Les Hivernales de Montpellier

Last Friday after class, a group of us spent the afternoon together. Intitially, we enjoyed lunch at a small restaurant with Belgian roots that our prof had recommended. After that, we wandered through parts of the old city of Montpellier. It is a bit like a maze and you can spend hours walking up and down narrow alleys lined with shops, restaurants, bars and cafés.  Every time I explore, I come across a place I have never been or I spy something different the second or third time I visit. It really is quite lovely. Here is our motley crew outside the Préfecture (police headquarters) including yours truly, Ludwig (Germany) and Magda (Poland, now living in England). Jonathan (Scotland) took the picture.

Our exploration led us to the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle to the first day of Les Hivernales de Montpellier. 

From what I can gather, this is an annual event of le marché de Noël du sud (the Christmas market that runs until late December). All along the Esplanade, there were dozens of small kiosks selling regional products, merchandise, food and drink for locals and visitors alike to enjoy. You can see all the kiosks on the sides with people walking down the middle.

Some of the kiosks were decorated "to the nines".

This vendor was selling wonderful duck products - duck confit, duck mousse, foie gras etc.

Champagne anyone?

Look at the size of this gingerbread - incroyable!

Of course there were vendors selling wine and we had to try some. Both Magda and Jonathan bought some wine and I went back today to buy Patricia a bottle of Muscat de Noël. Several places along the way were also selling individual cups of hot mulled wine. Although I didn't have any, many people were drinking it as they walked and shopped. Life is much more civilized here in so many ways. Wouldn't it be grand if we could have a mug of mulled wine in hand as we shopped at the market in Edmonton? 

By evening, all the lights were on in the Place de la Comédie. Très jolie, n'est-ce pas?

Before ending this blog, I have one quick story to tell you. There is a kiosk right at the beginning of the market filled with Santa hats and the like. Santa's elves (young girls dressed in the appropriate garb, hats and all) run the booth. However, when I passed by on the way out, Santa's elves were out smoking beside the booth. It just struck me as ironic and somewhat funny. Santa was nowhere to be seen either.  Perhaps, he was off having a smoke as well.