We've Moved!

The setting sun lights up a nearby apartment building, seen from the balcony of our new apartment.

Yes in the middle of this pandemic (well actually, it's the very start, sadly), we have moved. Changed house. Déménagé. Oh, not far in terms of distance, but it’s a very different living experience now.

We made plans for this move back at the end of February,  before the idea of a world-altering virus entered the public consciousness. As things progressed, and the lockdown was announced, we began to think moving was a not very good idea. But we’d made the commitment, and we moved ahead (so to speak).

Moving day! Paula's loading the van.

The first of May came, moving day. Also, it must be noted, our wedding anniversary! (21 years, thanks for asking).  But celebratory feelings got swept up in the lockdown, and altered by the move and our arrival at our new home.

(All was not lost, though. We found a ton of candles in our new place, and lit them all that night in celebration!)

Our first night in our new home.

For being just a short walk away, the living experience is very different. Before, we were in the heart of a city, in a luxury apartment high above the street—and the surrounding buildings—with great views of the sky and the buildings spread out all round. This is more of a suburban experience, surrounded by trees and even a lawn. We’re on the second floor (up two flights of stairs; here the ground floor is number zero), with views of the streets--and the rooftops of the houses--immediately around us. And, in the near distance, the high-rise apartment buildings that seem to have become Montpellier’s trademark as the fastest-growing city in France.

Limoncello and other sights from our balcony.

And the sounds have changed, as well. Instead of cars and skateboards and people yelling in the street, we hear babies crying and dogs barking, the one neighbor practicing his tuba, and the other sawing and grinding on his new steel gate. Suburban sounds...

Paula checks out the tomato plants.

Overall we’re very pleased. We haven’t been here very long, and what with the COVID confinement and the recent rain we’ve spent most of our time indoors. But the neighbors we pass coming and going are very friendly, and were happy to show us the tiny garden plot they’ve started. Access to our building is via a long straight road with bushes on one side and a lawn and trees on the other. We expect summertime to be quite pleasant here, with the residents out enjoying the warm air under the shade—at a respectable social distance, of course.

They're stored out of the rain for now, but we'll get those chairs out for some socially distanced socializing!

In some respects the location is not so convenient. There’s only one way in and out, down that long road with an electric gate half way (we’re living in a gated community, arrrgh!). The choice of shops and stores is greatly reduced; in fact, the closest boulangerie is still our favorite, back in the old neighborhood, only now it’s a 15 minute walk! But what I find surprising is the change in  living experience, even though we haven’t gone very far.

Le Deconfinement—The End of the Confinement!

We finally took the tram, after two months. Pretty empty!

Another nearly empty tram passing in the night.

Yes, it finally happened! May 11 France officially loosened the lockdown orders! We no longer need our permission slip (known as the attestation) to leave the house! We can go out as often and as far as we want! Well, we are still limited to 100 km (62 miles) from home, and are asked to stay within our Department (an administrative district similar to a county in the US). Cafes, restaurants, and all large events are still shut down, and stores must monitor the number of people inside. But still! On Monday, the first day out, we expected huge crowds everywhere, but ironically enough, it rained all day, which effectively damped the desire to get out.

The Mall, once very crowded, seen here just before the lifting of the lockdown.

Normally these are ads at the tram stop, for perfume or the latest movie or a cell phone plan. Here the one in yellow says "This poster has nothing to sell. We're just very happy to see you again!" The other, in red: "The beautiful days have never been so beautiful." Nice!

And, across the street from the tram stop at the employee parking lot for SNCF (the French Railways), some wag has written on the gate "Always on strike until retirement," perhaps a comment on the frequent strikes in France!

The city has come alive, awakened from its slumber, with results that are, predictably, both good and bad. It’s a relief to be out with no limits or time frame, and it’s good to see others doing the same. But the cars! It was so nice, for those two months, to have almost NO cars on the streets! Traffic may not have yet reached its full, post-confinement roar, but it makes for a much less pleasant walk.

The opera house in Place de la Comedie. Not crowded like before, but at least occupied!

Paula and our friend Stefan walk through town, post confinement. Getting pretty busy!

Seen in a pharmacy window: the classic "bird's head mask" from the plague days. Perhaps it's a bit of overkill, but effective today, too!

Ever since the confinement we have been meeting once a week (mostly) with our ex-pat friends, Debra, and Mark and Mary, via FaceTime. Now, at last, we are able to actually, really, get together! We meet in a place, a square, where five or six streets come together, in the French style. It's just a short walk from where we live. Benches are located, conveniently enough, at the proper distance apart, and we bring our coffee and croissant and talk about our week. At last, real socialization!

The building facing the place is one of the half-dozen painted trompe-l'œil found in Montpellier that are so mind bending (a flat wall turns into a building facade, or even a whole complex of buildings). 

Mark takes the selfie while we all carefully socially distance. That's Mary on the left and Debra on the right. we're somewhat in the middle.

In that same square is this cute neighborhood library box. The signs explain that, regrettably, it can't be used during the health crisis.

Another Friday, another Koffee Klatch, this time with two new friends Xavier and Sylvie and a view of one of the trompe-l'œil buildings that help make Montpellier such a fabulous place.

                                      (So, what's real and what's just paint??  Hint - the trees are real.)

The beaches opened this weekend. The rules were no sitting or sunbathing, just keep walking or swimming, and keep your distance! From the photos we’ve seen it looks like people were behaving themselves. No word yet on whether the authorities will keep the beaches open, or close ‘em up again.

And, finally, bicycles! We’re going to be buying some! I’m excited about having a bike! We’ll be able to get around more, maybe all the way to the beach. Actually, we already did that last December, with the very heavy, awkward city bikes. Should be a piece of cake with the new, much lighter bikes! Yeah, someone pointed out, but we spent three weeks in physical therapy recovering from that trip (true!). OK, so we’ll start out with something less ambitious, and work up to it.

But still, we have not been in an acquiring mode for a long time. I have doubts about taking on such an encumbering thing. We’ll have to keep track of them, store them somewhere (there is a room in the building, although it’s already mostly full), worry about the bike being stolen, or the paint getting scratched. Oh, the burdens of ownership!

             Cooking

And yes, the cafes and restaurants are still closed. Gone are the days of crowding into a tiny restaurant to sit elbow to elbow with your fellow diners exploring the well-reputed cuisine of la belle France. While there are a few take-out places open, so far we have been on our own. Paula is starting a sort of exploration alimentaire, trying out some new foods. Yesterday she made a fabulous apricot tart. The big draw for us these days, though, is Mexican food. (Interestingly enough, the one thing I really missed during my first, year-long, trip to Europe in the 1970s was Mexican food!) The stumbling block right now is to get the right spices. Oh, and, of course, proper tortillas. The cuisine of Mexico is starting to develop a following in France, but it is still very much a specialty thing. Even run-of-the-mill chili powder is tough to find! We may have to request a Care package from home…

Strawberries in luscious flaky little pastry pockets, and a tarte aux abricots