Okay -- so it's not your average Throwback Thursday post. Instead of reminiscing about the mid-90s, I'm throwing it back to 2013 and sharing with you some of my favorite snapshots of Montpellier.
Showing posts with label languedoc-roussillon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label languedoc-roussillon. Show all posts
Friday, February 6, 2015
Throwback Thursday: Snapshots from Montpellier
Thursday, February 5.
Okay -- so it's not your average Throwback Thursday post. Instead of reminiscing about the mid-90s, I'm throwing it back to 2013 and sharing with you some of my favorite snapshots of Montpellier.
Okay -- so it's not your average Throwback Thursday post. Instead of reminiscing about the mid-90s, I'm throwing it back to 2013 and sharing with you some of my favorite snapshots of Montpellier.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Mommy in Montpellier -- The Final Leg
Mardi, 19 novembre.
On Monday morning, after a fabulous weekend in Lyon, we headed back to the sunshine and warmth of the South of France. As you can see, I was a little tuckered out on the train back!
Mommy loves public transportation. Me? Not quite so convinced.
Still, after a few days spent exploring in the Alps, it was nice to be back in the land of constant sunshine. We did a little bit of walking around before checking into our third and final apartment of the trip.
On Monday morning, after a fabulous weekend in Lyon, we headed back to the sunshine and warmth of the South of France. As you can see, I was a little tuckered out on the train back!
Mommy loves public transportation. Me? Not quite so convinced.
Still, after a few days spent exploring in the Alps, it was nice to be back in the land of constant sunshine. We did a little bit of walking around before checking into our third and final apartment of the trip.
 |
| The view from our third and final apartment. Wow! |
After dropping our bags off, we decided to make one last little trip. After all, thanks to all of our train travelling, Mommy had already seen the Alps, the hillsides in the east, and the countryside in South (or, as we like to call it, Texas). But there was still a major geographical area missing -- the ocean. So we hopped on a quick local train to Sète, a port town on the Mediterrean Sea that's only a couple of kilometres away from Montpellier. It's a huge resort town during the summer, but -- as we quickly discovered -- is beautiful to visit year-round!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Excursion au Château de Montferrand
Dimanche, 13 octobre.
Today I went on a hike with my host family! They've been talking about taking me somewhere for a while, but because I've been so busy, we haven't yet had time. So this weekend, we put on our sneakers and headed the countryside of Montpellier to explore Pic Saint-Loup and the Château de Montferrand.
You can find a little bit more information about the ruins here (in French), but basically they are what remains of a twelfth-century fortress built to overlook and protect the Montferrand Valley.
According to my host mom, a princess once lived here who was loved by three brothers who went off to fight in the Crusades; when they returned, she had died from the plague, so they went off and became hermits on different mountains. Pic Saint-Loup was named after the eldest brother (who naturally got dibs on living alone on the very tallest of mountains).
I had a ton of fun hiking up to the top of the ruins. Although it's almost impossible to tell that there used to be a fortress here (the walls are in total shambles), there are lots of old rooms and cellars to crawl into and explore. It reminded me a lot of the places we used to adventure to in Germany!
Today I went on a hike with my host family! They've been talking about taking me somewhere for a while, but because I've been so busy, we haven't yet had time. So this weekend, we put on our sneakers and headed the countryside of Montpellier to explore Pic Saint-Loup and the Château de Montferrand.
According to my host mom, a princess once lived here who was loved by three brothers who went off to fight in the Crusades; when they returned, she had died from the plague, so they went off and became hermits on different mountains. Pic Saint-Loup was named after the eldest brother (who naturally got dibs on living alone on the very tallest of mountains).
I had a ton of fun hiking up to the top of the ruins. Although it's almost impossible to tell that there used to be a fortress here (the walls are in total shambles), there are lots of old rooms and cellars to crawl into and explore. It reminded me a lot of the places we used to adventure to in Germany!
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Excursion à Aigues-Mortes et Gard-du-Roi
Samedi, 21 septembre.
Although there are several things I don't miss about the orientation pre-stage (including the oppressive heat and the sincerely ugly Triolet dorms), I do miss our weekly excursions -- a little bit of history, a little bit of sun, and enough walking to make you want to sleep on the way home. But because the end of our first month in France called for a celebratory adventure -- and because Molly and I have seen just about all there is to see in Montpellier at the moment, we decided to take our own little excursion this weekend! On the agenda: the village of Gard-du-Roi and the city of Aigues-Mortes.
Because a direct bus to Aigues-Mortes wouldn't get us to the town till noon, we decided to leave Montpellier early and stop for an hour or two in one of the smaller seaside towns on the way ... and thus our trip to Grau-du-Roi was born! Grau-du-Roi, which means something along the lines of "king's bayou" in Occitan, is a small fishing village on the Mediterranean coast that doesn't have a whole lot of remarkable attributes. (Although Hemingway did describe its "long beach and fine fishing port" in one of his novels.) But, naturally, since it's a small fishing village on the Mediterranean, it doesn't need to be remarkable because it's inheritantly incredible.
We only had a few hours in the town before catching the next bus to Aigues-Mortes, but it was the perfect amount of time to meander around town, take photos, and buy some souvenirs! The town was hopping, even in September, so I can't imagine how crowded it must be in peak tourist season.
Although there are several things I don't miss about the orientation pre-stage (including the oppressive heat and the sincerely ugly Triolet dorms), I do miss our weekly excursions -- a little bit of history, a little bit of sun, and enough walking to make you want to sleep on the way home. But because the end of our first month in France called for a celebratory adventure -- and because Molly and I have seen just about all there is to see in Montpellier at the moment, we decided to take our own little excursion this weekend! On the agenda: the village of Gard-du-Roi and the city of Aigues-Mortes.
Because a direct bus to Aigues-Mortes wouldn't get us to the town till noon, we decided to leave Montpellier early and stop for an hour or two in one of the smaller seaside towns on the way ... and thus our trip to Grau-du-Roi was born! Grau-du-Roi, which means something along the lines of "king's bayou" in Occitan, is a small fishing village on the Mediterranean coast that doesn't have a whole lot of remarkable attributes. (Although Hemingway did describe its "long beach and fine fishing port" in one of his novels.) But, naturally, since it's a small fishing village on the Mediterranean, it doesn't need to be remarkable because it's inheritantly incredible.
We only had a few hours in the town before catching the next bus to Aigues-Mortes, but it was the perfect amount of time to meander around town, take photos, and buy some souvenirs! The town was hopping, even in September, so I can't imagine how crowded it must be in peak tourist season.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Too Pooped to Patrimoine
Dimanche, 15 septembre.
Before arriving in France, I was warned by several people not to become a tourist, jetting off to a different country every weekend, but to try to really live in and experience the city I was in! Spending a weekend "at home" with my host family or with friends might not sound as exciting as a short trip to Spain or Italy, but it would make for a richer experience in the long run. So, although I'm beyond excited to travel outside of the city again in the upcoming months, I've made it my mission to balance all those trips with as much quality time with Montpellier as I can manage!
To be fair, I've already done a whole lot of exploring the city in the past three weeks. I've checked out parcs and cafés and grocery stores and bars and banks and museums ... and I've even ridden every single tram line! (There are only four, but still.) But this weekend, my exploration of Montpellier hit a new level, all thanks to les Journées européennes du Patrimoine.
What are these Journées du Patrimoine all about? Well, as you might be aware, Europe is old. Very old. And because it's so old, it's absolutely teeming with history -- much of which is difficult/expensive for the average person to access! In order to encourage Europeans to explore their patrimony, somebody had the bright idea to create a special weekend in which historical and cultural sites are opened to the public, free of charge. The sites, which range from museums to churches to historical buildings, often charge admission or are closed to the public during the rest of the year, so the weekend is a pretty great opportunity!
Even in a smaller and "younger" (read: not Roman) city like Montpellier, there is a lot of exciting patrimoine. And since this will almost certainly be my only chance to experience Journées du Patrimoine in Montpellier, I decided that I had to see ALL of it. So yesterday morning, I packed up my camera and water bottle, put on my walking shoes, and headed downtown to see not one, not two, but eleven patrimoine sites. Molly and I finished up the tour today with two more, for a grand total of THIRTEEN sites of cultural/historic importance.
Thirty six hours later, I'm so cultured that it hurts (or maybe that's just all the stairs...) and now you're about to be too! Scroll down for a little information -- and a lot of fun pictures! -- of all the places we visited.
Before arriving in France, I was warned by several people not to become a tourist, jetting off to a different country every weekend, but to try to really live in and experience the city I was in! Spending a weekend "at home" with my host family or with friends might not sound as exciting as a short trip to Spain or Italy, but it would make for a richer experience in the long run. So, although I'm beyond excited to travel outside of the city again in the upcoming months, I've made it my mission to balance all those trips with as much quality time with Montpellier as I can manage!
To be fair, I've already done a whole lot of exploring the city in the past three weeks. I've checked out parcs and cafés and grocery stores and bars and banks and museums ... and I've even ridden every single tram line! (There are only four, but still.) But this weekend, my exploration of Montpellier hit a new level, all thanks to les Journées européennes du Patrimoine.
What are these Journées du Patrimoine all about? Well, as you might be aware, Europe is old. Very old. And because it's so old, it's absolutely teeming with history -- much of which is difficult/expensive for the average person to access! In order to encourage Europeans to explore their patrimony, somebody had the bright idea to create a special weekend in which historical and cultural sites are opened to the public, free of charge. The sites, which range from museums to churches to historical buildings, often charge admission or are closed to the public during the rest of the year, so the weekend is a pretty great opportunity!
Even in a smaller and "younger" (read: not Roman) city like Montpellier, there is a lot of exciting patrimoine. And since this will almost certainly be my only chance to experience Journées du Patrimoine in Montpellier, I decided that I had to see ALL of it. So yesterday morning, I packed up my camera and water bottle, put on my walking shoes, and headed downtown to see not one, not two, but eleven patrimoine sites. Molly and I finished up the tour today with two more, for a grand total of THIRTEEN sites of cultural/historic importance.
Thirty six hours later, I'm so cultured that it hurts (or maybe that's just all the stairs...) and now you're about to be too! Scroll down for a little information -- and a lot of fun pictures! -- of all the places we visited.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
I Left my Heart with St. Guilhem
Mercredi, 4 septembre.
So I know it's been a little while since Sunday, but time absolutely flies here. We've been crazy busy this week, between choosing classes and giving oral presentations and going out to bars for trivia night (before preparing for said oral presentations ... whoooooops). Still, even though I'm absolutely exhausted by the time I fall asleep each night, I wouldn't trade the adventures we've been having for the world!
I couldn't possibly fit all my pictures from Saturday in one post, so here are some photos and fun facts about MY NEW FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD, aka the town of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.
So I know it's been a little while since Sunday, but time absolutely flies here. We've been crazy busy this week, between choosing classes and giving oral presentations and going out to bars for trivia night (before preparing for said oral presentations ... whoooooops). Still, even though I'm absolutely exhausted by the time I fall asleep each night, I wouldn't trade the adventures we've been having for the world!
I couldn't possibly fit all my pictures from Saturday in one post, so here are some photos and fun facts about MY NEW FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD, aka the town of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.
It's a tiny commune about 45 minutes away from Montpellier (but still in the same department) and it looks like it just stepped out of a Paramount picture. Molly and I wandered through the streets in an absolute daze, snapping photos of every doorway and winding side street because everything we passed was more incredible than the next. Because our first stop (at la Grotte de Camouse) hadn't taken very long, we had a few hours to explore the town and eat lunch.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Excursion à Grotte de Camouse et Pont du Diable
Dimanche, 1 septembre.
Today we had our third and final excursion. This time, we took a short bus trip to Saint-Jean-de-Fos, a commune located in the same department as Montpellier. (Side note: This kind of commune doesn't mean a bunch of hippies farming beets ... it's just another level of administration, like a township in the States.) Saint-Jean-de-Fos is home to a couple of famous sites, including la Grotte de Clamouse, le Pont du Diable, and l'Abbeye de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. You'll have to stay tuned for more pictures from the town of St. Guilhelm because there was just too much pretty to fit all in one post!
First off: la Grotte de Clamouse. Caves. Lots and lots of beautiful caves. (And the view outside wasn't bad either -- check it out!)
The grottos are a very popular tourist site, but that doesn't mean that they're particularly easy to access. It's been a while since I was in Luray Caverns back in Virginia, but I'm pretty sure they're an easier climb. La Grotte de Clamouse is full of steep stairs, slippery stone floors, and some pretty far drops -- let's just say, I did NOT let go of the railing!
Today we had our third and final excursion. This time, we took a short bus trip to Saint-Jean-de-Fos, a commune located in the same department as Montpellier. (Side note: This kind of commune doesn't mean a bunch of hippies farming beets ... it's just another level of administration, like a township in the States.) Saint-Jean-de-Fos is home to a couple of famous sites, including la Grotte de Clamouse, le Pont du Diable, and l'Abbeye de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. You'll have to stay tuned for more pictures from the town of St. Guilhelm because there was just too much pretty to fit all in one post!
First off: la Grotte de Clamouse. Caves. Lots and lots of beautiful caves. (And the view outside wasn't bad either -- check it out!)
The grottos are a very popular tourist site, but that doesn't mean that they're particularly easy to access. It's been a while since I was in Luray Caverns back in Virginia, but I'm pretty sure they're an easier climb. La Grotte de Clamouse is full of steep stairs, slippery stone floors, and some pretty far drops -- let's just say, I did NOT let go of the railing!
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Et Maintenant ... Un Vrai Tour de Montpellier!
Samedi, 24 août.
We spent this evening on a petit tour of Montpellier, conducted by Michel, one of our guides from Nimes. (Again, not really sure what makes him so qualified, but he's great!) The plan for this post: lots of photos and not a lot of talking. There are too many beautiful photos and what I have to say would bore you anyhow!
Our first stop was la Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Montpellier. It used to be attached to a monastary, but was later elevated to the title of "cathedral." The church suffered some serious damage during religious wars between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries, but ultimately was the only church in Montpellier to survive the wars. It was later rebuilt, hence the slightly different styles of architecture -- Gothic and Romanesque. We didn't have time to truly explore around the cathedral, but I can't wait to go back and see the inside!
Check out the giant columns -- they're 4 and a 1/2 meters in diameter, or approximately 12 American study abroad students in circumference.
We spent this evening on a petit tour of Montpellier, conducted by Michel, one of our guides from Nimes. (Again, not really sure what makes him so qualified, but he's great!) The plan for this post: lots of photos and not a lot of talking. There are too many beautiful photos and what I have to say would bore you anyhow!
Our first stop was la Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Montpellier. It used to be attached to a monastary, but was later elevated to the title of "cathedral." The church suffered some serious damage during religious wars between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries, but ultimately was the only church in Montpellier to survive the wars. It was later rebuilt, hence the slightly different styles of architecture -- Gothic and Romanesque. We didn't have time to truly explore around the cathedral, but I can't wait to go back and see the inside!
Check out the giant columns -- they're 4 and a 1/2 meters in diameter, or approximately 12 American study abroad students in circumference.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Un Petit Tour de Montpellier
Mardi, 20 août.
It's weird to think that I've only been in Montpellier for three days. Although it definitely does NOT yet feel like home, I think I'm settling in pretty quickly! We try to speak French as much as possible, although English is definitely more prevalent amongst the majority of study abroad students. (Ugh.) And I think I'm starting to have at least a slightly better sense of where I am in the city as we're walking around -- as long as I have a map to fall back on!
I guess the thing that is making this all feel the most real is that we began our orientation classes today. I have three hours of grammar in the morning and two hours of "French civilization" in the afternoon. Both classes are taught by French university professors, though they're very different. I'm not sure exactly how it'll go for the next three weeks, but our grammar class definitely seems more difficult. (But I can't complain, because I know that I really wanted to be put in the advanced class!) We have a workbook and handouts as well as homework and exams. The civilization course, on the other hand, is all about getting us informed and excited about Montpellier and France. We only have six meetings, two of which are field trips -- to une oliveraie to learn about olive oil production and to a meeting with a wine specialist to learn about la viticulture in the Languedoc-Roussillon region!
In the meantime, we're using our spare time to get to know Montpellier. Yesterday, after taking our orientation placement exams (45 minutes of written exam followed by an oral interview) and a delicious Mediterranean buffet, we decided to explore the Centre Ville de Montpellier. It wound up being a wonderful decision because in addition to being a great workout -- around 4 hours of nonstop walking -- it gave us the opportunity to see the Montpellier we had all dreamed about.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Excursion à Nîmes et au Pont du Gard
Lundi, 19 août.
Phew, what a day! Today has been my first full day in Montpellier ... and I am pooped! But more about that later. First, I have much more exciting stories all about our first excursions to the historic city of Nîmes and the famous Roman aqueduct, le Pont du Gard.
The amphitheatre at Nimes was just as impressive as I had remembered it. We were running late, so we didn't have a ton of time to explore ... plus, it was crazy hot, so walking in and around the sunny arena wasn't exactly on the top of my to-do list. We did, however, get to learn a lot about the history of the Arenes and take photos from the very tippy-top!
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