January will most likely be the coldest month of the year here. We’ve had a few days where the temperatures stayed near freezing, and two days of soaking rain, but with the increasing time of daylight we’ve had some days with temperatures reaching the upper 60s (Fahrenheit) along with clear blue skies.
We took advantage of this last Wednesday to go to the nearby city of Aigues Mortes. The Mediterranean coast from the Camargue (the delta of the Rhône) west to the Spanish border, unlike the Côte d ’Azure, is quite flat with frequent brackish water ponds (étangs in French) that have been used since pre-historic times to harvest salt by evaporation of sea water. Aigues Mortes literally means “dead water” from Latin “Aqua Mortis” and salt collection still continues. Before refrigeration, salt was the principal way of preserving foods such as meat, fish, and dairy for future consumption, and even today cheese, anchovies, and ham to name just a few of many foods, require salt.
But I digress, the oldest part of Aigues Mortes is surrounded by ramparts and towers built in the 13th Cent. under King Louis IX – Saint Louis – as his port of embarkation for the Seventh Crusade as at the time Marseille was not a part of France. The actual port lies to the southwest of Aigues Mortes at Le Grou du Roi on the Mediterranean. We approached the ramparts on a causeway across the salt ponds that was very likely built by Louis IX and used by his Crusaders. Today the city’s ramparts enclose a tourist destination.
We were surrounded at our lunch at Le Minos on Place Saint-Louis by art depicting some of the things the Camargue is known for besides salt (and rice) black bulls and white horses. Bonny pointed out to me that the cross with the heart and anchor at the bottom (top middle above) is also a bull’s nose. The name of the restaurant reminded me of the legendary king of Crete, and also of the Minotaur who is usually depicted as having the head of a bull. And the food and wine were fabulous!
Life here for us here is not exclusively sight-seeing. You may have read reports of recent unrest among France’s farmers. It is quite real. The French farmers are upset over increased taxes on diesel fuel, low prices for their products, and increased environmental regulations, and have literally taken to the streets across France – including Montpellier, as the pictures below clearly show!
The pictures in the montage on the right above were taken from the window of our apartment this morning. I wonder where the green truck is taking that load? From the route it is on I suspect it will be on the front page of Midi Libre tomorrow and on France 24 this evening.
But life goes on. Mais la vie continue.The full moon Thursday morning (upper left) and lately in the evenings, we have been enjoying spectacular sunsets – Le ponant c’est magnifique !
À bientôt
La Vie de Montpellier 
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