First Visit to Aix-en-Provence

I spent the weekend with a Servas couple near Aix-en-Provence just before I arrived in Montpellier. Philippe and Sylvie live in a lovely renovated maison in the country just outside the town. They were very welcoming. I lost most of the photos of that visit but I did manage to retrieve the ones of their house and garden, and of our breakfast on the last morning. Very French, very Provençal.

Visit to Séte

We visited Séte in the first week but I didn't get around to writing about it. The fishermen of the region around Rochelle, and now the fishermen on the south coast, have been on strike because of the high price of Gaz(oline.) Almost every night there is something in the news and Séte has featured prominently. There is a shortage of fish in the restaurants.

The highlight of our visit was Jean-Paul giving us a demonstration of the how, at the festival in Sète in summer, the Savateurs or competitors battle it out on board traditional boats.
It was quite a sight!

Afternoon in Nimes

With Jean-Paul leading the way, we explored Nimes yesterday afternoon.
It is about half an hour by TER train from Montpellier.

Fortunately the rain had stopped. The Arena was magnificent. It is massive and is still used for bullfighting. The blocks of stone that the Romans used in the original parts are unbelievably huge. The smaller blocks of stone are from the middle ages!

I didn't make it to the very top, as the steps were very high, but I did almost manage it and we were treated to a fight between a couple of gladiators performing for a school group. There weren't many tourists around so it was quite atmospheric.
I am going to send a post card of the arena to Mr Strick, my surgeon to show him what I am managing to achieve. This time last year I was on crutches and waiting to go into hopsital. The anniversary of my operation is June 15. it may be an occason for a celebration!

We scurried along behind Jean Paul to see the rest of the town, but à la Maison Carrée it was "au revoir JP" and I returned to some of the fascinating shops we had rushed past. I am finding it very hard to keep control of my credit card! I do write everything down, but it still has to be paid. I succumbed to some very expensive Provençal fabric which is divine. I am looking forward to making it up!

I also managed to buy two train tickets, one to Avignon on Saturday, then another to Paris on Wednesday next week.
I have two nights in Avignon with a French family then two nights in Jonquerettes outside Avignon, hopefully seeing a bit more Provencal countryside, before heading north.

La vie Francais

Finally I am coming to grips with the finer points of La Vie Francais.

I have learned to look to the left before I cross, walk on the right side of the pavement, avoid the dog droppings, open and close the shutters, and not show too much surprise when I trip over a dog on the tram.
Dogs are welcome everywhere it seems. In the trams, buses and also trains, along with bikes! Restaurants and shops (and maybe hotels) are also accessible to canine companions!

I have learnt the ins and outs of public transport, how to ask for a hot chocolate and "le compte s'il vous plait."

Today we go to either la plage at Palevas, or to Nimes to see yet more Roman ruins.
Yesterday I finally visited the Musee Fabre.
After a taxing morning in class, grappling with the finer points of French grammar, I only managed to see about half the art works but what I saw I enjoyed. I have come to the conclusion, that apart from some of the Flemish painters, I prefer the art of the 19th and 20th centuries. The works by local artists interest me because often I can recognise the locations.

Montpellier

My last week à Accent Francais and I am finally working out how to use these Apple computers at the school. The challenge of having a different French keyboard as well doesn't make for ease of use.

My camera is now working again, after a hitch with the memory card. Unfortunately I lost all the shots of Marseille and some lovely photos of my Servas host Natacha and her cat Laura. I am disappointed as there were some beautiful views of Marseille and also of an exhibition of pottery on the theme of animals, at a very interesting gallery in the old port district. The work was stunning. I was looking forward to showing the photos to the potters at home.

Marseille was fascinating, very working class, very much a Mediterrranean port and very historic. I was fascinated. A daily fish market is held alongside the fishing boats in the center of the old port. Of course the colourful photos I took are lost forever!
Michel showed me a book of historic photos of Marseille last night and I was interested to recognise some of the places I had visited, as they looked many years ago. Being here, it is not hard to appreicate just what it was like in times past, as many of the buildings are as they were, even if the surroundings have changed.

Montpellier is quite different. Smaller and cleaner and very nice! All the buildings are pink, cream, white or yellow and the newer structures blend well with the magnificent old buildings.
It is all very airy and light, with tall, shady plane trees lining the avenues, colourful flowers and the street sweepers constantly clean up the streets. The sea is 15km away but the town has a definite Sud de France feeling.
We haven't managed to get there yet, as it rained yesterday and our trip to Palevas was cancelled.

I am very impressed by the public transport system. There are two tram routes, the blue Ligne 1; blue trams with white birds and the orange ligne 2, with flamboyant yellow, red and orange flowers all over the trams.
There is even grass between some of the lines, which is kept tidy by a man on a ride on mower!

If I leave home at 8:35, I walk about 100m, the bus comes at 8:38. Two stops later I hop off onto the line 2 tram, a few minutes later I change at the Corum to the line 1 tram, then one stop (through a tunnel) et voila! I am in the beautiful Place De La Comedie, always by 9:10. The school is about 25 metres away. Most bus and tram stops have an electronic indicator telling you when the next trams or buses arrive. It is all very civilised!

Of course on Thursdays there is usually le Gréve, whch means a much reduced service and much frustration. But "c'est la France!"

Sur Le Pont D'Avignon

After a fairly exhausting week I elected to have a "do nothing" day and as it is raining, the first day since I arrived, I made the right decision. The Musée Fabré can wait till another afternoon.

We have just had an amazing Mother's Day lunch (the French have their own date) with Michelle's son Olivier. After lunch Michel showed Olivier the DVD of Coromandel and then I showed them Jennie's photos and they were very impressed.

We started lunch with little sweet and sour pigeon pies, followed by Coquilles St Jaques (or scallops) in leek and cream sauce. Then (I think) we had cheese, about five or six different kinds each mealtime. To finish, glacé with nuts on top and strawberry sauce, which was divine, and then cafe (au lait) pour moi.
All accompanied by three different bottles of medal winning French wines, one white and two red. Just as well we didn't finish all the contents. Now I am going to have to retire for a siesta! Not surprisingly!
I have actually started thinking in French. When I have a dream in French I will know I have "arrived".

I am all for an activity based holiday. It makes such a difference. I found yesterday in Avignon I had seen enough churches and the popes palace, although impressive by its size and history didn't do a lot for me.
I did like the bridge on the Rhone though, and of course Jean-Paul whipped out his flute and had the students dancing a traditional dance, "Sur le Pont d'Avignon." All the other tourists were delighted!

Accent Francais

It is the end of my first week at Accent Francais and it is time I wrote something about it.
It has been a very enjoyable experience so far, but exhausting.

Mornings from 9:30 till 12:00 we have class with Valerie, who is a brilliant professeur of Francais. To my surprise there are only three of us in the senior class, but it means one can't go to sleep or get out of having a turn at speaking.

Richard works for Boeing and comes from Derby. He and I usually have a sandwich to gether at lunchtime, in the park or on the steps of the Comedie Francais. Kenichi is from Osaka in Japan. He has a wife at home, working. I think he is retired.
We all speak in French most of the time.
We have a lot of laughs in the class, even if we are so few. I feel very lucky to have such an opportunity and to have such a good teacher is a bonus. Mostly, we speak (or listen) and there is only a minimum of writing. The little bit of homework is "optional". The school is expremely well organised and everyone is very friendly and helpful.

Most afternoons we have an excursion with Jean-Paul. This is a real experience!!
He is from Sete and has an "occidental temperament!" He is totally bald and often brings his bike along. We usually have students from the other classes with us, mostly younger than us. Jean-Paul loves walking (fast) and is what one might call, a dynamo.
After the first afternoon, when we toured the town I protested and he has attempted to treat me gently since then. We come to an arangement; I stay in one place for a rest, while he route marches everyone else to the top of any available hill and marches down again, playing his flute, to call me to attention!

Yesterday we visited a chocolaterie at the end of the tram line. It was a wonderful afternoon in the tiny kitchen, being instructed by the chocolatiere and fed the most delicious chocolates and a cup of hot chocolate. Unfortunately I had not taken my camera!

Tomorrow we all go to Avignon for a big day out and I have already reached a mutually satisfactory agreement with JP about how the day will be organised. He is delightful actually and his "joie de vivre" is catching.
After the visit to the choc shop the strike, (which happens each Thursday, or so it seems) had caused the trams to be suspended. It looked like we would have to wait for over an hour for one to arrive. This didn't phase JP in the least. He whipped out his flute and had the students dancing a traditional dance on the tramstop. This caused the passing motorists much amusement. Fortunately we only had to wait 30 minutes.

My host family is the best part. Although I am a little out of the centre, the home is in a lovely suburban area and Michelle (who works full time as a scientist) and Michel (who is retired), are very kind and generous hosts. Michelle is the most amazing cook and every evening we have at least four courses, all delicious home cooking of the region. As you can imagine I am very appreciative. She made me an appointment with her hairdresser and I now have a very French haircut.

Now it is Friday afternoon and we are free to explore. I have found a lovely pair of French shoes which I am coveting. I may have to succumb to temptation. I am very impressed by Montpellier, it really is delightful but temptations abound!

Buon Compleanno Rosella

Rosella's birthday was a dessert treat. People didn't arrive till 9pm by which time I am usually past it. Somehow I managed to stay awake and reasonably alert! Some of the guests spoke a little English, so together with my "poco Italiano" I managed to have some conversation. I find I can understand quite a lot as long as they speak slowly. If anyone gets excited then I am lost!I think that the two years I studied Latin in high school is proving very useful to me now. It is such a shame that kids today miss out on that enriching experience, which is helpful in English too. At the time I didn't appreciate this of course.
Rosella's brother's girlfriend is a journalist on one of the big papers here and she speaks English well, having lived in New York for eight years.
I enjoyed speaking to her about her work in the economy section of the paper. She also had no journalist training and started writing about art when she lived in NY. As she has an economics degree she started writing about that to get work when she returned to Itlaia.
Rosella got lots of lovely presents from her friends, including many books, and pot plants for the terrace. She will have quite a jungle now!

Arrividerci Milano

Last day in Milano and time to visit the Duomo again. In 2005 it was grey and sombre. Now it is pink and spotless thanks to a major restoration programme. It is a very impressive sight in the enormous piazza. The marble glows in the sunshine.
The nearby Galleria is always im pressive. I love the displays of gloves and ties all colours of the rainbow. The floor is amazing.

Mothering Sunday in Milano

Mothers' day at Galleria d'Arte Moderna in the Girdini Pubblici.

Orticola 2008 in Milano

Museo di Leonardo da Vinci

A big day out on Lago Maggiore

On Tuesday because it was a very fine day we had a big day out on Lago Maggiore.
First by train to Arona, then the boat trip up the lake. The water was
smooth as glass and the sky blue with white fluffy clouds. It was magical, towns and villages lined the shore with the mountains as a backdrop, topped with just a little
snow. Red rooves and green hillsides, villas with
gardens stretching to the waters edge, it was a wonderland to someone used to the untouched beauty of the lakes in New Zealand.

It was a very long day. We visited just one of the three islands, Isola
Madre. Rosella says this is the best and I think she was correct. The
botanical gardens and the palazzo were very interesting and so beautiful. I
filled up my memory card! There were many camellia japonicas still in
flower and many plants I am familiar with in my garden. Every corner
produced another amazing vista.

We took the late afternoon boat back to Stresa and walked to the statione
where we rewarded ourselves with a campari soda aperitif and nibbles.
Needless to say we didnt see much scenery from the train on the way back to
Milano! We were exhausted and a little sunburnt but it was another
wonderful day out. The next day was basically a do nothing day.

Viale Coni Zugna - Milano

Casa di Rosella e tre catto, Jesse, Surya e Fatto Catto.
This week I am settled in Milano in Rosella's apartment with her three cats.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings she teaches at high school. She is not very happy about that and looks forward to the day she can retire.
It is very easy here. The supermarket is three minutes away and it's two minutes to
the Metro, San Agostino. The trams rattle past outside the window, clanging day and night.
I am sitting at her computer on an antique wooden chair from Venice with a knotted leg! The chair, not me! The computer sits on a huge desk with solid claw feet.
The apartment belonged to her parents and is filled with treasures; old paintings,maps, antiques, and objects from primitive societies that Rosella and her parents collected, including musical intruments and some ferocious looking weapons. A high stud and tall windows, dark polished wood floors and walls of books.
There are two bathrooms. The Maldives bathroom is a wonderland of sea and fishes. (Not real of course.)
The other bathroom/laundry is also the cats bathroom. They never go outside! Two of them have never lived outside, but the youngest, Jesse was once a stray cat and sits staring down from the balcony with a yearning look. She has her own potplant, a terra cotta dish with real dirt (as opposed to cat litter) and a scruffy tuft of Mondo grass! All three are very clean and tidy (and use their litter boxes very daintily.)

Everything in Italy is a little bit scruffy and dirty but it is wonderful. In 2005 I am sure there was a lot more dirt and graffitti everywhere in Milan. Everything seems more stylish and spruced up but maybe that is a reflection on how I was feeling last time, jet lagged and exhausted by being thrown into a new country.
Now I am finding it easier to adjust and am a lot more relaxed about it all.

Typico in Provincia - Piazza dei Signori