Last weekend, I enjoyed a classical music concert (Friday), attended a wedding (Saturday), and moved (Sunday).
First, the concert, which featured the music of Fanny Mendelssohn (sister of Felix, rarely heard), Brahms, and Schumann. To enter the hall, you had to show your health pass, which guaranteed all in attendance were triple-vaxed. Even so, everyone in the audience, the orchestra, and even the chorus, wore masks. This is how the French are able to continue life as (practically) normal. The women in the orchestra, who comprised half of it, wore high heels (some very high) with their black ensembles. French women always manage to look chic, no matter what they’re doing.
Saturday was the wedding. There are only three of us in my French class, which takes place M-F, 2-3:30. Kalle is Finnish (30ish, tall and blonde—of course); Nat is Thai (also 30ish, and a very sweet guy). Then there’s me. We have bonded, as we stumble through our lessons together.
Last week Nat invited his two fellow students to his wedding the coming Saturday. Of course, we accepted, avec plaisir! This, though, necessitated a trip to the local shops to procure the appropriate attire, an excellent excuse to go shopping! A friend suggested a place she liked, and there I bought a skirt, blouse, and belt. A few days earlier I had purchased, at half price, a beautiful, short black leather jacket, all the rage here. I had brought black boots with me from home, so I was set!
The government mandates that sales be held in both January and July all over France. The markdowns are minimal early in the month, but as the month progresses, so too, the discounts. You can find real bargains by the end of the month…if you can find your size, the equation that must be kept in mind.
We arrived at the Event Center (an old chateau in a park) about 4:40. The thing was, Kalle and I were the only ones there right up until a few minutes after 5, thankful that we had each other for reassurance that we were in the right place. But soon after, Nat and his intended, Ben, came strolling down the walkway, accompanied by the nine other guests (all men), who had come from Monaco, Berlin, and various parts of France. Around 5:15, we went into the chapel. The ceremony took only 20 minutes. All weddings are civil; you can choose to marry in a church or other religious space, but that alone would not be enough to constitute a legal marriage. It was interesting to note the portrait of Emmanuel Macron behind the officiants, as the only wall decoration.
Ben is French; Nat, Thai. They met in Thailand, 13 years ago, when Ben was living there. Nat is trying to learn French, but it’s tough going (for all of us!). And, of course, it’s his third language, with his English being quite good. I asked him later how much of the ceremony he understood. He said about 5-10%! Good thing his husband, a French native, knows what they were responding “oui” to!
After, we went into the courtyard and toasted the newlyweds with champagne. We then dispersed and re-met at a restaurant at 8 pm, where we wined and dined for close to three hours. This was followed by a trip to a nearby bar, jam-packed, where I stayed briefly, then walked home, feeling perfectly safe to do so at midnight. What a convivial evening!
Also, over the weekend, I moved, as the owners of the apartment I have been living in for the last month are due to return soon. I am now in a different neighborhood, called Boutonnet.
Previously I was at the eastern end of Antigone (please see map in Gallery).
This place is a one-bedroom apartment on the 6th floor, so I have a nice view of the stately homes in the neighborhood. It is closer to L’Ecusson (the old town in center of Montpellier), which I like. This morning, I went looking for a café to have some coffee and a pastry. I found an unlikely-seeming place (with “Snack” in its name), but it turned out to be friendly and inexpensive. I had a café crème and a pain au chocolat for a total of 2 Euros, which is, what, $2.10? I learned, as I was sitting there, that the father is the owner, and his charming son helps out. Both were very friendly, so I shall return!
A tram goes right by the apartment, but does not stop, so there’s not much noise. I do love the trams. They are color-coordinated, so you can see from afar which one is coming. They are frequent, and they are not expensive at about 1 Euro per ride. There are four of them currently, with a fifth one coming soon. The previous mayor, as well as the current one, have done much toward improving public transport and pedestrian walkways. Because of their policies, cars are a lower priority in this town, which I don’t mind at all. I think I will like getting acquainted with this new part of town!
