Friday, March 22, 2013

Travel Friday in Montpellier


On this Travel Friday, I was off to the South of France again. This time it was to the area known as the Languedoc to the beautiful city of Montpellier.

Montpellier Train Station

It was less than two hours from Lyon on the high speed TGV train. I love Montpellier's colorful trams.

Nice Park by the Gare

Ode to Grapes

The Thing

 Looking very European to me

 The Arts

Theater Anyone?

The Fountain of the Three Graces

So Cool

Montpellier has great architecture and lots of statues.

Kids at Play

Chunky

Hmmm . . .

Modern Sun

Tortured 

Set Your Drink Down

Pigeon and Lion

 Lance Tips

 Unicorn

Topless in Languedoc

 Montpellier's Famous Medical School

Nostradamus earned his medical degree here.

Time Guardians

Mossy Lion

 Opulent

Headless

Nike?

Ben Todd was here!

Hanging Out

Weird Playground

Grand Fountain

 Snack Shack

Ready for Spring

Grand Boulevard

Markets were up and running today selling . . .

Lots of Fruits

Strawberries

Carrots

Dried Fruits

Colorful Flowers

Sea Urchins

Meats

Cheeses

Arc de Triomphe

Erected in 1691 to celebrate the victories of Louis XIV, The Sun King.  

Medallion on the Arc de Triomphe

Excess Armor?

The Sun King himself

Part of the 15km long Aqueduct

Old, Beat Up Wall

 Interesting Roofing Tiles

Ah, The Dutch

 Très Chic!

Highly Organized Vices

 Hard to tell time as the clouds rolled in

 Sweet Ride

Be Strong

Gonzalo, Gonzalo, Gonzalo . . .

Montpellier Hurricanes President
Dario Viallet and his girlfriend Marit

For the second straight Travel Friday, Olivier Rival who is both Mr. American Football in France and the leading expert on Provence Geography, set up a lunch meeting with an official of the local team. Dario is the driving force behind Montpellier's Division II club.

I had a great time dining with Dario and, of course, talking American football with him.

We may get together in early June to do a one day Offensive Line/Defensive Line Camp for his team.

Sounds like fun to me.

I wish we had thought to set up these football lunches every Travel Friday, great fun indeed.

Dario and Marit run this cozy
Café and Book Store together

Lots of English language books including several on the topic of, you guessed it, American football.

Colorful Outdoor Café

Old church converted
to an unusual Modern Art Museum 

What the . . .

Cathédrale St-Pierre

Somebody must have forgotten to pay the utility bills as it was dark, cold and foreboding inside.

Cool Witch's Hat Tower though

Jardin des Plantes
opened in 1593

Montpellier's other football team

France honors their War Dead

Resident of this home deported to Dachau

To Bergen-Belsen

Berga
A Nazi Slave Labor Camp

Dedicated Square

Even named an alley for the Anti-
Fascists fighting Franco in Spain

The Grand Place de la Comédie

I'd Stay Here

Nothing says France to me now
more than a carousel

As much as I liked Montpellier, I couldn't help feeling as if people were staring at me everywhere I went.

Maybe I was getting paranoid?

I was able to get pictures of some of them, what do you think?

 Hostile

Those Penetrating Eyes

Beady Eyes

At least I liked his beard

Why is he looking at me?

Oh my goodness, you too?

Careful he could pounce on me!

Don't let the glasses fool you

Now I'm really bothered!

But, no need to worry because in only . . . 

Days I'll be in Paris!!!

Maybe I should have some new
clothes made for me for Paris

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