30. 08. 07. I went into Montpellier today to take Carole and Daisy to the airport and also to drop the car off. It was even easier this time with the drop-off – the Renault lady was waiting for us in the parking lot. Took the Navette from the airport to downtown Montpellier €4.7. It takes about 20 minutes and drops you off at the Place d’Europe at a Tramway stop from which you can go to the station or bus station. Very impressed with the Tramway which is clean, efficient and easy to use. One ride is €1.3, all day €3.5 and a family €5. Dedicated lanes and you buy the tickets at the stops from a machine that makes change and even takes Visa! They also have Velomagg which is a bike rental service. You can pick up a bike at several central stations and rent them for as little as 1€ for 4 hours. Aluminium bikes which are chainless apparently. I will try one the next time I’m in Montpellier. I walked from the Place d’Europe to the Musée Fabre where I saw a show of Impressionist paintings mainly from collections in the US. A good show with a number of pieces that I had not seen before. I also hadn’t realized that the bulk of Impressionist paintings were in US collections because the nouveau riche, turn of the century, American industrialists bought whilst the French were still deciding whether this was art or not. After a morning coffee I then took the tramway to the Gare St Roche where I caught the bus back to Clermont – very civilized and gave me a chance to look at the paysage. All inspired with the show, I decided to begin painting the room that will become my studio. After finishing that, a quick piperade omelet and then to bed in a very quiet house.
