The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

To date, I have described with words and pictures mostly good things in this part of the world and deservedly so. However, as my husband Keith often says, there is no perfect place and southern France, including Montpellier, is no exception. The beautiful bits are exquisite. Just at noon today, my friend and I went out for lunch and sat at a lovely café overlooking the Le Lez river. The sun was shining and the surroundings were most agréable . As we walked back to the tram, we passed a number of beautiful fountains, green spaces and cafés. 

"The Good"

On the way back, I stopped at La Gare St. Roch to get my train tickets for a number of trips that I'll be taking in November. This is where "the bad" comes in. There are a number of odours that are most unpleasant. I told you the story previously that folks don't pick up after their dogs and there is excrement all over the walks. You really do have to watch. I'm not the least bit interested in stepping in it with my left shoe for good luck. There is also a strong odour of urine in many places. According to Patricia, many people "faire de pee-pee" in the streets. On the trams and other public transports, many smells waft in the air and they aren't always Chanel No.5! There seems to be a blatant disegard for garbage cans. Many times I have watched people throwing refuse on to the streets when there's been a garbage can within reach. I know that I would walk for miles with either garbage in my pockets or even a bag of "dog poop" before I would ever think of throwing it on the ground. This is indeed one of the ways we are quite different. Streets here are strewn with cigarette butts, garbage, dog excrement and "spit". The municipal cleaners really have their work cut out for them every morning as they sweep up the garbage and wash down the streets. 

Last, but not least, there is "the ugly". Just before you pull into the Celleneuve tram station, there is this huge expanse of garbage with a shanty town behind it. I finally asked Patricia what it was and she said it was a Roma camp. This is basically an urban ghetto for the Romas, also known as gypsies. Romas originated in northern India and over time migrated to Europe. Because of their dark skin and cloistered culture, they have not assimilated well. They are also subject to racist comments and depictions of a people with a tendency toward crime and drug use. Like the First Nations people in our country, they struggle with housing, employment, education and dignity. Apparently in 2010, France was widely criticized for deporting thousands of Romas back to Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Regardless, of what you might think of Romas, conditions are deplorable. 

The garbage...

The Roma camp

Beautiful scenery, buildings, great food, good and bad smells, garbage, graffiti and urban ghettoes are just some of the things that make up this interesting and vibrant city and I thought it was important to present a more balanced picture of where I am living. Until next time....