Exploring just outside town!

We have wandered a little wider in the last two days.  On Sunday we walked over to Mosson around 10am to check out the brocante.  It is a HUGE Garage sale all in one large parking lot.  Mosson is the next tram stop to where we are living so a 10 minute walk.  We could not believe this sale.  All used goods: everything you can imagine from clothes to appliances to car tires to tools to toys to interesting pieces of furniture to paintings. Wow! And lots of people!  Thrifting, French style.

I was quite happy to leave this area as there were so many people and that is not my favorite thing!   

We went to find a trail that we had heard about just a little bit north of this parking lot.  It follows the Mosson River and at the start is an old Roman bridge that was damaged in a past flood. Not sure if you can see it in this picture. 

The funny thing is that I am taking the picture from a modern bridge with traffic going both ways.  I wonder about what it was like in the days that the "traffic" went over the Roman bridge.  It's not possible to get very close to it now because of the flood damage to the shores of the river.  

We hiked along the river, under a fallen tree that had blocked the trail, and then carried on to a vineyard on the other side of the dike.  

We tasted the wonderful dark purple grapes that were soooo sweet and wondered what kind of winery  they belonged to.  (Sorry about the hanging participle, Mary!)  Wendy bought some of that vineyard's wine the next day - for us to try - L'Eglantier Vineyards.)

We wandered back along a trail that dumped us out on a road through some rather nice houses and then back home along the main road.  A great outing that gave us some time at home afterwards to do a bit of laundry and relax.

Monday we were off early to take the tram and bus to Palavas-les-Flots, a seaside town to the south of Montpellier.  It's a typical Med beach town  - shops of tourist trinkets, clothes, restaurants, sandy beaches ( some topless for women), bronzed inhabitants, a gazillion boats, streets lined with apartment buildings. 

   Coffee at a great spot where we could watch people stroll by on the esplanade.

    Wide beaches of fine soft sand.

    Fisherman selling their daily catch. 

The canal cutting through the town is actually the Lez River.

   Full of fishing boats.

    The marina has too many sail boats to count.

To get to Palavas les Flots we had taken tram line 3 from our home up in the north west corner of Montpellier through town and out the SE side to the end of the line.  We then took a bus.  Originally the tram was going to go all the way but there was a falling out between the two mayors and so it dosen't.

But they hope it will eventually.  The trip took us about 2 hours, would have been a bit faster but we missed the right tram by just a few minutes at our end.  Coming home we walked back to the tram instead of waiting for a bus and that was a 1 1/2 walk then the tram for 3/4 hr.  

We had a wonderful lunch at Cap Sud right on the waterfront.  Wendy had moules frites which she really enjoyed.

Mussels done in a white wine and parsley sauce.  I had salad de chèvre chaud - again!  Wonderful with a delicious local white wine.  

Our new deal is we must not have dessert because then we roll home feeling miserable. 

We have now been here for one week and are absolutely loving it.  The temperature has decreased just enough to be totally comfortable and gorgeous blue sky.  I think we will stay here forever - sorry Doug and Carole.  

Tomorrow we are off on the train for Nîmes.

Á la prochaine, 

Marion et Wendy