News from Montpellier

Hi Dear Brothers

I have composed a little update hoping that on receiving this I might hear from you fellows.

Yesterday was a busy day. I took my laundry to a laundry mat just around the corner from my apartment. I don't know the price that one pays in Canada but to me I thought the price to do two loads of laundry at $15 was a bit expensive. I also did a bit of grocery shopping where I bought a barbeque chicken just like back home at a farmer's market. (A very interesting place.)

I also booked a train ticket to Nice and a two nights stay there for the next weekend. While in Nice I'll take a train trip to Monaco. The locale train from Nice to Monaco runs every half hour. It's costly to go to Nice but while I'm here I should at least take a side trip and see some sites. Up and until now we have had lots of home work on the weekends but now it is slacking off. I'm not going to be bilingual when I get back. As for me at my age, it would take at least six months or a year to become fluent in the language. All I can do is make myself understood when I'm in the stores or at an agency that requires some information, like customs or the post office.

Last Friday, after classes a big German kid & I (they are all kids in my class, ranging in age between 19 to 35), we found an Irish Pub called the "Fitz Patrick" just around the corner from our school. I downed four pints (not bottles, pints) of Kilkenny Ale. I was pretty mellow after that. Oh by the way, I can buy a good bottle of wine for less than $5 and a bottle fair table wine for $3. I am eating Camembert cheese at $2 a pack like it's going out of style.

Saturday afternoon I went out to a very modern super shopping centre, it is acres big. That's where the arena rink is located at the far end of town. Like Kim (Richard's wife) said in her e-mail to me. From 2PM to 4PM there was a kid’s hockey practice...the ankle bitters (little guys 5 and 6 age) and the peewees (maybe 12 and 13).  One can see that the peewees have had little ice time as compared to Canadian Kids. Their skating is not as good and they don't know how to raise the puck. When they shoot the puck, it just slides along the ice and with not much speed either. Anyway, they all seemed to be enthusiastic which is what matters and having fun too.

I can't say enough about the tram service here. It's all welded rail with flange guards even on the strait-a-ways. It gives a very smooth ride. At every station there is a video showing when the next tram will arrive, so you know how long you have to wait. There is also a schedule posted that tells you when all the trams will arrive at that particular station. Believe it or not, they seem to be on time or maybe a minute out. It's fantastic.

The one knock I have about the people is that they don't respect their streets or sidewalks. They allow their dogs to doodoo on the street or side walk and think nothing about it. It's a good thing that the streets and sidewalks on the narrow streets are cleaned each day. On the wider streets the sidewalks don't get cleaned only the roadways, that's the problem. As everyone seems to smoke there are butts all over the place. The old part of the city is interesting and it's too bad that people use the street for a garbage dump.

High heal shoes and boots seem very popular with the ladies. Right now every one is bundled up as it has been a cold February, so it is hard to say what the latest French fashion is like. I had to buy a heavy jacket as the coat and sweaters that I wore in Cobble Hill were not warm enough.


Much Love From Your Young Brother

Wee Davie