Montpellier is Pretty Great

I'm just about three weeks in to my program now, and I have to say I'm loving it. So much so, in fact, that I've finally decided to sit down and tell you all about it!
From Clermont-l'Hérault, I took a bus and then a tram to Montpellier, my home for the next four months. The program participants met briefly that night, but we turned in early as most had just arrived.

(I'm in the red circle!)

Week 1 consisted of orientation, getting settled and - most often - complaining about the heat. It has been a particularly dry and hot summer for the residents of Montpellier, and it carried later into the season than usual. Thus we discussed and complained about the weather about five times a day.

Some Minnesotan habits die hard.

Palm trees in Montpellier? You betcha!

In all seriousness, orientation went really well, and the program participants are getting along famously. For now it feels like freshmen year of college where everyone hangs out together. It's not uncommon to spend time with one group of people one day, and then with a completely different one the next day. We'll see if it stays that way, but even if it doesn't we think we got lucky with such a great group of people!
Here's a city tour featuring one of my first friends here, Erin:

And here's a view of the city center, called Centre de Comédie:

The day of our city tour was also the day we met our host families. We waited in the hotel lobby with lots of luggage and a bit of trepidation. Would they be nice? Would they understand our French-in-progress? Would they prepare food we liked? 

When the host families finally started to arrive, it made me think of kids being chosen at an orphanage (from what I can imagine). They had our pictures, came and said "bonjour" and then we left. I actually walked back and confirmed with one of the program directors that I could in fact leave; it felt too easy!

We spoke a bit in the car, and then I chatted with Jean-Luc (my host dad) and Sabine (my host mom) as she prepared dinner. They were very nice and they understood my French, and the meal that night was excellent. I think I'm lucky to have been matched with them!

Since that first night, we have gotten to know each other much better. We ask about each other's days, Sabine helps me hang up my laundry on the line and dinner conversations have been about everything from prohibitive pasteurization laws in the US to the faults in the French government to how Sabine's parents met (it was at a ballroom dance club). We also discuss their hobbies. Together they enjoy participating in a Medieval Troupe (like Renaissance fairs) and fencing lessons. In addition Sabine also enjoys yoga and Jean-Luc rarely misses his Sunday morning VTT sessions. They actually met in an outdoor activity club of rock climbing, spelunking and via ferrata (more on that later). 

They've also mentioned that they were relieved that I could speak French as well as I do. It sounds like some of their past students haven't spoke much French at all, which would be difficult considering they speak limited English. Even with me there, we regularly reference a English-French dictionary at the dinner table to translate words we don't know. In one of our emails before we met, they said they speak English like "des vaches espagnoles". It's a saying that translates to Spanish cows, so it must go back to some rivalry between the two countries.

They live in the fair town of Castelnau-le-Lez, a northeast suburb of Montpellier:

It is named as such because the river Lez runs right through the town and down into Montpellier area. For getting to city center, I first walk 10-15 minutes to the tram stop. I can see Montpellier from the hill we live on:

From there, I take a tram for 10 minutes. It's not a bad commute, especially considering that of some of my friends here, but I find myself missing 5 minute walks to class back at the U.

In addition, the task of getting the pass for the tram was quite the hassle! Since many people choose using the tram over driving, the lines in the tram office resemble those of the DMV. We went one day and waited for 1.5 hours with no luck, and I went again and waited for 1 hour and was then able to complete the transaction. It wasn't simple, as they had to confirm my identity, take a picture, receive my payment and make the card while I was sitting there. The end result is worth it, however, as I use the tram several times a day.

In contrast, purchasing our French phone plans was very easy. Our program directed us towards the company Free. It offered very convenient *kiosks* at which we were able to purchase SIM cards, choose our phone number and sign up for a corresponding plan. The machine then spit out the SIM card and we were able to insert it ourselves. I couldn't imagine it being this easy in the States!

Week 2 marked the start of classes. I take some at Paul Valéry, which is basically the liberal arts college of the Université de Montpellier, and the rest at the University of Minnesota office here in Montpellier, but they are all in French. My hardest class is an integrated course at Paul Valéry. The teachers speak as they would to normal French students, so even when I'm listening well there are parts I don't understand. I chose a History of Silent Films lecture class with a discussion section about French Colonial Films. I found this to be the best option as I have some background knowledge from a film class at the U and the discussion section helps it count for French credit. Otherwise, you know, it would just be a class IN French, so it wouldn't be French enough.

I also take my phonetics and grammar classes at Paul Valéry, but they have a different feel as they are with other Americans. Asking about the homework is much easier and the professors are more understanding when we need something repeated or explained.

The classes at the Minnesota office are taught by the staff there. I have conversation with Cédric, a class where we bring in articles about current events to discuss and learn some supplementary vocal words. I also have a class for my internship with Corinne. We discuss the French working world and professional practices in relation to our internships. My internship is teaching English at a local elementary school, and I will go into more detail on that once I've been there for a while. 

I've also gone on several adventures since I've been here! The first was with Jean-Luc and my friend Eddie to do something called "via ferrata". I think the best way I can describe it is a cross between rock climbing and a ropes course. 

The course we went to was in Gorges de l'Hérault, an area I visited during my stay with Lucie and Thierry. It was gorgeous and vast, however, so I wasn't complaining about a repeat! Jean-Luc told us that some folks had set up this course with its metal handholds and cables about thirty years ago and it has been a local destination for the sport ever since. We started off by putting on our equipment and discussing the safety rules: always be clipped in and only one person per cable. 

Jean Luc lead the way, and Eddie and I just tried to keep up! But luckily there were lots of picture stops throughout:

Jean-Luc

Eddie in the background

And some great views from the top:

We then had a picnic at the summit (I tell you, the French and their picnics!). 

My other adventure in the great outdoors of Montpellier also involved great views and dangerous heights - hiking!

Okay, so maybe not so dangerous, but I'll let you all be the judge of that with some of my pictures.

One of the girls on the trip, Mercy, had been in contact with the tourism office of the area to figure out a good place to go hiking. They directed her towards "Pic Saint Loup", a local mountain (pic means peak). We started out by riding the tram to a transportation hub, from which we hoped to take a bus. The bus filled up quickly, however, and so our large group wouldn't have fit. Thus we decided to take a taxi to drive us to the bottom of the mountain. This ended up being a much better way to start our hike than a bus ride, as a bus would have only brought us within an hour of the bottom. 

The terrain on the way up was surprisingly rocky, and that ended up being more of the struggle at times than the incline itself at times. The views were irresistible, however, and then kept us distracted.

The terrain

The happy hikers! Mercy, Megan & Becca 

At the top:

A mini photoshoot to prove we made it:

The group: Becca, me, Dawn, Becca, Mercy & Nico

 Becca and I 

Trying to tempt the heights

And give heart attacks to all those scared of heights

A little stretching on the side of a cliff

The decent went much more quickly than our hike up the mountain, and we arrived at the base with no trouble. We then started walking through the town, as Mercy had been told that the bus stop was about an hour walk from the base. No problem, right?

We walked for a while and watched the peak get farther and farther away:

After a while we came to a highway and saw a billboard with the name of the town we were looking for. So we started walking along a highway. By Mercy's estimates, if we went through a forest on the other side of the highway we would end up in this town much more quickly, but it looked too thick for us to cross as strangers of the area. So we continued to trudge along the side of the highway. Soon we came along a round-about and saw a familiar orange sign. It was the bus stop! It was very non-descript and we saw it quite by luck. Unfortunately, the next bus wasn't coming for another hour. Thus, being the tired hikers we were, we decided nap time was in order.

On the side of the highway round-about.

Life's going great, Mom!

When the bus finally came, Becca was jumping for joy at the sight. No really, she was jumping and waving it down to make sure it stopped. After the bus ride, two tram connections and walk later, I walked into my host family's house and collapsed. It had been quite the day!

I thought that the feeling of being surprised to wake up in France each day would have passed by now, but it still catches me at times. It's a happy surprise, however. Despite some culture shock, language problems and just learning how to adjust to my new environment in general, I feel very very lucky to be where I am right now. Study abroad has been great so far and I can't wait to see what more is in store. 

Till next time!

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Sit Back & Relax

I might have gone a little overboard with that whole "no time to rest" attitude in Bordeaux. Taking a break is important, even while vacationing! Luckily, I was able to take a couple days to sleep and relax as Lucie and her boyfriend Thierry still worked during the day.

It wasn't just me relaxing, however. Clermont l'Hérault as a whole seemed much more laid back than busy Bordeaux. Maybe it's the heat, the proximity to Spain or the comparative size of the towns. Regardless, people just seemed to take life... slower. I certainly didn’t mind!

My first night we went to an old town called “Villeneuvette”, meaning new small town. I guess they didn’t quite think through that someday the town wouldn’t be new anymore, but it did stay small! Villeneuvette was originally created in the 17th century as lodging and place of work for the workers of a royal clothmaking factory. It had a very community-based attitude, as there were walls surrounding the city that encouraged the inhabitants to stay. 

On our way back, we stopped at a market to buy some food for our apéritif that night. They had unpasteurized goat cheese (yum!):

And fresh green olives, which I found out I love! There are lots of olive and fig trees in this area.

For those of you wondering, an apéritif is a little appetizer time before the meal in France. There’s a little spread of food and wine with a spill of crème de cassis (blackcurrant). Then for half an hour, an hour, you can sit with friends and family to munch, sip and talk. In Bordeaux we didn’t have any apéritifs, so maybe it is more part of the relaxed attitude of Clermont-l’Hérault. 

For the apéritif the next night, we went to a tapas restaurant right on "Lac du Salagou”:

I learned that instead of saying “cheers” as you chink glasses, you say “santé”, or health. Here’s some other photos from that night of the gorgeous area:

Lucie et Thierry are quite lucky in Clermont l’Hérault to be close to several of the “Grand Sites de France”. These are about forty areas that the French government identifies as notable throughout their country, and some French people make it their goal to visit the entire list. We ate dinner by the Lac du Salagou, but in fact the entire "Vallée du Salagou” and “Cirque du Mourèze" is qualified as a single Grand Site. 

On Saturday we set out to visit another Grand Site, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert – Gorges de l’Hérault. This one covers quite a large area as well, and it required quite a bit of driving. Up a mountain, down into the valley on the other side, and all the way back again! 

First pictures of the drive, and our first stop to view the land below:

Then the view from waayyy up on top of the mountain. If you look close enough, you can see the little town of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, our destination for the afternoon!

But first, some lunch. We stopped halfway down the mountain for, you guessed it, a picnic. It seems like a staple in French culture:

In French, the word for picnic is “pique-nique”. It’s widely pronounced as “peak-neak”. Thierry, however, is from an area of southern France that pronounces it as “peak-a-neak-a”. He thus receives endless teasing from Lucie and her family for this word and several others!

The area was gorgeous, and several people were enjoying wading despite (or perhaps because of?) the frigid water temperature:

We then continued our drive and walked around the town a bit:

Lucie, Léonie and Thierry:

Sunday morning Lucie and I set out for the second half of one of the Grand Sites, the Cirque and city of Mourèze:

We enjoyed some lunch and napped before going out to the heat. For the afternoon, our plan was the second half of one of the Grand Sites - Gorges de l’Hérault. We started out by swimming by the Pont du Diable, or the Devil's bridge. You can see it in the background of this picture:

There are countless bridges by this name throughout the world, and even several within the region. Here's the lore that goes with this one:

In reality, this is a natural occurrence. The region is so dry that the water level stays very low all summer. Then once the rain starts to come in the fall, flooding is quite frequent and can reach over the cliffs on either side of the gorge:

This would quite possibly topple a bridge in progress, as well. Next in our day was the charming town of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert:

 Another notable thing about Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is that it was one of the routes of Saint Jacques de Compostelle. Here's a brief article explaining the story: http://123voyage.com/realsw/tosee/stjacqu.htm Thus, above many doors there are seashells in this shape in remembrance.

I also have another couple tidbits to share. First, centipedes are as feared as scorpions in this area! The French words are "le scorpion" for scorpion and "le scolopendre" for centipede. They are both poisonous and one must be on the lookout when hiking or camping. Here's a video that I couldn't resist sharing. It has French music in the background, and I know how much many of you love "scolopendres":

Secondly, I enjoyed my time talking with Thierry and Lucie over apéritifs, dinner, in the car and just at home. Sometimes, however, I wouldn't understand a word in French and they'd race to think of it in English for me. One time when Thierry won, I learned a funny French idiom:
"Il se la pète"



Basically, it means Thierry thinks he's hot stuff or he's showing off by finding the right answer. But it translates literally to "he farts". As in someone goes and farts for how great they think they've done. My apologies for the crudity, but learning the meaning of this phrase caught me at the right time that night and I laughed heartily. I hope it gave you all a laugh too!
Lucie and Thierry were wonderful hosts and made my time in Clermont l'Hérault very enjoyable. It was nice to sit back and relax at the beginning, but see the beautiful surrounding area as well. I'm posting this quite late compared to when it happened, but "these coming weeks" will be orientation and the start of school. So wish me luck and I'll write home again soon!

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