Well I was thinking if the title should be this or another place of interest that I visited today but still I kept to Place des Lices because this was what I planned to visit in the first place. Today I woke up and found the weather exceptionally cold. There was also no hot water from my sink. I hated it when I had to keep adjusting both hot and cold taps every time I needed to wash something. Same for the bathroom. After breakfast, I went to bathe and turned on the shower and waited. I waited and waited but the water was still icy cold! Damn it. So I took a super quick bath and got out of there. Today was Saturday and yet I woke up at 830am (same time as I always do during working days) because I was going to the market! I boarded the bus and gave the female driver 5.50 euros and told her “cinq tickets” which meant “5 tickets”. But she said I could only buy one at a time. Anyway I bought my ticket and took a seat. As I was looking at the bus route displayed on the ceiling, I realized that the stops were all unfamiliar! And there was no Republique! I thought I had taken the wrong bus but in the end after a few more stops, I concluded the display must be wrong.
So I reached my destination safely at around 945am. The town centre was deserted on Saturday. I began to feel afraid that this might be a wasted trip because today the weather wasn’t really good and maybe the market was cancelled. Still I proceeded on and after some navigation using the map I was getting nearer to Place des Lices. Still there weren’t many people around. But when I make a turn at a corner of the street, Voila! There it was! Stalls after stalls after stalls and the road was condoned off. The place was bustling with life! It was kind of like the night market we had during CNY but it wasn’t very crowded. There were stalls selling vegetables, fruits, seafood, meat, take-away food, flowers, etc. As I walked around, I noticed I was surrounded by old people. So this was the place where they gather, I guessed. And they all had with them trolleys or baskets for the products that they bought.
Anatole said that this is one of the most beautiful markets in France. Well after walking about half an hour, there wasn’t really much to see. Jeremy said that it is the best market in Rennes, but in France? He was doubtful. I guessed I would have the chance to find out how true Anatole is that when I visit other parts of France in June. There were also some young people playing their musical instruments to earn a living. 2 were playing the guitar. And there was a young woman sitting on the floor playing the harp. Her harp was smaller and had less strings and the strings were coloured. The music was crystal clear. It was so beautiful. Just like her. The seafood looked really fresh and tasty. Cockles, oysters, crayfish, crabs, etc. Probably because Rennes is near the coast. With nothing much left to see, I climbed up some stairs so that I could have a fuller view of the place and took a picture.
I moved on to the Office of Tourism and located it easily. I spoke to a lady at the counter and said that I am from Singapore and am new here. She spoke good English and gave me some brochures. Then she marked out on the map the places of interest that I should not miss. I asked her how do I get to Musee du Bretagne (Museum of Brittainy) but she said it was closed until 2006. But the Fine Art Museum of Bretagne is opened and is just nearby. I also asked if there are any castles in Rennes but she said no. I remembered my French teacher mentioned that there is a castle in every French city. But there are cathedrals and palaces to visit though. Anyway I decided to pick one place to visit from the list that she gave me. I was trying to find either the Chapelle Saint-Yves or Cathedrale Saint-Pierre (Cathedral of Saint Peter) but ended up getting myself lost. So I stopped by a big chapel and took out my map. A man was starting his motorbike nearby saw me and walked towards me asking if I needed help. I asked him the name of the chapel behind me and he said it was neither of the 2 that I was looking for. It was Chapel Sauveur and I was at the Place of Sauveur then. It was rather hard to ask questions because he couldn’t understand English. But in the end he pointed me the direction to Cathedrale Saint-Pierre.
And on I went to explore more. I found this cathedral eventually and walked around the building trying to find the entrance. There were doors but those doors were gigantic and were closed. I wasn’t sure to open them or not. I almost gave up and wanted to return. But I thought don’t be a “hum ji giah” and should try pulling the door. So I tried and effortlessly it opened. Inside there was another small door closed again with a notice on it. I couldn’t really understand what was written and dared not open again. I did not want to interrupt a praying session or whatever. Also I had never been to a church before. It was not my religion to do so. So I stood for a minute and decided to open the door in the end since I was already here. And oh my God. The place was empty. I stepped in and was caught in awe by the holiness of the place. The interior was dimly lit and some Christian music was being played at the background. The place was really huge and I was the only one inside. In the middle were lots of chairs and in the front a stage. There were an old couple at the end of the cathedral and I guessed they must have entered through another door. But the place was really quite dark with candles and some lights but it was not spooky of course. It was sacred.
Just then someone said Bonjour to me from behind and I turned to see who it was. He was a caretaker here and I asked him whether I am allowed to enter this premise because it is so quiet and empty here. He said of course I was welcomed. Then I asked if I could take pictures and he assured me that I can. There were 2 angels and a pelican between them on the stage and he explained to me the story which I had forgotten now. Then he pointed to the ceiling and there was large painting of Christ and the 12 apostles and he told me a bit of the story of Peter, about forgiving someone’s sins, etc. I was trying hard to listen but soon got lost because he was speaking with very thick British accent. He was a British. He said to me feel free to take pictures and walk around and he went on to mop the floor. So I went walking around, taking pictures of statues and paintings which I didn’t know what they were about because it was so dark that I couldn’t read the words clearly. Also, the words were in French. I also took pictures of the windows which were coloured and when the sunlight shone in, it was extremely beautiful.
After spending half an hour there, I left the cathedral and saw the caretaker again. He said his name is something Michael and said I am always welcome to come again. I told him I am from Singapore and am really happy to speak English with someone here. I told him I felt somewhat isolated here in a foreign country. He told me that there would be a prayers session every Tuesday in another church and said that if I want I could join them. There were about 50 people or so. I said perhaps I would do so but I would definitely return and visit this cathedral again. He reassured me that I would always be welcomed.
A change of religion for me then? I wasn’t really ready for that. But it wasn’t really a bad idea because I could meet a lot more people and could make friends easier since I could not find any Chinese community here. I did check with my neighbour but he said he knows no Chinese community but he knew some Vietnamese. Indeed there were quite a number of Vietnamese here. Often I would see some Chinese-looking students in Beaulieu but the moment they open their mouths, I know for sure they are from Vietnam. In the end I don’t think I would turn a Christian here. I am very interested in this religion, in the stories, the buildings but only for historical reasons. As mentioned before, I am a fan of the Middle Ages. For those Christian friends, please come to Europe because it is here that the best and most beautiful cathedrals, chapels and churches are.
The moment I stepped out of the cathedral, it was as if I had stepped out of one world and into another. People were zooming by me, rushing to go to the market. Marching down the street while they chatted on their mobile phones. Parents pushing their babies in the prams. It seemed like everyone is so busy. And they just passed by this great 15th century building without giving it a look (the interior was redesigned in the 19th century). It was a very strange feeling that was hard to describe. Inside the building, it was so serene and I was so touched. Outside, it was noisy and the weather was so cold. Anyway, it took awhile for my sentiments to settle down and I decided to call it a day. So on my way back, I saw a statue of a man and he got a similar pose as our dear Sir Stamford Raffles. But of course this was another guy. He was the mayor of Rennes (Maire Du Rennes) during the 18th century. So I took a picture of him and returned to base.
I boarded the bus without paying again (sooner or later I would be caught I guessed. Anatole told me to get a bicycle but I “hum ji” because I scared I might get lost or fall down. Some more I don’t know where to buy one that is cheap and how to sell it when I leave France. And I don’t need it often because I am only free to go out during the weekends). Before the bus even reach the next stop, it halted. So I thought it was red light. But then I saw lots of people carrying flags and banners crossing the road. The stream of people just moved on and on and on and all cars had to stop for them. There were even police there to stop the vehicles! I went to the bus driver and asked her if it was a demonstration and she answered yes grumpily. But I was damn excited. I took out my Pentax and took a picture.
After 10 min, some passengers decided to get off the bus while some took out a book and read. I just sit there and tried to guess how many people there were. 5000 perhaps? Or maybe 10000 because after half an hour the bus still had not moved. I actually wanted to get down and join them but decided not to. Not because it was dangerous but because I was very hungry and wanted to go back to cook noodles. So I was getting a bit impatient also. Finally the bus moved and I thought that was the end of the river of people. But in fact the police or the organization ordered the people to stop for the vehicles to move on. As the bus passed by the demonstrators, I could still see a lot of people at the back, stretched to the end of the street. What a sight it was! But I hoped this does not happen every Saturday.
Once I reached INSA, I went to the phone booth and called home. Mum said why I didn’t call home for so long and I asked didn’t we agreed that I would call only once a week. But I didn’t do that last weekend. Anyway, we chatted for about 15 min and I told her about this morning’s adventures. I also told her I would call her again on CNY’s eve. I said my supervisor allowed me to fly back to Singapore on CNY if I got the money. She asked how many days will he allow me be in Singapore. I told her don’t be foolish, how to fly back? But it was a nice feeling to call home. Back in my room, I took out the brochures and read about them. There are actually quite a number of places of interest that I could visit in Rennes. I guessed every Saturday I would visit some of them. And when the weather becomes better, I would travel a bit further like to St Malo. Today was really a happy day for me because I met wonderful people and so many happenings in a morning. Most importantly, now with the brochures, I would know where to visit in Rennes. Previously when I visited the Republique, I just took pictures on those things that I found unique without knowing what they are or meant. Now with more information, I would know a little bit more about the history, the background of the places that I was visiting. Next Saturday, I would probably visit Jardin du Tardor (Garden of Tardor).
So I reached my destination safely at around 945am. The town centre was deserted on Saturday. I began to feel afraid that this might be a wasted trip because today the weather wasn’t really good and maybe the market was cancelled. Still I proceeded on and after some navigation using the map I was getting nearer to Place des Lices. Still there weren’t many people around. But when I make a turn at a corner of the street, Voila! There it was! Stalls after stalls after stalls and the road was condoned off. The place was bustling with life! It was kind of like the night market we had during CNY but it wasn’t very crowded. There were stalls selling vegetables, fruits, seafood, meat, take-away food, flowers, etc. As I walked around, I noticed I was surrounded by old people. So this was the place where they gather, I guessed. And they all had with them trolleys or baskets for the products that they bought.
Anatole said that this is one of the most beautiful markets in France. Well after walking about half an hour, there wasn’t really much to see. Jeremy said that it is the best market in Rennes, but in France? He was doubtful. I guessed I would have the chance to find out how true Anatole is that when I visit other parts of France in June. There were also some young people playing their musical instruments to earn a living. 2 were playing the guitar. And there was a young woman sitting on the floor playing the harp. Her harp was smaller and had less strings and the strings were coloured. The music was crystal clear. It was so beautiful. Just like her. The seafood looked really fresh and tasty. Cockles, oysters, crayfish, crabs, etc. Probably because Rennes is near the coast. With nothing much left to see, I climbed up some stairs so that I could have a fuller view of the place and took a picture.
I moved on to the Office of Tourism and located it easily. I spoke to a lady at the counter and said that I am from Singapore and am new here. She spoke good English and gave me some brochures. Then she marked out on the map the places of interest that I should not miss. I asked her how do I get to Musee du Bretagne (Museum of Brittainy) but she said it was closed until 2006. But the Fine Art Museum of Bretagne is opened and is just nearby. I also asked if there are any castles in Rennes but she said no. I remembered my French teacher mentioned that there is a castle in every French city. But there are cathedrals and palaces to visit though. Anyway I decided to pick one place to visit from the list that she gave me. I was trying to find either the Chapelle Saint-Yves or Cathedrale Saint-Pierre (Cathedral of Saint Peter) but ended up getting myself lost. So I stopped by a big chapel and took out my map. A man was starting his motorbike nearby saw me and walked towards me asking if I needed help. I asked him the name of the chapel behind me and he said it was neither of the 2 that I was looking for. It was Chapel Sauveur and I was at the Place of Sauveur then. It was rather hard to ask questions because he couldn’t understand English. But in the end he pointed me the direction to Cathedrale Saint-Pierre.
And on I went to explore more. I found this cathedral eventually and walked around the building trying to find the entrance. There were doors but those doors were gigantic and were closed. I wasn’t sure to open them or not. I almost gave up and wanted to return. But I thought don’t be a “hum ji giah” and should try pulling the door. So I tried and effortlessly it opened. Inside there was another small door closed again with a notice on it. I couldn’t really understand what was written and dared not open again. I did not want to interrupt a praying session or whatever. Also I had never been to a church before. It was not my religion to do so. So I stood for a minute and decided to open the door in the end since I was already here. And oh my God. The place was empty. I stepped in and was caught in awe by the holiness of the place. The interior was dimly lit and some Christian music was being played at the background. The place was really huge and I was the only one inside. In the middle were lots of chairs and in the front a stage. There were an old couple at the end of the cathedral and I guessed they must have entered through another door. But the place was really quite dark with candles and some lights but it was not spooky of course. It was sacred.
Just then someone said Bonjour to me from behind and I turned to see who it was. He was a caretaker here and I asked him whether I am allowed to enter this premise because it is so quiet and empty here. He said of course I was welcomed. Then I asked if I could take pictures and he assured me that I can. There were 2 angels and a pelican between them on the stage and he explained to me the story which I had forgotten now. Then he pointed to the ceiling and there was large painting of Christ and the 12 apostles and he told me a bit of the story of Peter, about forgiving someone’s sins, etc. I was trying hard to listen but soon got lost because he was speaking with very thick British accent. He was a British. He said to me feel free to take pictures and walk around and he went on to mop the floor. So I went walking around, taking pictures of statues and paintings which I didn’t know what they were about because it was so dark that I couldn’t read the words clearly. Also, the words were in French. I also took pictures of the windows which were coloured and when the sunlight shone in, it was extremely beautiful.
After spending half an hour there, I left the cathedral and saw the caretaker again. He said his name is something Michael and said I am always welcome to come again. I told him I am from Singapore and am really happy to speak English with someone here. I told him I felt somewhat isolated here in a foreign country. He told me that there would be a prayers session every Tuesday in another church and said that if I want I could join them. There were about 50 people or so. I said perhaps I would do so but I would definitely return and visit this cathedral again. He reassured me that I would always be welcomed.
A change of religion for me then? I wasn’t really ready for that. But it wasn’t really a bad idea because I could meet a lot more people and could make friends easier since I could not find any Chinese community here. I did check with my neighbour but he said he knows no Chinese community but he knew some Vietnamese. Indeed there were quite a number of Vietnamese here. Often I would see some Chinese-looking students in Beaulieu but the moment they open their mouths, I know for sure they are from Vietnam. In the end I don’t think I would turn a Christian here. I am very interested in this religion, in the stories, the buildings but only for historical reasons. As mentioned before, I am a fan of the Middle Ages. For those Christian friends, please come to Europe because it is here that the best and most beautiful cathedrals, chapels and churches are.
The moment I stepped out of the cathedral, it was as if I had stepped out of one world and into another. People were zooming by me, rushing to go to the market. Marching down the street while they chatted on their mobile phones. Parents pushing their babies in the prams. It seemed like everyone is so busy. And they just passed by this great 15th century building without giving it a look (the interior was redesigned in the 19th century). It was a very strange feeling that was hard to describe. Inside the building, it was so serene and I was so touched. Outside, it was noisy and the weather was so cold. Anyway, it took awhile for my sentiments to settle down and I decided to call it a day. So on my way back, I saw a statue of a man and he got a similar pose as our dear Sir Stamford Raffles. But of course this was another guy. He was the mayor of Rennes (Maire Du Rennes) during the 18th century. So I took a picture of him and returned to base.
I boarded the bus without paying again (sooner or later I would be caught I guessed. Anatole told me to get a bicycle but I “hum ji” because I scared I might get lost or fall down. Some more I don’t know where to buy one that is cheap and how to sell it when I leave France. And I don’t need it often because I am only free to go out during the weekends). Before the bus even reach the next stop, it halted. So I thought it was red light. But then I saw lots of people carrying flags and banners crossing the road. The stream of people just moved on and on and on and all cars had to stop for them. There were even police there to stop the vehicles! I went to the bus driver and asked her if it was a demonstration and she answered yes grumpily. But I was damn excited. I took out my Pentax and took a picture.
After 10 min, some passengers decided to get off the bus while some took out a book and read. I just sit there and tried to guess how many people there were. 5000 perhaps? Or maybe 10000 because after half an hour the bus still had not moved. I actually wanted to get down and join them but decided not to. Not because it was dangerous but because I was very hungry and wanted to go back to cook noodles. So I was getting a bit impatient also. Finally the bus moved and I thought that was the end of the river of people. But in fact the police or the organization ordered the people to stop for the vehicles to move on. As the bus passed by the demonstrators, I could still see a lot of people at the back, stretched to the end of the street. What a sight it was! But I hoped this does not happen every Saturday.
Once I reached INSA, I went to the phone booth and called home. Mum said why I didn’t call home for so long and I asked didn’t we agreed that I would call only once a week. But I didn’t do that last weekend. Anyway, we chatted for about 15 min and I told her about this morning’s adventures. I also told her I would call her again on CNY’s eve. I said my supervisor allowed me to fly back to Singapore on CNY if I got the money. She asked how many days will he allow me be in Singapore. I told her don’t be foolish, how to fly back? But it was a nice feeling to call home. Back in my room, I took out the brochures and read about them. There are actually quite a number of places of interest that I could visit in Rennes. I guessed every Saturday I would visit some of them. And when the weather becomes better, I would travel a bit further like to St Malo. Today was really a happy day for me because I met wonderful people and so many happenings in a morning. Most importantly, now with the brochures, I would know where to visit in Rennes. Previously when I visited the Republique, I just took pictures on those things that I found unique without knowing what they are or meant. Now with more information, I would know a little bit more about the history, the background of the places that I was visiting. Next Saturday, I would probably visit Jardin du Tardor (Garden of Tardor).
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