ESTIVAL

Every friday night during the summer, Montpieller is host to a wine festival (Or as we culture drained Americans say it, LE ESTIVAL) The festival takes over the center square of the town with stands to get food, wine, antiques, hats, and anything you can think of.

For 4 euro, you get a pretty little wine glass (Which I lost a mere hours later in an unfortunate bar table clearing incident) and three tickets to sample any wine you want.

All of the wines are from local vineyards (which includes Burgundy and Bordeaux) and are served with pride by a vineyard worker.

ESTIVAL is also home to some of the best street food on the planet.

Moules Frites served straight out of the steamer and doused in a healthy serving of onions and delicious broth.

If Moules Frites aren't your style (anyone? anyone?), you can wander through a seemingly endless maze of food vendors selling everything from steaks to paella to falafel.

After indulging in the delicious food and the wine, and more wine, and some more wine, the townspeople, and some drunk americans yelling "I love ESTIVAL" can gather around the town pond, or infront of the large stage to watch a variety of jazz performers.

They also flood the streets to wander through stands selling all sorts of things. In one block, a determined shopper can buy nougat, books from the 1800s and antique china.

The ESITVAL is a great time, a cheap night filled with culture and entertainment, and a mainstay of Monpieller for hopefully years to come.