It’s hard to be excited about my own adventure when events to the east are unfolding in such a dire way. Being so close, relatively speaking, to the ongoing war, is different from observing it from the U.S. It seems more real, knowing this is happening only one time zone away, with no ocean to supply some distance.
Today (Mar. 1) I bought some newspapers for a small window into what the French are thinking.
But, somehow life goes on, even as we are all attuned to the news.
For an update on my housing woes…frankly, this was another stressful week, as I became ensnared in what I’m fairly sure was an Airbnb scam. I believe the owner of several apartments on Airbnb is scamming Airbnb, not me, but, once I realized it, I wanted out. The property I was hoping to snag when I last left you was part of it. The normal procedure on Airbnb is this: you specify your dates, find something that looks good, and then press “Reserve.” Once the owner has accepted the reservation, your credit card is charged. You do not have the place for sure until the owner has accepted it.
What happened to me, in a nutshell (there are too many details to recount here!), is that the owner of the place I was interested in last week, came back to me, saying, so sorry, but in fact those dates are not available. I thought, well, anyone can make a mistake, so went back to my search. I chose another place on Airbnb, and…same thing. But, the owner said that she had a different unit that was similar and directed me to her own website, where in fact there was something that looked good. So, I bit…but I started to put 2 and 2 together as our correspondence went on, with her desire for cash payment and other things. Plus, it was the same person who had “made the mistake” with the dates each time. Redirecting people to her own site means, of course, that she does not have to pay the Airbnb fees. I will be reporting this to Airbnb.
So, as some days had passed already, I needed to find something quickly. I attempted to reserve a decent looking place on Airbnb, and, after hearing no confirmation from the owner after 12 hours of waiting, went looking again. Time was getting shorter and shorter as to when the owners of the place I was living in would return.
In my searching, I ran across a listing of an apartment in L’Arbre Blanc, the White Tree, the very same building I took a photo of when I first got to Montpellier! This architectural marvel I have since learned was designed by a Japanese architect, who won a design competition. I decided to go for it. I am happy to report that, as of this past weekend, I am now happily ensconced in a sleek, modern apartment with a river view and two patios. It is a relief to be settled, at least for the foreseeable future! Evidently there is a superb bar at the top of the building, and an excellent restaurant on the ground floor, both of which I look forward to exploring soon.
And, now for some photos of life in this city.
This is a delightful spot where people gather, particularly on a sunny, weekend day. It is right by the River Lez and has a wonderful rooftop bar. There are dozens of food options here. I would describe the atmosphere as Food Court Meets Trader Joe’s.
I caught this adorable couple going to empty their bottles, clearly from the night before. Here, you separate your recycle stuff (papers, cans, etc.) from glass, and bring those containers to a bin on the street periodically. As it was late Sunday morning, and they were still in their jammies, it appeared to me that they had had a very successful party, and now it was time for clean-up. I was trying to think up a 6-word story that would encapsulate the scene. Maybe, “Fun fete, bottles galore, aftermath, ugh!” I welcome any submissions (via email) if you feel creative! I’ll post the best one, with or without attribution, as you wish!
According to Wikipedia, El Camino de Santiago is a network of pilgrims’ paths leading to the shrine of the apostle, St. James the Great, in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of the apostle are buried.
In 1987, the Camino de Santiago, which encompasses several routes in Spain, France, and Portugal, was declared the first Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. Since 2013, the Camino de Santiago has attracted more than 200,000 pilgrims each year, with an annual growth rate of more than 10 percent. Pilgrims come mainly on foot and often from nearby cities, requiring several days of walking to reach Santiago. One of the routes goes right through Montpellier, as signified by the medallion in one of its main streets.
There are travel agencies who specialize in either biking or walking all or parts of El Camino, where they pick up your luggage each day, transport it to the next stop, and organize your accommodations and meals. I’m guessing the pilgrims would be aghast at this…or maybe envious?
I hope to be a modern-day pilgrim at some point and experience El Camino.
