The moment I stepped outside the airport the difference was noticeable. Just an hours flight from Southampton and I was in the provincial city of Rennes, struggling to remember my French as I ordered drinks and bought various items of clothing. After a freshly squeezed apricot juice and a brief catch up with my parents, sitting in a colourful outdoor cafe, I wandered off to the alternative part of town. The streets are lined with old timber buildings, as music plays from the floors above and stylishly dressed people pass below, the place is alive with energy. The atmosphere is relaxed as locals shop and chat, and the cafes are filled with smiling faces and joyous conversation.
I continued to the interesting ethnic shops that I visited the year before, as I absorbed the sense of decoration displayed in the jewellery stands, and cave like layout of never ending shops, filled with tables of loose beads in every size, shape and colour, bowls of swirled glass rings and rails of earth coloured sarongs. The shop assistants were genuinely friendly and helpful as tribal beat music played in the background and the subtle smell of incense wafted through the air.
As the afternoon drew to a close we gathered in the old square and ordered delicious crepes filled with spinach, cheese and salmon, as waiters bustled between the tables and an accordionist serenaded the diners with lulling French folk music. As the evening went on, families, friends and couples gathered together chatting merrily, displaying a contentedness that becomes apparent when observed by an outsider, from a world of deadlines and demands. Here the emphasis is on family and friends, where people take time to enjoy life and appreciate its pleasures. Rennes is an inspiring city of both beauty and culture, mixed with its easy going street vibe and affectionate heart. Its a place that I like a lot and shall probably return to many times for its uniqueness and just for being Rennes.
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