Hyeres-Cassis

Of course people in France speak French. Of course I do not understand French.
Experienced travelers0 often say they have no problem without understanding language. It is true that we can get foods and beds with a few words. Those who offer food and those who offer a hotel will guess suitably, since they are professional.

It is true that we can live with a few words. But of course it is not enough.
French people often ask me "Where will you go?" or "Did you take nice picture?" Actually this is only my guess after a few minutes. The time I get this question, I don't understand their words are simply greeting or question to me or cheering to me. So All I can do is making idiotic smiling. (Some of my friends may tell me that such reaction is the reaction I do also in Japan. But now I will ignore their voice.) If I had said in French "I write a diary about my trip using this computer" or "I want to go the pass Hannibal crossed over", I could get good advises or something. When the situation that I want to say "All camp site around here is no vacant. I am glad to find here" or "This fish is very delicious", I can only say "Merci" and smile. Some people can speak English, but both of us are non-native. We have only limited conversation. Of course language is very important to traveler.

Today's morning course is to Toulon. Toulon is old harbor and one of the biggest town in this area. The market was open on a grand scale.
I was updating this diary of the part after arriving France. Writing a diary like this is not so easy. I want to write a lot of things in the diary, but I have also a lot of things to do actually. I can not spend all my time to write a diary. Or the situations like that will occur: Today's diary; I wrote a diary all day.

After updating web diary, cycling a little and I went to a beach, jump into the sea. My life is constructive and is a pleasure-seeking, simple and sturdy, and free and wild.
After eating lunch, afternoon cycling started at 16:00. Although the window is fresh, sunlight is very strong. It is different from terrible hotness in Tokyo, but it is hot too in the daytime.

Then there is one problem.
To keep today's bed, arriving early is basic theory. But late evening is very good time for cycling. Today's bed or long distance. I can not take both.
Today I can keep space in the third campsite I visited. One tip is Avoiding seaside campsite, taking non attractive campsite in suburbes. It will be cheaper, non busy, I can more relax.

Foreign Backpackers often have the series "Lonely Planet". Recently, the Japanese version are published, so I bought Lonely Planet Italy and Lonely Planet Provence. Nowadays I passed just one day for one chapter of Lonely Planet. This guide book has a great amount of information. Cheap hotels, nice restraints, campsites, net cafe, it has almost all information for independent travelers. In addition to it, it has some information even for homosexuals or vegetarians.
The author might be British, their attitude are very cool, cynical and critical. This is very different from Japanese guidebook style. Our guidebook is usually written for local hotels or restaurant or souvenir shop. Not for travelers. But this guidebook often comments very strict, so I feel reliable.
Now I am interested in how this guide book say about my country. I am going to buy.

(2004 8/11)