Sete

On Friday, Pauline, our teacher announced that our class would be moving to another building in a new classroom with a new teacher. Two students from our class, Sophie from England and Noboue from Japan, finished their stints at ILA and new students will likely join us on Monday. It should be interesting.

My first class - Pauline, our teacher, is 4th from the left

When I came out onto the street after school, Gemma was there with another classmate of hers, Martina from Italy. They had been talking in their class about a pretty port city nearby that has great fish. They invited me to join them for lunch in Sete. (Sete actually has an accent grave over the first e, but I can't seem to get my iPad or Logitech to cooperate and insert accents. If any of you have some tips for me, I'd be grateful)  To get there, we had to take the train for a short 20 minute ride from Montpellier. This is one of those opportunities to do and see something different, so I jumped at the chance. We made it to the Gare St. Roch just in the nick of time to buy our tickets and hop on the train. By the time we got to Sete,  we were very hungry. Both my companions speak and understand French quite well so they were able to ask people for recommendations to a good fish restaurant and for directions to get there. We headed along the quay that was dotted with restaurants for as far as the eye could see. Many restaurants were already closed for lunch, but we did manage to find one that would serve us. Gemma and Martina ordered the squid and tuna platter.  I'm not a big fan of squid, so I ordered the house specialty - cuttlefish. Much to my surprise, it is just like squid. Needless to say, I was not very fond of my lunch, but the cold beer on a hot day along with the pleasant  and surroundings made up for it.

Sete is a lovely port and seaside resort on the Mediterranean built upon and around Mont St. Clair. On one side, there is a an enclosed salt lake used predominately for mussel and oyster beds. The Mediterranean lies on the other. There is also a network of canals between the Etang Thau (the saltwater lake) and the sea. We had about an 11/2 hrs. before our train left, so we decided to take a tour boat along the canal and and the seashore. Once again, I was at a disadvantage because I could not understand what the tour guide was saying most of the time, but I did see lots of boats, ships, fishermen, people on the beaches, beautiful homes, apartments etc. I've included some pictures from our most pleasant afternoon. I hope you enjoy Sete as much as we did. 

Gemma and Martina at the restaurant in Sete

The girls walking along one of the streets in the Centre Ville Sete

La Place de Centre Ville Sete

Pictures of Sete taken on the boat tour

ILA French School

I am finding that going back to school at my age is not easy. Not only am I surrounded by students much younger than myself, my retention leaves much to be desired. Presently, I am in the Programme Cours Standard A2. Basically that means I am a beginner, but up one level from the bottom. This course runs for 4 weeks from 9 - 12:15 p.m. with a 15 minute break. (During the break or pause in French, students from all the classes race out onto the street for a coffee and/or croissant from the small cafe next door and perhaps a smoke) The course includes 20 lessons of vocabulary, grammar, conversation, phonetics etc. My classmates and I work through a variety of activities that include different media - videos, cartoons, cards, drawings, quizzes etc. Most of my friends are educators so you can appreciate that a large number of teaching strategies are employed to appeal to all types of learners. We are also assigned homework to do for the next day. Needless to say, I have to spend extra time in the afternoons and evenings reviewing the material. Even with that, it is a stretch. The first week of school is not yet over, so I must be patient.

In the afternoons and on Saturdays, there are additional learning activities offered by the school. Some are free and others have a cost. I went on the tour of Les Hotels Particuliers that I described in a previous blog and I tried to sign up for a cheese tasting class, but unfortunately it was full. Next week, there is a wine tasting of wines from the Languedoc region. That one really interests me so I will try and register early Monday morning in order to reserve a spot. On Saturday, there's an excursion to Carcasonne, but I think I will give it a miss and go to the Saturday morning market at Les Arceaux instead. Patricia tells me that market is very interesting. These excursions are a wonderful adjunct to the learning experience, but because my French is still so limited, I am not sure I would get that much out of them in these early days. I am also banking on these excursions/activities being repeated. Over the next 6 months, I'll try to participate in many of them. I've also been thinking about taking some of the Intensive courses offered in the afternoons and/or one-one tutorials. However, I am going to wait before I enroll in either of those options as I'm pretty overwhelmed with what I'm doing presently.

Pauline is a good teacher, but Patricia my host, is also very helpful. Not only will she answer all my questions as slowly and simply as she can, she even assists with my homework when asked. On a side note, there was a breakthrough two nights ago - Patricia agreed to let me dry the dishes. Last night, I did it all. That said, she hung up all my wet laundry from the washer this morning. I'm one lucky girl! By the way, I asked Patricia about the graffiti problem and she said that the police have tried to intervene, but it has been difficult to catch the culprits. In addition, many of the walls and buildings have been washed or repainted to no avail. No sooner is it removed than the graffiti returns. In my opinion, it is quite a blight on the environment, much like the billboards in Canada. The other thing she told me is that smoking is not allowed in indoor bars, restaurants, offices etc. However, people can smoke anywhere outside. There are no rules about smoking 10-15 meters from doorways like we have.

Back to the school. Gemma, the girl from Spain, has met me everyday for lunch this week. Although she's moved up to a higher level, she feels more comfortable with the people in our class. Today, we were joined by Max, the lawyer from Sweden and Alex, the tennis pro trainer from Australia via Singapore. Both Max and Alex were "under the weather". Alex has laryngitis - not a good thing to have in a predominately oral class and Max had a headache which may have been a result of a late night at the disco. Another student in our class has been away most of the week. There seems to be a lot of viruses going around. When I ride the tram, many of the passengers are coughing and sneezing too, so I am being very diligent about hand washing. So far, so good.

That's it for now. I've already sent pictures of the exterior of the school and I'll try and get a picture of our class in the next while. This time, I have a picture of Gemma at one of the outdoor cafes. My duck confit was delicious. Salut!

Impressions,Observations and Insights so far....

My host Patricia is lovely. I think I "lucked out" after talking to a couple of other students whose experiences have been less positive. I will be living here for the next six months so I am delighted that we get along. Because my French is so limited, it is difficult to hold a conversation of any substance, but somehow we seem to manage. I think that's a result of her patience and experience living with students learning French. I love the house too (pictures attached). It was an old granary now converted into a two apartment home. Patricia lives in one and her 85 yr. old father, Joseph, lives in the other. From the street, you walk up a circular staircase to get to the living area. The apartment is made of stone, exposed wooden beams and worn polished beautiful stone floors. The main floor has an open plan with a kitchen, pantry and eating area. There is also an area with a lounge and computer and a sitting room with another lounge and television. The bathroom is also on the main floor. You walk up another set of stairs to the bedrooms. My room is well appointed with plenty of storage, a big desk and a double bed. What more could a girl ask for! It seems that I have asked for more and Patricia is more than accommodating. I inquired if she had a few more hangars. She didn't, but the next day she went shopping and there they were hanging on the rod when I got home from school. I also asked to use her iron to press my wrinkled clothes from the suitcase. I brought them downstairs, put them on the ironing board and went to have a quick shower. When I came out Patricia had ironed most of them and insisted on pressing the rest. She cooks well and prepares healthy, fresh food - salad every night with delicious homemade dressing, plenty of vegetables and tasty mains. All of the meals are accompanied by the renowned French baguette. To date, she hasn't even let me do any of the dishes. I think I could get used to being so pampered.

Montpellier has an interesting tram system. Apparently, an artist created the different colours and designs for cars on the 4 lines. Consequently, it is very easy to recognize which tram you need to take. I have had no problem getting around on the tram except for purchasing my pass. Yesterday, I went to the main office where you have to purchase the pass (une carte). I waited an hour and a half because the queue was so long. When I told Patricia about it, she said it was likely because it was the first day of school with many students in line for the same thing as me. I didn't have much choice but to wait as I need the pass to get around this city. It only lasts for a month, but I can reload it at a local Tabac which is far less busy. This is definitely a city for getting around on public transport and by foot. I certainly wouldn't own a car if I lived here permanently. I'd just rent one if I wanted to get away for a weekend or holiday. Before I arrived here, I thought about buying a bicycle to get around, but now I'm not so sure. Most of the roadways are taken up by the trams with small lanes for small cars and motorbikes. In the old city, pedestrians fill the roads. Some people do ride bikes, but I'm not sure I'm confident enough to yet. 

On my travels by foot and tram, I have noticed a few things. There seems to be a lot of graffiti everywhere with the exception of some of the old buildings in the city centre. Many homeless live here - good choice- and many of them have dogs. Of course, and this won't be news to most of you, everyone smokes and smoke everywhere. I think there are some restrictions in indoor restaurants, but most are outdoor cafes (terrasses) where you can light up without a problem. I'll have to ask Patricia about some of these things over dinner.

When I first made the decision to move here for an extended period of time, it seemed like such a romantic and exciting notion. Now that my feet are firmly planted on French soil, I recognize that this was a rather courageous undertaking. Here I am in another country far away from family, friends and supports. I don't speak the language and everything is new. I am so pleased and relieved every time I accomplish something whether it is ordering lunch in French or buying a mobile phone (which I did today). This experience has certainly forced me to step out of my comfort zone and I think I will be a better person for doing it. 

Before I sign off today, I just wanted to thank family and friends for reading my blog, sending me comments and emails or connecting with me by Skype and Face Time. Your contact is so important to me and I miss you all. Next post, I'll tell you all about my French classes. 

My room. I even have a sky light that opens.

The front entrance and part of the kitchen - note the round stone wall and exposed beams

The small window on the left was used to unload the grain into the building.

Love those floors!

My first day at school - Institut Linguistique Adenet (ILA) in Montpellier

This post will be shorter because I am very weary and still have homework to do before tomorrow morning. To begin with, I will give you a brief synopsis of yesterday. To prepare for my first day at school, Patricia my host, kindly offered to accompany me to the city centre (centre ville) to ensure I knew the tram route and the school location. Bless her heart because it made this morning's excursion relativley stress free. She also took me to the Information Centre (l'Office de Tourisme) where I picked up a map and several brochures of things to see and do at a later date. She then left me to wander about the old city for several hours admiring the beautiful buildings, exploring narrow alleyways and taking a number of photos. I've attached a few so that you can see why people love old Montpellier. To top off a lovely afternoon, I stopped at an outdoor café on the Esplanade and enjoyed a glass of vin rouge and a late déjeuner. 

Today, I had to be at ILA by 8:00 a.m. for a presentation by one of the professors in French. Basically, she told us about some of the school rules and regulations and I was surprised that I could follow some, if not most of what she had to say. Before 9:00, I was ushered off to another room with a group of 5 others for the A2 Standard Course. These students were from Spain, Japan, England, Norway etc. We had a couple of journalists, 2 lawyers and a musician. I was the oldest and the only one who was no longer working. Actually, that's not true ... one or two are presently unemployed. 

Our professor, Pauline is very kind, patient and animated. Professors speak only in French and may resort to drawing or actions if they cannot explain a word or concept. Three hours whizzed by as we participated in four different activities including grammar, vocabulary, group discussions, working in pairs, watching a short film, asking questions etc. After the class, Gemma, the girl from Spain asked if I wanted to join her for a coffee before we went on the afternoon's excursion. She will be moving up a level because her French is much better than the rest of the class. I think she wanted to join me to learn more about Canada and opportunities for employment in our country. It was a very pleasant, but short visit. The excursion led by another professor,Angelique, taught us about some of the history and peculiarities of some of the buildings in the old city. I only caught some of what she had to say and Gemma translated some of the bits I couldn't understand. I wasn't going to go initially, but then figured, the more I expose myself to listening to the language, the more I will be able to understand it. 

In my next entry, I will share some of my observations about some of the people and things I've noticed to date. I'll even come up with some personal insights. Stay posted.

Patricia in front of Les 3 Grâces statue fountain at the Place de la Comédie 

Le Théâtre la Place de la Comédie 

My School ILA

Vive la France

We were up bright and early this morning and on the motorway to Ashford before 6:30 this morning. Mick kindly drove me to the train station which was about 2 hours away. I was surprised that I had to go through security, although it was less rigorous than the airport. I also had to produce my passport. As expected, the Eurostar left on time and I was into the chunnel in a matter of minutes. Travel through the darkness was short lived and we were in France in about 30 minutes.  I remembered that the land near Paris is quite flat and not as beautiful as other parts of France. In addition, the sky is grey, overcast and it is drizzling. Here's hoping for better weather in the south. 

When I booked my train tickets, I made sure to allow a couple of hours to get from Paris Nord (the station I arrived at) to Paris Gare Lyon ( the departure station for my trip to Montpellier). I had literally studied the route from the website www.seat61.com. This guy had all sorts of directions, tips, and even a video clip to get you from point A to B. May I suggest that you check out his website at if you are doing any train travel. Even still, it took me quite a while to find my way to the Metro, purchase a ticket, travel by Metro to Gare Lyon and then find my way back to the main trains. I even did this while lugging my mammoth suitcase and backpack. Generally people were kind enough to help me lift it up and down from the trains. That said, I'll be very glad when I get to my "new home" and unpack this mighty load. 

Right now, I am on the TGV en route to Montpellier. As luck would have it, I spied a Starbucks in the Paris train station, so I filled my mug with some good coffee that I am sipping as I write this. Looking out the window, the countryside is becoming much prettier. Unfortunately, there's no change in the weather. I'll sign off for now and pick up the post once I get to Montpellier.

I made it! The further south I travelled, the nicer the weather became. The sun was just shining here. By the time I met my host Patricia and her friend, I was dripping wet in my pants, long sleeves and two coats. We took the tram back to her apartment which is about a 10-15 minute ride from the train station. The apartment, I believe, is an old granary, converted into a loft like environment. I think it is lovely. There are circular stairs going up to the apartment and it was quite funny getting my luggage up those stairs. Once we got to the main floor, we had to negotiate the suitcase up another flight of stairs to my bedroom. Good thing there was three of us. After a glass or two of much needed water and a brief conversation in broken French, I excused myself and unpacked all my goods while Patricia cooked dinner. We did have a little wine for dinner, but Paticia is definitely not much of a drinker. I may have to hide a stash in my room. Dinner was typically French and very tasty - salad and bread to start, pasta with a meat, vegetable and tomato sauce as the entree with camembert and walnuts to finish.

It has been a long day of travelling so I'll call it a day. Over the next while, I'll check out this city, take a few pictures and tell you more about it. Until then.....

The Eurostar I took

Paris Nord Train Station 

Last days in England

Although the weather has been a bit cool here, at least in comparison to the hot temperatures in Edmonton,  the reception has been warm and welcoming. I have had a wonderful and relaxing time which I think was exactly what I needed before heading to French School.

Last night, our group of 14 met at the Red Lion in Swanmore. My voice was hoarse by the time we left, but I did get a chance to have a good visit with everyone. My biggest regret was forgetting my iPad which had all the pictures from home that I planned on sharing with the relatives. Cousins John and Maxine are dropping by this afternoon, so I will be able to show them my photos then.  I did manage to take quite a few pictures of the gathering, so I will send them to my parents who are the ones who will be most interested. 

For the rest of you, I am sending pictures of the views atop Butser Hill. Linda and I went out for lunch to Blendworth in a rather unusual location. So many of the stately manors in this country are now owned by the National Trust or have been occupied by a variety of businesses in order to survive. The tea room we visited was at the back of a lovely fabric and gift shop. It reminded me a bit of Chintz in Edmonton, but with a beautiful garden and view. Linda is very persuasive and convinced me to try a Pimm's which I have never had. According to Linda, it is a rum based alcohol mixed with lemonade and fruit. It was very pretty and refreshing looking, but lemonade in England is akin to 7Up. I'm not fond of soft drinks and I think I would have liked it better if it had been lemonade, but of course I drank it anyway. After lunch, we drove up Butser Hill, parked the car and had a walkabout at the top. It was a panoramic view of Hampshire and you could see in all directions. In the distance, you could even make out the sea. I think this part of the country is breathtaking and I'm sure you will agree.

Outside of the visit with my cousins, my biggest task today will be packing up my weighty suitcase and backpack. We will have to leave very early in the morning in order to catch the Eurostar for Paris. I'll be on the train most of tomorrow, so if the mood strikes, I shall create a new post. Until then, know that I miss all my family and friends and look forward to hearing from you when you have a minute. Next stop, France!

Pimm's

Views of Hampshire atop Butser Hill

The Rising Sun (another charming pub)

English Food

There is a widespread belief that English food is not very good. That certainly has not been my experience anytime I have visited here. Generally, I eat pub fare - Ploughman's lunch is one of my favourites. Now that I am being wined and dined at my cousin's home, I can definitely say the food is top rate. Mike is a serious vegetarian and has been for years. He is also the main chef at home. Despite his vegetarian preferences, he cooks for the family (and me) which are carnivores. I shared the picture of his Coq au vin last post and it really was exquisite. What I find most intriguing is that Mike cooks from scratch, usually without a recipe, and does not taste the food if there is any meat/fish product in it. Everything he has cooked to date has been delicious and perfectly seasoned. Quite a skill I think.

Today, we went for lunch to a very old pub called the Red Lion in Chalton, circa 1147. It is one of those charming country pubs with a thatched roof and idyllic view. I ordered the Ploughman's with a lovely glass of New Zealand Sauvignon blanc. Portions were huge, but the food was excellent.

Southern rural England is so beautiful, green, lush and pastoral. The villages are quaint and for the most part very pretty. The pubs are the mainstay of most villages and struggling to remain viable. We went out last night to a nearby pub called the Fountain to enjoy a pint and listen to the live music. Unfortunately, we learned that the lease is up and Herbie, the owner, is leaving. Legend has it that he played with Van Morrison and receives royalties for the song "Under the Boardwalk" which he apparently co-wrote. He ended his set with that song last night. People in the pub were rather disappointed to hear about the demise of this pub as it has provided a venue for many up and coming musicians to hone their skills.

Tomorrow, a group of 14 of us are going to another pub for dinner, also called the Red Lion. Most are relatives, so it will be interesting to catch up on their news. 

On a side note, I heard again from my host family in France to confirm my arrival arrangements. There are only a few days left here before I leave. I'll make the most of it. 

I hope you enjoy the pictures of some of the sights from southern England.

This is the inside of the Red Lion pub.

My Ploughman's lunch.

Stansted House