This week was a quieter week because unfortunately Lynda developed food poisoning mid week, so we had to shorten our day trip to Béziers and we stayed close to home for the rest of the week.
Also a lot of this week we spent following up on the latest strike information in France and working out alternatives. There's a chance the 1 day strike scheduled for March 7, will just turn into a long strike for days and trains and the Paris metro and bus system could be severely disrupted
So after much thought and research on Airbnb and on the SNCF train site we've come up with this ...
Go to Larochelle as planned on March 1 but Leave Larochelle on March 6 before the strike day, instead of March 8.
Take the TGV train directly from La Rochelle to Charles DeGaulle airport avoiding Paris completely. We cancelled our apartment in Paris and have reserved an Airbnb in the little village of Roissy, right next to the airport itself so we'll be close for our flight home. Apparently the village according to reviews, is quaint and quiet. We can relax, and decide based on the strike disruptions if we will take a day trip or two into Paris .
Monday 13th
We took the tram down to visit Montpellier's cathedral St Pierre. 20c in the afternoon! We walked the streets around the cathédrale.
Aqueduct running off a large public space .
Jean Moulin was a defining figure in the French resistance to the German occupation. This particular photo of him is well known in France and this placard identifies that the photo was taken at this exact column on the viaduct in Montpellier .
Montpellier's version of the Arche de triomphe
This little corner of Montpellier is very similar to any Parisian quarter, with the style of Haussmann architecture.
Row of houses across from the cathédrale
Identifying that the resident died on the way to Dachau, May 1945
Original street sign
Sacristy bell, announcing to the faithful the priest is about to be walking out to the altar. When I was an altar server, there were always two of us and we'd fight over who got to ring the bell. Our church was nothing like a cathedral though so it was more like a dinner bell...
More front doors of mansions
Music box mechanisms you can try out before you buy
The selection
Duncan I didn't buy La mer fir you but I thought of it.
Buskers in the main square. I enjoyed the sun while lynda went shopping in the Monoprix
Tuesday February 14
We took a tram to the north west of the city that we've never visited before, to try a Tuesday market.
It was an interesting tram ride, the section of the city had some major medical hospitals, medical schools, EU biotech and research facilities and a large Sanofil pharmaceutical factory. All that business makes for a very rich tax base that pays for resident benefits like free public transportation and up keep of public spaces among other things
The area of the market was ethnic, with a large flea market outside.
And being Valentine's Day we went out for supper in Castelnau village. Our favourite restaurant, we discovered last trip. Unfortunately, this is where Lynda picked up the food bug.....hmmm.
The interior of the restaurant at 7.30 when it opened . It was full by 9.00.
Cheese ravioli with pesto
My shrimp pasta was fine..
Lyndas pannacotta
Wednesday February 15
We woke up early and caught the 9am train to Béziers, about 45 minutes to the west.
It was a local train, so there was Bike rack on the train. We walked the city but by noon lynda was not feeling at all well so we turned back, i exchanged the tickets (good experience to practice my French! ) and we caught the next train back home.
Gates to a large park. We returned through this park on our walk back to the station.
Train station.
Haussmann buildings
Town hall
Indoor market
Completely deserted..very unusual for France.
Local courts, next to the cathédrale.
View from the balcony around the cathedral
All roads lead to Paris.
The Cathedral was built on the ruins of a Roman temple. Destroyed during the Albigensian wars where the Catholic church slaughtered a French Catholic sect called the Cathars, who believed the priests and popes were corrupt and not pious enough. Probably true. Thousands were killed, burned, hung, and the cathars were wiped out over a couple of centuries.
I thought Montpellier's Place de la Comédie was a large people space, Béziers has an even larger one in the centre. Long and wide allés.
Not a real cat. But cute never the less.
One day, 200 cathars took refuge in this church and were all slaughtered. The general leading the massacre was asked how he knew they were all cathars and he is reputed to have said "we'll kill them all and let god decide" . We didn't get to see inside because it was at this point we decided to cut our stay and return.
Beautiful park leading to the station.
From a bygone age of trains..
Thursday February 16
Hubert and Christiane invited us for lunch with two of their grandchildren still there. Lynda was able to enjoy the lunch, and dessert!
Here's a sheltered, secure bike storage at the tram stop.
Card access.
Colour coordinated station and tram in the bright sunshine.
Saturday Feb 18
Lynda still not feeling too well so I went on my own for a walk from Castelnau into Montpellier to check out the Beaux Arts area close to downtown. Martin and juni are arriving in Montpellier on March 8 to stay for 3 months and they have reserved an apartment here. The walk was not as long as I thought it would be, and the area is right next to downtown.
A large community garden
Nice park in their neighbourhood
Wall Street English.... hmmm...
Here is the Saturday market in their neighbourhood
Sunday Feb 19
Lynda was feeling better so we walked along the river Lez that runs beside our apartment. Sun was warm!
The parks in Montpellier encouraging bird watching. The idea us you visit other parks to read the whole series of bird descriptions. There were two in our park.
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