Languedoc comes to London, bikes come to Languedoc, flower power comes to Montpellier… and the French national pastime comes to an end.
At the start of another new year, I have two things to say to you: Bonne Année, and Vive la France! One thing you’ll notice if you live in or visit France during January is that everyone wishes everyone else a Happy New Year right the way through the month. The bonhomie is not limited to a snog under the mistletoe on December 31 (le réveillon) – no, sir. The first time you see someone in the New Year, be they the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker, the done thing is to greet them with a cheery “bonne année!”, and - if you know them well enough - a bise on both cheeks (down here in Montpellier, three kisses is the norm, but other regions limit themselves to two, or go over the top and do four – time consuming but fun, depending on your bise partner). Of course, if it IS le boucher, le boulanger or the candlestick maker (don’t ask me what that is in French) you’re greeting, a nice smile or a friendly handshake is probably more appropriate.
Languedoc comes to London
OK, so I exaggerate a little – it’s not the whole Languedoc-Rousillon region, but quite a number of folk from down here make an annual pilgrimage back to London in January to attend the Vive La France travel and tourism show (www.vivelafrance.co.uk) and the French Property News show that runs alongside it, at Olympia. The Languedoc region is home to many estate agents, property finders, surveyors, gîte and B&B owners, not forgetting lots of relocated Brits running tourism-related businesses. The region thrives on the tourist industry, so there’s usually a contingent from Languedoc’s regional or departmental tourist offices stepping onto the plane and representing the region’s interests in the main section of the show.
This is where I went five years ago when planning my move to the south of France. I wanted to pick people’s brains, collect brochures and maps, and glean tips from anyone who looked sussed, French and friendly. I staggered home with a carrier bag full of paper, ploughed my way through it but realized I was not much wiser: if we were going to live in the Languedoc, I needed to get on a plane and see it for myself. Nothing is as illuminating as schlepping round (say) Pérols or Palavas. You soon figure out where you want to be (and no disrespect to Pérols or Palavas, but do I want to live in either place? Non, merci). Would you move from Sussex to Scotland just because everyone said it was really nice? I don’t think so. So by all means make your way to Olympia this month, but don’t forget to factor in a trip to Olargues (or wherever tickles your fancy) afterwards. Check out our travel pages to see how to get here quickly and easily.
The Vive la France show runs January 19-21, 2007. Tickets can be booked by calling 0870 013 0730 or visiting the website www.vivelafrance.co.uk. Tickets are £8 in advance and £12 on the door. The show will be open on Friday 19th January from 10:00 – 18:00 and Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st January from 10:00-17:00.
Bikes come to Languedoc
Lots of ‘em. The 2007 Tour de France route will be passing through the Languedoc, so if you were thinking of spending your summer hols down here, why not work this major sporting event into your itinerary? After its London prologue on July 7 the Tour will cross the Channel and take a clockwise spin around France, passing down through the Alps before heading south to Marseille and then west to Montpellier and across the Languedoc region. Dates for your diary then are Thursday July 19, for the Marseille-Montpellier leg, and Friday July 20, for the Montpellier-Castres stage. Don’t say we didn’t give you plenty of notice! For more info about the 2007, visit www.letour.fr
Flower power comes to Montpellier
 After many months of digging, drilling and inconvenience (I live on the tram route, I should know), Montpellier’s much-trumpeted and long-awaited second tramway line, Ligne 2, comes into full service from January 8, after its soft opening just before Christmas. It opens up the greater Montpellier area (known as the Agglomération) in a big way, and thus is a reason to get very excited. Now you can travel all the way out to Jacou, to the north, and St. Jean de Vedas, in the south, thanks to a service that will run from 5 am to 1 am. The trams themselves are hilarious – bright yellow, and covered in red, green and orange flowers, they look like something out of the Magic Roundabout. Personally I love them, and so do my kids, but I can see how others might wince when they look at the blooming (pun intended) things. You can’t miss ‘em (and for those of us living here, it’s been difficult to miss the huge PR campaign that’s been going on, either), but for anyone who’s been living under a stone for the past couple of months, here’s the Transports de l’Agglomeration de Montpellier (TaM) website www.montpellier-agglo.com/tam/ and a picture.
On yer bike!
And just to return to the theme of bicycles for a second, one marvelous aspect about Montpellier’s tram network – apart from its eco-friendliness – is the availability of bikes to hire at points along the tram route. Rock up with some ID and a deposit of 150 euros (they don’t cash it, so don’t worry) and you can pedal off on an orange TaM bike to explore backstreets, outskirts or wherever takes your fancy. They have bog standard velos, or fancier electric models, kiddie trailers (like little sidecars that you tow along behind you) and odd-looking adult bikes with an extra seat and one wheel added on the back, for children who are bike enough to pedal but not quite sussed enough to steer. Fun for all the family, and heartily recommended. For TaM bike info and the nearest bike hire point, call 04 67 22 87 82.
Au revoir to the French national past time
One thing I’ve never been able to get over is the extent to which smoking is socially acceptable here in France. Although apparently only 32 per cent of the population smokes, these die-hard puffers do it with such utter contempt for anyone else’s comfort or wellbeing that it really does get in your face, and up your nose. You’ll have guessed, smoking is a habit I hate, so imagine my delight when Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin announced in October 2006 that smoking in public places will be banned from February 1, 2007. From next month it’s goodbye to evil-smelling smoke and fag butts in train and metro stations, museums, universities, administration buildings and businesses. A fine of €75 will be payable by the individual breaking the new rule, and a fine of €150 will be slapped on the establishment in which the offence occurs. It’s not quite time to break out the bunting yet, though: owners of bars, restaurants and nightclubs have until January 1, 2008 to conform to the regulations. Smokers of France, your days of public puffing are well and truly numbered. I’ll be counting those 365 days with glee.
Quick, or you’ll miss it!
 On until Sunday January 7th at the Carré d’Art in Nîmes, an exhibition of the work of Czech-born Canadian conceptual artist Jana Sterbak. Catch it Tuesday-Sunday 10 am to 6 pm, visit www.carredart.org or call 04 66 76 35 70 for details. Up on the top floor of this amazing, glass-built structure is a rather nice café-restaurant, Le Ciel de Nîmes, which is the perfect place to unwind after several hours of browsing; call 04 66 36 71 70 to book a table.
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