Elsien's Traveblogue

Friday, December 28, 2012

Le Vigan


Town Centre

Le Vigan, 28^th December 2012

… and off to Le Vigan, a small town in the Cevennes, where I'd never been. It's pretty and was really quiet out of season. It's on the banks of the river Arre, a tributary of the much larger Hérault river.


Le Vigan church

We had to navigate the car through Montpellier, which is always a bit of an adventure with all those one-way streets, but we managed and were rewarded with a beautiful drive there, round the back of the Pic Saint Lou.

Little walk round the small town, then lunch in the only restaurant that appeared open and a walk by the river after.

We may come back in the summer, or at least the spring, when the shops and market are open.

We only met about ten people out walking by the river.

posted by Elsien Gale # 11:49 PM 0 comments

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Lattes

Lattes, 27th December 2012


The little church of Saint Laurent, Lattes

A lovely walk along the river Lez to Port Ariane, the marina of Lattes, a small town near Montpellier. Lattes is now mainly known for this marina and a giant Retail Park, with a Castorama and a Conforama and a But and a Carrefour Géant, but was once an important Etruscan / Gaul settlement, even before the Romans and Greeks moved in on the act as well. We went to the little, but impressive museum that tells all about the story of Lattara, found by accident in 1965 by some students who stumbled upon some potshards in a newly ploughed field which they took to their headteacher who happened to be an archeologist. He realised the importance and digging started in the field. It is unbelievable how much was found; they are still working on the place. This is the link: http://www.lattara.culture.fr/


The Archeological Museum in Lattes

Port Ariane was originally the Mediterranean port; geological accidents like silting up of the river and changing of the basins behind the sea meant the end of the port; the Roman town of Nimes grew in importance, the bishops moved to nearby Maguelone and that was the end of Lattara.

What's left of Lattara - the dig

Lattes itself now is almost nothing: there is still a 12^th century church, an empty town square with a large médiathèque and a huge Post Office. There was also a Tabac / Bar / Brasserie, which had built a plastic extension at the back, and turned that into a dining room where we had a delicious, and very reasonably priced, endives salad followed by yummy Couscous Royale. I could have had apple tart as well, included in the price, but I was full, so I stuck to a little coffee.
The tram from Montpellier stops at Lattes-Centre, so we could ride back home: it stops more or less next door.


For the local products: olive oil and wine, of course


How about that then? Evening sky above the dig

posted by Elsien Gale # 11:44 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Christmas Eve
Walk along the beach at Palavas, deserted, except for some crazy surfers. I just love deserted beaches like this, out of season, grey ... The Mediterranean is kind of greenish.

It wasn't cold though, just grey and as there was a chance of rain we didn't dare go to far from where there are cafés – all closed on the Promenade, but plenty open in Palavas itself. Had an amazing lunch of something called 'Pastaioli', pasta with fish and seafood in a very garlicky aioli sauce, yum!

Off home for our own Christmas Eve supper of oysters, boudin blanc, foie gras, various other bits 'n pieces with 'proper' champagne.


Opening the oysters

Eating the oysters

Christmas Day
We love the botanical garden in Montpellier, the Jardin des Plantes. It is the oldest botanical garden in France, started in 1593 during the reign of Henri IV, and managed by the University of Montpellier. Most of the garden was added / planted in the 19^th century, including an amazing greenhouse full of cactus plants and other succulents. We went there for a little walk before our Christmas lunch, as the weather was rather grey and I feared we might have a spot of rain as well.


One of the paths - I love the subtle colours

Bits of gold

Love this - bamboo forest, well, little one!

It was lovely – we met only one other couple there who turned on their heels as soon as they saw us … Good, we didn't want to see them either!

Walked back through the historical centre of Montpellier, which was pretty quiet, but Café Riche on the Place de la Comédie was open, so I could have a Christmas beer and J. a 'chocolat à l'ancienne', where the hot melted chocolate comes in a little glass, separate from the hot milk …
Then home for our Christmas dinner, a mixture of French and English traditional with Dutch touches

Festive table


Half finished already - was delicious!

posted by Elsien Gale # 6:05 AM 0 comments

Friday, December 14, 2012

December 2012, Montpellier

Firethorn by the river

I've been busy … Not enough days in the week to go out exploring; I'm shocked to find that our ittle trip to Aigues Mortes was the most recent one. Not that we haven't been anywhere since then – went to UK end of October, to Paris in November for a most inspiring TESOL France conference. I keep meaning to follow up some of the contacts there and still haven't got round to it.


Canooing in the river Lez in November

Busy with exams at the end of the year – each lecturer has to design their own, even though we all teach the same programme, which is so prescriptive that it is almost Teaching by Numbers. I feel like doing a whole blog on English teaching in France … I might still do that!

Montpellier is festive, but not 'over-the-top. We have a Christmas market, Christmas lights and the shopping streets are as busy as anywhere else. The weather is not very Christmassy yet – grey and rainy, but I have hopes it will cheer up soon and we will be able to have Boxing Day lunch outside on the Promenade in Palavas, our seaside resort.


Platanes in the Parc Rimbaud

I'm doing most of mine on-line as they have to be sent to UK and Netherlands, so better Amazon than me queuing up at the Post Office. The French Post Office is pretty good though: it's all automatic, put your letters / parcels on a scale, choose your country and it prints your stamped labels. Beats Britain by a mile. They also have late opening hours, until 8pm, great!

Here for Christmas until New Year, then off to Holland for a week and then …. not sure! My little job at the University of Montpellier has come to an end for the moment, as all the First Year students will be 'taught' by e-learning next semester and my services will not be needed. The University communication systems are pretty bad, so I only found out about this last week – a bit late to organise alternative employment. Trying valiantly though and it's lucky my main employers, a language school in Brussels, seem to be able to provide me with a constant stream of my own e-learning students. All this stuff for my blog on English / language education in France – watch this space! E-learning: the death of teaching? Or new opportunities? One of my e-learning students is organising a conference on Education and Technology and thought I might do a presentation there … speaking to her soon, so I'll find out.


Christmastree in the Galeries Lafayette, Polygon


Christmas decorations Galerie Lafayette

In the meantime, a few pics of festive Montpellier ...

posted by Elsien Gale # 11:34 PM 0 comments