Dont mention the Taxi Fare! Montepellier

14.5.09 – 15.5.09 Frontignan then Montpellier

Thursday:

Bob's workmate, Gael (who is a french guy) and his wife Annie and their two little boys are in France visiting Gael's parents for 3 weeks. Gael suggests that we catch up with them if we can so we decide to head towards them so that we reach then by say Sunday afternoon – they are in a small village north of Valence in the middle of France. Firstly, at Gael's recommendation we head towards Montpellier to have a look there – Gael studied at Uni in Montpellier. We are attracted by a campsite on the beach in a town just outside Montpellier called Frontignan-Plage (ie Plage means beach). Well, what a disappointment that was. The weather was awful, blowing a gale and raining and the campsite was, putting it kindly, average. Bob says my judgement was impaired by the weather but I think his judgement was impaired by the yummy pizza we bought at the campsite cafe! I must admit the pizza was good but not good enough to sway my judgment of the campsite.

My opinion was helped any by the male campsite manager, although very very French (ooh la la!). I indicated to him in my excellent French that we stayed only one night and presented him with our discount card. While being very polite and charming me with his French accent, he presented me with a bill for €50. Now, I know I might be mathetically challenged at times, but even I knew that one night at €15 (discounted) did not equate to €50! I indicated that the bill was incorrect and he pointed to a few numbers on the bill saying something about tax not being charged and that everything was fine – ever so nicely he was saying I was confused and should just pay the bill! Trying not to be swayed by the charisma oozing from this man, I stood my ground and eventually he apologies “oh pardon, pardon, excusez-moi” and then presents me with a correct bill for €15 – I bet he tries this trick on all the beautiful girls!

Friday:

So after a wild and rainy night, the next morning we head to another campsite outside Montpellier. The campsite has public transport so we will be able to shoot into Montpellier in the afternoon to have a look around. We had a spot of bother with Ken, our GPS (named after the Aussie voice we chose for the GPS after putting up Richard the Pom for a while). One of the roads that Ken was trying to take us through a blocked road, Ken was getting frustrated and telling us to “turn around when possible” and took us around the block 3 times, and 3 times through a tunnel that the traffic has to stop both ways to let Frankie through. Tempers frayed a little when Bob kept asking me which we to go, me looking at Ken for guidance and Ken giving that blank look on his screen!. Eventually we took some evasive action (ie another street) and found the campstie. This campsite is better than the one in Frontignan-Plage and because the communal sanitary block is closed for the winter(??) we have our own toilet and shower facilities on our pitch! – but dont get excited, nothing too flash about them.

After we set up camp, we ask for directions to get to Montpelier from the campsite reception. Easy she says, catch the bus up the road to the tram stop, then tram into the city – and easy it was although the journey takes about ¾ hour all up. Montpellier is a beautiful city with its own arch de triumph and acqeduct . It is a university town with lots of young people out and about. Again it has a square in the middle of the city with cafes around, lovely cobble stoned streets, parks and beautiful old buildings.

After our walk around Bob and I decide to emerse ourselves in the French atmosphere and have a drink in one of the cafes in the town square – a vin rouge (red wine) for me and a biere (beer) for Bob. It is about 6.30pm by this stage and Bob decides to pull out the timetable for bus 25 (bus to our campstie) to see when the next bus is. 6.15pm – what! 6.15pm, that cant be!! Surely public transport runs past 6.15pm – why weren't we told – this isnt fair!! We decide not to let this small issue cause us alarm – we will get home somehow. The trams run fairly constantly in and out of the city and we are very adventurous by catching a different coloured tram from the one we caught into town! - but still in the direction that we need to go. Our plan is that we will travel to the end of the line because we understand there is another bus, bus 22 that might take us to where we want to go. So off we go in the blue tram to Jacou – a few stops after our stop (we know there are no buses at our stop). At Jacou while we wait for the no. 22 bus, we watch some old fellows at the local boules club across the road – they are all out the front with their beers, having a go at one of their mates who has just bought a new car a Peugeot “Partner” - they were letting their mate know in no uncertain terms that he was a wuss for buying such a car – and we agreed, what a wussy car!! Anyway bus 22 finally turns up (it is about 7.30pm by this stage) and we show him the campsite name – he speaks no English but uses the universal language of shaking his head – nope, he doesnt go near the campsite – and no more buses will come along tonight. Geez Louise – what are we going to do! Again the bus driver uses the universal language of using his fingers in a walking fashion – thats right, we have to walk! Now this is a great idea, it is after all a lovely night – but only if you know which way to go!. Anyway, we head off in the direction of the town Jacou and find a local pizza shop. Not much English spoken there either but one young fellow understood our plight and rang a local taxi – it will arrive in ½ hour! We paced up and down outside the pizza shop when finally the taxi arrived and sped us home – about 2 kms up the road!! for €13 (thats right, $26 to go 2kms!!). Needless to say, Bob has not yet got over what he calls an “absolute rip off”. I keep trying to keep Bob on the positive by telling him such things as - at least we got home/at least we weren't mugged/it could have been worse/get over it/move on etc etc. I think it will take some more time yet!