Clermont L'Herault (Part Trois)

This past week Marianne took Me and Carlos out for a walk to see this amazing little town called Villeneuvette. This town is about a five minute drive from Clermont L'Herault. We drove up and parked outside this small inclosed town which seemed rather private. The hike began and ended at the town. As we walked through the trail Marianne once again explained to us about the landscape, the plant life and certain structures we came across.

This town was particularly interesting because the town used to be a factory. From what I understood the factory produced wool. They created a really cool water system that ran through the hiking trail we were on. We first came across this huge basin that Marianne explained collected lake and rain water. From the basin, they created these tunnels/channels that directed the water all the way down to the village.  into this beautiful fountain where they would collect the water. Once again I'm so impressed by the simple yet amazing technology that was available at the time. Reading about these things is so much less impressive than actually seeing it for yourself and the complexity of it all. 

During our walk, Marianne showed us more of the plant life and so I got to do one of my favorite things in life which is trying new fruit. YUM!!! We came across these little red ball looking fruits growing on the trees, named Arbouse (Arbutus). I really like the taste, it was very sweet, seemed like a fruit that would be good as a jam. When I came home I read up a little about it and it seems like it's not a commonly eaten fruit and although it needs modern investigation it doesn't have much nutritional benefits. Along with the yummy fruits the landscape was quite amazing! Absolutely beautiful! The mountains, the greenery, and the fog just went so beautifully together. Really makes you appreciate the beautiful world we live in! 

At the end of the hike Marianne took us into the small town to show us a little bit around. We ran into one of her friends, a 70ish old lady who used to be a professional ballet dancer! She invited us into her home which ended up being a blessing because I took one step into her home and died by it's gorgeousness. Literally my dream home. I immediately began taking photos  in hopes that one day I can have a home that looks the same. The pictures bellow do not do the home justice but you can get an idea as to how beautiful this home is! And to imagine this isn't even the half of it!

This community is very unique in that it's almost completely unaccessible to tourists and is unaccessible by car. All cars were parked outside the community. I didn't know this but not having drivable roads in a neighborhood makes it that much more beautiful. The roads and alleys are much more well maintained and the absence of parked cars just adds to the charm of the town. Definitely an ideal place place to live. I now have a reason to pursue a life of wealth.

Clermont L'Herault (Part Deux)

My landlord, Marianne, is this amazing, older woman (I have no idea how old but I would guess 60s) she has been so kind in trying to show us all that this small town has to offer. Yesterday she asked my house mate Carlos and I if we wanted to go for a walk... I had no idea i'd be going for a two and half hour hike up a mountain.

The views from the top were beautiful. You could see all the villages that lay below. As we were walking, Marianne explained that at the times of Shepherds, this trail and mountain were a common route and area to keep sheep. Through out the trail there were these little stone huts that still stand, where shepherds would come to rest, lay out tools and or do whatever shepherds do. They are really cute and cozy, but we noticed that on this warm sunny day, that these little huts insulate cold air very well. Marianne then told us that during the winter time she would come here with her children and the huts were nice and warm and protected them well from the cold. It's crazy that these little huts, from their simple design could be so versatile, makes you wonder about how much energy we put into making all these complicated machines when simple design can generally do the trick.
 

Throughout the whole mountain there is so much wild plant life to see. Whenever I travel I'm always so envious other countries that have fruits, veggies and herbs, growing wild anywhere and everywhere. You just don't come across that living in a Toronto suburb. As we strolled, Marianne showed us all the olive trees, that Clermont L'Herault is famous for. Wine and Olive Oil are Clermont L'Herault's two biggest industries. Along with Olives, we saw thyme growing everywhere, fig trees and other various plant species.

From atop the mountain we were able to look down on all the little villages that surround the H'erault area. In the picture bellow, I'm standing right above the town that I am currently living in. Marianne, was able to point out exactly where the house is but I can no longer make out the different homes. 

I am really beginning to fall in love with this little town. I've always preferred big, busy cities but I am developing an new appreciation for a small town kinda life. I am very lucky to have Marianne and her eagerness to show off her village. This town that I thought would make me feel trapped is getting bigger everyday! 

Clermont L'Herault (Part Un)

So I'm gonna talk a little bit about the town I'm currently living in, Clermont L'herault. It's a small town in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France. It's a small town of just over seven thousand, and is about 32.49 square kilometers. Clermont L'Herault is an ancient city dating back to... I'm not really sure, but the church dates back to the twelfth century which means this town is really old!

The tiny red dot is Clermont L'Herault

The town doesn't have much but definitely ideal for those who enjoy living a simpler life. The other day my roommates and I went to see a film at the local movie theatre which consisted of once viewing screen, and two vending machines as concession stand. The film we went to see was quite nice, it was called La Vierge, Les Coptes et Moi.. which means " The Virgin (Mary), The Copts, and Me... The film is about a young Christian Egyptian film maker who decides to go back to his families town in Egypt to create a documentary about the sighting of the virgin mary that occurred decades before. While there he becomes attached to his family and the rest of the villagers. While there he decides to make a film, recreating the sighting of the virgin mary, with the help of his family and the other villagers. The movie was very very cute and very fun to watch.

Je Suis Arrivé

After I left Nice I had a long journey awaiting me. I had about four hours on the train to Montpellier. At Montpellier I had to take the tram to the bus station where I caught a bus into Clermont L'herault!

While in Montpellier I had my first run in with the Romani people of France a.k.a. Gypsies a.k.a Esméralda. I've been warned by many that they steal and put curses on you so you could only imagine how exited I was to finally come across the people I so much wish I was a part of! Then I got to the tramway in Montpellier I approached one of the ticket machines and before I could even read the instructions I had about six Romani kids surrounding me bagging for money and hitting buttons on the machine for me. I was so sure that the next minute I would look down only to find myself naked with all my stuff gone. Luckily that didn't happen. Instead the little girl... or boy, helped me get my ticket and earned themselves a nice little tip. I'm excited to learn more about Romani people and will post what I learn soon!

After the tram, I took the bus into town where one of my new house mates was so kind to pick me up. My house mate's name is Aymeline and is from New Caledonia which is a little island east of Australia. It's technically part of France but it has it's own currency, government and citizenship. Another blog topic I plan to tackle. 

When I arrived to the house I was more than pleased with what I saw. I really lucked out. The house is absolutely beautiful. The house dates back to ancient times. The kitchen still has the fountain and oven that would have been used in ancient times, although we do not use them anymore. The house has several floors. The first has the kitchen, the living room and the entrance into the garden. The garden is then two floors, the top which is just like a little patio, and the bottom which is a full garden with a little shaded sitting area. When you head upstairs, there is the middle floor where I and my two house mate's rooms are. Then one more floor for my landlord.

Along with Aymeline I will be living with my landlord Marianne and a Spanish Language assistant from Mexico named Carlos. They all are very sweet. Marianne made it pretty clear that she wants us all to feel at home.

I was the second person to arrive to the house so I got second pick of the rooms. I decided on the nautical themed room. It's ultra cute, has french door windows, sailboats everywhere and a cute little desk for me to do all my blogging. I really like my room and it didn't take long for me to start making it my own. I got wonderful plane letters from my even more wonderful friends, so I put all those up. As well I brought a few polaroid pics from home so I could always feel at home. I really love the house that I am staying in and I'm very thrilled to get to know all my house mates. I don't know what the next eight months have in store for me but at least I know that they will a cozy few months.