Survived the night without a barrage of police led by a very batty and crazed Caroline, and we left early to get on with the journey to Calais with the hope of catching an earlier ferry. We passed several of near-deserted towns - small clusters of houses in the middle of nowhere where you expect to see horse-drawn carts and vegetables growing on every scrap of land. It made me realise how lucky I was to have been so close to Paris, and sympathise any au-pair who had fallen for ‘we live in a quiet friendly town’, to then pitch up and find they’ve been transported back to the World War aftermath to barren wasteland.
We took a break at the Canadian Memorial to expand on my poor history intellect, and find inner peace after Caroline’s Crusade. It was quite amazing the surroundings, almost like being in some Buddhist sanctuary - green clean grass, tall forests of trees, serenity.
When we finally arrived at Calais port I seriously thought at Passport control that I’d come up as some wanted criminal, but nevertheless I was allowed through. *wipes bead of sweat away*
Just to emphasise, that most au-pairing opportunities are very exciting and fulfilling experiences, complete with loveable dogs and happy children, and there is probably a very rare minority to have deranged lunatics for host ‘mothers’, the threat of an army of police and a rotavator (garden plough) thrown into the mayhem. Really, au-pairing is fun! And if I’ve certainly come away with an experience, good and bad, including handling crazy French women, being scammed, fined and harassed (all in good humour of course) and surviving the French way of life. I am grateful though that I’ll never have to be surrounded my grated emmental again however, as it really does smell revolting...
And to all my lovely readers, have no fear - independence doesn't end here! Wipe that tear, this blog is about my year so let's continue on this blogosphere! :)
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