France - Mediterranean
Montpellier
By Caroline M. Jackson
Situated in
the south of France, Montpellier is a city with two faces, one old and one
new. Because it is central to many other fascinating Mediterranean towns, it
is a perfect base for those travelling by train or car to places such as
Nimes of denim textile fame or Avignon with its famous bridge.
Founded in 985
by Jews, Muslims and Christians, Montpellier is the capital of the
Languedoc-Roussillon region which lies just west of Provence. The new
section of town boasts postmodern architecture and broad leafy boulevards
which open onto spacious plazas, the largest one being the traffic-free
Place de la Comedie in the center of town. It is here that many of the
65,000 university students congregate to soak up the sun between classes or
enjoy a drink at one of the many outdoor cafes and restaurants.
People-watching appears to be a full-time occupation here with a cell phone
in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
My
favorite area was the pedestrian-only old town with its narrow winding
streets and grand 17th and 18th century townhouses. Every alley leads into
small treed squares where locals sit around cool moss-covered fountains or
sip a glass of wine in one of the numerous bistros. Overhead fly the
‘sweeing’ swifts which occasionally dart through the fine mist rising
from the mossy fount. However, tranquility didn’t always reign here as a
large wooden cross depicts at the Place des Martyrs de la Resistance.
On arriving at
Montpellier by train, the best thing to do is to head for the tourism office
at Place de la Comedie and obtain a French street map which will help you
unscramble the puzzle of angled streets. From here you can catch le Petit
Train Touristique for an interesting trundle through the old town towards
the handsome aqueduct which was originally built to supply the town’s
fountains. Take your map with you as there is no English commentary.
Our second day
in Montpellier was a Sunday – a day when almost everything closes down.
After a leisurely continental breakfast and chatting to our Algerian host at
Hotel Ulysse (a Citotel booked through the Internet), we waited for a public
bus that never came. Eventually we decided to walk into town and en route
met up with a charming couple who encouraged us to join them for a visit to
the local farmer’s market. This venue was a beehive of activity. Ducks and
chickens with heads and feet intact, lay in cold repose. Octagonal mauve
lavender soaps were stacked up like the steps of the Giant’s Causeway.
With the sun’s rays filtering through the overhead canopy, jars of comb
honey shone like amber. Local jam made from unsweetened grapes with slices
of apple, quince or figs looked tempting. Blushing peaches and alizarin
cherries lay in round baskets under an umbrella of cascading strings of
garlic. Merlot bottles of wine from nearby vineyards stood next to jars of
olive oil. The cheese counter was the epitome of lively interaction
among the locals. No latex gloves here and customers insisted on
checking the aroma of each product before purchase - perhaps a moldy puck of
goat cheese, a pot of sheep’s yogurt or an hors d’oeuvre of Montpellier
butter flavored with tarragon, watercress, capers and anchovies. For the
sweet tooth, one can sample Grisettes de Montpellier – small marble-size
sweets made of honey and liquorice, rolled in crushed brown sugar once used
for trade by travelling pilgrims.
With our
knapsacks well stocked with fresh fare, we set off by train for the nearby
Mediterranean town of Sete. A picturesque working port, its
pastel-colored Italianate houses stand cheek-to-jowl along the Grand Canal
which is part of the Canal du Midi. Sete is a town that assails the senses.
Motorbikes buzz through the streets and over the bridges like angry hornets,
the smell of things fishy assails the nostrils, diesel fumes emanate from
colorful fishing boats. The eyes feast on the red pantiled roofs of
sumptuous residences peeking out from treed Mont St. Clair. Little wonder
that this destination is favored by artists and photographer alike. Popular
seafood restaurants abound with menus advertising fresh caught mussels, sea
snails and large oysters from the nearby salt-water lagoon. Further along
the harbor we came across magnificent cruise ships which were soon to set
sail for the exotic ports of Casablanca, Tangier and Tunis.
The next day
we decided to sample a little medieval history and travel south east of
Montpellier to the walled town of Aigues-Mortes (“Place of Dead
Waters”). Built during the reign of Louis IX , it was an
inhospitable barren place infested by malaria-carrying mosquitoes. However,
rising out of salt marshes and lakes, the site was protected from overland
invasions and from enemy attack by sea. Its 13th C. fortifications have been
perfectly preserved and for a fee, visitors can walk along the ramparts and
climb up the Tower of Constance for a view over the checkerboard of
red-tiled roofs. In the distance one can also see the Carmargue – the
marshlands where herds of semi-wild white horses and black bulls freely roam
along with thousands of pink flamingoes. One of the oldest buildings in
Aigues-Mortes is the 13th C. church called “Our Lady of the Sands”.
During our visit, a wedding was in progress so we had the pleasure of
watching a chic French fashion parade unfold before our eyes. At lunchtime,
we threaded our way along the narrow streets to one of the outdoor
restaurants in Saint Louis’ Square where we sat under the shade of a plane
tree. No sooner had our plat du jour arrived than the heavens opened and our
fish were soon afloat in our plates. The “Place of Dead Waters” had
become very much alive.
Travel tips.
I would
recommend picking up a rental car to visit this area. Speed limits vary
depending on weather, e.g. autoroutes 130 kmh when sunny and 110 when
raining.
Bone up on
your conversational French before departure.
Languedoc/Roussillon
area gets an average of 300 days of sunshine annually.
We flew direct
non-stop from London Gatwick to Montpellier on British Airways http://www.britishairways.com
Tourism
France: http://www.franceguide.com
Images by
Hamish M. Jackson
