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Jul. 28th, 2011 05:10 amToday started off messily. I was a bit fragile, and then I looked for a museum for an hour in the rain and it was shut. That sort of thing. Eventually I gave up and the sun came out, both at once. After that, the day was much better, although I am rather the worse for wear tonight.
I actually managed to check 2 of the three museums I needed and with any luck the third will be open tomorrow. I managed to get information about the fourth- that its Medieval holdings are almost non-existent - that will save me a visit. Also, along with my city card (all my museums gave me free entry, due to it and it doesn't run out until noon tomorrow) I scored a guided tour of the city. How was this such a good thing? Well, it meant I got to see the Medieval mikveh. It was the most peaceful and wonderful place. I have pictures. I don't have pictures of much else, because Montpellier museums are of the 'no camera' variety. Which is fair enough. I think it's fine, because my big surprise was when one of the museums had some of the missing carvings from Saint-Guilhem. That museum was my stroke of luck for the day all round, because the front desk guy really knew his stuff and we chatted for a fair while. He found me the book I didn't know existed (it's very new - and is an exhibition catalogue) and told me stuff about those Saint-Guilhem sculptures and also about Montpellier.
I got a personal (well, nearly - there were three of us) tour of another museum. The front desk person there was a lot of fun, but didn't know her stuff quite so well. We had a great time, all four of us, though, and the archaeologist who was one of the four talked the two of us into the exclusive restaurant (closed) below the museum so that we could check out some of the Medieval remnants therein. There was one capital where someone had been having much fun: a mermaid, men showing their buttocks, etc. I didn't take photos of it because it was worn and I'm running short of photo capacity, but it made me think of marginalia.
On the way home I bought food and etc, because quite obviously going out to eat was just not going to happen (the university ought to be very happy with me - cheap meals! although dinner tonight was galettes and fried quail eggs, with fresh white currants and black currants for dessert - cheap doesn't mean dull) and something happened that has now happened every single time I have been in France. A group of US students were puzzling over packages in the supermarket. Quite obviously they had no French and no cooking. They explained they wanted to make an apple pie. Of course. How could they not. Every single time I have been in France, I have run into US students who want to make apple pies and cannot cook and whose French is insufficient. I talked them through pastry choices and they asked me about their recipe and they were very happy. I'd love to know if their pie came out. I got my comeuppance at the checkout, where I was so tired I couldn't sort out money. The locals here are very patient with me when I become an idiot, is all I can say.
On the leg front, the heat and swelling are now almost gone. It still looks evil, but the triple antibiotics and all the amazing equipment are obviously having the right effect. This is just as well, because Montpellier has such a history of good medicine. It would have been a shame if I had been contrary and proven it wrong.
I actually managed to check 2 of the three museums I needed and with any luck the third will be open tomorrow. I managed to get information about the fourth- that its Medieval holdings are almost non-existent - that will save me a visit. Also, along with my city card (all my museums gave me free entry, due to it and it doesn't run out until noon tomorrow) I scored a guided tour of the city. How was this such a good thing? Well, it meant I got to see the Medieval mikveh. It was the most peaceful and wonderful place. I have pictures. I don't have pictures of much else, because Montpellier museums are of the 'no camera' variety. Which is fair enough. I think it's fine, because my big surprise was when one of the museums had some of the missing carvings from Saint-Guilhem. That museum was my stroke of luck for the day all round, because the front desk guy really knew his stuff and we chatted for a fair while. He found me the book I didn't know existed (it's very new - and is an exhibition catalogue) and told me stuff about those Saint-Guilhem sculptures and also about Montpellier.
I got a personal (well, nearly - there were three of us) tour of another museum. The front desk person there was a lot of fun, but didn't know her stuff quite so well. We had a great time, all four of us, though, and the archaeologist who was one of the four talked the two of us into the exclusive restaurant (closed) below the museum so that we could check out some of the Medieval remnants therein. There was one capital where someone had been having much fun: a mermaid, men showing their buttocks, etc. I didn't take photos of it because it was worn and I'm running short of photo capacity, but it made me think of marginalia.
On the way home I bought food and etc, because quite obviously going out to eat was just not going to happen (the university ought to be very happy with me - cheap meals! although dinner tonight was galettes and fried quail eggs, with fresh white currants and black currants for dessert - cheap doesn't mean dull) and something happened that has now happened every single time I have been in France. A group of US students were puzzling over packages in the supermarket. Quite obviously they had no French and no cooking. They explained they wanted to make an apple pie. Of course. How could they not. Every single time I have been in France, I have run into US students who want to make apple pies and cannot cook and whose French is insufficient. I talked them through pastry choices and they asked me about their recipe and they were very happy. I'd love to know if their pie came out. I got my comeuppance at the checkout, where I was so tired I couldn't sort out money. The locals here are very patient with me when I become an idiot, is all I can say.
On the leg front, the heat and swelling are now almost gone. It still looks evil, but the triple antibiotics and all the amazing equipment are obviously having the right effect. This is just as well, because Montpellier has such a history of good medicine. It would have been a shame if I had been contrary and proven it wrong.