Place-Names: The Place, Part I Summary

Two years later, the narrator is finally indifferent to Gilberte, though he occasionally reminisces and loves her again. He, his grandmother, and Francoise travel to Balbec. Grandmother plans an itinerary for their trip. They leave Paris on a train. The narrator is very sad to leave his mother and worries she will be lonely. The doctor prescribes beer or brandy for the narrator's nerves, which his grandmother disapproves of. She worries about her grandson's health and insists that he rest on their trip. They take a short detour on their journey to visit Grandmother's friend, Mme. de Sevigne, on the way to Balbec. They visit some old churches in the town where Mme. de Sevigne lives. The narrator admires Mme. de Sevigne because of her intellect, but he admires the girls in town for their...