Tueday

Today I had my morning cup of coffee at the Montpellier Coffee Club. As a rule, I avoid overseas chains when in a foreign country.  However the coffee had been recommended and , as I discovered, the chain started in Brisbane, so that was partly OK. The coffee was nice. All i wanted with it was a croissant, but I had to have avocado on bread. Life is tough.  I spent the rest of the day wandering around various shops most with different opening hours. One was a wool shop,that also served food. When I was there a crochet lesson was going on. She invited me to the regular Friday afternoon/evening ' come along and chat and knit/crochet'. From another shop I  bought a ball of yarn and a crochet hook to make some more flowers for an ongoing project. I spent quite a while talking to a local who had visited Australia. I went to the tourist office and they booked me onto a tour of the camargue.  I had looked up several tours but they would not take single bookings.!  Hopefully the one I am on will be OK, next tuesday.  Quite a lot of merchants prefer cash to credit card here and I needed more cask. I read on the wall next to the outside teller of this big bank i chose that there was another machine inside the bank. That sounds safer I thought. Trouble was you had to press a button and wait for someone to open the door. But I didnot know that initially. I pressed the button, waited, nothing happened, so went back to read the sign again in case I had made a mistake. Someone came to the door,  saw me  hovering around wondering what to do next and who knows what he said in rapid  slightly cross French, but I got inside and got my money.

I also went to the church of Saint Roch. I need to read about him.  It felt good, but it had funny proportions. The ceiling was very high for it's length . It had bright stained glass windows. There was an exhibition about the shroud of Turin . There was an eager team of about 10 young people one of whom would pounce on anyone coming near the church and offer to lead them round.  I have learnt to deflect beggars etc by saying in English " I don't understand".  I am really trying hard to talk to people in French and occasionally  I have said " je ne comprends pas" which is sort of confusing to them. However " I don't understand" worked on the pleasant young man who approached me. I did read some of the panels  in the exhibition. 

Near here there is a small side street with a collection of little food shops. I had a delicious galette for a late lunch. Unfortunately I was tempted by the chocolate and raspberry cake.