Chapter 5 - Southern Europe - trapped in the shower

I’m in a ‘foyer de la jeunesse’ in Toulon, a hostel for girls, with a very pink dormitory room. Why is it hostel decorators think all females are expected to like pink patterned walls and frilly curtains? I schlepped around town kicking up crisp brown leaves under the trees. It rained most of the day, and got cold. A November full of browns and greys. So different than at home when the earth is like some garish old lady wearing too much makeup – gold, scarlet, orange, purple. I normally love the colours of Autumn, but not this year. This palate is more soothing to my moods. I picked up a few Christmas gifts to mail off, the first shopping I’ve done since leaving home. I never thought I would have lasted so long, but I’m still alive so had better plan for the near future at least.

I had an interesting shower this evening. I got into a stall and soon realized I had two neighbours who happened to be sharing one of the other stalls, a man and a woman, quite obviously lovers. A few years ago I probably would have been shocked, but now I’d be doing the same thing if you were here. Then a shudder went through me, and I suddenly felt cold all over. My eyes started to sting with more than shampoo dripping into my eyes, and I said “damn” to myself, then got out of there as quickly and quietly as I could so as not to disturb them. It as only afterwards that I wondered how a man had been able to get past the stern lady and her steely ‘pince nez’ at the entrance to the ‘foyer de la jeunesse’.