'WHAT I DID THIS SUMMER' (Languedoc)

A few schools went back during last week but today September 1st. is the grande rentree in Northern Ireland, and how many times as primary school scholars did we write 'what I did this summer'? Sort of working backwards at the start of July I was leaving the Languedoc and spending a day in Beziers as I often have to do thanks to the Herault bus timetable and Ryan air schedules never quite meeting in the middle.

 

It was a lovely day, spent as usual dandering around the old town, sitting picnicing in the park des Poetes, visiting the Polygone shopping mall (very busy, 2nd phase of the sales just starting) and watching the world go by promenading under the trees on the Allee Paul Ricquet.

Beziers was just getting ready for it's annual BIG event, the Feria. I have never been in the city during this event, I've just witnessed the build up and the aftermath and will probably keep it that way. I enjoy looking at the publicity banners each year as these display work from local artists. They were just going up .....

.......on the outside of the covered market hall.

 

 

I think this one is my favourite this year

 

 

Certainly gets the action, colour and noise of the event across

Hotel de Ville - Town Hall

 

 

Opposite  the Hotel de Ville is a bus stop with an interesting bus shelter, the end of which is below, the names of all the stops incised in the metal, I thought rather eye catching, well made and lovely to see the city again supporting a local artist.

 

 

 

When I was sitting in the centre of town I filled the final pages of my sketchbook and a nice young man sat beside me and commented upon how quickly I drew, the then asked where I was from - Northern Ireland - he hadn't heard of that, Belfast, I said, nope, still blank, that was a sign of the times that someone hasn't heard of Belfast! So I tried just 'Ireland', yes he'd been to Dublin, O.K then the north part of Ireland is Northern Ireland, 'Is that a new country?' he asked, and I suppose in a way it is so I just said yes.