Celleneuve

If I understood Patricia correctly, Celleneuve was a village in its own right with a church, town hall, shops etc. It was originally settled in about 799 and its church, L'Eglise Saint-Croix de Celleneuve dates back to the 12th century. Unfortunately, the church was closed and has limited hours for public viewing. Over the next 6 months, I am sure I'll find time to go in, have a look and take some pictures. Celleneuve is situated to the west of Montpellier and with urbanization, is now part of Montpellier proper. 

Yesterday afternoon was beautiful and I decided to wander about this village to get to know it a little better. Several hours later, I returned with a number of pictures. Celleneuve, in my opinion, is not particularly pretty. I have been to other French villages that are so lovely. This one seems to be a mix of new and old, but there isn't the charm I have seen elsewhere. People might say the same about Avonmore, our neighbourhood in Edmonton. At any rate, the streets are very narrow which is fairly tyical of old European villages. Cars struggle to manouever around tight corners. There is little to no parking directly near one's home, but there is a large lot in the square where homeowners can park their cars for free and then walk back to their respective homes.

rue Marcelin Albert

I  live in the old granary at 1 rue Marcelin Albert. I have included a picture of the exterior of "my home away from home". We live on the upper level and a podiatrist occupies the main floor space.

We often hang our laundry out to dry on the Juliet balcony.

In my travels, I came across a group of men playing Pétanque.  Pétanque is a French game of boules similar to Bocci except that the balls are made of metal. It seems that only men play this sport, yet I have fond memories of playing with a group the last night we were in Mezin about 5 years ago. I think my brother, Trev, will remember it too. We had a lot of laughs!

I managed to find this a fitness centre nearby, but it is quite expensive. Patricia tells me that I might be able to get a reduced rate because I'm a student. In the meantime, I am walking more than I have in years, albeit with the help of a cane at times.

Below is Patricia's favourite Boulangerie-Patisserie right around the corner from her place. She buys our fresh baguette there daily.

The fresh produce store is located beside the bakery and all our fresh produce is purchased there. Most of the produce is locally grown and very good.

Last but not least, are a couple of random photos of the local park and one of the restaurants nearby.

C'est tout. Talk you you soon.