.