The steep street leading up from the University of MedicineI trust that you appreciate the effort that we are making to bring you some wonderful photographs of Montpellier. We could have sat home this morning, toiling over our computers, but in the interests of the reading public, we forced ourselves to catch the tram and go into the city once more. It's such a tough assignment!
In case we had to walk further than we had planned, we disembarked at Corum which is the huge brown edifice which houses the Berlioz Opera, and instead of walking up the three flights of steps, we joined a lady with a suitcase and another who was slightly pregnant , and ascended in the small lift. Lazy I know but on your behalf, we wanted to achieve our programme.
The Esplanade Charles de Gaulle makes for the most pleasant approach to the Place de la Comedie, and we strolled under the trees that line each side, realising that nobody seemed to be in any sort of hurry. There was no queue at the Musée Fabre and the Tourist Information centre was quiet. Lovers sat on benches discussing previous assignations and planning future ones; a couple of youngsters strummed on their guitars but were minus the usual begging cup and a thin dog. Children dabbled their fingers in the fountains and the waiters began issuing cups of coffee to their regulars, moving slowly at this stage in the certain knowledge that nobody was in a rush to do anything.
We were a bit early for our appointment at the bank, so we sat outside our favourite brasserie and sipped the tiny cup of strong coffee and watched to see if anyone seemed to be late for work. A few late-season tourists took the obligatory photos of the Opera and of each other, but I noted a definite lack of Japanese who never take their eye from the viewfinder. A few couples sat with hands linked across the table as their coffee and croissants went unnoticed; nobody wore a suit and tie, and even the secretaries who were headed for the office flaunted summer suntans and laughed with their friends. Montpellier doesn’t believe in starting early that’s for sure. I imagine that in three weeks time, all the students will be back at University and the pace will pick up, but for now, the city is chilling out after the tourist season and enjoying the lazy late days of summer.
The man in the bank was far happier to see us this morning. His cold had improved and he saw my South African tee shirt and informed us proudly that he was the man to whom the famous Montpellier rugby team came to do their banking since he had a grasp of English. I didn’t get to hear much of it, but he set about the business of applying for a bank card for me. To be honest, I think it took less time to take out Lesotho Citizenship, but the good news is that I will be receiving my Carte Blue in no time at all.
The banking business done, our aim was the Jardin des Plantes, but first we had to call in at the Prefecture in the centre of old Montpellier in order to exchange our American driving licences for French ones. I mentioned to Jean that I hoped it would be a direct swap, because if there was any written test in French, I would be a gonner. He rather unkindly suggested that if there was any driving test, I might be out of luck as well, but I kicked him under the table to help him change his mind. The reason we had a table was that we had paused for the most delicious palmier from a boulangerie which just happened to block our path. This crisp multi-layered sugar-dusted heart shaped confection was just what I needed to continue my journalistic enterprise on your behalf and if you ever see one, don’t hesitate to purchase it. (I feel it is important to give you a flavour of the region as much as possible, and so I asked Jean if he would like to comment on the fougasse that he was devouring at a rate of knots, but all I could get out of him was a grunt of satisfaction and a lot of crumbs).
The Prefecture was knee deep in people who had been there since 8.30 so we took the forms and retreated. The day was far too nice to be sitting on long wooden benches waiting for a number to be called, so we moved on up the Rue Foch, passing the triumphal archway and the Palais de Justice and came out at the Place Royal du Peyrou. This is a very scenic spot with wonderful views to the outskirts of the city, but not a place to be when it is windy as the entire surface is made of fine dust and it can very quickly look like a scene from Lawrence of Arabia if the breeze kicks up.
Only a short walk down the hill brought us to the Jardin des Plantes founded back in 1593 but sadly it was only opening in another hour and since we had a very good view of quite a bit of it over the wall, I took some photos and we doubled back and dived into the narrow streets leading to the University of Medicine. Founded back in 1220, it was suppressed during the French Revolution but re-established in 1799. Just to make sure, Jean checked the time against the old sundial and it was only an hour out thanks to the implementation of Summer Time, and we marvelled at the age of the structure. This had been built before leeches were even in fashion, that’s for sure.
We had toyed with the idea of renting bikes to find our way around Montpellier, but when we saw the steep streets rising from the University back into the centre of town, we were pretty pleased that we only had ourselves to lug up the hill without pushing a bike as well.
With time completely on our side and our feet holding out well, we turned this way and that, exploring narrow streets that led into hidden squares where small fountains tinkled and shady trees gave protection to little outdoor restaurants. An ancient building on our right had been the old Montpellier hospital and I would give you the street name except I see from the city map that it changes no less than eight times as it winds around the old quarter.
Turning a corner, we were suddenly back in the 21st Century and only a short walk to Corum where we happily climbed aboard the tram and headed back home, stopping at Leroy Merlin en route so that we could get the last bits and pieces to extend the drip irrigation. Now you’re gonna’ see spinach grow!
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