Elsien's Traveblogue

 Montpellier, 21st August 2012
This is how I like the beach best - empty! In order to get to the beach before it gets crowded, you have to be there well before 10.00 in the morning - by 10.30 it already fills up.
This is the canal at the end of Palavas, our nearest beach, with only a few little boats, looks kind of dreamy.
 And here is the view of the promenade and the beach, also at the end of Palavas. No bodies yet, and the area round the dustbin is clear and clear.
The temperature hasn't got to 30° yet either, but even at that time in the morning it was already climbing. There was no breeze at all, the sky was hazy, it was humid even - it's rarely like this here. We left at about 10.30 when the crowds arrived, went inland to find shady trees, but on the way back from there I noticed the temperature had gone up to 41°.
And this is what I like best about the beach in summer. I don't actually like lying on it much, too sandy, uncomfortable and boring. I prefer sitting in a cafe with a book or just people watching, and a drink. Out of season I like walks along the beach ...

 We have found this little teashop in one of the little streets of the old city where you can buy any tea you like, even J's favourite Sencha Fukuyu - it's always a bit embarrassing asking for it though.
Then off to the covered market in the centre for nuts and dried fruit. They do olives as well but had run out of liquorish.
 Opposite is the cheese seller - as General De Gaulle said, how can you govern a country that has 450 different kinds of cheeses? The ones on the picture are not even a quarter of the display. 

 Finally of to our little local square for a beer and some lunch. The owner is Vietnamese and the salads are quite oriental. They do a mean Pad Thai, which I always go for. In the evening the menu is more extensive, with a lot of fish and during the day they do Oriental style 'tapas' : nems, tempura, battered prawns etc.
The 'Natte & Dread shop closed almost a year ago, but the painting and the floral window are still there. The real glory of the square is the amazing mural - see below. The shaduw of the big old trees makes it look even more realistic. Some of the windows are real, but most are trompe-l'oeil. There are a few of these in Montpellier.

Montpellier 18th August 2012
Wow, I didn't realise it had been such a long time since I last wrote anything, but a visitor last night had found my blog and reminded me ... I'll restart, as Montpellier is a fantastically interesting place to live and now we have more time and our car is French, we go out and about a lot more.
It's the Canicule here, the Dog Days, when the temperature exceeds 35° on a regular basis. Luckily our apartment is pretty cool: we have a shady front garden and with the back door open there is a steady through stream of air, as soon as there is a bit of a breeze.
We're only off to LIDL this morning, which is nothing like a British LIDL! We buy saucisson, duck, farm chicken, organic carrots, goats' cheese and unbelievable bottles of a very drinkable Fitou at less than 2 euros a piece ... Tomorrow evening a little trip to the seaside to see a business connection - we don't go to the seaside normally on a summer weekend, far too crowded! Pictures to follow!