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Monday, June 3, 2013
My Travels And A Little Bit of This And That: France and the welfare state
My Travels And A Little Bit of This And That: France and the welfare state: Tomorrow we're off to a beautiful spot called Les Glenans, you have to go there by boat. I'll be blogging my impressions of the plac...
France and the welfare state
Tomorrow we're off to a beautiful spot called Les Glenans, you have to go there by boat. I'll be blogging my impressions of the place shortly thereafter but in the meantime I thought I would write a little bit about what the French government offers its citizens in return for the taxes that they pay. I'm not really sure what percentage of their income French people pay in return for the services that they get, easy enough to look it up but this blog is not a treatise, I would just like to go on first impressions and what I've found out from people who live here, not dry statistical analysis.
First of all with respect to child care, it would be hard to fault the government and the systems they have put in place. Not all of it is "free", you pay with your taxes and often there's an additional, usually modest sum attached. If you're pregnant here you only get a maximum of 5 months leave unless you have another child then it can be longer. You have a choice of "creche" (nursery) where there can be 25+ babies with one person, more or less, per every 5 baby. Nobody's ever complained about there being not enough bodies on the ground to take care of the babies. If that's not what you want, you can have a "nourrice" (the old wet nurse term although they no longer breastfeed your child) come to your house, pick up the baby and keep him/her for the day at their own house. A nourrice can only have 2 babies at any one time, 3 if the children are older than 2. The nourrice gets paid 500 euros by the parents who are then reimbursed by the government according to how much income they make. In general the average paid by parents is around 200 euros (a pittance compared to child caring costs) in North America. Even Quebec doesn't favorably compare since a lot of the day cares subsidized by the government are few and far between. A couple we know is paying $900.00 a month in Montreal right now.
Around the age of 2 and a half a child can go to a proper school with trained child care professionals, it's public and free. The parents are responsible for purchasing meal time tickets (around 2.80 euro per meal). The meals would be considered gourmet by North American standards and consist of 3 courses,not one day in the month is the same. I've seen the menus and they are impressive.
When it comes to health care everybody is covered for what is considered basic health and dental care. Most people buy an additional insurance called la Mutuelle which covers all those extras and costs for a family of 4 around 200 euros a month. This seems like a lot but it's for 4 people. I was paying $150.00 a month for both my husband and I in B.C. and am probably paying the same amount, maybe a bit more, in Quebec. It's taken out of your taxes at the end of the year in Quebec so I'm not sure what the exact amount is. That amount is simply for basic coverage. There is no reimbursement for glasses or anything considered out of the "healthcare ordinary". Furthermore we have lived in Quebec for one year now and still can't find a doctor in the community where we live. That's not unusual with a lot of people having the same difficulty. In comparison one has access to a doctor the same day here. You could phone your obstetrician on a Saturday with concerns about your child and have the appointment that same day! Unheard of in Canada, one must secure appointments with so-called specialists a long time in advance. It's not unusual for a French doctor to visit a patient at home if the person is too ill, with something as mundane as a bad cold or a migraine, to make it to the office.
In general French people seem happy with the extent of the government's involvement in their lives except for the bureaucracy which can be daunting and a pain in the derriere royal or otherwise.
Just a little something to chew on while you contemplate the level of involvement of your own government whether that might be a positive or a negative thing. In France I feel it's mostly a positive but I might be way off base.
First of all with respect to child care, it would be hard to fault the government and the systems they have put in place. Not all of it is "free", you pay with your taxes and often there's an additional, usually modest sum attached. If you're pregnant here you only get a maximum of 5 months leave unless you have another child then it can be longer. You have a choice of "creche" (nursery) where there can be 25+ babies with one person, more or less, per every 5 baby. Nobody's ever complained about there being not enough bodies on the ground to take care of the babies. If that's not what you want, you can have a "nourrice" (the old wet nurse term although they no longer breastfeed your child) come to your house, pick up the baby and keep him/her for the day at their own house. A nourrice can only have 2 babies at any one time, 3 if the children are older than 2. The nourrice gets paid 500 euros by the parents who are then reimbursed by the government according to how much income they make. In general the average paid by parents is around 200 euros (a pittance compared to child caring costs) in North America. Even Quebec doesn't favorably compare since a lot of the day cares subsidized by the government are few and far between. A couple we know is paying $900.00 a month in Montreal right now.
Around the age of 2 and a half a child can go to a proper school with trained child care professionals, it's public and free. The parents are responsible for purchasing meal time tickets (around 2.80 euro per meal). The meals would be considered gourmet by North American standards and consist of 3 courses,not one day in the month is the same. I've seen the menus and they are impressive.
When it comes to health care everybody is covered for what is considered basic health and dental care. Most people buy an additional insurance called la Mutuelle which covers all those extras and costs for a family of 4 around 200 euros a month. This seems like a lot but it's for 4 people. I was paying $150.00 a month for both my husband and I in B.C. and am probably paying the same amount, maybe a bit more, in Quebec. It's taken out of your taxes at the end of the year in Quebec so I'm not sure what the exact amount is. That amount is simply for basic coverage. There is no reimbursement for glasses or anything considered out of the "healthcare ordinary". Furthermore we have lived in Quebec for one year now and still can't find a doctor in the community where we live. That's not unusual with a lot of people having the same difficulty. In comparison one has access to a doctor the same day here. You could phone your obstetrician on a Saturday with concerns about your child and have the appointment that same day! Unheard of in Canada, one must secure appointments with so-called specialists a long time in advance. It's not unusual for a French doctor to visit a patient at home if the person is too ill, with something as mundane as a bad cold or a migraine, to make it to the office.
In general French people seem happy with the extent of the government's involvement in their lives except for the bureaucracy which can be daunting and a pain in the derriere royal or otherwise.
Just a little something to chew on while you contemplate the level of involvement of your own government whether that might be a positive or a negative thing. In France I feel it's mostly a positive but I might be way off base.
Monday, May 27, 2013
My Travels And A Little Bit of This And That: Benodet and The Great Gatsby
My Travels And A Little Bit of This And That: Benodet and The Great Gatsby: It's very difficult to find movies in their original version in this part of Bretagne many of the films are dubbed in French which repre...
Benodet and The Great Gatsby
It's very difficult to find movies in their original version in this part of Bretagne many of the films are dubbed in French which represents a serious handicap for a bona fide cinephile. We were lucky enough to find The Great Gatsby playing in English at the resort town of Benodet. It's a lovely little resort town right on the water and the theater itself is situated in the Casino which is one of the major attractions here. Benodet is also known for its spa retreats. I intend to avail myself of one of these sometime soon, a little massage would do me the world of good. The theatre only has 2 screens but the space is fairly big and up to the minute in terms of comfort,plush red seats with strangely enough one lone washroom at the left of the screen, a little weird, could be a problem when there are more than 10 people in the audience.
The showing in English was not well attended, hardly a surprise, we had our choice of seats. The main reason I wanted to go see this film was for the art direction which seemed sumptuous when I first saw the previews and, on that count, it certainly did not disappoint. However one of the main problems is the 3D format. I simply don't understand why 3D was used for this particular film. In fact I'm tired of 3D being used to not so great effect on far too many movies. Don't like wearing the 3D glasses they pinch my nose and usually give me a roaring headache accompanied by weeping eyes. Maybe I'm just allergic to this entire process.
First the good points: art direction was top notch each detail, and there were many, lovingly rendered. The soft billowing of the white curtains, a languorous arm draped over a stunning couch as Daisy Buchanan is slowly revealed to the awe filled gaze of her cousin Nick Carraway who hasn't seen her in 5 years. Props to the costume department as well, Daisy's dress, in that first scene, is a couture work of art. In fact all the costumes from the women to the men and I'm including the jewelry here are worthy of the highest praise. Both houses, Buchanan's and Gatsby's are simply spectacular. If it's eye candy you want and this is satisfaction enough then you're sure to get it in this film.
Now on to the bad points which are numerous. The use of 3D does nothing to enhance the "special effects" during the crazy,over the top party scenes. Instead of popping out the many details just get submerged with just too much going on, the eyes go crazy trying to focus on so many details. Of course the scale for the party is huge and that's one of the problems, it's just too huge, two firework displays might have been great but three, or maybe four, (I stopped counting) is one too many. There's craziness here but it's all too staged and managed to elicit anything else in this viewer but discomfort at the excesses of the ultra rich. It wasn't envy I felt it was more akin to revulsion and I'm not sure that's what the director was aiming for. Another central problem, too much Tobey Maguire, as Nick Carraway the narrator he's more of a central character than Gatsby himself. The constant narration frames tableaux or set pieces and robs the film of any forward movement, it's not dynamic. It just lies there static on the screen with extremely mannered performances from Di Caprio and Maguire especially who spends the entire film with a more or less bemused expression on his face as though he can't quite believe he's been cast in this picture. Gatsby took too long to make an entrance and although Di Caprio looks fittingly gorgeous as a character he remains a caricature, a pastiche, the constant use of the expression "old sport" translated very poorly in French as "vieux frere" is enough to have you running for the exit. .We understand that Gatsby has had a colorful past but his life narrated through Nick never seems real , Gatsby remains opaque. The love story between Gatsby and Daisy which should have been the beating heart of the film ignites no sparks, hard to believe there was ever any semblance of passion between them. I fault the casting here. Carey Mulligan can be a fine actress but she left me totally indifferent in this role. For the roaring twenties filled with every imaginable excesses the picture was fundamentally chaste, it wasn't sexy or warm at all. Visually stunning but viscerally empty.
Baz Lurhmann is well known for mixing up musical pieces and incorporating modern music in period films. He does the same thing here with rap punctuating some scenes, with little echoes of U2 and other modern songs which I didn't recognize. The effect is jarring. It takes one out of the period instead of immersing you more deeply into it. Action punctuated here and there by the mournful sound of a jazz trumpet is not enough to bring you back. It's a shame considering that there would have been a great wealth of wonderful music from the era to choose from. It's a deliberate choice which might work for some viewers but mainly served as an additional irritant for me. Obviously a lovingly crafted film which needed less craft and a whole lot more passion.
The showing in English was not well attended, hardly a surprise, we had our choice of seats. The main reason I wanted to go see this film was for the art direction which seemed sumptuous when I first saw the previews and, on that count, it certainly did not disappoint. However one of the main problems is the 3D format. I simply don't understand why 3D was used for this particular film. In fact I'm tired of 3D being used to not so great effect on far too many movies. Don't like wearing the 3D glasses they pinch my nose and usually give me a roaring headache accompanied by weeping eyes. Maybe I'm just allergic to this entire process.
First the good points: art direction was top notch each detail, and there were many, lovingly rendered. The soft billowing of the white curtains, a languorous arm draped over a stunning couch as Daisy Buchanan is slowly revealed to the awe filled gaze of her cousin Nick Carraway who hasn't seen her in 5 years. Props to the costume department as well, Daisy's dress, in that first scene, is a couture work of art. In fact all the costumes from the women to the men and I'm including the jewelry here are worthy of the highest praise. Both houses, Buchanan's and Gatsby's are simply spectacular. If it's eye candy you want and this is satisfaction enough then you're sure to get it in this film.
Now on to the bad points which are numerous. The use of 3D does nothing to enhance the "special effects" during the crazy,over the top party scenes. Instead of popping out the many details just get submerged with just too much going on, the eyes go crazy trying to focus on so many details. Of course the scale for the party is huge and that's one of the problems, it's just too huge, two firework displays might have been great but three, or maybe four, (I stopped counting) is one too many. There's craziness here but it's all too staged and managed to elicit anything else in this viewer but discomfort at the excesses of the ultra rich. It wasn't envy I felt it was more akin to revulsion and I'm not sure that's what the director was aiming for. Another central problem, too much Tobey Maguire, as Nick Carraway the narrator he's more of a central character than Gatsby himself. The constant narration frames tableaux or set pieces and robs the film of any forward movement, it's not dynamic. It just lies there static on the screen with extremely mannered performances from Di Caprio and Maguire especially who spends the entire film with a more or less bemused expression on his face as though he can't quite believe he's been cast in this picture. Gatsby took too long to make an entrance and although Di Caprio looks fittingly gorgeous as a character he remains a caricature, a pastiche, the constant use of the expression "old sport" translated very poorly in French as "vieux frere" is enough to have you running for the exit. .We understand that Gatsby has had a colorful past but his life narrated through Nick never seems real , Gatsby remains opaque. The love story between Gatsby and Daisy which should have been the beating heart of the film ignites no sparks, hard to believe there was ever any semblance of passion between them. I fault the casting here. Carey Mulligan can be a fine actress but she left me totally indifferent in this role. For the roaring twenties filled with every imaginable excesses the picture was fundamentally chaste, it wasn't sexy or warm at all. Visually stunning but viscerally empty.
Baz Lurhmann is well known for mixing up musical pieces and incorporating modern music in period films. He does the same thing here with rap punctuating some scenes, with little echoes of U2 and other modern songs which I didn't recognize. The effect is jarring. It takes one out of the period instead of immersing you more deeply into it. Action punctuated here and there by the mournful sound of a jazz trumpet is not enough to bring you back. It's a shame considering that there would have been a great wealth of wonderful music from the era to choose from. It's a deliberate choice which might work for some viewers but mainly served as an additional irritant for me. Obviously a lovingly crafted film which needed less craft and a whole lot more passion.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Clam digging in Ile Tudy
Today was an exceptionally beautiful day,lots of sun and just a tiny little breeze. It's the first great day we've had here although there hasn't been much rain,still lots of grey weather and wind. The wind is more or less a constant fixture here since we're so close to the ocean. The part of Bretagne (Brittany) where we are is called le Pays Bigoudin, it encompasses a tiny area of Finistere Sud. The houses are typical of the area. Slate peaked roofs, white on the ouside, palm trees grow here but they're not too abundant. It's quite lush and green because of the heavy rainfall and generally mild year round. A long time ago women wore a very traditional costume with the high lace hat. Click on the pictures below to enlarge and it will show you how elaborate the costumes were. There are pictures of row of Bigoudennes working in the fish factories all dressed in identical costumes, startling images and a testament to how devoted to their traditions they were. There are only 10 Bigoudennes left,the old traditions are dying just like everywhere else.
We are staying in a town called Guilvinec which is the biggest fishing port for what is known as peche artisanale, fishing which doesn't involve huge boats but much smaller vessels which go out for crab, blue lobster, shrimps and all types of other fish. Regardless of the scale on which it is done there is still a concern due to global warming of the oceans and the air temperature. Some species of fish are harder to catch, blue lobsters are not as plentiful as they once were furthermore there is competition from the British Isles for cheaper lobster. It's the same problem plaguing countries everywhere, either try to buy local and pay more money or buy cheaper and buy from elsewhere. Welcome to our globalized world which was theoretically supposed to make things better.
This is a typical house of the Finistere Sud
Driving to Ile Tudy is very picturesque. There were many people who had had the same idea. It's a full moon and the tide is very low allowing for great clam digging. The three and a half of us (HAHA_) got to work, boots absolutely necessary or barefoot is another option Either way you're going to get wet. We got a fair bit of clams, not the huge ones that you can bake on the half shell but good size ones nevertheless along with other clams called "coques" which sounds like a pretty juicy word in English. Back home soak them thoroughly to get rid of all the sand and tomorrow huge clam chowder for our efforts. Bon appetit.
We are staying in a town called Guilvinec which is the biggest fishing port for what is known as peche artisanale, fishing which doesn't involve huge boats but much smaller vessels which go out for crab, blue lobster, shrimps and all types of other fish. Regardless of the scale on which it is done there is still a concern due to global warming of the oceans and the air temperature. Some species of fish are harder to catch, blue lobsters are not as plentiful as they once were furthermore there is competition from the British Isles for cheaper lobster. It's the same problem plaguing countries everywhere, either try to buy local and pay more money or buy cheaper and buy from elsewhere. Welcome to our globalized world which was theoretically supposed to make things better.
This is a typical house of the Finistere Sud
Driving to Ile Tudy is very picturesque. There were many people who had had the same idea. It's a full moon and the tide is very low allowing for great clam digging. The three and a half of us (HAHA_) got to work, boots absolutely necessary or barefoot is another option Either way you're going to get wet. We got a fair bit of clams, not the huge ones that you can bake on the half shell but good size ones nevertheless along with other clams called "coques" which sounds like a pretty juicy word in English. Back home soak them thoroughly to get rid of all the sand and tomorrow huge clam chowder for our efforts. Bon appetit.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
On the road to Bretagne (Brittany)
We left la Grande Motte on a rather dreary day for southern France where weather has been unusually cold for this time of the year. It was sputtering but we were off to a good start, didn't miss any turns and found the highway for direction Barcelona. We hadn't done a road trip in France in quite a few years, naturally things have changed. The highway system is very impressive but also very expensive. It is privately owned by a consortium with the lofty name of Vinci. I tried to find out who was behind the consortium without any success, it appears to be quite secretive. In any case it is impressive in that the roads are well maintained, directions are clearly indicated and there is a radio service which broadcasts hourly or even continuously on major hangups which might occur along the way.
There are plenty of rest areas, so many in fact that it's almost mind boggling. Some are more rudimentary with just a gas station and a store while others offer a broader range of services such as showers, finer dining and even hotels. We've traveled by car a great deal, in the U.S. Mexico and Canada. Canada is by far the worse in terms of rest areas. We crossed all of Canada from coast to coast and probably located 5 which is beyond pathetic in terms of the service provided. The U.S. is generally pretty good, highways are well maintained too and free of charge. Mexico has a fairly comprehensive highway system but it's not cheap either although not as expensive as France. The trip from St. Paul de Vence to La Grande Motte probably cost around 65 Euros (about $80.00 Canadian depending on the exchange rate) while the trip from La Grande Motte to Nantes cost 67 Euros, about the same. In Bretagne (Brittany) highways are free, as soon as you get to Nantes.
The things one likes about France, lack of big advertisement on the highway, discrete panels, hidden away hotels etc...might also be the things one dislikes about France when one is tired of driving and seeking a motel type accommodation. First of all there are none right beside the highway except for the odd rest areas which might have one usually fairly small hotel. It's not like Canada or the U.S where you can just spot hotels from the highway, here it requires a bit more work. We were getting tired and decided to get off the highway at a place called Chantonnay, it was on the map, I figured it would be a decent size. Unfortunately there was a pilgrimage of sort going on and all the hotels in the town and the surrounding area were booked. We were directed to another town supposedly only 10 clicks away, turned out to be more like 25 or 30 clicks.
Got to the place in question, the two hotels in town were closed and we never found the other one. Lost about a frustrating hour, decided to push on to Nantes. Nantes was very chaotic with lots of "peripheriques" which circle the city, of course no hotels in sight. We got lost on a peripherique and on our way to Paris. Had to turn around and I managed to spot Vannes (a smaller town) which held the possibility of some hotels being available. Got to Vannes, it was cold and miserable. There were 2 hotels not too far from the highway, i.e. you could actually see them, miracle of miracle. The person at the reception desk was not very receptive to our request for a "chambre". Apparently none were available in all of Vannes because of the golf tournament and that damn 4 day weekend was plaguing us again. My only consolation was that the weather was crappy and golfing was not going to be a very pleasant experience.
At this point we were feeling quite dejected and sick of being on the road nevertheless we pushed on towards Lorient. I spotted a hotel (again from the highway, double wow!) and there were a few rooms left, yes our quest was over. This hotel was part of a chain and sort of a do it yourself booking although there was a receptionist there at the time we arrived. Generally you can just plunk your Visa card down and book yourself a room via the handy machine outside. These rooms are tiny,two suitcases, two adults and that's it. You can almost pee and shower at the same time but hey, they serve a purpose and they're pretty cheap by European standards. Including breakfast for 2, 56 Euros that's a pretty good deal.
Refreshed and happy the next day we drove to Quimper and then to Guilvinec which was our final destination. Just another note on French highways, not as many trucks and the trucks which are present are not as big as the ones in North America. I liked that. The speed limit is a fast 130 kms on a good day, on a rainy day 110 kms. Most people go faster, I do think the French are pretty good drivers. It's quite difficult to obtain a driver's license here. Many people fail on their first attempt and it's not unusual to have to try twice or even 3 times in order to get one.
This is it for my blog so far. I will be updating when we visit some new spot but for now we're staying put with family. Hope you enjoyed it.
There are plenty of rest areas, so many in fact that it's almost mind boggling. Some are more rudimentary with just a gas station and a store while others offer a broader range of services such as showers, finer dining and even hotels. We've traveled by car a great deal, in the U.S. Mexico and Canada. Canada is by far the worse in terms of rest areas. We crossed all of Canada from coast to coast and probably located 5 which is beyond pathetic in terms of the service provided. The U.S. is generally pretty good, highways are well maintained too and free of charge. Mexico has a fairly comprehensive highway system but it's not cheap either although not as expensive as France. The trip from St. Paul de Vence to La Grande Motte probably cost around 65 Euros (about $80.00 Canadian depending on the exchange rate) while the trip from La Grande Motte to Nantes cost 67 Euros, about the same. In Bretagne (Brittany) highways are free, as soon as you get to Nantes.
The things one likes about France, lack of big advertisement on the highway, discrete panels, hidden away hotels etc...might also be the things one dislikes about France when one is tired of driving and seeking a motel type accommodation. First of all there are none right beside the highway except for the odd rest areas which might have one usually fairly small hotel. It's not like Canada or the U.S where you can just spot hotels from the highway, here it requires a bit more work. We were getting tired and decided to get off the highway at a place called Chantonnay, it was on the map, I figured it would be a decent size. Unfortunately there was a pilgrimage of sort going on and all the hotels in the town and the surrounding area were booked. We were directed to another town supposedly only 10 clicks away, turned out to be more like 25 or 30 clicks.
Got to the place in question, the two hotels in town were closed and we never found the other one. Lost about a frustrating hour, decided to push on to Nantes. Nantes was very chaotic with lots of "peripheriques" which circle the city, of course no hotels in sight. We got lost on a peripherique and on our way to Paris. Had to turn around and I managed to spot Vannes (a smaller town) which held the possibility of some hotels being available. Got to Vannes, it was cold and miserable. There were 2 hotels not too far from the highway, i.e. you could actually see them, miracle of miracle. The person at the reception desk was not very receptive to our request for a "chambre". Apparently none were available in all of Vannes because of the golf tournament and that damn 4 day weekend was plaguing us again. My only consolation was that the weather was crappy and golfing was not going to be a very pleasant experience.
At this point we were feeling quite dejected and sick of being on the road nevertheless we pushed on towards Lorient. I spotted a hotel (again from the highway, double wow!) and there were a few rooms left, yes our quest was over. This hotel was part of a chain and sort of a do it yourself booking although there was a receptionist there at the time we arrived. Generally you can just plunk your Visa card down and book yourself a room via the handy machine outside. These rooms are tiny,two suitcases, two adults and that's it. You can almost pee and shower at the same time but hey, they serve a purpose and they're pretty cheap by European standards. Including breakfast for 2, 56 Euros that's a pretty good deal.
Refreshed and happy the next day we drove to Quimper and then to Guilvinec which was our final destination. Just another note on French highways, not as many trucks and the trucks which are present are not as big as the ones in North America. I liked that. The speed limit is a fast 130 kms on a good day, on a rainy day 110 kms. Most people go faster, I do think the French are pretty good drivers. It's quite difficult to obtain a driver's license here. Many people fail on their first attempt and it's not unusual to have to try twice or even 3 times in order to get one.
This is it for my blog so far. I will be updating when we visit some new spot but for now we're staying put with family. Hope you enjoyed it.
Monday, May 13, 2013
May 8th, Montpelier and beyond
May 8th is an important holiday in France, it's a national holiday since it's the day that Nazi Germany capitulated. There are important celebrations held everywhere in various towns in France. We attended one in la Grande Motte, heard the Mayor and various other officials speak and got to sing La Marseillaise twice.
La Marseillaise is one of the bloodiest national anthems around but the French make no apology for it since it was written during the French Revolution. A few words on La Grande Motte, can't remember if I mentioned that the architect who conceived this project, name of Balladur, was inspired by the Mayan pyramids he saw in Mexico. All the buildings have to more or less conform to that shape and be no higher than 8 stories with slopping sides so that balconies have no overhang, it gives the town a very special flair found nowhere else in France. The population swells in the summer, the port is very attractive and the beach is 10 kms. long plus there are lots of apartments to rent. It's a great place for a family holiday. La Grande Motte is recognized as a World Heritage Site of significant importance.
May 8th fell on a Thursday this year, very handy since Friday was the day of L'Ascension when Jesus ascended to heaven after the crucifixion. This is also the day when this most secular of nations reacquaints itself with religion in order to secure another holiday followed by the Saturday/Sunday link (they call it le pont or the bridge) and suddenly hello 4 day weekend. This will create some problems for us when driving to Bretagne but more on that later.
We went for a visit of the city of Montpelier a few kms. away from the Grande Motte. It's a university town filled with lots of young people and there are also bureaucrats galore judging by the numerous buildings primarily devoted to public functions. The old part is medieval with many beautifully restored buildings, it's always amazing to walk in those streets where centuries ago people lived, worked and died. Montpelier has also made an effort to reinvent itself as a thoroughly modern city and there is a modern part which is quite monumental in scope with parks, big avenues and a pedestrian walkway filled with cafes and restaurants, on either side, which leads directly to the river. There was an extreme sport water event taking place while we were there with competitors from around the world, very very busy. We preferred the old section with its narrow streets and shaded little parks. Montpelier has possibly the oldest medical faculty in Europe (Bologne might have the claim of being the first) it was founded by Jewish medical scholars.
On the way back we took the coastal road along the 10 km. beach. We dipped our toes in the Mediterranean but it was too cold for a swim. Tomorrow we leave for Bretagne. We've assessed Friday as the best day to be on the road to avoid the dreaded "plugs" on the road. We will be saying au revoir to Southern France, never did get to Cannes to take some pictures but there's always future years, can't do everything at once, must save some for rainy and sunny days equally.
La Marseillaise is one of the bloodiest national anthems around but the French make no apology for it since it was written during the French Revolution. A few words on La Grande Motte, can't remember if I mentioned that the architect who conceived this project, name of Balladur, was inspired by the Mayan pyramids he saw in Mexico. All the buildings have to more or less conform to that shape and be no higher than 8 stories with slopping sides so that balconies have no overhang, it gives the town a very special flair found nowhere else in France. The population swells in the summer, the port is very attractive and the beach is 10 kms. long plus there are lots of apartments to rent. It's a great place for a family holiday. La Grande Motte is recognized as a World Heritage Site of significant importance.
May 8th fell on a Thursday this year, very handy since Friday was the day of L'Ascension when Jesus ascended to heaven after the crucifixion. This is also the day when this most secular of nations reacquaints itself with religion in order to secure another holiday followed by the Saturday/Sunday link (they call it le pont or the bridge) and suddenly hello 4 day weekend. This will create some problems for us when driving to Bretagne but more on that later.
We went for a visit of the city of Montpelier a few kms. away from the Grande Motte. It's a university town filled with lots of young people and there are also bureaucrats galore judging by the numerous buildings primarily devoted to public functions. The old part is medieval with many beautifully restored buildings, it's always amazing to walk in those streets where centuries ago people lived, worked and died. Montpelier has also made an effort to reinvent itself as a thoroughly modern city and there is a modern part which is quite monumental in scope with parks, big avenues and a pedestrian walkway filled with cafes and restaurants, on either side, which leads directly to the river. There was an extreme sport water event taking place while we were there with competitors from around the world, very very busy. We preferred the old section with its narrow streets and shaded little parks. Montpelier has possibly the oldest medical faculty in Europe (Bologne might have the claim of being the first) it was founded by Jewish medical scholars.
On the way back we took the coastal road along the 10 km. beach. We dipped our toes in the Mediterranean but it was too cold for a swim. Tomorrow we leave for Bretagne. We've assessed Friday as the best day to be on the road to avoid the dreaded "plugs" on the road. We will be saying au revoir to Southern France, never did get to Cannes to take some pictures but there's always future years, can't do everything at once, must save some for rainy and sunny days equally.
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