montpelliyay

A change is as good as a rest. A splendid Septembre weekend in the Languedoc-Roussillon was just the tonic to relax and refresh.

Everbody knows how much I love the French - I won't bang on about it too much (again) but for more blog posts on my precious frog jaunts please see ici and ici. It had been a while since I'd set foot on Gallic soil, so nabbing a pair of cheap Easyjet flights and a quirky apartment through airbnb (total cost for two - £300!), I was all set for a long weekend of Frenching to the max in beautiful Montpellier.

It's the perfect small city to explore over a weekend, and seems to have it all - the old, winding cobbled streets, hidden away squares, petites boutiques, churches and museums of the old town, the bigger shopping malls and gleaming modern architecture of the Antigone district and cute beaches and clear waters a short tram or taxi ride away.



place de la comedie

 

It was the first time I'd used airbnb for accommodation, and we had a great experience. Cheaper than a hotel, yet more characterful, easy and authentic. Our fourth floor apartment (high ceilings, balcons, arty touches, très français) was tucked away between a boulangerie and a chocolaterie, right in the heart of the old town. There's nothing more heartening than throwing open the shutters, gazing out on blue skies and then sitting down to a proper petit déj laid on by invisible breakfast fairies...

great start

For lunch we ate some delightful crêpes at Le Phare Saint Roch, a cheap and cheerful café a short walk from our apart. I have come to understand that crêpes to the French, are a bit like toasties to les Anglais. In other words, uneventful, boring and safe. Crêpes are not haute cuisine, they are not even midi cuisine. They are just: crêpes. But they are amazing! You fools, you don't even know you're born.

 

Is there anything more tasty for lunch, than a chilled bottle of crisp cidre and a savoury galette, filled with melty cheese, ham, mushrooms, a perfectly cooked egg atop and a grind of black pepper? Doubt it. Needless to say, there's always room for a sweet one, and if it's not the traditional Nutella Banane then it's got to be La belle Hélène (pear, dark chocolate sauce and whipped cream) for me. After some horrendous crap crepe affairs in the UK, and at festivals, I tend to avoid eating them unless in France - however there is one good crêperie I can recommend in Kensington called Cremerie which makes up in food what it lacks in interior design.

cidre et crepes

Palavas-les-Flots is one of the closest beaches to Montpellier, and although not the most beautiful, has everything you could wish for an afternoon of sun soaking, wining and dining. The sea runs into a river which splits Palavas in two down the middle, and cafes and bars line both sides. You can do one side, then take a chair lift over the river and do the other, eating and drinking as you go.

This close to the sea, it had to be seafood. The giant platter of lobster and varied shelled beasts was tempting but in the end we had to settle for the classique, a kilo of moules frites, with a nice white at La Passerelle. We had seats right by the riverside, and noticed a viewing stand opposite slowly filling with a small crowd of people. Then the music started up and a dude on a loudspeaker announcing the 'ecole des joutes' (jousting school) competition was about to begin. Cue a hilarious hour of jousters with shields and poles, balancing on the end of a giant platform on two boats, trying to knock each other off - some very close calls were had! Apparently, it's a regular summer occurrence around this time of year, and certainly made for entertaining dinner viewing. Bear in mind that getting back to Montpellier from Palavas in the evening is a bit tricky, as the last bus to the tramstop is at 19.30. Obviously we missed the bus, but found a very accommodating eighty year old Frenchman, stripey top, neckerchief, covered in tatts, in a convertible - who drove us there no problem.

 



moules frites



oui

There are plenty of top notch places to eat in Montpellier, but two of note deserve a mention here.
Tamarillos, a restaurant by Philippe Chapon, has an original menu themed around fruits and flowers. Visually exciting, with a range of tasting menus, tapas and unusual salads piled high with edible colourful flowers. In an effort to counteract all the calorie laden cheese and wine, we wanted to go down the salad route (but avoid the goats cheese and lardons) and plumped for the fresh crab and avocado salad with poppies and the smoked salmon, lemon and nasturtium concoction. They also do a range of vivid juices, freshly blended - the strawberry was particularly nice.

saumon fume

crabe avocat

On our last night we wanted a good, simple but effective feast, and a local recommended we dine at La Place. Tucked away in a secretive square, with tables outside next to a burbling fountain, we had a lipsmacking and very reasonable two courser for 22 euros. Lamb cutlets and steak frites cooked to perfection, followed by a tarte aux pommes and a mini cheese selection, with star fromage performer a local Tomme.

piece of meat

Gluttons for punishment, we couldn't return home empty handed, and stocked up on some pretty biscuits and chocolates for friends and family from Leonidas before leaving. Of course, this turned into a late night chocolate testing session (read: binge). Needless to say, they all rated a minimum of a respectable neuf sur dix... the coconut cream and the blanc bouche were divine.



bitesize

As it turned out, my Montpellier sojourn was also a celebration of the end of the sunny summer, as I took off from London in a heatwave and touched back down in autumnal England to grey clouds, rain and a 15 degree temperature drop.
I really couldn't feel too gloomy about it though given the long sultry months we've had this year, and a last blast of South of France heat and hospitality will hopefully see me through the next three months and my next hot holiday in December...