**I added a few pictures and a video of Frankie's match yesterday to the previous post. Check them out.
Pascal 'teaching' Frank how to string.
Our first day on the lam was quite interesting, but nonetheless successful. I'm writing this from the clubhouse of the Yvetot Country Club. Frankie plays in the quarterfinals against a 1/6 ranked player at 17:30, about 2 hours from now. Right now he's stringing away on this antique stringing machine that Pascal the tournament director, who's yard we currently camp in, insisted on teaching Frankie how to use, despite the fact that Frank is quite capable of doing it himself. Teaching us something we already know how to do is quite typical of Pascal. Don't get me wrong, he's an extremely nice man, but perhaps because of the language barrier he endlessly repeats himself and goes over every detail in minutia. Last night for example, he sat us down for 20 minutes and showed us on a map how to get to his home even though I showed him I had an iPhone that gave us the same directions. But he insisted, and he's just too nice to say no to.
Leaving Rouen for the last time yesterday.
Fortunately for us, Gustavo is good friends with Pascal so we have had a seem less transition from our flat in Rouen to Pascal's yard. After Frank's match last night we made the 20 minute drive to the tiny village of Yainville, where Pascal has lived for the past 36 years. The route Pascal insisted we take was very pretty and all along the way we drove though the rather majestic French countryside. His 22 year-old son welcomed us to there home, and then showed us to our 'camping spot'. We sent up our tent, which is comedically large, and waited for Pascal to return from the club. When he did we sat in his kitchen for over an hour drinking tea and chatting about a variety of topics.
Driving to Pascal's house...
...and one more.
The front of Pascal's home. We're camping in the backyard.
Our tent is so big...
...like really, really massive. At least 15 feet long and a bit over 6 feet tall in the middle.
This morning Pascal and his wife invited us in for breakfast and we had a great meal overlooking the city of Yainville and Pascal's yard. It's pretty darn cool that by playing tennis in these tiny towns we've been able to experience some things that a large majority of travelers just never would get to do. We'll be staying at Pascal's again tonight, and possibly the night after that as well, but it's hard to say. I'll try to give a summary of Frankie's match later this evening, but our internet is much less predictable, and thus my daily reports may become less predictable. But I'll do my best.
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