Settling In

Montpellier is our home for the next four weeks. We’ve rented an apartment  in the Beaux Arts quarter, just outside the old city centre.

Unpack our bags and it’s time to get some lunch and discover the old city. We love to walk a city at first to get to know it better. No tour-buses for us. Michèle is a more of a “follow-the-map” person and I just like to wander the streets and see the busyness of the locals. OK, so I do get lost every once in awhile.

The old city is about 700 x 800 meters so it’s easy to cover. Ah, but it’s built on a hill so it’s a good workout to get to the centre. It has a great feel to it; many university students. It's a warren of narrow streets...you turn a corner and, voilà, a square full of restaurants, cafés and bars. We’ve found Les Halles, a small market right in the centre of the old city with butchers, fruit and vegetable vendors, and cheesemongers. It’s great to be back in France!  Ah, there's also McDonald's in the Place de la Comedie, the main square.  And it's packed!  I read recently that France has become the second-most-profitable market in the world for McDonald’s.    The jetlag makes me feel as if I'm wrapped in cotton wool. I need sleep.

To see photo highlights, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8121&id=100000148392134&l=eec1420183