Okay Okay, I know. It's the end of June, half way through 2014 and I'm just making a resolution. think of it as being a New Summer's Resolution. Any road up—I am overweight, blood sugar is not healthy, and I spend far too much time exercising nothing but my fingers on a keyboard. So I am going to try to walk for an hour on most days. I won't be forcing myself - that way lies failure - but I will be making an effort.
Yesterday was the first of my walks, which was OK...ish but not terribly interesting. Some of you will know that I am currently in the process of trying to learn how to take half decent photos. So why not combine the two things? Go out each day, armed with my trusty camera and try a few random shots. After that, come home, load today's shots onto my pc and bore the living daylights out of all of you.
Sounds like a plan.
So today, Saturday 28th June (incidentally our 3rd anniversary of moving to France) I decided to walk to the quartier Chateau d'O. Chateau d'O is the next district down from ours. I've explored one side of it before but never crossed the main road to see what's on the other side. The first thing I came across was part of an 18th century aqueduct. It stretches for miles. Part of it forms a major tourist attraction in the centre of Montpellier.
Yesterday was the first of my walks, which was OK...ish but not terribly interesting. Some of you will know that I am currently in the process of trying to learn how to take half decent photos. So why not combine the two things? Go out each day, armed with my trusty camera and try a few random shots. After that, come home, load today's shots onto my pc and bore the living daylights out of all of you.
Sounds like a plan.
So today, Saturday 28th June (incidentally our 3rd anniversary of moving to France) I decided to walk to the quartier Chateau d'O. Chateau d'O is the next district down from ours. I've explored one side of it before but never crossed the main road to see what's on the other side. The first thing I came across was part of an 18th century aqueduct. It stretches for miles. Part of it forms a major tourist attraction in the centre of Montpellier.
Of course there were signs all over it forbidding anyone from climbing on it, but never mind. It's name?
Then I found a map of something called "La Marathonienne". I thought, at first, that it must be the route for the annual marathon here in Montpellier, but when I got home and looked it up, it turns out to be a 42 km walking and cycling path that is supposed to link up all the rural areas around the city. I believe it is still in the process of being built but one of these days I will go back and see just how far it goes.
Just beyond the sign I found a boarded walkway which forms part of the path:
I followed the walkway for what seemed ages and really had no idea where I was. But eventually it brought me back to the main road and my route home. Believe it or not the photo below - taken on that same main road - is what passes for student accommodation in these parts. Not a bad life eh?
OK - here I digress for a little while to introduce a smidgen of local news. The quartier Chateau d'O is so named after a real chateau (d'O) which sits on the edges of quartier Chateau d'O and quartier Malbosc (where I live). The building itself is really a folly but a very nice folly for all that. It sits in several acres of rolling countryside and the grounds, though not the house, are open to the public all year round. It has a theatre and a stadium at which there are plays and music performed on a regular basis. Well, that's the idea at least. It used to form one of my regular Sunday morning strolls and the formal gardens - recently restored - are a delight. So follow this sequence through then. I am at this point of the walk, on my way back home when I find a sign pointing to the entrance to the chateau gardens:
Note the phrase "Accès public" which, I think needs no translation. So I follow the sign round to the main gates:
"Welcome to domain d'O", it says. Followed by "Public access denied."
Why?
Why?
This is why. All the way through June there was supposed to be a festival called "Printemps des comédiens" (The Springtime of Comedians) taking place at the chateau. But it has been on strike for the whole time (en grève) and has resulted in the whole of domain d'O being closed to the public. No explanation, just a sign. This, as my husband is very fond of saying, is France!
Almost home now. Final leg - a stroll through the woods.
Almost home now. Final leg - a stroll through the woods.
And oh how I love the cypress trees at the end ...
Here we are at last, back at the steps up to my street:
And home sweet home. Feet up and a glass of chilled water, I think.
I wonder where I should go tomorrow ?...
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