Pic St. Loup

1-10-2010
Originally uploaded by cspatrick

Friday, October 1, 2010 Day 93
Damn! Damn, damn, damn! My computer is not fixed, and we don’t know the cost of fixing it or when it will be fixed. Did I say DAMN??!!!!
The repair place quickly diagnosed the problem of a broken switch and replaced it in a few days. But we got a call today while we were out, and when we went to the repair shop this evening, we were told that the circuit board to which the switch connects is also bad. The repair guy had contacted Sony about it but had not heard back from them, so he is not sure when or how much the repair would be. He said the motherboard is fine. Now we have to decide whether to move forward with an expensive repair (this one is already at 117€) or get a new computer. The problem with getting a new computer is that it will be a French computer if we get it over here, and we are already having to deal with a French smartphone, which is WAY smarter than we are. I do not want to have to deal for the next three or four or five years (or whatever the life of a new laptop will be) of a French computer – French keyboard, French-speaking OS, all of that. And if I order an English-speaking one, I can imagine it taking a good two to three weeks or more to get here, with astronomical shipping costs (I hear DHL folded in the US). So after much thought, we are probably going to try to get the circuit board replaced. So this means I will be without a computer for another week or more, most likely. SIGH.
This morning we excused ourselves from walking the Peyrou – our bodies are still aching from yesterday’s hike. We putzed around until about 10:30, then left for the Comedie to see what is going on, and to get groceries. Today is the start of a 3-day Grand Bazar, which seems to be a city-centre-wide sidewalk sale where all the merchants drag out their inventory from last season which didn’t sell, their slightly-damaged merchandise, and some used stuff as well. Some of the merchants appear to have allowed their kids to bring used toys, games and household items to sell as well. We passed a used-clothing shop, and I bought a winter coat for 15€. It is a black trench-style and fits me nicely. I didn’t want to have to purchase a brand new one and either haul it home or sell or donate it here, so it was a stroke of fortune to stumble on this one.
On the Comedie, the booths appear to be set up for an organic educational fair, with demonstrations, packets of information and a few tastings. We passed an area where we could smell either a wood fire or a fantastic incense, but we were unable to determine the source of the aroma. We wandered around a bit then headed back home for the rest of the morning.
In the afternoon, we hopped the tram to meet Anne, who so kindly offered to take us for a drive around the Pic St. Loup, a large mountain which protrudes unexpectedly into the air some 40 or 50 kilometres north of Montpellier. It has a smaller sister peak, Hortus (although with a name like that, it ought to be a brother peak), and the two are 658 metres and 512 metres respectively. They are allegedly a part of the Pyrenees which drifted away a few million years ago and came to rest north of Montpellier. The drive was quite lovely. Our first stop was at the village of Les Matelles. It consisted of a network of tortuous streets and ancient fortifications which led up to (and hid, in ancient times) a small, protected square. We explored the streets and saw the lovely, charming and often tiny houses which make up the quaint village.