Montpellier

I'm in Montpellier, in the south of France, the second time in my life I've been in the south of France. The first time was about five years ago, when I flew into Nice and got to visit Monaco as well. Life here is very different than it is in the U.S. Things tend to move at a slower pace. Stores close for lunch and dinner, and don't stay open after about 7. Dinner is taken very late here, and restaurants don't open until 7:30pm. My first visit was in April, springtime, this time, I'm here in late fall.

I'm making do with my French phrasebook, and those few kind souls that do speak English. Today I got a day off and was able to explore the old historical part of Montpellier. I walked around (in the rain), and found a small museum hosting photographs by Marc Riboud and Wu Jia-Lin. Marc Riboud's photos were comparing and contrasting his photographs from China from the 50s with his recent photos.

Food is very important to the French, so food is very good typically no matter where you get it. I went to a Chinese restaurant last night (for some comfort food I guess), and was expecting something rather ordinary, but was pleasantly surprised by what I was served. I ordered the prix fixe menu, something standard and common (and I recently discovered required by law) in France. From the set menu I chose siu-mai and haw-gao, shrimp with vegetables, cantonese fried rice, and an ice cream dessert. I was very surprised when I received the siu-mai and haw-gao piping hot in the bamboo steamer. They were excellent, some of the best I've ever had. The shrimp was more than adequate, and the fried rice included bits of shrimp and barbeque roast pork, all cut to exactly the same size. very well done. The restaurant had Cantonese proprietors, but the owner, spoke a little Mandarin, and asked where I was from. I told him originally Taiwan, and he asked me what I thought of the Taiwan - China one country issue. I said I didn't know whether it was better to be one country or two.

With the dollar at an all time low against the Euro, nothing is cheap here including food, but at least the food is good! I've had a wide variety besides the Chinese while I've been here including quiche and a variety of fish (I am on the Mediterranean coast after all!). I'm off to London on Thursday, and I've heard the weather will remain windy and rainy here and there all week.