The Opera House - beautiful
I decided to do a day trip to Montpellier from Nimes. Having felt a little off-balance initially in Nimes, I figured that Montpellier would feel better as I had been told that Montpellier was pretty amazing. It is one of those go to places for 2012 – so says some international tourism thingy. It’s tram system is pretty amazing and it’s architecture is quite stunning.
Arch de Triomphe built in the 1600s
So I get there and it is a lot bigger and bustling with tourists. The girl in the tourism office was quite nice but I needed to eat some breakfast of sorts and I have not quite figured out how the brasseries work since they do seem to have waiters working them, but whenever I sit down, I promptly get ignored. And then as you try to get their attention, they seem almost totally put out and in a total rush to actually have to take your order. I sat for almost 20 minutes before I was able to get a waiter to come to my table. Ah the wonderful French hospitality.
A typical French image - outdoor cafes in idyllic historical settings
So after a quick fruit salad and a very small coffee, I started to wander around. And yes Montpellier, from an architectural standpoint, is very beautiful. I followed a mapped route that is normally lead by a guide. It took me to the Royal Square, the Arch de Triomphe, Ancients streets, the cathedral, and a myriad of other neat areas. Basically Montpellier is a pretty old and architecturally significant place. Lots of medieval feel to it. Thin windy streets that are only pedestrian. Lots of pedestrian streets actually, and all of them with shops hidden away. What I find is half the shops aren’t open – can’t figure out yet what their pattern is, and how anyone would find half of those shops.
Yup - the ancient quarter - from 1400 - 1600s - pretty cool
Wouldn't be able to get a car down here
One important thing I did find though was my favourite pastry – the Palmier. When I lived in Dijon in 1985 I couldn’t eat enough of them. I have seen them elsewhere including Canada, but no one knows how to make them like the French. They have that perfect balance of crispy with chewy without being too sweet. So I have been treating myself to one a day and damn they are good.
Yum, yum, my favourite - Palmier
In the Royal Square - this is the highest point
With a warm sunny day on my plate, I made the most of it. I covered as much of the old centre and walked all the windy streets and sat at the cafe enjoying the sun and ultimately a pizza. That is another weird thing. It is hard to find a simple healthy salad. I don’t know how the French stay so slim with all the carbs they eat and all the coffee they drink. Oh maybe that is it. Keep yourself hopped up on caffeine and smoke copious cigarettes and yes do they smoke. Everywhere and everybody. But can’t do much about it.
As I mentioned - it was hot