A Little Tour of Montpellier

The day began, as it sometimes does, in a very difficult manner. I awakened in the middle of the night and could not go back to sleep for some time. It was almost painful to get going, and, in class, I really struggled as well. However, after I had my morning cup of espresso from the little machine at school (something I never drink at home, but here, everyday), I began to feel better. I brought my camera with me, to document some of the city with photos.  By this afternoon, despite being tired, I had a sense of freedom and happiness as I explored parts of the city I had never seen before.

The doors to the building that houses Ecole Klesse

One must navigate several flights of stairs to the fourth floor. Coming down, I find these stairs very disorienting.
Twice I've caught my shoe on the edge of the stair, but, fortunately, managed to keep from tumbling down. 

After class, as usual, I walked the one block to the Place de la Comedie and took a shot of the opera house (at the far end) and the large, central plaza, which is the heart of the town. But, instead of heading in the direction of the Polygone for lunch at Flunch, I turned left (to the right, in this photo) and walked north.

Place de la Comedie, where I have sat at an outdoor cafe for lunch once or twice.

I walked along the long, broad Esplanade Charles de Gaulle, and, winding left at the end, I came out onto the street that bordered the old city to the north. I ambled along the old streets and, coming upon Monsolopasta (Trattoria Siciliana), with a sign "slow food" on the door, I entered. It was a two-person operation: a tall, muscular young man managed the bar and took and served orders, while an older woman cooked. I had a delicious dish of spinach ravioli with a tomato sauce and sat there for quite some time, waiting for my bill, as the young man was also the pastry chef as well, filling pastry bags with cream and loading up the cannelloni. Although I was tempted, I passed on dessert and resumed my walk.

Espace Martin Luther King (across from the restaurant)

One of the old gates into the city (to the left is the Couvent des Ursulines, built in 1641,
later turned into a prison for women during the Revolution.
Now is a home for various forms of the arts.

I ambled along old, winding streets, people-watching and taking photos.

Cathedral St. Pierre. Pope Urban V, a former student of Montpellier, had a monastery and church built in 1364,
later to become the Saint-Pierre Cathedral in 1536. 

One of the towers of Saint-Pierre

I was now on the western edge of the quarter, and making my way south, to the Arc de Triomphe and the Roman aqueduct. 

One of the many gardens in Montpellier.
(In many little quarters there are small gardens tucked away. This garden is larger than most.)

L'Arc de Triomphe de Montpellier.
I have been taking photo after photo, trying to get the perfect shot of the French flag and voila!

At the aqueduct, I was trying to take a selfie, and a middle-aged man came up and volunteered to take my photo. I looked at the photo (and even though it was not "blog-worthy") I thanked him and said "perfect!" He replied "Vous etes parfaite, madame!" What a lovely thing for him to say — a kind word from a stranger that did my heart good.

From this point I walked back to one of my favourite spots: Le Bookshop, the English-language bookstore, and learned that I can return books I purchased there for credit. I sat in a comfortable chair and had a scone with jam and cream, English-style, along with some hot tea. (Needless to say, my dietary habits have completely changed here. In addition to coffee everyday, I have a croissant or bread every day — I never eat/drink these things at home!) Anyway, the scone was delish and I felt so comfortable there. I will return tomorrow, and return my current books for a credit for a new book (and will also take a photo of the place). On my way to the tram, I passed a group of musicians who were making very lively, happy music. 

Montpellier is a large city, with many sectors. It is a very rich city, filled with beautiful homes, and it is growing out in all directions. Tomorrow I'm hoping for another beautiful day so I can take some shots of Antigone (a beautiful area near the old ville), and of the area surrounding the apartment where I live (which is very, very modern).