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Monday, 18 November: Montpellier

       We arrived in Montpellier yesterday via TGV. My Airbnb is only a 5 minute walk from the train station, so I decided to lug my gigantic suitcase instead of getting a taxi. First, I could not find my way out of the train station. Seriously. It was like something out of a surrealist, Buñuel film. I finally went into one of the shops and asked "Ou est la sortie pour rue Jules Ferry?" I'm quite sure my French was impeccable so I do not know why the woman stared blankly at me. I also do not know why the young girl behind the counter giggled and said (read this line with a French accent), "Ah, let me help you..." 
      I made my way outside with my ginourmous suitcase onto the criss-cross of tram tracks. Within 30 seconds of being outdoors, I nearly got hit by a tram. Somehow I did not put together that tram tracks = moving trams. Duh. I safely crossed the street where a yellow vest march was coming at me. It was not like the Paris craziness. This one was literally a peaceful march with some signs and chanting. 
         My host was waiting and kindly helped me carry my 40 pounds of luggage up the three flights of spiral staircases to my apartment. I am going to have calves of steel by the time I leave Montpellier. Julie and I eventually met up for dinner, but I didn't really get out to explore until today. 
     This morning I went to the super marché and successfully got groceries. That might sound like a no brainer, but things work differently, and there is the language barrier to consider. I was especially proud that I worked the scale and printed price labels for my apples and that I worked the self checkout without assistance (okay, the self checkout had an English setting, but still...)
Okay, enough of my babbling. I will shut up already and get to the photos...
       First, I made my way to the Place des Martyrs de la Résistance. I was expecting a monument or something, but this was it. There was a small fountain that I left out of the shot, namely because it was not on.
Next, we walked to the Arc de Triomphe - a much smaller, but just as lovely, version of the Parisian one. 

Then we made our way to the Promenade du Peyrou. They were doing construction so it was difficult to get a good shot of the equestrian statue, but it is Louis XIV, the Sun King. 
At the end of the promenade is the Aqueduct Saint-Clémont.
From the promenade, we could see our next destination -  Église Sainte-Anne.
Along the way, I saw so many interesting buildings, passageways, and sights, so here is a hodgepodge of  how I see Montpellier:

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